In North America, that is:

Hannon and Sandra Trehub of the University of Toronto began their study with knowledge that other studies had shown people in North America struggle to grasp irregular rhythms. Balkan music proves troubling, for example. So the researchers studied 50 college students, mostly from the United States and Canada, and 17 first- or second-generation Bulgarian and Macedonian immigrants. Songs with simple meters were made more complex, and complex songs were simplified.

The North Americans recognized when things got trickier, but couldn't tell when things got simpler. The immigrants figured both out.

I have an old album by the Irish folk musician Andy Irvine, who spent a lot of time in the Balkans, and plays bouzouki, on which he plays a number of horas. I can't imagine how in the world folks dance to them.

But I was particularly appalled a few years ago when in an elevator, I heard a version of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" done in 4/4 time (it was originally written, as hinted at by the title, in 5/4--another Brubeck classic, on the same album, is Blue Rondo A La Turk, in 9/8). They had apparently dumbed it down for less sophisticated American ears. I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Mindles over at Asymmetrical Information had his ears manured by a version in 6/8 last spring. His reaction was exactly the same as yours. . .

http://www.janegalt.net/blog/archives/004695.html

I think we heard the 4/4 version as a bumper theme on some educational TV show some years back, and my wife -- who loves "Take Five" -- immediately recognized that the meter had been changed, to the point where she wasn't sure it really was "Take Five."

I could tell it was, but other than the beat sounded "different" I couldn't really tell what was different about it until Chris spoke up.

Maybe if I'd been more familiar with the piece I could've caught the nature of the change too.

6/8? Well, maybe that was the version we heard (trying to imagine 4/4 and compare it to what I remember hearing was giving me a head@che, and 6/8 will certainly cripple me for life, so I'll just leave it at that).

Must have been the same elevator where a few years back I heard a swing arrangement of Verdi's "Celeste Aida." That was the only time I've looked for a barf bag while flying Otis.

The Brubeck album is one of my treasures: nothing on it is in a standard meter like 4/4 or 3/4, as hinted by it's title, "Time Out".

You need to get some more good bouzouki/cittern/fiddle music from the "Celtic" margins (including Newfoundland and the Appalachians) and the Playford era.

In time, you should gain some neuronal density that will help you get it.

Bonnie Rideout, Ally Blain, Joseph Sobell, etc.

Strangely enough, one of Pink Floyd's few hit singles ("Money") is in 7/8 time.

Certainly explains why progressive rock isn't more popular in the US, while it is huge in many other countries.

I have an album by the Don Ellis Orchestra titled "Live in Three and two-thirds/Four Time."

Uh, pardon me for being clueless, but.....

Can someone explain to me (without using up too much of Rand's drive-space) just what is meant by a tune's "time"? I understand that it refers to the tune's tempo, but the way it's written suggests one quantity is in ratio to some other quantity.....

Yes, I flunked music appreciation in elementary school. :)

Can someone explain to me (without using up too much of Rand's drive-space) just what is meant by a tune's "time"?

I've attempted to explain that here.

Balkan music is, in general, danced to by a line of dancers holding each other's hands. You have a line of women on the inside and a line of men on the outside, if you have purists. The basic step is right foot in front of left foot, left foot to the side, right foot behind left foot, left foot to the side. Some get very complicated and I never learned the notation system. Take a look at Israeli 'folk' dances (I use the quotes because some were choreographed by a guy named Fred Berk in New York); the simpler ones like "Mayim" are very different from the dances brought to Israel by Yemini Jews. For the really complicated ones, try Georgia (Gruzia, Kartveli), which tell stories ".. and here the happy warriors are smashing the faces of the Persian prisoners with their feet; and hear they cut the Persians' throats..." The basic Israeli Hora is standard eastern european.
JOhn (Have-not-been-to-the-MIT-Folk-Dance-Club-in'
-thirty-years-) Costello