Why They Don't Write 'em Like They Used To

I routinely enjoy reading Terry Teachout's blog About Last Night, in which he writes with wit and erudtion about music, theater, art and books; today there's a link to an article he wrote for Commentary called Why They Don't Write 'em Like They Used To which is a rewarding read if you're willing to invest the time. The main subject of his article is a new book called "Classic American Popular Song: The Second Half-Century, 1950-2000" by Jenness and Velsey, a companion of sorts to Alec Wilder's famous tome on American Popular Song that covers the first half-century. Teachout also writes (with customary elan) about the art of songcraft, revealing himself to be a fellow song wonk of the first rank.