I've been musing about the death of folk music, why the clubs are full of snobby boring old farts the music dreary and emotionless. The revival brought people to folk music, gave them a shot of emotion, got them to participate made them belly laugh and cry sometimes....that's what it was about, then it changed into a search for something the kids would buy, but the kids are not interested. What do they know about life, it's trials, the pain and joy mixed up together? Kids deal in the now, the black and white now, they don't want to hear about lords and ladies long ago, the mores thereof, or Spencer the Rover......its all fairyland to our whizz kids. But there is still good music being produced, its just another wonderful niche with only a few who can transmit the message. Here's one by Linda Thompson who utilises an old tune to tell a modern tragedy......if this doesn't make the tears come you know nothing about folk. Banks of the Clyde.
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