'Oh Brother' did well because it was a film soundtrack, it was fairly well researched and the music fitted both the period the film was set in, and itself. It appeals to the traditional singer because of its content and context. It appeals to the more modern singer because it has good tunes on it that are mostly really easy to learn. It doesn't hurt having George Clooney on the label either.

'Rogues Gallery' is a standalone CD of music that someone thought vaguely piratical or nautical enough to include and so that younger audiences wouldn't be put off by 'traditional' styles, used artists that they might have heard of. It's not a soundtrack CD, nor does it include any of the music heard in the Johnny Depp films as far as I rememeber... but if it brings one more person over to the 'dark side' of shanty singing, then isn't that a good thing?

I have sung 'Just as the tide was flowing' in at least 3 different styles - trad, rock and formal 4 part choral harmony - I know which style I prefer, but I also know which style people paid money to hear, and neither styles were 'trad'.

LTS