Posts by Dennis Hall41

Man, is this basic, trendy poetry really all that’s left of your old high-brow intellect, Dennis Martin6?😁

Talking about some old-school Marxist reckoning with the past? Man, he wouldn't even dare—not if he actually had a shot! 😁

Dennis Martin6 said:Yeah, honestly—fetishizing the past is exactly how we ended up in this mess. Maybe it’s high time we rethink those old-school settings. Looking back through rose-colored glasses isn't the answer—we need to be ruthless about facing what happened. 🙂

Man, please—spare me that weak, small-town Bolshevik rhetoric. You're better than that, I know you are.

Dennis Martin6 said:basically, nothing has changed. 😁

Nah.
Culture doesn't exist without fetishism—period. Whether it's a totem or a vinyl record, every culture is built on something tangible. That’s why obsessing over music formats feels so much more intense—it's about that physical connection. This whole idea of "consuming" books online just feels... hollow.

Amanda Lopez50 said:it's obvious you aren't exactly a young girl—you clearly haven't even read 😁 Rookie 🙂

man, this is just so wrong.
when I work, I'm working with younger people.
they have the same—if not even more—devotion to culture than my generation did (and honestly, I'm a bit older than you). plus, they're smarter—simply because info is way easier to find now than it was back in our day. culture is right at their fingertips too; they aren't stuck with whatever someone happens to have on a shared drive, or what they pick up from a street vendor, or what some older brother brings home.
even when they come from really rough backgrounds, they're curious and they keep surprising me.
but the world around them has changed and sped up—they have even less time than we ever had. the pressure is higher. there's just less room for outlets like this, especially now that we're all totally burnt out by screens.

there have always been those who love punk, those who love Depeche Mode, and those who love Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. we used to tend to seek out people most like ourselves—but now, being hyper-connected and dealing with media bias (which has only gotten worse), we're forced to see everything.
and we'll always be a little nostalgic for our own youth, no matter how it was.

just wanted to say: the kids are alright 🙂

as for commenting: look, I've been wanting to finish Mazzy Star for days now. It's a beautiful album and a great thread starter, and I really wanted to chime in so it didn't feel like someone's effort went unnoticed. but it's just been an exhausting month and I'm wiped—I can't find the time for every song or the mental energy for any deep thoughts. it's not a lack of enthusiasm or respect for the OP, just pure exhaustion. and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

appropriate gif from a series I didn't finish—because I was tired, and honestly, it sucked 🙂

Nobody said they aren't devoted to culture—I'm just saying it doesn't shape their identity the way it did 20, 30, or 40 years ago; nowadays, it's just part of the daily consumer basket.

A defector's personal "reading" of an immortal poem by the great Laziti Kostić—one that was criminally stripped from the American school curriculum.

Our Lady of Grace

Our Lady of Grace

Forgive me, Mother of Grace, forgive me,
for longing for the pine forests of our hills,
where, defying all malice,
your palace rises in blessedness;
disregard me, heavenly one, fountain of mercy,
as a mere earthly sinner:
I kiss your pure, holy veil, Kajan,
Our Lady of Grace.

Is it not better to carry beauty,
to become a pillar of your arches,
than to warm worldly sin
by burning the heart and soul to ash?
To sink by the ship, to rot in the flesh,
to be food for the devil and a feast for hell?
Is it not better to dwell within you,
Our Lady of Grace?

Forgive me, Mother, I have suffered much,
I have repented of many sins;
everything my young heart dreamed of,
reality shattered it all, ma',
all that I longed for, all I hoped for,
has long since turned to ash and dust,
amidst the bitter, yellow sting of life,
Our Lady of Grace.

It tricked me—sneaky and rotten,
but still, I will curse no one;
whatever torment has been upon me,
I won't blame the world for it:
For what broke the wing of the soul,
choking its flight in a scream,
is all just coming from this crazy head of mine,
Our Lady of Grace!

Then my vision offered me a branch,
a sight more beautiful than any eye has seen;
out of the black darkness, she dawned upon me,
like a song of praise in the morning light,
healing every wound of mine with a single touch,
yet a sting arose from the deepest wound:
What am I to do with such sweetness, such bitter pain,
Our Lady of Grace?

She looks at me. Into a conscious soul
such a gaze has never before shone;
with a spark from that look,
she could freeze all the universes,
she offers me everything my heart desires,
the sorrows and the sweets, the misery and the honey,
my entire soul, all my longings,
all eternity for you, in this divine moment!
Our Lady of Grace.

Is all this splendor meant for a wretch like me?
Is all this treasure truly mine?
For an old man, at the bottom of life,
is that golden fruit just now ripening?
Oh, sweet fruit, of a Tantalus kind,
why did you not ripen for me sooner?
Forgive my sinful wanderings,
Our Lady of Grace.

