I dunno, Dick. Is defining by likes and dislikes any worse than basing a definition on one's personal opinion? Seems to me that defining something like a ballad is futile. It's necessary to set agreed definitions for such things - but the essence of the definition is in the agreement, not in the essence of the song itself.

So, could you people just sit down and agree on what you're going to define as ballad? Don't waste too much time crafting your agreement, because you could just as well define it differently. There is no correct definition of ballad - a ballad is whatever people generally agree it is. So, perhaps, the essence of the definition is the consensus.

And there is no such thing as consensus among folk musicians, so then we get back to futility.

-Joe-


And I came to this thread because I was asked to determine whether something was a "personal attack." In this case, it's as debatable as the definition of "ballad." But do try not to insult each other, willya?