Tuesday, October 21, 2008

A call for 4:13 Dream reviews

If you've listened to the album, and want to write up a review, I'd love to collect them and post them all on the 4:13 Dream reviews page. You can e-mail them, or just post in this thread and I'll copy them. Thanks!
And if you see any reviews online, or in magazines & newspapers, please send them in. Thanks again!

71 comments:

  1. Great idea. Thanks again, Craig.

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  2. I don't want to be biased by other people's opinions, but I can't stop reading reviews. I must stop. By the way, Craigers, I think you forgot to put David Fricke's 3.5 out of 5 stars rating for Rolling Stone. I'm not too bothered by that magazine's rating. The reviewer for the last Cure album thought the 2004 album was better than Wish! They also rated Pornography poorly. Crazy.

    By the way, BSG starts up January 16th, 2009! I really hope the episodes are longer as David Eick promised.

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  3. What a great idea! :^D

    And yay! January will be awesome! Trilogy on DVD and some new BSG episodes!

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  4. i think they are all great, the stand outs are, UTS, Sirensong,the scream, and this here and now with you,

    the studio versions of the scream and this here and now with you are amazing...

    and was it me or was sleep when i'm dead slightly different on the album mix?


    i think the real snow white is the weakest of the bunch,,,

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  5. i am just curious which ones will be the "rarely" played live ones when they tour...
    i am guessing siren song not sure bout the others

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  6. ive only listened to it one time thru on my ipod on my flight home tonight. i dont think i could get the full jest of it with a toddler kicking my seat for 3.5hrs. im sad they changed the name for baby rag dog book. and i believe the first cure waltz is on this album. i could be wrong tho. the album reminds me of songs that should be in a movie, but there is no movie......someone should make one. im not saying that i like/love it or if i dont quite yet. i need to take it for a "test drive" since gas prices are going down!

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  7. sleep when i'm dead is indeed a different mix. there's more effects on the vocals (especially in the intro) and the mix in general is much clearer than "mix 13." if you listen to the two versions side by side, you'll be struck by how much muddier "mix 13" is. it sounds much better on the album!

    all the other singles are exactly the same on the album, just remastered with compression and EQ tweaks.

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  8. i have to comment on the real snow white again...i really dislike that song..sounds like a bastard outtake from 2004...sucks cause the title is cool..

    too bad they could not replace truth goodness beauty and labyrinth from the previous album and put on this one...i think those 2 songs are highly underrated, and do not get played enough...i am really surprised they never played labyrinth with porl in the line up...thats just the type of song that was meant for him...

    oh and if they added going under to this as well we could all just have a big bonfire and burn the 2004 album and pretend that album was a 4:13 dream...but i am afraid its not and to quote robert: "i screaaaaaaaaam, its not a dream"

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  9. i have to comment on the real snow white again...i really dislike that song..sounds like a bastard outtake from 2004...sucks cause the title is cool..

    too bad they could not replace truth goodness beauty and labyrinth from the previous album and put on this one...i think those 2 songs are highly underrated, and do not get played enough...i am really surprised they never played labyrinth with porl in the line up...thats just the type of song that was meant for him...

    oh and if they added going under to this as well we could all just have a big bonfire and burn the 2004 album and pretend that album was a 4:13 dream...but i am afraid its not and to quote robert: "i screaaaaaaaaam, its not a dream"

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  10. The funny thing is, I disliked The Real Snow White a lot when I first heard it and I still don't like it, but it's going like crazy in my head all the time and I suspect that I will end up loving the song.

    As a whole, I absolutely love the album. It's the best thing since Wish by far, at least, and if it keeps growing on me at this pace, it will be up there with all the old classic Cure albums I cried my heart out to back in the days.

    I have a question though, does anyone else think that the mastering on the album is kind of flaky and way too compressed? I don't have access to the CD yet and it just might be bad encoding (please no flames about the piracy, I will buy it the first instant it is properly released, but I just couldn't force myself to wait this time), but the version I have sounds quite muddy, a bit like Metallica's latest.

