Brian_NJ
Clever Kid
Who the hell is the blue guy?
Posts: 85
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Post by Brian_NJ on Apr 19, 2010 13:01:15 GMT -5
I just finished my first run through the album.
"Sweet Part" reminds me of the way the Stones sounded in the 60s/70s when they tried to do "country". it's intended as a compliment.
"Soft In The Center" - I really love the backing vocals on this track, and the key change.
"We Can Get Together" - beautiful and moving.
"Slight Discomfort" - a majestic closer.
I thought a few of these sounded "just good" live, but they sound fantastic on this album--especially "Soft... Center", "We Can Get Together", "Our Whole Lives" and "Discomfort".
Last time THS put out an album I ended up with a new favorite by them ("Actress"). I don't think that will happen this time, but I'm still very, very happy with this album.
now I can go back and read everyone else's comments.
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stevedave
True Scene Leader
Makin' meals out of marzipan
Posts: 747
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Post by stevedave on Apr 19, 2010 13:18:47 GMT -5
I just spilled out the other side of my first listen on NPR. It's a superb record. The masking and echos on Sweet Part of the City remind me of Goats Head Soup. Soft In The Center's lyric about frozen lakes is stunning. I love the oohs and ahhs. Really adds a dimension. The single sounds right at home in the centre of all this instrumentation. And a seven minute plus epic closer that channels everything from Zeppelin to Counting Crows. I'm sure I spotted a Tom Waits reference in the lyrics somewhere. And The bit about Husker Du. Just awesome awesome record. I'm going back in for another listen in a minute.
Current fave? On first pass? Our Whole Lives is classic single material.
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Post by muzzleofbees on Apr 19, 2010 13:27:35 GMT -5
Ok.
My earplugs in my ears. Wine in my glass. A cigarette in my mouth.
The first runthrough starts now.
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Post by muzzleofbees on Apr 19, 2010 14:09:59 GMT -5
Quick thoughts, while I listened through for the first time: SWEET PART OF THE CITY Absolutely great. A perfect opener, allthough miles from anything they've done before. Stonesy for sure, but in a really good way. Does he really sing 'We like to pray for you/ we like to play for you'? If that's the case, it's amazing. A Chicago Seemed Tired reference? I think it will be a grower (but what's up with the vocals? Aren't they terribly low in the mix?) A SOFT IN THE CENTER Digged the live versions, dig this one. Poppy as hell, but as I said before, way better than Magazines or Hurricane J - if they are comparable. I think they are. The guitar parts before 'I know what you're going through' kills.. THE WEEKENDERS This one I obviously had heard in advance. Found it good, but not great. It's better in the context of the album. Sounds faster, in a way. Great rocking chours. A bit skeptical to the backing vocals. Sounds like a good album track. THE SMIDGE A bit messy verses. Don't know what to make of them. The chours is great. Cowbell! And a great classic rock sound. I get a bit of the AKM feeling. A lot of air in it, which fits the song well. It seem like it's Tad's song, in a way. Beatles-esque psychedelia in the bridge? Greeeat! Could be grower. And again: What's up with the low vocals? It sounds muddy. Is it the stream? Sure hope so. ROCK PROBLEMS I've probably heard it twenty times since it was released, and it still sounds amazing. Just briliant rock'n'roll. The only small concern I have is the echo on Craigs vocals. I think it would be proper with a bit more grit. But this obviously isn't the album for grit - and that's OK to. And it just makes the live versions of it more special. Don't know what more to say, I think this is on par with their best tracks. WE CAN GET TOGHETER Hold Steady have never been about the big and slow tracks to me. But this is a good one. Compared to the center piece ballad of AKM/BAGIA/SP, I think this is a bit weaker than First Night, on par with Certain Songs and better than Lord I'm Discouraged. Great track, and again it seems like it fits better in on the album than as a standout track. HURRICANE J I'm sorry, this still is one of the weakest tracks the band has ever released. I don't get it, neither in an album context. Stupid chours, not really appealing backing vocals and a sub par lyric. Decent last minute or so, but it still feels misplaced on a Hold Steady record. Should have been a b-side, in my opnion. BARELY BREATHING This feels more and more like a Cattle And The Creeping Things v. 2.0. Atypical, different and country-esque - and absolutely great. This is what I want from my favourite band: Developement and tradionality in one big package. And the intro? I saw someone saying something about Arctic Monkeys. I get the Pixies feeling. "Hope everything is aaaaallright!". One of the best ones. OUR WHOLE LIVES I've named this the Constructive Summer of Heaven Is Whenever, and have really been looking forward to hear the studio