hmmmmmm...I know the 'George Washington's axe' version...guy says he has an axe once owned by G.W., 'course, it's had 3 new heads and 6 new handles...

seriously, though..that lets me get on MY soapbox...IF someone tried to sell you that axe, you'd look at him pretty funny!!It may be a FINE axe...but it isn't G.W.'s!!

We all know that songs get changed-sometimes accidently, sometimes on purpose, and we all have our personal opinions about the virtues of the changes, both in general and in particular cases.

My point is, that IF we at least keep track of those changes and know ..'to the best of our ability'..how it WAS, we are then able to choose more easily and discuss more intelligently, and most important, SORT these songs, so that those who particularly WANT the old ones..(or the 'new' ones, for that matter), ot the ones of a certain style, can find them!
I think that Bruce O. believes this, and makes more effort than most of us to discover origins....I simply 'like' a lot of the older songs and styles better, and though I have no inate aversion to 'folk-processing', I dislike it when the processor is set on 'puree'.
....So, the discussion of 'trad' vs 'non-trad' is, for me, a truly pragmatic one.... I NEED a little corner of the world where I can retreat when I want to hear, study, and explore the 'non-singer-sonwriter', 'non-Kingston Trio', 'non-pop/folk/rock' world.

Let me try to say this as clearly as possible....
"I DO NOT CLAIM THAT OTHER KINDS OF MUSIC ARE INFERIOR-ONLY THAT IF WE DUMP THEM ALL INTO THE SAME BARREL, I WILL HAVE A LOT MORE TROUBLE FIND THE ONES I WANT" ...yes, it IS work coming up with a sorting system...and even more work getting those with very wide-ranging tastes to agree that any manner of sorting is even desirable, but it is NOT a silly or unreasonable thing.
...This internet thing is fast...I have bookmarks for MANY different music sites...I am perfectly willing to go one place for serious gospel and another for bluegrass...(wouldn't the bluegrass sites have a fit if someone started asking them for Child ballads!)

One problem here is Max's cleverness..(if doing amazing stuff can be called a 'problem')...NO place else seems to have anything like this forum...it is just TOO tempting for someone who 'just wants some lyrics' to something P,P &M did...or someone who 'just needs a tune' to his favorite Irish melody...or someone who 'really wants the chords' to his favorite singer-songwriter's hit...to pop in here and beg. I can't say I blame them...thet need someone to make a forum similar to this for THEM ,so we could refer them to a better venue...(and some of our more knowlegeable regulars are doing this)

Perhaps you might argue that if I have such a narrow notion of what I want in a database/forum, why don't I start my own? Well, obviously, it ain't easy to do what Max has done...and suppose I had the skills? What would I call it?

Unless I made it something like "The Totally Traditional, Purist-Snob, No pop music allowed ,Reactionary, 'We don't have anything past 1923' Database", I would soon have the same situation. Those who outnumber me would come flocking in...lets face it..there are more Mary Chapin Carpenter fans than Jeanie Robertson fans!
...Now, I have said before that I am quite aware that this is NOT my place...Max runs the forum, and Dick fills the database...and they are BOTH more eclectic and forgiving than I would be.... so I do not pretend for a moment that I can do anything more than express an opinion.---and I guess I have just done that!...so, sing, play, enjoy any durn thing you want, my friends...I just hope that when you do it here, the sign on the door that reads 'for blues and folk music' will cause you to reflect a bit on your choices...

*stepping down from soapbox and fading into the crowd as others shout for THEIR turn*