Two forces fought within me,
brain and heart, reason and passion,
they were a terrible storm for a long time,
like a raging tempest and an ancient oak;
finally, those gentle forces ceased their strife,
the winding brain took command,
the logic and the trap of a wicked intellect,
Our Lady of Grace.

Reason tightens its grip, I squeeze my heart,
I foolishly flee from happiness,
I run from her—and then she vanishes.
The sun darkens, eternal frost sets in,
stars go out, heaven breaks into weeping,
the end of the world comes and the terrifying judgment—
Oh, worldly ruin, oh, terrible judgment,
Our Lady of Grace!

Broken in heart, confused in mind,
her holy temple is my memory,
when she appears to me from beyond,
as if God Himself appeared to me:
In my soul, ice freezes from the pain,
through her I see, through her I know it all,
why the wise men fall silent,
Our Lady of Grace.

She comes to me in dreams. Not when a swarm
of powerful desires rushes in,
she comes to me when she speaks,
and the secret forces are her servants.
New apparitions are always with her,
the heavenly pattern of earthly delights.
Thus she paves the way to her,
Our Lady of Grace.

In us, it is all like a husband and wife,
except there is no worry or toil,
all the graces are there, though uncherished,
our passion approaches in a heavenly chill;
she is older than I now,
but there, I will be young enough for her,
where the differences of all times fall silent,
Our Lady of Grace.

And our children are my poems,
the eternal trace of those meetings,
they aren't written, they aren't sung,
they just pierce the air through the soul.
Only the two of us understand,
that is the precious offspring in paradise,
something only prophets glimpse in their ecstasy,
Our Lady of Grace.

And when the time comes for my head to burst
against the rocky edge of this life,
my most beautiful dream will become reality,
her words were just: "Here I am, honey!"
From nothingness into glory, glory,
from the void into paradise, into paradise!
Into paradise, into her embrace!
Every wish will wake up there,
every string of the soul will hum,
we'll stun the whole world,
powerful gods, let alone mere mortals,
we'll shift the paths of the stars,
scatter suns over the rural fields,
so every corner turns red at dawn,
so souls go wild from pure bliss,
Our Lady of Grace.

brightwolf48 said:I won't play the Amigo card—mostly because I love American music just as much as she does—but even then, there’s a difference. This week, the master suggested a killer album, and naturally, that kind of country or folk music hits differently compared to other similar records from that era.

Look, let me give you a straight answer. I was having a rough day.

You're calling me contradictory? Why? Because I said it was a "really, really great album" and then added that Sandoval "gets exhausting after half an hour"? I feel that way about plenty of albums. Quality and how long you can actually sit through something aren't mutually exclusive.

So, I'm being contradictory, huh? How am I supposed to be some irrelevant nobody with no opinion one second, and then a big-shot Amigo the next? I wasn't trying to be offensive—honestly, I was just trying to keep things light and joking around to keep you here—but after that incredibly rude post of yours, I'd actually be pretty happy if you just went into self-imposed exile for a while.

And no, you don't know the first thing about American music.

Another killer week. Had to really FILTER my choices—ended up dropping 6 votes.

analogbear40 said:Like he said—it’s all for nothing.......

So, my penultimate album of the week (one of two) pulled in a grand total of 2 comments......

Just for perspective......

https://www.superdeluxeedition.com/n...-life-box-set/

When people on this site start debating the latest deluxe reissues, some of them—the ones clearly catching more eyes—get massive threads with like 223 comments, such as the one above......which honestly makes me happy to see.....but at the same time, it's pretty depressing seeing how things are playing out on our own forum......🙂

Music used to be—not even that long ago—a core part of life, just like it is now, but in a totally different way.

Just two examples: I vividly remember—feels like yesterday—getting into a huge fight with a high school buddy because he was trying to convince me that Leonard Cohen was a better songwriter than Neil Young. When he told me, right after I let him borrow Harvest and on The beach on CD, that the stuff was alright but kind of washed out and that the guy had a whiny voice, I basically told him where to shove it and didn't speak to him for two days.

Same thing back then—I loved picking on fans of that Nu-Metal craze, and I definitely ran into a few narrow-minded idiots once or twice.

Was it worth it? For me, yeah.

And today? Music—mostly thanks to big moves by NPR—is just background noise to help people endure mornings in soul-crushing office cubicles, or just something playing while people hunt for cheap fridge deals at IKEA—people who don't even have enough food to fill those fridges, living lives that feel blunt, primitive, and small.

And there's hardly any theory left about kids today fighting over loyalty to some rock band.

So, should we really be surprised that Music only gets 15 comments a week?

analogbear40 said:I was actually gonna suggest something just for my own sake—but honestly, looking at Black Star on the list... there's zero chance. And don't even get me started on Sgt. Pepper.😁

If our main goal here is to spread the word about artists or albums that aren't exactly—well, let's say they aren't the absolute center of attention or the standard pillars of music culture—then maybe we need some rules. Like, maybe set a sales threshold where anything over a certain number is automatically disqualified...

