Theres no real way to choose if one guitar picker is better than another. Christy Moore always reckons he does everything with seven guitar chord shapes - and he probably does(did) the best folk gigs in europe.

It would be interesting to know if Martin Gibson is the most potent creation from that source, or if we all have this man's cds in our collections.

In a way, I hope we have. I've always adhered to the view that creativity is as much about what we reject as what we warm to. You know the old Henry Moore adage about everybody who picks an interesting looking stone on the beach is a sculptor, they have rejected the other stones and made a creative choice.

The vehemence with which Martin rejects is sometimes upsetting - like the recent thread on Pete Seeger - who most of us feel should be accorded a degree of reverence.

It would be nice to feel that Martin's views had their basis in a vigorous desire to create, and clear the decks for his own vision - rather than a wish to belittle and destroy.


all the best

big al whittle