Regarding the 'critical piece' that Karl Dallas later regretted (it appeared in the then Folk Roots' March 1991 issue), Peter's problem with it was not that it was damning of his music (which it wasn't; Dallas was an admirer), but that it dwelt on his politics in a way that Peter believed would be detrimental to his career, by suggesting that his music had a right-wing agenda. Peter wasn't blameless in creating that impression, however, since he was quoted in the article as railing aginst the lefty tendencies of the folk scene in general, and offering up waspish pen-pictures of certain prominent performers who'd displeased him by abandonning traditional songs for political ones.

Whether or not he was quoted correctly (and I suspect he was, having heard the same kind of thing from him in person several times), he certainly regarded the article as a shot in the foot and a missed opportunity, not least because a glowing live review had appeared in the previous issue - written by me, as it happens - and he had reason to believe that fashion might just be swinging his way again. I remember wondering, as I wrote that review, how come the towering performer I'd just seen had been reduced to selling bootleg cassettes at his own gigs, instead of being the toast of the folk world. A great pity that the feature article didn't relaunch his career in the way it might have done, but instead caused ill feeling all round.