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  11. yep, i fear the loudness wars made another victim. i'm buying the vinyl version!

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  12. also this album has a very siouxsie sound to it...at least to me more of the last few songs on the album...could be the case if some like SWID was recycled from '85

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  13. The Real Snow White is my favourite - I think it's going to be one of those albums where your favourites keep changing - sign of a classic

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  14. i have only listened to the Rome show once, early the next sunday morning, hungover...and i have not had access to the album proper.... i am really enjoying still being a 4:13 dream virgin....till monday!

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  15. 2007 was a very sad year for me:
    after 2 month of hurting the doctor founded out, that i had cancer.
    as i heard in may this, and that the cure will release the new album in autum 2007, i thought, i have to stay alive, for this new album, but would i be worth it ?
    in september it looked so good, but the cure wouldn´t release it. in october, my cancer had become bigger, and my therapy got harder. in february i was one month alone in hospital, because if my high-dose-chemotherapy, and was so sad, that i couldn´t be at any live concert.
    in april, they told me, i have killed and survived cancer. and was happy with 2 singles. i hate freakshow. i still hate freakshow.

    as i heard in october, they play in rome, i would go there. but my wife had an car accindet, and my 2 year old-curefan-son got ill. so no rome for me.
    and was this all worth for the new cure album ?
    my expections had been very low. i thought UTS will be the one and only highlight.
    BUT then i heard the end of 4:13 dream, the last 2 songs blow me away. i loved the rome version, but scream live is good, the scream studio-version is the perfect cure song.
    the whole album blew me away, its faboulos, its wonderful, its "just like the old days".
    lying in the dark, with volume up so high, that it almost hurts, and go through it, so often i can. it is a bombastic beginner but also a grower.
    thank you robert, and sorry for all my negativ thoughts. you were absolut right as you told us, you would have this album as good as ou can, and that not time is important, its the result. it is worth every single day delay!!

    I LOVE THIS 4:13 DREAM

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  16. drowning: I'm so sorry to hear of your troubles. Love and peace to you from one Cure fan to another.

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  17. I love this album too ~ my faves are Underneath The Stars (absolute classic Cure), Sirensong, The Screeeeaaaaaam and It's Over. The rest will grow on me I'm sure ~ Switch is very ballsy and progressive, Hungry Ghost has a great hook and Reasons Why wears its heart firmly on its sleeve. It is almost like the non-reliance on keyboards has bizarrely lead to the band creating a more melodic, tuneful album than the 2004 effort.

    The 4 singles make more sense in the context of the album too ~ and the album mixes are especially good, really fell in love with Sleep When I'm Dead this time around. I'm so excited by the prospect of hearing a few of these new tracks live... sometime... somewhere...

    And if Robert Smith makes good on his tease about a 'dark' companion album then these 13 songs could blend with the darker offering to create some of the finest Cure moments since (for me) 1992.

    Lovely to have them back.

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  18. Drowning - Thx for sharing your story. If there is anything I have learned in this life, it is that we are much stronger than we ever give ourselves credit for AND we are able to beat things that we would never have dreamed possible.

    Is this a 4:13 Dream? I don't know - but I will send good vibes to the universe for your continued remission and good health & happiness for your family.

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  19. Have you all noticed that it was one of the first times that Robert didn't say that it is the last Cure album ever? I guess it changed the whole "it's the last one, go buy it whatever is in there!" way of promoting the new releases.

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  20. Elise, You're probably already on top of it, but just in case. JB's website have 4:13 Dream listed for pre-order. Dispatch date is 24th, instore release date may vary. Price $19.99 Woohoo

    Drowning, Sounds like you've been in the wars! Hope this record gives you infinite pleasure!

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  21. Swifty - I'm on it!!! But, if the singles releases are anything to go by, I should be able to walk into JB HiFi on Friday to pick up my copy of 4:13 Dream. Fingers crossed there are only 3 more sleeps!

