[KevinB]

There are lots of bands that are very good, yet they get very little publicity or income because the big companies promote a handful of groups that are part of the "in" crowd.

Bingo. For an example, check out www.steveforbert.com. This guy is what Bob Dylan would be if he (Bob Dylan) had any talent and yet he gets no promotion and is lucky if he sells 10,000 copies of a new release.

[dmz]

i doubt very much that steve forbert (who can write a nice tune) would even begin to compare himself favorably to bob dylan. I would further bet that steve counts dylan as one his major influences.

This from the very website you asked us to go to:

"Forbert was signed to Nemperor Records (a Columbia subsidiary), and his debut record, Alive On Arrival, was released in 1978. Like a lot of other talented singer/songwriters who happened to play acoustic guitar and a harp-on-a-rack, Forbert was hailed by critics and promoters alike as yet another “next Dylan.” "