I thought Miles was a little tough on We're Turning Again, even if it was not one of FZ's better tunes. While the author suggests that he poo poos on everyone from the sixties - from Janis Joplin (who he purportedly screwed) and Jim Morrison to Keith Moon (who had a part in 200 Motels) - the closing lyrics indicate something else:
"Everybody come back - no one can do it like you used to. If you listen to the radio and what they play today, you can tell right away all those arseholes really need you."
In his autobiography FZ berates nostalga. But in this song, which came out at the end of 1985 on FZ Meets the Mothers of Prevention, he seems to be exposing a slight (albeit cynical) nostalgic streak by suggesting that the musical stuff coming out in the second half of the 60s was way better than the mid 1980s muck.
Even if I'm wrong, it highlights the contradiction that was Zappa. Sure he had high standards, but after reading Miles' book it becomes apparent that some of these standards were profoundly double edged.
Comment
I thought Miles was a little tough on We're Turning Again, even if it was not one of FZ's better tunes. While the author suggests that he poo poos on everyone from the sixties - from Janis Joplin (who he purportedly screwed) and Jim Morrison to Keith Moon (who had a part in 200 Motels) - the closing lyrics indicate something else:
"Everybody come back - no one can do it like you used to.
If you listen to the radio and what they play today, you can tell right away all those arseholes really need you."
In his autobiography FZ berates nostalga. But in this song, which came out at the end of 1985 on FZ Meets the Mothers of Prevention, he seems to be exposing a slight (albeit cynical) nostalgic streak by suggesting that the musical stuff coming out in the second half of the 60s was way better than the mid 1980s muck.
Even if I'm wrong, it highlights the contradiction that was Zappa. Sure he had high standards, but after reading Miles' book it becomes apparent that some of these standards were profoundly double edged.