Thursday, October 9, 2008

4:13 Dream review

From the Phantom of the Friend of COF:

"First off, let me preface by saying that this is an album that I find to be best listened to as a cohesive piece of music…i.e. play the whole thing start to finish…don’t skip around cause you know certain songs or have heard things on youtube or the web…press start, dim the lights, crank it up (as the mix sounds great loud) and GO!...and don’t stop for like 54 minutes…it is well worth it…and the more you listen to it, the more it will immediately grow on you each time…then you can pick your favorites…and the coolest part to me is the total dichotomy of the peacefulness of UTS starting the album to the frantic last two songs…Robert picked a great running order…

-As far as the guys, Robert sounds the best he ever has…Vocals and lyrics are top notch, and presentation (i.e. effects) and where vocals balance in the mix is just perfect…Second, Simon is the driver of many, if not all, of these songs…This is nothing new to long time fans, but wows me every time…His bass is so beyond “normal” bass playing of supporting the drums and rhythm guitar…he plays so many lines and notes it really gets the song moving…He has it downtuned to D in a few of the songs so the bass is nice and thick/low…Third, Porl…Dear lord he is rocking out all over and the injection of his playing really defines a lot of this album (this is of course me guessing what he has played in terms of actual record parts)…But needless to say his style is appreciated…And last but not least, Jason fully completes the circle…great drumming on this one and the selections of rhythms work so right on each individual piece of music…This is a BAND…and they certainly sound like it…I am a 22 year Cure fan…So I grew up on the “early stuff”…and as much as I would say Disintegration is my fav cause of the time in my life it effected me, it is the NOW of this band that excites me…and I think will excite you as well…

Note that the singles are similar to what we all have already over the last few months added to our collections…for the causal listener you might not pick up on changes…but there are definitely different vocal effects, background noises and such going on in the songs…SWID to me is way more ambient on the album and i love this “mix”…I threw some notes in below as Craig has requested it and as a long time COF anonymous contributor, I don’t want to let you guys down!…still, I don’t want to give it all away as I still hate the internet for giving things up early (it steals the mystery out of most things these days); but I figure a few small thoughts from my mind wont hurt…so this is just a quick commentary on the songs…you will most likely hear via web or live or MTV or something the actual pieces of work this weekend from the Rome show…so enjoy…and look forward to this…and buy the musicdon’t file share and all that crap…actually support a great band who made a great piece of work that I know we have all been waiting for…

Times approx
01 UNDERNEATH THE STARS (6:17)- I think most of us know this one already as a live favorite unless you have been living under a rock…album version is solid and doesn’t really stray from the live one…lots of 6 string bass, and beautiful guitar parts…lots of chimes too

02 THE ONLY ONE (3:57)- pretty close to single; just a bit of a different mix sonically

03 THE REASONS WHY (4:35)- Starts with a subtle guitar line and builds into a 6 string bass part (not like what we are used to in sound) and adds more guitars and bass as it grows…Great chorus to this song and Robert’s vocal effect is super cool…

04 FREAKSHOW (2:30)- see The Only One…

05 SIRENSONG (2:22)- think very layered slide guitar a la the Cocteau Twins with a great song and melody and subtle piano…Not a long song but a beautiful song…

06 THE REAL SNOW WHITE (4:43)- This is a rocker…I can hear a number of influences here…Hendrix, Beatles and bands of that era…”You got what I need”…

07 THE HUNGRY GHOST (4:29)- one of my favorites on the album…Builds with a guitar line that reminds me of the beginning of “It’s Not You” and then leads into a GREAT chorus with solid guitar sounds…”We’ll never satisfy the hungry ghost”…

08 SWITCH (3:44)- Super rocker…pure chaotic wah at beginning…love it…

09 THE PERFECT BOY (3:21)- see The Only One…This is a gorgeous song no matter who mixes it!...

10 THIS. HERE AND NOW. WITH YOU (4:05)- Excellent song the whole way through…one of my other favs on the album…Really driven by Simon’s bass and featuring some wild guitar/keyboard sounds with an underwater effect to them…Very magical song I think…If there was such a thing as a next single, I would pick this song…”I don’t remember getting here”…

11 SLEEP WHEN I’M DEAD (3:51)- this mix feels more ambient than the single we all have…this is an incredible song…and I like the album version much better…the subtle background keys and lines really give this song color…

12 THE SCREAM (4:35)- ok these last 2 songs are the barnburners…this is where we end with some serious rock and if it was me playing at least one smashed guitar if this was live…This one starts slow…Middle Eastern feel a la “The Blood” although not acoustic…Something about this song makes me feel like it could have fit into the Top era…So the song builds up and then Robert let’s out this banshee scream of death…If you have headphones on or your stereo up you will actually get distortion which I think is perfectly fitting (for those who record, think needle well past the red line)!!!...Once the scream dies out it is time to kick the walls down and rock out…just builds into chaos and then dies out leading into…

13 IT’S OVER (4:16)- leading into this song which we all know and some saw live as Baby Rag Dog Book…this sounds incredible on the album…Starts with thumping Simon bass and Jason drums…and just kicks in and goes!...i thought it was cool live from what I saw (yes in person), but to hear it sonically recorded is great cause it matches the intensity of the live version and they captured the sound and feel…"

Thank you Phantom of Friend of COF for taking the time to review this for us!

