Robert,

There is nothing condescending, and thus, nothing hypocritical, in my remrk. You took a veiled potshot at a whole world of people with whom you do not agree. You did so by implying that they are all in some arbitrary category, and that you possess some superior knowledge of the subject. My comment to you is not veiled at all. I think you don't get it, and I said so. I am not hiding or being coy. No hypocrisy here. (BTW, I really enjoyed your "pot-to-kettle" routine. You should re-read it).

I also think it is plain foolish to compare disparate styles of music, and then group the practitioners into arbitrary "tiers." Mozart's genius is irrefutable, but it is unlikely that he could have written effectively for the NY stage as effectively as the Gershwins, or that he could have connected with the youth of the 1960's with simple, focused folk songs as did Dylan. You may create whatever tiers you like, but they don't have any universal validity at all.

Why is it necessary to disparage one person's music because you prefer another's? One theory is that it is simple elitism, but I don't know you well enough to make that stick.

Personally, I think you just enjoy being contrary.