> The suggestion that "skill" is something that's solidly on the
> country side of the tracks...
Uh-oh, time for some clarification, or maybe backtracking <g>. I don't
think I've argued that skill (why the quotes?) is something that's solidly
on the country side of the tracks; I have argued, and I think there's plenty
of evidence to support it, that craft is respected and valued in the country
tradition in ways that it seems not to be, or at least not as much,
elsewhere. One indicator, though not the only one, is the persistence of
instrumental pieces in the country tradition, especially in bluegrass,
cajun, old-time and other forms, though it can still be found in the
mainstream, even today. Yes, they're often (though far from always)
dance-related, but even so, recognition of and admiration for the musicians'
abilities to just play well (as opposed to expressing particular emotions or
thoughts) are important elements in the appreciation of these. I'd be
hard-pressed to think of examples of instrumentals in the alt.country field
that don't fall pretty clearly into the out-of-classic-country stream,
rather than the, er, UT-and-before-and-after one.
Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