version. I'm both surprised and happy. It's still rocking as hell, but has got a lot more layers and texture than what I would expect. For once, I love the backing vocals, the guitar sound is amazing, the lyrics is probably the best on the entire album, the keys are perfect balanced and Tad and Galen just hammers it all the way through. An instant classic. But I have to repeat myself: The vocals?! It pops out in the 'If you want, you can sleep over'-part, but for most of the song it's buried deep in guitars. This has to be the stream?! Still: A highlight. SLIGHT DISCOMFORT Strange sound right from the start. I can't wait to hear the CD version, it has to sound better. Well, anyways: Big, dark and apocalyptic. A bit like Spectres, only... bigger. It also has a bit of Both Crosses in it. I think I want this to evolve more rapid than it does. But when it opens up, with the New York City part, it's beautiful. A few minutes later: Wow, this is epic stuff. Great second half, not equally great first half. But a good closer. I can't make a judgement after one listen. But it was better than I thought it would be. Can't wait to get to know this album for real. [And, as I have said before: You'll have to excuse my lack of english skills. My underdeveloped vocabulary just isn't sufficent to descrie a piece of art in a satisfactory way. But this is how I feel - in english ]
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Post by howitfeels on Apr 19, 2010 14:16:11 GMT -5
Anyone else really hope that A Slight Discomfort isn't about women? I mean, I'm sure it's not but still....
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Post by muzzleofbees on Apr 19, 2010 14:17:39 GMT -5
Barely breathing immediately reminded me of Mr. Grieves by the Pixies... Ah, you beat me to it.
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Post by muzzleofbees on Apr 19, 2010 14:20:53 GMT -5
'The hardest part is trying to talk some sense into our sparkling hearts' He have changed that one from the live versions, hasn't he? I'm pretty sure it used to be "...to talk some sense, and to spark some hearts".
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Sunny D
Midnight Hauler
"We've gotta try a little harder..."
Posts: 1,900
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Post by Sunny D on Apr 19, 2010 14:25:14 GMT -5
I think Soft In The Center is the worst on this album. While it is the truth, the subject matter sounds a little too .... I disagree. I think ROCK PROBLEMS and Hurricane J are the weakest and could have been replaced by any B sides of your choice. I think "You're a beautiful girl and you're a pretty good waitress' is by far the worst lyric Craig has ever written. I cringe when I hear it. But then again it sounds much better in the context of the whole album then it does as a stand-alone single and the 'you were named for a storm/not a saint' line is wonderful. As you can tell, I'm torn. The worse lyric by far? That seems like a bit too much considering Rock Problems starts with "The girls want to go to the party, but no one's in any shape to drive." To me that just sounds like something a comedian would write to make fun of THS. I do admit that mentioning that she's a good waitress is completely random. Also, what's with everyone hating Hurricane J? I don't understand it at all. At this point it's my second favorite track on HIW.
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Post by Andy on Apr 19, 2010 14:33:39 GMT -5
The pacing of this record is near perfect. More thoughts to come after a few more listens.
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Post by nardling on Apr 19, 2010 14:37:20 GMT -5
I disagree. I think ROCK PROBLEMS and Hurricane J are the weakest and could have been replaced by any B sides of your choice. I think "You're a beautiful girl and you're a pretty good waitress' is by far the worst lyric Craig has ever written. I cringe when I hear it. But then again it sounds much better in the context of the whole album then it does as a stand-alone single and the 'you were named for a storm/not a saint' line is wonderful. As you can tell, I'm torn. The worse lyric by far? That seems like a bit too much considering Rock Problems starts with "The girls want to go to the party, but no one's in any shape to drive." To me that just sounds like something a comedian would write to make fun of THS. I do admit that mentioning that she's a good waitress is completely random. Also, what's with everyone hating Hurricane J? I don't understand it at all. At this point it's my second favorite track on HIW. I happen to love the waitress line (it's starting to get to where this should be it's own thread). The song is all very abstract and....elevated....in a way. "You're a beautiful girl....and a pretty good waitress." It's so concrete and immediate, and it's this sorta backhanded compliment. You're hot, and a halfway decent waitress, and that's about it. You've got some growing up to do before you're going to have much more going for you. It's audibly jarring, and it doesn't flow smoothly, and I don't think it's supposed to. That's why it's genius.