58 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review craig & Friend of COF! It was Great to read!

    I need to have this album NOW!!!

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  2. I'm salivating. Great review.

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  3. *drools onto keyboard*

    *buys new keyboard*

    *drools onto new keyboard*

    *buys new keyboard again*

    *drools away from keyboard onto desk*

    yummables 4:13 Dream!

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  4. Thank you for the review.

    I am completely gaga with anticipation. I could just pee my pants! (If I was wearing any! :P )

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  5. Concise and no spoilers!1 Thanks ever so much!

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  6. I'm not reading that, or any of these comments... see you guys at the end of the month!!! : )

    m.

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  8. ::::sigh:::::

    i.cannot.wait!

    Thanks for the fab review...I can hardly contain my excitement!

    This.Here and Now.With You.
    is destine to be my new favorite song :).

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  9. Thank you FoCOF for the review! Of course, you realize you just threw gasoline on the smoldering fire of anticipation for this.

    (The next almost 3 weeks are going to be torture. Patience is NOT one of my virtues)

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  10. This is "for reals" kids! This album is gonna blow our everlovin' minds.

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  11. I think I'm looking forward to the "dark" album even MORE now. Hundreds of bands are heavy, rock out a lot, and are faceless. No other band, however is The Cure.

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  12. Dave, FFS, this album sounds like it has it all! Sirensong has me intrigued!!!!

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  13. This is so... AWESOME!!!

    ARGH I so don't want to work anymore, this is killing me!!
    But this is the type of review I've been wishing for for a long time! THANK YOU!

    Now I'm gonna go walk away with shaky legs and probably fall down victim to convulsions.
    Just get me out of the hospital in time for 4:13 DREAM!!

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  14. GOD DAMN THERE IS NO MONOCLE THAT CAN STAND UP TO THIS.

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  15. That review got me so fucking excited I'm literally just jumping around screaming! I can't control myself right now!! XD

    I'm so glad to see that Sirensong is gonna be close to what I was expecting it to be, just a real sweet beautiful song. This here and now with you sounds fucking amazing! It was such a cool title I didn't know what to make of it, this sounds like the song to really look forward too.

    And now I'm just dying to hear Baby Rag and The Scream, electric version of the blood and a supersonic scream, that sounds fucking incredible. I was hoping SWID would get some ambience back, i was really thinking all 4 singles were gonna be the mix 13's. Well sounds like they PRETTY much are, but not quite.

    I wasn't expecting Snow White to be a super rocker song, sounds cool. But I think everyone was curious as hell about The Hungry Ghost, and it sounds lilke it won't dissapoint. Still not sure about what to exactly expect for The Reason Why tho.

    Overall, i just fucking wet myself. I CANT FUCKING WAIT!!!!!!!!!!

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  16. What's great is that Robert has not gone around and said stuff like "this is the best stuff we've ever done" etc. I think he knows its great and doesn't have to compensate like he's done for the last few.

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  17. Oh I'm so excited, I think I'm going to Faint! I can't stop reading this review. Three more weeks, what a long wait that will be! I can't control my happiness! My co-workes are telling me to shut-up but I can stop talking about it! I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT!!! This album is going to blow me away! :)

    Really I should get back to work but how can any Cure Fan keep away from all this good stuff!!!:)

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  18. Robert's been very careful with this one, after all, pushing it back forever trying to improve it.
    It's fair to say we all wish those delays meant good stuff instead of suckiness.

    Looks like Robert's gonna have the last laugh on this one.
    I just hope there's a 2-hit combo in the near future (with the DARK album).

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  19. Very excited about this album now.

    Tingles and teared up ;)

    All that talk of Simon has got me all fired up too!

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  20. I WANT IT.HERE AND NOW.WITH ME

    Oh and the person who peed their duds ewwwwww...nasty!

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  21. Thanks for the review!

    One question for the writer -- many have lamented the overly loud vocals in the Perfect Boy, an overuse of reverb during the "and I don't want to be innocent" part.

    Has that been lessened at all? Did you notice that?

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  22. As i read i have a cloudy view on my eyes and i don´t know why....

    I feel an empty feeling on my stomach....


    OMG.... I NEED THIS NOW....

    ABOUT 20 DAYS AHEAD TO HAVE IT...

    I CAN´T WAIT ANY LONGER...

    :) :(

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  23. It's coming soon!!!!! Yeah!!! I can't wait to blast it LOUD

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  24. This album is going to rock my dorky novelty socks off !!

