Just finally caught up on reading the last week and a half of this thread. Wow. Most of what I would add has already been said by Frogman, Schubert, and Alexatpos.
To Rok - the differences here are NOT "irreconcilable." The reason you think they are is that you are stubbornly resistant to educating yourself more on the subject. I think it is very important to reiterate that NO ONE is criticizing your listening choices, or saying you are wrong about what you like listening to. What is objected to is when you attempt to argue about something you clearly have no idea about as if you did, and your refusal to improve your state of ignorance, which is a real shame in someone who loves it like you clearly do. It is simply not possible to argue effectively about something that you do not really know about, and this is painfully obvious to everyone who does know about the subject in question. Everyone who has educated themselves more about music is telling you that their enjoyment of listening has been increased. Not one single person has said that they regret learning more, or that it did not increase their enjoyment. Don't you think, then, that there might be something to it? Frogman has pointed out that all of your heroes, Wynton, etc., most certainly agree that the visceral experience is only a part of the whole. So why are you so resistant to the idea?
