Lucy Kaplansky would be a good example of the singer-songwriters I can't stand. She's a good singer, and quite literate in her lyrics; but she writes songs I can't sing and can't relate to. Sharyn, on the other hand, writes lovely songs, and I love to sing them - they have a certain universality that Kaplansky's songs don't have. Well, I suppose not everyone can relate to Sharyn's Wallflower Waltz but I certainly can.
And Jerry Rasmussen tops Sharyn in universality. Actually, there are a lot of Mudcatters who have submitted damn good songs to the Mudcat Songbook, songs that have that universality that I look for.
Better-known songwriters who have that characteristic are Bruce Phillips, Greg Brown, John Prine, Kate Wolf, and Judy Small.
-Joe Offer-