Posts by Dennis Hall41

Was just chatting with my colleague Inconna about Forever Changes, and man—that totally woke me up. Just thinking about that masterpiece... one of the wildest, most brilliant tracks ever made.

The Daily Planet

Jamie Davis9 said:enivej_))

Don't tell me > is your favorite Dylan record too? Is everyone just getting drunk on that violin? Honestly, I don't know a single person who doesn't claim > is his best—aside from me.
To me, that album feels the least "Dylan-esque"—which is actually what he is at his core. It's still an absolute masterpiece, though.

But then again, who can really say they know Dylan? The guy is basically made of liquid—he's here one second and gone the next.

Speaking of being fluid, he was the one who described his sound as mercurial back on >.

One of those genius moves that still blows my mind.

Fourth time Around

Alright, gotta tackle this one too:

in a Free Land

There's no way a song about unrequited love doesn't end up sitting right at the top of a best-of list—it's practically inevitable. Honestly, whenever I catch that line, "It's never over, all my blood for the sweetness of her laughter," it just hits me right in the gut.

you Should've Come Over

Whenever I dive into some Ibric, this is always my go-to—no question about it. We were putting together some lists on Music once, and I straight up put this in my top 10 greatest American songs of all time.

Some people prefer the original 9-minute cut—which honestly fits the vibe of Blood on the Tracks way better—but I’ve gotta say, the final album version hits different for me. It’s just this raw, brutal masterpiece of a breakup song, easily one of the heaviest from '75 to now.

Bob Dylan, you absolute legend

Man, I gotta weigh in on this one—even if Predin wrote it, the whole thing was built for Arsen. Trains, that deep melancholy, betrayal, that late-night vibe that feels like something forbidden... it’s pure Arsen. A total classic.



Now is my five minutes,
No tie, shirt unbuttoned,
And if you wipe my tracks away,
I'm just a Plesač dancing alone.

Now is my five minutes,
The puška straža pjevati sing,
And when dawn swallows the night,
They give those songs back to them.

I only think those thoughts,
The ones I know are forbidden.
And when I return, I'll be the same guy,
At the station praying: Wait for me.

Today the stars feel close,
I reach out on my toes, and they're right there,
Just so I can tuck them in my pocket,
Fortune favors the brave.

I only think those thoughts,
The ones I know are forbidden...
And when I return, I'll be the same guy,
At the station praying: Wait for me.

Then I'll be your hero,
For our eternal hours,
A doormat, the shadow of your dog,
And I'll be a noose,
A vessel for children,
Coffee in bed and a lover from the bottom.

I only think those thoughts,
The ones I know are forbidden...
And when I return, I'll be the same guy,
At the station praying: Wait for me.

There are plenty of them out there, but I honestly think Arsen is the only one who’s a true poet first—and a musician second. Though, let's be real, he's incredible at both. Here’s an example of absolute lyrical perfection.

Arsen

With such brilliance it can shine
That which is the past now
Which cannot return again
Who knows when it all happened

Our Ljubav from early summers
Was a misery for us both
Now it is real, now it is holy
Now that I am no longer young

It reveals its secret to me
Like a gray-haired old criminal
I had such a brilliant past
The whole world was trying to Ganjati me

In the end, honor is accepted
Time keeps striking the clock
Afterward, it feels like victory
Like some lost war, this battle

These battles, these wounds
Will reveal all their beauty
When these things become ancient history
And they aren't even here anymore

These mornings that trouble you
Will offer everything to you too
When tomorrow becomes yesterday
And you are somewhere else, who knows where

Uzallud, through this night
You search for it to give you more
But first, it must pass
So you can know more about it

With such brilliance it can shine
That which is the past now
Which cannot return again
Who knows when it all happened

It’s easy enough—I just can't wrap my head around how she could be with Dylan instead of Cohen, especially since you said she used to mock him. Maybe it's because he was always such a shy, gentle soul—basically everything Dylan never was.

OT: honestly, few songs even come close to this one
Visions of Johann ajmo

Alright, let's settle this—who is it actually about?😁

It’s a trip—two of Cohen's experts told me that Joan of Arc is actually Joni Mitchell. It doesn't have to be fact, but I seriously doubt they're just talking about Joan of Arc.

