Mary_Jo,
 Happy New Year to you!
No reason to retreat, you are always welcome here.
 I think of movies and music differently it seems. In a movie, I think the director needs to tell a coherent story so it makes since to the viewer. To look through the lens and notice where more or less of the story needs telling to  make the story work.
In music, I always have believed it was up to the viewer to keep up with the artists story, even if they tell it in three unknown languages. An obvious contradiction, but that's to be human.