Mother

Having a mother there's always butter in the kitchen.

Mother is such a complex concept. For years, I struggled with issues with my mother. Then I became a mother, and my son has issues with me, though I tried my hardest not to be »that« kind of a mother. And now I am a grandmother, and I raised my grandson for most of his young life. So I am like his mother. And how he relates to me is as a mother. When people call me his mother, he doesn't correct them, and sometimes he even calls me »mom.« On the other hand, he thinks of the concept of mother as a vague, cold concept but thinks of a grandmother as a warm, fuzzy being who is supportive and kind. The concept of mother is so connected to our own experiences of nurturing and being nurtured that it is impossible to detach from those links.

An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.
-Spanish proverb

In the sixties and early seventies Zappa's band was called the »Mothers of Invention«. The members of the group had to obey to his instructions very strictly. Zappa didn't allow any compromise because he was very extreme especially in terms of music. This might be the reason for the progressive Zappa-sound. Some people said, that Zappa was the most intelligent asshole they ever met. In 1966, the »Freak Out« was released. It was the first »double-album« in rock history.

»Sorry«, he said. »I was just tucking Mother in for the night. Sometimes she's apt to be a bit difficult.«
»You said she was ill. I would'nt want to disturb her.«
»Oh, you won't make any bother. She'll probably sleep like a baby.« Mr. Bates glanced over his shoulder at the stairway, then lowered his voice. »Actually, she's not sick, not physically, that is. But sometimes she gets these spells---«

From »Psycho«, Robert Bloch