Actually, Al, I have said some very nice things in this thread if only you'd care to read back. My riposte had little to do with the state of folk music in itself but lots to do with the awful "guardians of the tradition" awe in which we occasionally seem to hold a few of the folk music "elders" (I hate to say "establishment figures"...) which I'm damn sure is a serious embarrassment to a good few of same!