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  25. Trace: I asked the Phantom, and here's his reply:

    "Be honest I didn’t…I would have to go back and listen…SWID seemed to be the most different to me with more background things"

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  26. Excellent review. As if my anticipation isn't on overload already. From the sounds of it, this album is more on the rock side than pop side. Based on some of the singles, I thought we were going to get a poppy sounding Cure (not top 40 pop mind you, but alterna-pop). Anyway, I'm excited to hear this will be a rocker. Although I'm also kind of sad that it sounds like there may only be 2 or 3 slow ones. Guess Robert is savings the rest for the dark album. I so hope he actually delivers on releasing it sometime soon. In the meantime, it sounds like we've got a great album on our hands. I want Dream 4:13 now!

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  27. Craig, thanks for passing on the question!

    And for everything you do.

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  29. The spell is unbroken
    Has Robert done that review?
    Here in Spain it will be a number 1 as well.
    So... when are you comming here to do the celebration?

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  30. Thanks for the review.

    I'm disappointed "The Only One" is the same length as the single version. The nicest thing about the live version was the intro without words; it gave the song a different effect. Very sad.

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  31. marc: i think rsx will eventually be saying that about the album... just you wait... he never fails to use hyperbole around an album release... and to be fair, bf WAS one of the best things they ever made...

    swifty, i think i love you. yer hilarious.

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  32. wooow im sooo excited!! i want it!!! waa waaaa great review!god i cant wait. thanks alot:)

    why "the Phantom"?? didnt you used to refer to him/her(?) as just Friend Of COF??

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  33. Maybe not the same person? You never know, the Phantom is very mysterious.

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  35. Christ, that's done it! I've reached fever pitch and there's 20 days to go. Great review.

    Thanks for all you do Craig; you're like a mummy bird dangling juicy morsels over a nest of desperate snapping beaks!

    Keep the worms coming!

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  36. Thanks for the review!

    I CAN'T WAIT!

    Oh and just like that, is it me or reading white font on a black background is the cheapest hallucigenic drug of all time? lol

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  37. Sounds like it will be worth the wait !!

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  38. Awesome review Friend of COF *cough* *cough*, Craig, I want this more than ever now!!!!

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  39. dude.... i've been trying not to get to excited since there is still 3 weeks left but after reading this i am so anxious... damnit all... how can i wait 3 weeks now? I am also curious like tracebrazenshade, wondering whether the annoying vocal effects are still on A Perfect Boy..... i really dislike the effects.

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  40. OM.G OMG. thank you. just thank you. cant add any more to the above.

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  41. Thank you Phantom for the review! I didn’t want to read it at first because I feared it might be too “spoilery”. You managed to NOT spoil anything for me! :D

    Reading that review just made me more rabid to hear this album... is that even possible?!?!?!?!
    I like how you highlighted each persons strength, as far as what it is that they contribute; they have each imbued their own special spirits/essences into this creation... They ARE a BAND! No, they are THE fucking band!

    "Robert let’s out this banshee scream of death"

    can'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twait........
    ohmigod do I have a happiness feeling?

    Craig is our BIRD mommy~~! <3

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  42. Good stuff...
    Fair assessment to be sure!

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  43. Thank you Craig and FOCOF! Yay! :^D

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  44. Lucky bastards. Me, here in Oz will have to wait until November no doubt before I get a taste of that yummy Cure goodness. Bring it all on!! :) Nice reveiw - doesn't quench my thirst though...

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  45. Great review! Thank you Friend of COF and Craig!

    I need the album NOW NOW NOW!!!!!!

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  46. Heh, Fantac... that's hilarious.

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  47. My god, the days between now and the 27th are gonne be the longest ever!

    This is the point at which it starts getting tough; I'm pretty much still a UTS virgin, so I'm resisting the urge to go tracking down all of these songs online...

    Anyone else planning on holding out til you actually get the album?

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  48. Querido Gato
    Usted es demasiado amable. Mis sentimientos son el mismo.
    *rubores*

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  49. swifty, how many freakin' languages do you speak, anyway?

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  50. y yo soy TU... usted es demasiadio formal para mi...

    y eres gracioso... :-)

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  51. Thanks Phantom for the review! I cannot wait for this to come out! My only decision is do I buy the CD or just buy it off iTunes? I think I will buy the CD this time, I bout the singles and the mixes from iTunes. This one I want a hard copy of, even though I no longer even have a working CD player anywhere than my computer!

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  52. G'day CAT
    Only fluent in English. I know a fair bit of Japanese. Others just bits and pieces.

    Earlier I tried to say - Dear Cat. You are too kind. Feelings are mutual.
    Couldn't get 100% your reply. Were you saying I was too formal and gracious.

    Swifty the cunning linguist :-)

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  53. Swifty, I understood your Spanish completely. And yes, that is what I said. :-)

    Brazos. :-)

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  54. Thanks Cat
    Ok i'm all Spanished out for today. So how much are you looking forward to this new Cure album Dream 4:13? Just a wee bit?

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  55. Excellent review Chris. I just finished listening to it for the 3rd time and it's a great record!
    Agree with Chris all the way, except for This. Here Now. With You, doesn't really do it for me.
    UDS, Reasons Why, Real Snow White, Switch, Scream and It's Over are my favs among the "new" ones.

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