Afterthought:
"the likes of Ewan MacColl trying to write traditional-sounding songs"
MacColl did not encourage others to do so - not in my hearing anyway. He suggested using the 'forms' of folk song to compose new ones, the use of speech patterns, their narrative nature, the way they lent themselves to vernacular speech and accent... and all the other things that make folk song unique; use of style was optional,
Doesn't mean to say he didn't use style - his 'Fields of Viet-Nam' was based on Robert Cinnamond's terraced style of singing 'Napopleon Bonepart' - extremely effective IMO. Similarly, his 'Joy of Living' based on a Sicilian folk song - one of his best.
"An unwillingness to debate the folk revival honestly and openly is one of the reasons it'll die out"
I totally agree with Glueman - where's me pills.....?
Jim Carroll