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  22. Good Luck Elise!
    I've got EVERYTHING crossed that by 9.30 Friday morning, I'll be racing home with 4:13 Dream in my grubby little mits. Can't wait to hear these new songs! Ummm...thats an understatement.

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  23. and i believe the first cure waltz is on this album.

    What about "Six Different Ways" and "Gone!"?

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  24. "Have you all noticed that it was one of the first times that Robert didn't say that it is the last Cure album ever?"

    yes and it makes me suspicious and feel all wrong!

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  25. he also did not say this was the best cure album ever as he usually does..

    for me sirensong is more country/rootsy than a waltz...but i guess it has waltzy tinges...

    it has influences of new/alt.country ala bright eyes, lucinda williams, et al written all over it

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  26. Cat: I was taking the waltz comment to be a reference to its time signature more than its style. :) I agree that it has a country feel to it as well.

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  27. v: i'd have to listen again... not really up on time sigs but i am understanding them more and more...and i do get it that it has a waltzy time siggy thingy

    cool. :-)

    i love that rsx is embracing rootsy music... expanding his musical reach as it were... maybe he can wear a cowboy hat when he plays that song :-P

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  28. What's white and blue and would kill you if it fell out of a tree?

    A fridge in a denim jacket d(*_*)b

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  29. Craig: I sent you a link to a pretty good review and reported some album spotting about a week ago. Did you recieve them?

    The Review was on amazon but the person reviewing the CD seemed more like a journalist than a random person.

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  30. This is a lie is sort of a waltz too.

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  31. Instant highlights: UTS, Scream, THNWY, SirenSong, HG

    I still think Only One and Freak Show are sub-par and skippers

    It's more Wish that Kiss Me. Porl plus the 90s makes that so.

    I listened to it in 5.1 surround through my DVD and home theater system. The mix is crazy with overdubs, reverb and delays. There is another album going on through my left side surround speakers! Not kidding. In parts of "Switch" I had to pause to see if some other radio was on in the house. There's a clunking sound during "Siren Song" that I noticed earlier when driving. Thought it was my car.

    That makes me more interested in listening again and again. But it gets paid off by the good hooks and overall energy high with Porl back as a creative force.

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  32. What about "Six Different Ways" and "Gone!"?
    ...............ahhhh yes! i never noticed that before! as i said i could be wrong and i was...thanks v

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  33. 4:13 review...
    i have had the album for a couple of days now (yeah,yeah,i know that`s a short time but i still have a few thoughts)First off, i totally agree with the folks who have said that the live show in Rome does not give all the depth to a few of the songs.much better on the album.my overall feeling for the album is good.i am very very relieved,thank god it`s good!i love the artwork,and i think it reflects the feelings you get while listening to the songs.
    uts sounds great and is the perfect opener.i`m also pleasently surprised by how well it works to fade that one over into the only one.i like trw,but i have to say i have difficulties with the way robert sings it on the album.but a great song anyway.freakshow,on the other hand,fits poorly as number 4 in my opinion.i think the song is good,but it should have been put somewhere else.don`t ask me where,though...sirensong was the first song i really noticed,and i love it! trsw has grown on me.now i really love that one as well.if you still haven`t heard it,dont be afraid when you hear the rock n`rollish intro.it just gets better.the hungry ghost...how to put this...sadly, i think this one is a completely misplaced track.in one way it has grown on me,but the lyrics...i just cant like them.and if i dont like the lyrics,i dont like the song.switch is great,love this song.and it changes the mood again.lots of mood changes on this album in general.tpb...well,i think it was ok as a single.on the album its even better!not because of a different mix,it just fits in with the mood. thnwy is my favourite at the moment.it just has that strange,odd feeling that quite a few great cure tracks have.the kind of song that wants to be something else,and ends up with a strange mixture of colours.swid is quite good,but not my favourite.the scream...it just gets better and better i think.at first i actually didnt like it at all.i have gotten a bit fed up with the angry,screamin rs that we all heard yell his guts out on a song like the promise.this one,thank god again,has much more depth.its over is great as well! what a way to end the album.a song that just keeps rolling,keeps pushing and then just dies.

    all in all,i truly love 4:13 dream.hopefully it will last for a long long time.what a time of the year to release an album like this! it already has coloured my thoughts,and i cant stop thinking about it. lets see,what song is in my head right now? hmmm...at the moment its switch.it was sirensong this morning.then it was the real snow white.see what i mean?great album!

