Emily B. has been "reading my mail." I think there's a simple explanation, and being a simple fellow ....

If you were travelling by coach across northern England in the 18th century, stopped at an inn, and had an intinerant folker drop in and start singing, I think you would gladly listen to 17 verses of Barbree Ellen, because that was the only game in town. I keep telling my dear wife, who gets the 3-min-30-sec fidgits, "People in them olde times weren't anxious for the song to get over so they could get on with the entertainment. That WAS the entertainment."

Another version of this same argument rages between me and two of my colleagues. Everytime I switch instruments, say I have to retune, or take a deep breath, my two otherwise wonderful sidemen want to do a "filler" just in case somebody gets bored in those 45 seconds. Drives me cuckoo. But it's generational; I grew up before the 30-sec sound bite and my guitar/tenor guy did not.

CC