I love talking music with people, sharing songs, and comparing notes. The diverse attitudes brought to the table can be eye-opening and at times even confounding. Songs or songwriters that I admire don't often translate well to others' views.

A recent conversation with the band is a case in point. Listening to CDs and playing songs for each other, we were trying to decide which songs to add to our set list. I was pretty convinced going in that we'd add several of my favorites. I was astounded at the lukewarm reception a couple of them received. I I was even a little stung. In short order though, each of us had a similar experience as songs that seemed clear to us as individuals were rejected for the band.

Likewise, I recommended a CD (Painted from Memory by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach) to a friend a few months ago as a clinic in quality songwriting. Needless to say, I was disappointed to hear that he hated it.

So what's happening here? Ultimately, the attitude you bring to music shapes what you hear. Personally, I approach music from the perspective of a songwriter. I'm drawn to clever use of language accompanied by strong, memorable melodies. That's why I love artists like John Hiatt, Elvis Costello, and Richard Thompson-- they're songwriter's songwriters. Linda (Prairie Soul bass player and vocalist) listens differently. She hears the package. That is, she hears what's happening rhythmically, the chord progression, and the melody. The lyrics matter less to her. John (Prairie Soul lead guitarist) listens for the interplay of instruments first and everything else next. Three people, three viewpoints... and none us is wrong either.

Maybe I'm an elitist when it comes to this. Probably am. For me though, the mark of a great song is whether it's as powerful when performed by a solo instrument and singer as when it's in full production. For instance, I can look past the schmaltzy production of Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman" to hear that Jimmy Webb wrote an amazing song. Patsy Cline's music can sound extremely dated by today's standards, but her songs can simply disarm you in their beauty. I could go on, but I'll spare you the lecture... It's telling though that so many of the concerts I see are singer-songwriter types. When it's just you and a guitar, it's awfully hard to hide behind a bad song.

Note: Townes Van Zandt is another of those songwriter's songwriter. He wrote a ton of great songs (Pancho & Lefty, For the Sake of the Song, If I Needed You, et al) but probably didn't have a single great album. Still, you couldn't ignore his genius or those songs. Glenn Frey, by the way, "borrowed" this title for a line in After the Thrill Is Gone.