Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G

Subject: Review: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: sciencegeek
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 08:51 AM

after putting in a few lyric requests it dawned on me once again the difference between now and back before the internet and how much easier is to locate music, songs and more... but having a "filter", so to speak, like mudcat helps to focus the search and avoid all the extraneous clutter that comes from a google type search...

so lets give a cheer to those folks who have created and maintained this wonderful site and let them know it has been well worth it IMHO

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 12:08 PM

I came here looking for the lyrics to
"Invitation to a Funeral" / "Funeral Party,"
having heard Martin Carthy sing it live
without telling anybody, by way of introduction or afterword,
what the song was or what his source was.

And I add my huzzah to yours.

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Bill D
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 12:12 PM

In Nov. it will be 24 years since I first posted on Mudcat... and I knew Dick G and Susan of DT even before that. It has been quite an adventure. Way back when, *I* was answering some music questions...but now there are so many who know way more than me, that I usually just absorb.
   The efforts Max has made to keep the entire history (mostly) intact amazes me.
People come & go, but what they added here remains.... bad & good. It is the good that is important.

Long may it wave ..umm... endure.

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 02:56 PM

I remember talking to Dick and Susan and Dennis Cook about the DT. I probably still have a copy of an old version or two on disc somewhere.

One thing that bugs me is that it's like giant game of "Gossip". Whatever is messed up in the DT gets passed on, from site to site, until something with errors becomes the standard. I've frequently found messed up lyrics that someone stuck on their site, which they grabbed from somewhere else.
I don't know if that isn't the way the folk process works in the digital age.

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: sciencegeek
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 03:06 PM

the folk process is with us forever, just no longer limited to oral tradition and misprints... lol

one thing that I have been trying on a smaller scale is to add books, LPs and CDs on the subjects of shanties, sea songs and maritime music, and encourage others to do so as well, to the Blunt library at Mystic Seaport. Their mission it the preservation of maritime history, etc so the material accession does not disappear but stays as long as the museum exists. many of the books they received had been discarded from various college libraries...

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 03:52 PM

*clap* *clap* *clap*

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 09:45 PM

adding my bit to the applause

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: voyager
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 10:24 PM

Ditto and more huzzahs to our folk community. I joined Mudcat circa '98 and have touchpoints to DG, Barry Finn, Max, Sandy and Carolyn Paton, katspaw, Songster Bob, among others. Our Mudcatters meet Folklore Society of Greater Washington (FSGW) Getaway is a real highlight for me (circa '01?)

Signed up tp perform at the virtual FSGE Getaway next month

See you there (perhaps).

bpyaget.

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: voyager
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 10:26 PM

I hate typos....
FSGW...

voyager

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Max
Date: 24 Sep 20 - 04:20 PM

I started the darn site because I was looking for the lyrics of a Leadbelly song. Search engines didn't lead me to the lyrics, but they did lead me to Dick. Yada yada yada, here we all are.
Cheers,
Max

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Sep 20 - 04:44 PM

And it's been a fun ride.

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Severn
Date: 24 Sep 20 - 07:20 PM

And will remain. I miss the chat room and wish someone could find a way to make it to make it viable again with no way for petty jealousies to poison it for all.

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 24 Sep 20 - 09:46 PM

When I first joined Mudcat I had no idea that years later I would be saying that it changed my life

Even a small change is a change.

I found that many people here were more than happy to go the extra mile and be incredibly helpful to me (and others) when it came to sharing their musical knowledge. Heaven knows, I needed (and still need) the help!

I will admit, though, that when I research song lyrics I almost always look to multiple sources and recordings, for the reasons Jeri posted above.

BTW - I wonder if Max ever found the lyrics he was looking for? ;-)


Jay

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Rex
Date: 27 Sep 20 - 01:22 PM

Mudcat has been a beacon in the folk world. I can recall trying to download the lyrics of a song through my phone hookup back when it was Digital Tradition. Sometimes it would work but even if I couldn't download it, it was there. To think this same source now hosts zooms with singers from around the world. Yes, Huzzah!

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 27 Sep 20 - 04:25 PM

I add my applause and gratitude.

There is of course a fair amount of drivel on here and silly squabbles, as with any internet discussion forum, but those seem to me to be well outweighed by the interesting discussions and helpful provision of answers to questions. Long may it continue.

I hesitate to ask, but are there plans for what happens when Max is unable to run it, for whatever reason?

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Aug 21 - 03:40 PM

Another round of huzzahs, maybe?
Especially for singarounds during pandemic lockdowns.

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Jeri
Date: 28 Aug 21 - 04:38 PM

Oh, FFS...

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Jeri
Date: 28 Aug 21 - 04:39 PM

Thanks for the reminder.

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: leeneia
Date: 29 Aug 21 - 03:26 PM

To Max and other Mudcat leaders and volunteers: I really appreciate the chance you give me to learn new music, to share music I've produced, and to socialize with intelligent people.

Subject: RE: Huzzah for Mudcat, Max and Dick G
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 30 Aug 21 - 04:01 AM

What everyone said. I don't read many posts these days but I check in most days.
RtS