Phil, Bowie, Depression, Zappa, & Pete's checkbook

["Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>]

> Eeww...I knew Phil wanted the job, but are you sure he called up Pete that
> same day(or anywhere near it)?  That's pretty dang tacky.

Alan:

To say the least. I get this picture in my mind of young (yet bald) Phil
in a classroom, yelling: "ME! ME!"

> I don't see how Jagger fits in, either way.

If you want to know how Jagger fits into Bowie, Alan, I suggest you ask
Bowie's ex-wife. Since reportedly she was an eye witness.

> So what??? This is a completely useless statistic.  What is it
> saying?? 15-24 year olds have become more depressed in the last 3
> decades?

CW:

One can't help but notice the difference in attitude between today's
young people and the `60s-`70s crowd. Music was upbeat then...and is
rather fatalistic now. Music being the reflection of the culture, it
appears that there are a lot of depressed young people out there...and,
as I consult my Who timeline, by some odd coincidence this "depressive
state" seems to have started in 1982...with brief reversals in 1989 and
1996 (which seems to be ongoing for the moment). Need I say more?

> I'm a big Zappa fan, but I've never really noticed the parallels
> between his work and Townshend's work.

But there can be no doubt that Frank was aware of and somewhat impressed
by The Who. For instance, from FILLMORE EAST 1971: "Roger Daltrey never
laid a hand on me." (this after mentioning Robert PLANET; it seems that
Zappa declined on poking fun at Rog, yet acknowledged his stature). And
on BONGO FURY: "He had a Roger Daltrey cape on." For Zappa this is a
rather mild rib, wouldn't you say?

> My guess is that Pete's willingness to work
> with The Who is inversely proportional to his bank acount.

Paul:

I hope that's not true...it seems to me that, after Broadway TOMMY etc.
Pete shouldn't be in any financial straits. I believe this tour (at
least) has a different motive; it gives Pete a chance to vindicate QUAD,
which was panned upon release and almost impossible to recreate live (in
1973). Pete has often been accused of trying to rewrite The Who's
history...this time it may be true.

- -- 

            Cheers                ML

 "It's more than a looking back...it's a bringing up to date.
  Quadrophenia is about where we're all at today...maybe you too,
  I don't know..."
            Pete Townshend