After tentatively reading through this thread it is with quaking hand that I type an opinion for fear of rattling the cage of LC who appears to be slightly unhinged!
In my local session last week a chap did a SoH song (unbeknowst to me at the time as I'm not too keen on Beer/Knightley in that manifestation) and it was a fine song with good sentiment and when pared down to bloke-with-guitar-and-voice rawness appealed far more to my ear than the original which i gave a listen to on the back of liking this chap's version. They almost feel a little over produced on some of the songs (AIG no real exception) and I do feel that it is the broader appeal to a more watered down folky-cum-popular fanbase that SoH have endured. It seems a wee bit of a shame as Phil Beer and Steve Knightley are both fine musicians in their own right let down perhaps by a neutering of their respective talents in the SoH guise.

now wincing in anticipation of replies!!