There are many artists
in my musical community
that are much respected
by the rank and file.
I do not always agree with the rank and file.
I’ve been a music critic but,
lacking actual musical comprehension,
it may be that my appreciation is limited.

Of course, like anyone,
I know what I like
and can describe it well enough,
which is what I did as a critic.
I tried to only write about things I liked,
so as not to knock artists.
Why waste column inches to insult someone
– unless you had something really entertaining to say?

But there were loads of uninteresting artists
that the cognoscenti were into:
just boring, overwrought,
simplistic or derivative folk.
People I just didn’t get.
Some times, I changed my mind later
More often, I stuck to my guns,
even as some acts began to score accolades
from the outside world
and got write-ups from Rolling Stone
and The New York Times.

So my opinion isn’t always consistent
with the general public’s,
but that might be why I’m on the fringes of society
living outside of mainstream culture.

Perhaps that’s why I am the way I am
and why some of these artists
are the “pop geniuses”
they are today.