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Sunny D
Midnight Hauler
"We've gotta try a little harder..."
Posts: 1,900
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Post by Sunny D on Apr 19, 2010 15:05:30 GMT -5
Whole way through, I think it's a killer album. A Slight Discomfort, Hurricane J, and Barely Breathing blow me away. But so far it’s all the way back in fifth place for me. But take in mind I'm comparing gold with gold.
My view on common criticism discussed:
Omitted solo in We Can Get Together: A bad idea but it doesn't bother me. I can still enjoy the track regardless.
Overused backing vocals: I’m loving all of the backing vocals besides the end We Can Get Together where they’re going “Aaah! Aaah! Aaah!” But it’s really no big deal IMHO.
Overproduced: No.
Bad lyrics: Sometimes. The only problem I have with this album is some of the lyrics. If this wasn’t a lyrical legend like Craig Finn behind the mic it wouldn’t matter this much, but I’ve come to expect genius from him. Most of the lyrics are great, but when they’re bad they’re BAD. The first two verses of Rock Problems ridiculous to the point that I’d be embarrassed to admit that THS is my favorite band after someone heard them. Which is weird because the rest of the lyrics in the song are incredible, as well as the music itself.
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stevedave
True Scene Leader
Makin' meals out of marzipan
Posts: 747
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Post by stevedave on Apr 19, 2010 15:16:24 GMT -5
The lyrics to Rock Problems are brilliant. It's a genre piece. He's playing to the cliches. And it works. It's not ironic, it's lazer beam precision. And very funny to boot.
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Post by evanjcameron on Apr 19, 2010 15:20:10 GMT -5
the smidge
we used to lie to eachother about using computers when we couldnt get a hit we'd cruise to vancouver we used to lie to people when we'd show up at parties we used to pretend that we'd never met then you'd send a signal with your cigarette
at first it felt like heaven then it felt like just like the whole, lets roll, lets roll around
now when we lie to eachother we do it through computers now we never go dancing cuz we're not really moving she's got a bandolero belt filled with kamikaze shooters she touches every table in a total eclipse the cops turned off the light for just a little bit
at first it felt like faith then it felt just lke the void now we're stranded on the southside she was sick of waiting on your boys so lets roll, let's roll around let's go, lets go back up town
and you can ask me not to do it but you can't contain the kids we were living for the city now we're living for the smidge we used to want it all now we just want a little bit livin, livin, livin, livin, livin for the smidge
angel i didn't say goodbye but i'm already gone
livin, livin, livin, livin, livin for the smidge you can ask me not to do it but you can't control the kids livin, livin, livin, livin, livin for the smidge we used to want it all now we just want a little bit
lets roll, lets roll around lets go, lets go back uptown
oh, come on and send me up a signal something to show me you're all right make the sign of the cross with your cigarette come on and smudge a little smoke up in the night _______
Do people with the vinyl copies have official lyrics? This is from the NPR stream (how kick ass is that, by the way?) and I'd love to see an official transcription of all the lyrics. Perhaps a new thread devoted to just that?
Anyway, post edits.
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bigontheinside
Midnight Hauler
If you don't know the words, don't sing along
Posts: 1,478
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Post by bigontheinside on Apr 19, 2010 15:27:11 GMT -5
I like the waitress line. I don't think it's meant to say that's she's just a "pretty good waitress" but that the character saying it doesn't have anything else to say about her, nothing to compliment her on. It kind of reminds me of a line from Patterson Hood's 'Pollyanna': "I tried to compliment her nose but she could tell that mine was growing."
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Post by hallelujahrip on Apr 19, 2010 15:42:14 GMT -5
I love this album, up and down and every which way. I am so relieved it's not a progression further into the poppiness from SP. I love every song indiviually and I love them as a whole. I love it.
THere are a lot of complaints about Hurricane J and I can understand it, but somehow this song stirs up something very personal in me, and I get very emotional about it, which is a whole story for another time. Suffice it to say, if it were about another subject I probably wouldn't love it as much as I do but I do.
It's strange because I immediately feel emotionally attached to this album the way I did with Separation Sunday and the way that I didn't with Stay Positive, which is such a relief. I'm on my third listen-through and honestly there isn't a song I would take out. It's different, no doubt about it, but somehow it feels right. I'm on my third listen-through and I get the feeling I'm going to be rocking this one out for a long, long time. I'm so into this.
Also--just because it came back around--I absolutely adore the last two lines of "The Smidge".
