Hi Jerry,

The danger with any workshop is that the baby often gets thrown out with the bathwater. I have observed some good songs being trashed by well-meaning but ignorant suggestions.

What constitutes a good song has so many variables and what is meant as weelittledrummer has pointed out is relative to the place, time and situation.

What I've noticed about contemporary singer-songwriters is that many of them are ignorant of the broad shoulders on which they stand. You really can't talk seriously about songwriters unless you include the high level of art by such masters as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, E.Y. Harburg, Hammerstein and Rodgers, Rodgers and Hart, Kern, and quite a bit more.

Also, how many know the names of Walter Donaldson, or Percy Wienrich? In short, I don't think that many of the Singersongwriters have done their homework.

Those who think that social controversey and acknowledgement of corruption and social criticism started with Woody or Bob Dylan, they should check out "Yip" Harburg's memorable song,
":Brother Can You Spare A Dime." Or they might look at the unusual departure from Cole Porter in "Love For Sale".

The Singersongwriter as a phenomenon I believe started with the recording companies wanted to finance their operations with an ancillary publishing company with revenue created by songs they could publish themselves. Hence, the Singersongwriter became a commercial viability.

This is meant to denegrate the fine work by Steve Earle, who in my view is very close to the Guthrie tradition, or the economy and evocative imagery of an early Chris Christopherson or Bruce Springsteen. Pop they may be but they have the elements in their songs that are mentioned above,
1. Specificity