Thanks for the assistance, I better get Lloyd's book. It wasn't a great question, I admit. What I meant to say was that there is a sort of story line in American folk that I grew up with, Woody Guthrie and the variations and the turn into electric and stuff, I relate to immediately, as well as blues, etc. I think I can also get a reasonable handle on Irish music.

The British scene escapes me -- the relationship between the trad stuff, and how it got electricked or whatever it is people refer to in England, is obscure to me. There are all these players like Martin Carthy, Davy Graham, Sandy Denny, Steeleye Span etc., etc. (mentioned above). Something obviously important happened in the early 60s, but I am missing a whole set of pieces of the puzzle, that I think might help me get interested in the music. I lived in England during the 70's and could never get into it at all. The music seemed to wander between heartiness and a kind of faux medievalism that still baffles me. There are also obviously regional things going on that complicate getting a basic thread through the evolution of the genre. I don't mean to offend, it obviously means a lot to many people here -- just how it strikes a complete outsider. I keep thinking there must be a simple metaphor or explanation or something that would give one a key to starting to listen to the stuff intelligently.


I will also have to listen to some of the albums listed above!

yours,

Peter T.