Richard Lloyd has a new album coming this fall. We even know the title ("Radiant Monkey"), but the Television guitarist tells Billboard.com -- quite adamantly -- that "you may not speak the term!"
For now, then, we'll cede to his wishes refer to it strictly as "RM," and Lloyd promises, "It's good. It's as good as any record. It's a perfect record. As a personal statement, it's as strong as (Television's) 'Marquee Moon' or (the Jimi Hendrix Experience's) 'Axis: Bold as Love' or (Patti Smith's) 'Horses' ... anything you can think of.
"Maybe I'm overconfident," he says. "Maybe I'm telling the truth. Maybe I'm gonna become a social phenomenon, a household word. We'll just have to wait to see."
One thing is for certain: Lloyd will make his final appearance with Television June 16 at New York's Central Park SummerStage. He's leaving the band "in order to concentrate my own magnetic force and supernatural powers on my own career" -- particularly the forthcoming "RM" project.
Lloyd, who plays everything but drums on "RM," says he's being secretive right now because he's in the midst of formulating a "really hot" campaign to promote the album. "There's philosophy involved in 'RM,'" he says. "There's religion involved in 'RM.' There's a board game and a dance. I can't tell you about it because that would spoil the surprise. And everyone likes surprises, don't they?"
Lloyd and his current backing band, the Sufi Monkeys, may play some of the "RM" material on the road beginning Thursday (May 10) in Toronto as they tour to promote the recent deluxe two-disc reissue of Lloyd's 1985 solo album, "Field of Fire." The shows will also include a mini set of Jimi Hendrix covers -- under the alter ego Jaime Neverts - such as "Purple Haze," "Spanish Castle Magic," "Castles Made of Sand," "Axis: Bold as Love" and "Are You Experienced?"
As for Lloyd's split from Television, he insists, "It's amicable. I love all four of the guys -- including me. But I can't ride two horses. I took a vow in '73 to be invisible so that Tom (Verlaine) could be the leader so there'd be no challenge in public, and I've held to that. But the new record I have is too good to give a half-assed effort."
For now, then, we'll cede to his wishes refer to it strictly as "RM," and Lloyd promises, "It's good. It's as good as any record. It's a perfect record. As a personal statement, it's as strong as (Television's) 'Marquee Moon' or (the Jimi Hendrix Experience's) 'Axis: Bold as Love' or (Patti Smith's) 'Horses' ... anything you can think of.
"Maybe I'm overconfident," he says. "Maybe I'm telling the truth. Maybe I'm gonna become a social phenomenon, a household word. We'll just have to wait to see."
One thing is for certain: Lloyd will make his final appearance with Television June 16 at New York's Central Park SummerStage. He's leaving the band "in order to concentrate my own magnetic force and supernatural powers on my own career" -- particularly the forthcoming "RM" project.
Lloyd, who plays everything but drums on "RM," says he's being secretive right now because he's in the midst of formulating a "really hot" campaign to promote the album. "There's philosophy involved in 'RM,'" he says. "There's religion involved in 'RM.' There's a board game and a dance. I can't tell you about it because that would spoil the surprise. And everyone likes surprises, don't they?"
Lloyd and his current backing band, the Sufi Monkeys, may play some of the "RM" material on the road beginning Thursday (May 10) in Toronto as they tour to promote the recent deluxe two-disc reissue of Lloyd's 1985 solo album, "Field of Fire." The shows will also include a mini set of Jimi Hendrix covers -- under the alter ego Jaime Neverts - such as "Purple Haze," "Spanish Castle Magic," "Castles Made of Sand," "Axis: Bold as Love" and "Are You Experienced?"
As for Lloyd's split from Television, he insists, "It's amicable. I love all four of the guys -- including me. But I can't ride two horses. I took a vow in '73 to be invisible so that Tom (Verlaine) could be the leader so there'd be no challenge in public, and I've held to that. But the new record I have is too good to give a half-assed effort."
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