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  34. Stephanie: Mr. Mandelbrot is right about "This is a Lie", as well! :)

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  35. i wish i was eloquent enough to leave a good review :\
    i'll leave it to all you wordsmiths out there...

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  36. Sofia: Whatever!! You should do it! :) You know you want to!!

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  37. Sofia: Just write down some thoughts, it doesn't have to be a review. What does each song mean to you? Make you feel? Whatever comes to your head as you listen to it.

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  38. "Have you all noticed that it was one of the first times that Robert didn't say that it is the last Cure album ever?"

    Something about all this doesn't sit right with me either... what if the album after THIS one is the LAST??

    ....








    naaaah.. :P

    just brace yourselves for the upcoming dark album people...

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  39. Could this be the 'heaviest' album that RS wanted to make all these years? with the scream & BRDB/it's over closing 4:13 dream, my conclusion, imho, the answer is YES!
    Indeed its all well worth the wait.
    The ups for me are:uts(perfect way to start a dream), too(to continue to dream & be gracious...),trw(i wonder how it would sound like with fender jazzmaster/6-bass tho),Fs(a speed-up ctm?),Ss (lovelyx1000)thg(catchy sing-along),thnwy(RS still has it, brillantx1000),tpb(good lyrically),swid(fav singles),Ts&Io(heavy,which is a good thing). Still didnt quite get trsw & switch tho...
    4:13 Dream gives me a feeling of triumph over adversity....thx once again for making beautiful music. bring on the dark album asap........

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  40. SO glad to see everyone enjoys the studio as much as I am.. been loving it for days now and it gets better with each listen...
    looks like there are some good deals on the album next week. Let's get them top 10!

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  41. to be honest, RS still hasnt really done promo interviews so plenty of time to proclaim this to b ethe last/best cure album EVER!

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  42. I am totally in love with 4:13 Dream! I did love the last three albums too, despite their faults, but this is on a different level. All the songs are exciting, dreamy and powerful. Musically speaking I love the six-string bass, the drumming and the subtle electronic sounds. The vocals are very strong (I like the effects), and the lyrics are a dramatic return to form. This album has exceeded my expectations. I know I’m caught up in the ‘new album’ excitement, but I might love this one even more than Wish. I’m just so happy with Cure-love, and desperate to listen to it over and over!

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  43. Dear Craig! Thank you very much for publishing all the reviews! I hope your have enough time to sleep though - we all are COF addicts and fans... but we want you to be alive & well!

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  44. I loved everyone reviews esp v's and they are making me want the album NOW! I do so much want to take a listen to it on-line but no I will wait till Tuesday! A little over 5 days now and from what I'm reading, it will be worth the wait! It's going to be a long five days!!!

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  45. OMG!!! I have 4:13 Dream in my hot, little hands!!!!

    After withstanding temptation to listen to the new songs, I can honestly say "IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT"

    I love This. Here and Now. With You!!! and Sirensong. These are stand-outs of the unknown songs on first listen.

    The studio version of UTS does not lose any of the magic of the concert versions - albeit, it seemed strange not to have the Oh Hell Yeah guy!!!

    It's too early for me to give a real review - I'm only on my second listen, but I can say that so far, this album has in NO WAY disappointed me at all.

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  46. OMG OMG OMG !!! Elise
    Where?? JB?? In Brisbane they have all told me Saturday morning. OMG I want this record badly.
    Elise, speak to me HELP ME
    *stress/anxiety attack*

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  47. Swifty - I got it at Sanity!!! Couldn't believe it - I just went in and said "Don't s'pose you have the new Cure album yet". She said, "Yes" - paused for a second and said "What release date?". I was so excited!!!! One for me, one for Exploding Boy!!!!

