Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Entertainment
Robert Forster

Robert Forster: Venus by Television is the most perfect song of all time

Composite of headshot of Forster (left) and Verlaine playing guitar on stage
‘I adored the druggy drift,’ recalls former Go-Betweens frontman Robert Forster (left) of hearing Tom Verlaine from Television sing Venus. Composite: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Gus Stewart

How could the perfect song be anything else?

I was 19 years old, living in suburban Brisbane, writing my first half-decent songs, when Television released their debut album, Marquee Moon. I had been following the band for two years through the music press, buying their first single, Little Johnny Jewel. Expectations were high, but nothing prepared me for the splendour and clout of the group’s debut album, released in February 1977.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.