Do I dislike traditional folksong? No, I love it, and many of the people involved. I think its 'the tradition' that sends a shudder through me

Thanks Al. You managed to put succinctly into words one of the things that's been bothering me.

What's left of the 1970s teenage punkrocker in me
still has problems with elevating & worshipping musical virtuosity for it's own sake...

Me too, PFR. As Mssrs Strummer and Jones put it, "No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones in 1977". Growing up on a generation of musicians who turned snottiness into an artform leaves it's mark - and a good thing too. I think I still prefer the 'couldn't give a fuck' pose to wide-eyed reverence and trying to please the grandparents...