I wasn't arguing influence of these individuals on Shirley, folkiedave. I was arguing that the authority of certain individuals who liked her work might have influenced her popularity within the revival as much as aesthetic criteria did. I specifically mentioned Lomax as one of these people, in addition to Lloyd. Jim Ward added MacColl to the mix as well.

s & r:

by that definition Shirley is not popular at all. Which I believe was my point, too. To say "popularity equals good art" is also saying "folk music is bad art." Since I don't buy the second proposition, I am forced to reject the first as well.

My point about the freely distributed CD was that LSC had claimed that Shirley having sold many albums was

1) a measure of popular appeal

and therefore

2) a measure of quality.

I was arguing that it was neither. A low priced item may sell well but still have limited appeal and be of low quality. The free item was reducing this idea to its extreme. Beyond that were my points about marketing and authority to which no-one has responded except Lighter, to agree with them.