Hi Whistle stop. I've been kinda busy so I haven't been able to follow this good thread the way I'd have liked to, but if I can add a couple of things:

I also despair at times of Political points made through music seemingly without "art or even craft". I Think Tom Paxton has a fine ability to make a point with both of those ingredients PLUS irony which is dear to me. I'm not a fan of Neil Young's work (although I do hum some of those tunes). I find it often lyrically simplistic to the point of being "child-like"...BUT there are a lot more people who relate to that (and can be emotionally charged by it) than relate to Paxton. Simple sales totals (and mainstream hits) prove that. Remember Paxton and Neil both started out as solo guitar/singer/songwriters.

I found it interesting that Tom wrote about an Airline destroying his guitar and sung it in folk clubs everywhere. Must have had some impact. Neil made a video called "This Song's for You", in which he discredited big acts getting sponsorship from even bigger corporations. My guess is that one three minute showing on "Much Music" had more "political" impact on millions than twenty years of Tom's touring.

My guess is that there have been at least a couple of well-written songs about Kent State from the eyes of a scared Trooper wondering how he got into this mess, but they'd probably be impossible to find now. Neil's "simplistic approach" is in thousands of folks' repertoires.

Rick