On a not entirely unrelated note, I keep meaning to re-read The Conspiracy of Good Taste by Stefan Szczelkun (published by WORKING PRESS 1993 9.95 pounds sterling. ISBN 1 870736 69 9)

I think this addresses some of the pitfalls of taking on society’s view of what consitutes “good taste” which may or may not translate into “good writing” or “good production values”. Essentially, the edges get chopped off everything to make it neat and tidy and consumable by “cultured” middle class types.

There are some great sections in the book about the role of middle class people acting as curators of folk music and (intentionally or not) that leading to the subject matter being curtailed. Songs about fucking didn’t get archived…

This definitely ties into the paternalistic aspects of reggae fans who are stuck in the 1970s (or, increasingly, the 1960s, even!) and have as, as Penny Reel has so eloquently put it, an attitude to current jamaican musicians akin to a parent or teacher who has just discovered that a child has misbehaved. (Actually Penny put it much better than that, but I can’t find the quote now).