“When somebody turned me on to a Coltrane record around seventh grade, I took up saxophone.” RecordsGradesSaxophoneColtraneSeventh Grade Author:Tom Verlaine
“I have a real soft spot for flying saucer songs and Frenkenstein songs. When I was a kid the first record I ever really liked was called "The Mummy", and the flip-side was called "The Beat Generation" which Richard Hell later re-wrote as "The Blank Generation". I thought it was the greatest thing I had ever heard. I didn't like Elvis much then, but I was very young. When I was a kid I used to play that monster all the time!” FirstsRealPlayKidsYoungUsedSongSidesHellRecordsGenerationsHeardBeatsMonstersFlyingSpotsBlankFlipMummyFlying SaucersBeat Generation Author:Tom Verlaine
“I'm kind of proud of that little record! I mean I've heard about a million other records that have come out since then by all these groups around here and there and I really like 'Little Johnny Jewel'.” KindMeanLittlesMillionsRecordsHeardGroupsProudJewelsHere And There Author:Tom Verlaine
“I always like junkyards. All this metal piled up - they're filled with pathos, those places. Much more pathos than most of the music I've heard. You look at it, and there's more feeling, even though it's depressing, than there is in a lot of music I hear these days. A junkyard is what it is, whereas listening to a record by, say, Styx, is something else.” LooksFeelingsRecordsHeardListeningFilledThese DaysMetalsDepressingPathosStyxJunkyard Author:Tom Verlaine
“I recently realized that Television has influenced a lot of English bands. Echo and the Bunnymen, U2, Teardrop Explodes - it's obvious what they've listened to and what they're going for. When I was sixteen I listened to Yardbirds records and thought, "God, this is great." It's gratifying to think that people listened to Television albums and felt the same.” PeopleThinkingFeltRecordsTelevisionBandAlbumsObviousEchoesSixteenTeardrop Author:Tom Verlaine
“With my records, it's just a matter of trying to create something fresh for myself in a very finite context, which is the pop song. I don't know anything about the people who buy my records, and what, if anything, they get out of them.” PeopleIfsKnowsTryingMatterSongRecordsPopsWhat IfFinitePop Song Author:Tom Verlaine
“I can't remember ever being really bored. I find life very interesting, actually. I think some other musicians are always looking for something to give them an idea, but I find I have to reject 90 percent of my ideas because they don't live up to some self-imposed standard. That's also why I don't make a record once a year. I throw so many things out, and I have to have something to say.” ThinkingGivingYearsI CanIdeasSelfRememberInterestingRecordsMusicianStandardsPercentBoredRejectsBeing RealVery Interesting Author:Tom Verlaine
“I don't think Marquee Moon was so good, y'know? Just another record. First records everybody likes a lot.” ThinkingKnowsFirstsRecordsMoonLikesMarquee Author:Tom Verlaine
“I always hated jazz guitar. I loved jazz saxophone but I hated jazz guitar. If I would buy an organ trio record I would make sure I'd buy one that did not have a guitar player on it. The sound was awful!” IfsSoundRecordsPlayerJazzGuitarAwfulHatedOrgansGuitar PlayerSaxophoneTrios Author:Tom Verlaine
