Gary, I think we've hit on something. Music, with all it's variables, is an integral part of most lifestyles.

Disco Duck is unquestionably the funniest/awfullest pop tune, EVER. LOVE IT! Rick Dees made a fortune in the media, and this was one of his silliest/best efforts. Still (Bill Anderson-dreadful tune) and my least favorite of all, Margueritaville (UGH!)have a rightful place as part of Americana.

In contrast, tunes like "What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?", Song for My Father....Here's that Rainy Day and many more are either serious societal statements or constructed for sheer beauty, message and/or structure.

You won't believe it, but I believe BOTH kinds of compositions are essential to healthy lifestyles. Mark this down, Gary; on this, we agree!!

JD Crowe is a good friend of mine. I HATE 5 string banjo, and he is the best player alive today. For that, he earns my friendship and respect for his contributions to a particularly unique (and, for me, irritating) music form.

Expand our field to all sound. It's everywhere, and is an integral part of living.

Sampling now allows me to integrate the sound of a jet, for instance, into a background score for a truck manufacturer, or a frying sound for a Kentucky chicken producer.

We should ALL enjoy every note we play and hear.

That's in a large part, is what living is all about.


Russ