It occurs to me that we have seen this happen. In other threads people have talked of rockabilly, country, etc. as forms of folk music. I wouldn't disagree that rock & C.W. started out as a sort of folk music. Living in the age of mass communication grassroots music is bound to be different from what the old timers knew. But music business happened. The slick deal is a sure thing. We can actually see a bit of continuum. Succesful folk groups/singers do put out slick records. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that they use all the standard recording studio techniques to produce their albums. Fortunately there isn't enough money in it to draw the sharks, or enough fame to draw the pathetic.

Watch the web itself, right now it's still a kind of folk movement, but the beasties are trying to kill it. When B. Gates and his ilk are through with it, we can set our computers beside the t.v. set, eat chips, and stare at two revolutionary technologies wasted.

Frank I.T.S.