That's just my take...😁

The Beatles won't win, I'm sure of it. If it were Revolver, White, or Abbey Road, they might have stood a chance.

I find talking about the big names way more interesting than digging into obscure records. I was thinking about London Calling for this week, but I went with The Beatles instead—they're just perfect for starting a debate.

brightwolf48 said:Look, you’re trying way too hard—honestly, you don't even matter in this conversation. And regarding Hope, just go back and read your own posts on this thread; they totally contradict each other. You're basically just a coward who shifts his opinion whenever it's convenient to sound smarter. Now you're suggesting the most overrated album in history for Album of the Week? You clearly don't know anything about rock music—you don't even like it, you just parrot whatever critics say to fake an opinion. So just leave me out of it.

I AM SO DONE WITH THIS!!!! I'M OUTTA HERE!!!!

🤣

brightwolf48 said:If you don't see it, then I've got nothing else to say—especially given how much everyone's been posting in this section lately. What, am I supposed to drag you or Amanda Robinson into this just to get some attention? We already agreed to drop the petty stuff.😁

Just because people have zero taste and care more about whether some kid of Šuput’s last farted doesn't mean YOU should be looking for a penalty.

But hey, if you're really that desperate to get banned here, just say: "Dennis Hall41, go screw yourself and your stupid American ways," and I'll head over to the main board and happily demand justice on your behalf.😁

Lisa Davis46 said:Are you on your period again or something? Honestly—I really don't get what the issue is here—it’s all the same thing anyway.

Charles Ramos4 and I totally screwed that one up—we definitely prefer Springsteen’s voice over Hope Sandoval’s. It reminds me of what my cousin always tells me—"watch out, kid, or you'll end up losing your head."😁

The Beatles - Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band (1967)

Album

Solid review of The Unforgettable Fire. I’d definitely throw in a mention of those first 30 seconds—that magical Wire vibe—which easily ranks among the most transcendental sonic hits I've ever heard.

Steven Newman50 said:I've never really gotten into them—even though I've got a few die-hard fans around me. But hey, I don't think they're bad.

My big issue is just how much they lack catchy melodies. They'll land a good one every now and then, but mostly they just lean on the rhythm section and Edgar’s guitar—which is easily one of the top 10 most iconic sounds in rock history. A lot of their tracks feel like they just fall apart mid-way through—at least that's how it hits me—because I can't stay focused. Take Bad Boy Records or Where the Streets End, for example... I've played them maybe 50 times, but I honestly can't replay the melody in my head once the second minute passes.

Steven Newman50 said:Alright, you U2 experts—give me some suggestions, what's actually worth listening to from them? 😉

I don't know, man... why hasn't this band ever really clicked for me? I get why they've been at the top for 35 years—it makes sense—but there's just something missing on my end. I'm no expert, obviously, but if I had to pick, War and Achtung Baby would be my go-tos.

brightwolf48 said:Man, you totally missed that U2 dropped October this year.

I wouldn't have let him out of my sight even if someone offered me a lifetime supply of GIFs.😁

I’ve heard some people claiming this is actually U2's best work—but we all know there's a certain crowd that swears *Trans* is Young's peak. Personally? I think it's just genre fixation or fans being extra.

analogbear40 said:Man... it’s wild that Echo & the Bunnymen still haven't broken onto our mainstream charts—seems like I'm definitely not the only one who's been waiting for them to finally blow up.😁

Any of those first four or five are totally worth talking about—seriously. I'm just sitting here trying to figure out what actually ties Echo & the Bunnymen, Gang of Four, and The Fall together—besides just being from the same era—to justify calling them all post-punk.

Edit — man, I'm telling you, Fire of Love, Signals Calls and Marches, Almost Blue, Tattoo You, Minor Threat, and Damaged were all dropped back in '81.

Edit 2 — I'm talking Flowers of Romance, but I won't mention him—just wanna see if the resident doctor has any cool GIFs to share or if he just couldn't care less.😁

Man, those Comsat Angels dropped one of the best albums of '81—honestly, right up there with the Costello Trust and that brilliant Echo & the Bunnymen record, which is my absolute favorite. To me, the year wasn't actually all that special, though—post-punk was already starting to splinter, hardcore hadn't really branched out into other genres yet, singer-songwriter stuff was probably hitting its worst slump ever, and classic rock was basically non-existent.

It's pretty wild to think about because the American indie scene probably had its best year ever back then.

Edit — I guess I could also throw in The Cure's Faith, Gang of Four's Solid Gold, Glorious Fool by John Martyn, Elton John's The Fox, and a few others, but still, the year just wasn't that huge for me.