You notice that the title of this thread is a question. It has a lot of answers.. all of them with a lot of truth. And you are right, Martin. In the Midwest, it was the Kingston Trio, The Cumberland Three, Lonnie Donnegan (hallelujah) and Harry Belefonte. The music had nothing to do with protests, or labor movements or politics. It was just music you sang for fun. No more profound than It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To. Whatever happened to Lesley Gore? Is Al her son?

It wasn't until I came to New York that I was introduced to the old recordings from the 20's and 30's(which I really loved) and saw the Wobbly Psychedelic side of folk music. Suddenly, the Kingston Trio had about as much credibility as Bobby Vee. Even though I really loved The Carter Family and Charlie Poole and all the rest, I still enjoyed some of the Kingston Trio stuff, and did The Escape Of Old John Webb.

Maybe the folk community has always been as divided as it is now. Maybe it's just that as you get older and your vision begins to fail you, the past looks better and better..

Wrote a song with the line "The good old days are still to come." And I believe it.

And remember, today is yesterday's tomorrow.

Jerry