OT: Cohen again—this time with New skin for The Old Ceremony, which I think is great even if people overlook it (classic '70-'74 vibes😁... anyway)

taka this Longing

Names can be tricky—so we’re gonna try using a song instead.

Alright, your turn—who do you think this track is for?😁

Man, since we’re talking about deep poetry—I honestly can't help but tear up over these two examples. Both by Arsenov, both from that genius double-threat Homo Volans.

45. Vrazov's lullaby
Nightingales all night long...

Mak Dizdar's Blue River

I’ve never been much of a patriot—even if I am deeply tied to this country.
I mean, seriously, I have never heard a more powerful or heartbreaking anthem than this one.

Ibrica

Grace Sanders24 said:Fair point. I’ve seen what you mean—he's got plenty of those supporting roles. I haven't actually sat down with that specific movie yet, but I'll definitely check it out now that you suggested it. I really dig Fabian—especially in those Fadilov films. He plays a side character there, too, but honestly, his work in those was way more substantial than this, which is why I reacted that way. Might've been a bit blunt, but hey—I use those emojis sometimes. My bad if I went overboard, at the end of the day, it’s all just personal taste!👍

It's all good, though there's definitely a lot of subjectivity involved here.

Obviously, a guest spot won't give a character the same depth as a lead role, but if the scene is crucial to the story and the performance hits hard, it's just as valuable to me as a starring turn.
Take David Strathairn—the guy is a master. He’s often that "power behind the throne" type, always in the background and low-key, but he knows his craft well enough to take a small part, like some waiter in a diner cracking a quick joke.

If you've seen "Good Night and Good Luck," you can tell how he's constantly in the shadows—even literally. When his show isn't airing, he's often tucked away in the darker parts of the frame.

I bring him up because Fabian is similar—low profile, often uses a still face, but he has such a massive presence. The way he captured that inner turmoil just by pacing around the room a couple of times in "Fox" was incredible!

In "Black Bird," a movie that doesn't even have a traditional lead, his acting was so good it's a shame he wasn't on screen for more minutes.

Grace Sanders24 said:I’m looking at his whole body of work here—let's not get carried away. It's fine. You're clearly blown away by this movie, but okay. You know you just said something pretty silly. His role in this one is basically just a few shots of him reciting poetry and looking moody. It's a total caricature, honestly.🍿

David Strathairn—one of my top 10 actors ever, seriously—seems to have only had one major lead role in his entire career, which was in George Clooney's "Good Night. And Good Luck."
I mean, does he even say more than ten lines or show up for more than 15 minutes in 90% of the movies he's in?
Maybe in some TV series, but I don't really follow those.

You could've caught him just yesterday in John Sayles' Matewan—great flick, highly recommend if you haven't seen it.
The guy doesn't even "act"—he just exists on screen. And I can't wait to see him again. He says more with a single look than ten mediocre hacks and overactors combined.

Regarding Fabian, maybe I did go a bit overboard. I actually liked him better in rhythm crime.

Since we're talking about songs about friendship—honestly, this might be one of the best I've ever heard on the subject.

History Lesson, Pt. 2

Just heard today that my old landlord from back when I was in college—lived there three years—is terminally ill. Apparently, he’s only got a few days, maybe a week left. Because of everything going on, I can’t even get to the hospital to see him, and I can't talk to him either since his family says he's basically out on morphine. We haven't spoken or seen each other in seven years, but man, I'm getting choked up thinking about those daily deep talks we used to have—just me venting about my early twenties over coffee and cigarettes in his massive backyard after my classes would wrap up.

He was a friend of Mia

Grace Sanders24 said:🤦

If you're talking about Fox or rhythm crime—then yeah, I'll take the facepalm. Otherwise, I'm coming back at you even harder than a facepalm.

They were the absolute kings of American pop back in those years—honestly, not everyone can write a song that’s this tender yet absolutely gut-wrenching at the same time.

The Fossils

If someone ever asked me to play a track I consider perfect—whatever that means—this would be right at the top of my list. It’s one of those rare songs that captures how life is simultaneously beautiful and a total mess.

Wichit Lineman

Edit: just realized this mix isn't nearly as good as the one I'm linking below—that's the one you actually need to hear.

Wichit Lineman