Tom Verlaine (album)

Tom Verlaine
Studio album by Tom Verlaine
Released	1979
Recorded	Blue Rock Studio, 29 Greene Street, NYC
Genre	Post punk
Length	36:45
Label	Elektra
Producer	Michael Ewasko Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine chronology
Tom Verlaine (1979) Dreamtime (1981)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Tom Verlaine is the Television guitarist's eponymous 1979 solo debut album.

Several tracks, including "The Grip of Love", "Breakin' In My Heart", and "Red Leaves" trace their roots to unreleased Television songs. In the case of "Red Leaves", the verses are drawn from "Adventure", the unfinished title track of Television's 1978 album, Adventure. Fred Smith, bassist for Television, also performs on the record. Ricky Wilson, late guitarist of The B-52's, plays guitar on "Breakin' in My Heart". It is the only song Wilson recorded that didn't involve other B-52's members.

The album was originally mixed by Verlaine, but this mix was rejected by Elektra Records. Bob Clearmountain subsequently remixed the album, and it was this version that was released by Elektra in 1979. In 2002, a CD reissue by Collectors' Choice Music inadvertently used the earlier, rejected mix for initial pressings fulfilled by mail order;^[2] this was subsequently replaced with the approved Clearmountain mix by the time the CD was made available through traditional retail channels.

David Bowie covered "Kingdom Come" the following year on Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps).

Track listing

All songs written by Tom Verlaine.

Side one

1. "The Grip of Love" – 3:58
2. "Souvenir from a Dream" – 3:47
3. "Kingdom Come" – 3:42
4. "Mr. Bingo" – 3:57
5. "Yonki Time" – 3:54

Side two

1. "Flash Lightning" – 3:52
2. "Red Leaves" – 2:49
3. "Last Night" – 4:37
4. "Breakin' in My Heart" – 6:06

Personnel

• Tom Verlaine - guitar, vocals; organ on "Kingdom Come"
• Fred Smith - bass, guitar, percussion, vocals
• Jay Dee Daugherty - drums, percussion, vocals
• Allan Schwartzberg - drums, percussion on "Kingdom Come"
• Tom Thompson - drums on "Last Night"
• Deerfrance - vocals on "Red Leaves"
• Mark Abel - 12-string guitar on "Last Night"
• Bruce Brody - piano on "Last Night"
• Ricky Wilson - guitar on "Breakin' in My Heart"

Reception

The album was ranked at No. 15 among the top "Albums of the Year" for 1979 by NME.^[3]

References

1. Allmusic review
2. Phil Obbard, , ICE Magazine, CD Watchdog column, January 2003
3. "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME. 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.