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Post by shakerheights on Apr 19, 2010 16:04:02 GMT -5
The lyrics to Rock Problems are brilliant. It's a genre piece. He's playing to the cliches. And it works. It's not ironic, it's lazer beam precision. And very funny to boot. Completely agree! Rock Problems' lyrics are fantastic. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After a couple more listens, I'm still not into this album at all. It's very mediocre and I think reviews outside of the Hold Steady community should and will reflect that. It's Hold Steady-lite. The lyrics, the guitars, the choruses- it's like a band 75% as good as the Hold Steady made a record. Really hoping I "get it" soon, but I think any "getting" that occurs will just be me straight up forcing myself to like the album. I still can't get over the lack of solo on WCGT and some of the lyrics on a lot of the songs like Hurricane J. I mean, I think a lot of people are just saying "That's Craig, man!" because he's built up so much equity with great albums. I've heard people call the waitress line "clever"... I think clumsy is a more apt description. I mean, if Hurricane J was the first song I ever heard from this band, I wouldn't be posting on said band's message board (I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm having a hard time finding a worse song in the Hold Steady canon). I'm pumped everyone seems to genuinely love the record, though, I guess it's just not clicking with me at all.
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Post by hallelujahrip on Apr 19, 2010 16:12:18 GMT -5
After a couple more listens, I'm still not into this album at all. It's very mediocre and I think reviews outside of the Hold Steady community should and will reflect that. It's Hold Steady-lite. The lyrics, the guitars, the choruses- it's like a band 75% as good as the Hold Steady made a record. Really hoping I "get it" soon, but I think any "getting" that occurs will just be me straight up forcing myself to like the album. I still can't get over the lack of solo on WCGT and some of the lyrics on a lot of the songs like Hurricane J. I mean, I think a lot of people are just saying "That's Craig, man!" because he's built up so much equity with great albums. I've heard people call the waitress line "clever"... I think clumsy is a more apt description. I mean, if Hurricane J was the first song I ever heard from this band, I wouldn't be posting on said band's message board (I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm having a hard time finding a worse song in the Hold Steady canon). I'm pumped everyone seems to genuinely love the record, though, I guess it's just not clicking with me at all. I actually think the opposite of this. I think that Stay Positive wasy very Hold Steady lite and that this is what SP should have been. As far as the waitress line--well, listen, Hurricane J is a very conversational song and that line reflects that very very well. It's the kind of thing you'd say when having an awkward conversation with someone and weren't sure what to say next. It's the same with a lot of the lyrics, that's why for the most part it lacks a lot of the clever turns of prhase that we're used to in Hold Steady songs. I like that about it a lot, it feels so personal and intimate, like you're eavesdropping. It's clumsy intentionally, I think, and that in itself is very clever.
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nathanaz
Cityscape Skin
"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." ? Haruki Murakami
Posts: 25
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Post by nathanaz on Apr 19, 2010 16:24:57 GMT -5
I struck out on Record Store Day and have been listening to the stream on NPR @work (not an ideal listening environment, to be sure). To me, the point is to reset things, dial back, change direction a bit, you get the idea.
Nick Hornby's JULIET, NAKED, anyone?
Still really looking forward to seeing the guys next month.
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Post by Fine Malt Lyrics on Apr 19, 2010 16:33:53 GMT -5
What I am loving about this record are the little subtleties. I like the scattered effects, sounds, instruments, and other goodies that show up here and there. There's more depth to the songs then a first or second run through will reveal. I've pretty much totally scrapped any critique I had of the production when I first heard the leaked singles.
Another thing: after a bunch of spins, I really don't notice the missing keys anymore. Where are fn-esque keys supposed to go on these tracks? I think it wasn't the quality of songs that fn didn't feel strongly about, but the role of his instrument within them. Kind of a new direction, I guess. I still miss the guy on stage, though.
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Post by somuchjoy on Apr 19, 2010 17:50:27 GMT -5
FWIW, for those who are underwhelmed by the lyrical content here, I'm pretty sure one key to this album lyrically is tracking the downward and upward arcs of Holly's life against the band's career. A ton of lines here that apply equally to the character and and to THS, all in the vein of "started recreational/ended kinda medical." With a whole mess of nostalgia thrown in -- for record players, for the SS era, for a time when instant web criticism wasnt the norm, for the tour van, for when the phone rang, rang, rang instead of textbeeped. Interesting that Malkmus was just quoted as saying that all music is nostalgia and "heaven is a dumptruck" gets name dropped on the most openly nostalgic track of the album.
And if I'm right about Slight Discomfort being an analogy between the re-corruption of post-resurrection Holly and the band's being tempted by the spiders of success (the dual-purpose of "legs and eggs and eyes" is fucking brilliant),1 with only one member affirmatively chosing not to shoot up, the whole thing is brutally sad. Just so we're clear, I think CF took the closer of one of the most beloved indie records, which has one of the most beloved characters from indie rock being resurrected from hell, and just sent her back there using the vocal phrasing and styling from "cruxifiction cruise" to shoot her up with "this shouldn't hurt, but you might feel a slight discomfort." And then to end with looped shallow breaths of an addict, and not theloop of the ice cream truck on "resurrection"? the discomfort is more than slight. A very, very dark answer to "I Don't Know" by the Mats.
1jerseymike knows what I'm talking about
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Post by charlemagne420 on Apr 19, 2010 18:08:34 GMT -5
So here's the thing. I don't really dig Craig singing. I LOVE the way Craig shouts/speaks his lyrics. The way he articulates his lyrics makes it for me. Singing is totally different. It's like he hasn't figured out that nice medium between singing and articulating (speaking/shouting/spitting) his lyrics in HIW.
That being said here are the songs i dig WEEKENDERS-that's THS I know and love in that track, man. Sweet Part of the City The Smidge (i guess, i've gotta listen to it a few more times.)
I don't like the background vocals either. The first half of WCGT is SO damn good, and then it crashes and burns. It's good live, but then again we are talking about THE ALBUM here.
I put HIW in dead last out of their five albums. Maybe tied with Stay Positive, but that would still be tied for last place.
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piske41
Cityscape Skin
Hey Nelson Algren
Posts: 9
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Post by piske41 on Apr 19, 2010 18:30:50 GMT -5
the smidge we used to lie to eachother about using computers when we couldnt get a hit we'd cruise to vancouver we used to lie to people when we'd show up at parties we used to pretend that we'd never met then you'd send a signal with your cigarette at first it felt like heaven then it felt like just like the whole, lets roll, lets roll around now when we lie to eachother we do it through computers now we never go dancing cuz we're not really moving she's got a bandolero belt filled with kamikaze shooters she touches every table in a total eclipse the cops turned off the light for just a little bit at first it felt like faith then it felt just lke the void now we're stranded on the southside she was sick of waiting on your boys so lets roll, let's roll around let's go, lets go back up town and you can ask me not to do it but you can't contain the kids we were living for the city now we're living for the smidge we used to want it all now we just want a little bit livin, livin, livin, livin, livin for the smidge angel i didn't say goodbye but i'm already gone livin, livin, livin, livin, livin for the smidge you can ask me not to do it but you can't control the kids livin, livin, livin, livin, livin for the smidge we used to want it all now we just want a little bit lets roll, lets roll around lets go, lets go back uptown oh, come on and send me up a signal something to show me you're all right make the sign of the cross with your cigarette come on and smudge a little smoke up in the night _______ Do people with the vinyl copies have official lyrics? This is from the NPR stream (how kick ass is that, by the way?) and I'd love to see an official transcription of all the lyrics. Perhaps a new thread devoted to just that? Anyway, post edits. Thanks for these! Jessie seems like the most predominate character on HiW (her being a waitress is referenced again here: "she's got a bandolero belt filled with kamikaze shooters / she touches every table in a total eclipse") Also technology & the internet's impact on "the scene" and relationships in general is a common theme throughout HiW (In Rock Problems: "He said the kids that he knows from the net said the sound kinda sucked") Loving the hell out of this album!
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mcstevepants
Hoodrat
Shaky but still tryin' to shake it.
Posts: 400
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Post by mcstevepants on Apr 19, 2010 18:33:15 GMT -5
I feel like at the end of Slight Discomfort, someone (holly?) is ascending into heaven.
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Post by doctoracula on Apr 19, 2010 18:33:24 GMT -5
the more i listen, the more i totally love the backing vocals on we can get together that song and a slight discomfort really show the soundscape/soundtrack influence tad mentioned
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2010 18:33:38 GMT -5
'The hardest part is trying to talk some sense into our sparkling hearts' He have changed that one from the live versions, hasn't he? I'm pretty sure it used to be "...to talk some sense, and to spark some hearts". i often mishear lyrics to make them more about me
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