    It is fabulous. Good luck!

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  48. Elise - I'm so happy for you and so insanely jealous as well.
    Is Sanity's official date 25th? Tomorrow morning, I'm on a mission.
    *on the brink*

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  49. Swifty - I didn't want to jinx myself, so I didn't ask.

    I believe it is the 25th in Oz! JB's are usually pretty good, I have always been able to get it there at least a day before.

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  50. Elise - I've waited calmly and patiently for 4:13 Dream for weeks(...make that years).
    But I think I've reached that point...!
    I'll be going all over town tomorrow(if I have to) to ask every boob in every music store to sell me this record. I'll plead, beg, grovel, sweet-talk, threaten, whatever!
    You must have had 3 or 4 listens by now. It must be sounding better and better. Is it just amazing, beyond words?!

    *please lord...let everything tomorrow be alright*

    *just this one time*

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  51. Swifty - On my fourth listen now. Craig is right - the 54 minutes seem to fly by.

    Songs that I didn't like on the first listen are really starting to grow on me.

    I will send good vibes to the universe for you to find a store ready to ignore the release dae for you!!!

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  52. Elise - Thankyou so much for the positive vibes. It may make the difference. You are indeed an excellent fellow Cure-fan. Please keep listening and may this be a night you'll never forget!

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  53. Swifty - still listening.

    And chatting with Cure friends - it just does NOT get better than this.

    It's such a shame we didn't get to catch up when I was in Brissy.

    Can't wait to hear what you think of 4:13 Dream!!!!

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  54. Elise - How did the weather turn out in Port Douglas?

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  55. Swifty - it rained the day we went to the reef, but apart from that it was lovely. Nice and relaxing after the rush of the theme parks.

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  56. Elise - Sorry to chat so slowly. I'm running around doing a few other housework type things at the moment(wifes back off holidays tomorrow...so big day for 2 reasons)Did you visit Dreamworld? Ride the Tower of Terror and Tiger-Island!!

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  57. Swifty - Did the Tower of Terror 3 times. WipeOut remains my all-time fave ride on the Gold Coast.
    I liked Superman Returns a lot, but still am not a fan of Lethal Weapon - a bit too bumpy for me.

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  58. Elise - Sounds like you did MovieWorld too ie Superman Returns. You make me giddy just thinking about those rides, I can't really handle them too well. How about the Giant Drop? Jeez!
    Personally, I prefer to just hang out with the big cats. Or ride the paddle-steamer...haha joking, the stupid things on tracks.

    How are Switch and TRSW? They seem to be the least favoured.

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  59. Swifty - TRSW is starting to grow on me - didn't like it on the first listen.

    My fave so far is THANWY.

    On a whole, the album is great. I much prefer It's Over (formerly known as BRDB)in the studio format - I was never a fan of the live version.

    I think it is actually nice to be hearing the studio versions of the 'non-4 tour' songs, before listening to the Rome recordings.

    I'll be honest though, I think it is just fantastic to be listening to any NEW Cure music. But when it is up to this standard, holy crap, it is Just Like Heaven.

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  60. Elise - Sounds like a vanilla smile or a gorgeous strawberry kiss. Does it feel so good, it almost hurts?

    Wipeout is nothing compared to how dizzy/excited I'm feeling in anticipation of what joy tomorrow brings. Can't wait to hear all about the Hungary Ghost and his Kimono(with coral coloured floral design).

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  61. The Hungry Ghost is Hungarian? ;)

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  62. Swifty - I just can't stop smiling... but it is time for me to get some sleep.

    Hope you get all the housework done. and that you get the cd tomorrow.

    Q and g'nite.

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  63. Elise: *voodoo smile* I'm so excited that you got 4:13 and that you love it!! :)

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  64. v - me too! We are Siamese Twins!!

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  65. Elise - Good night and 13 pleasant Dreams!

    v - Thats the Aussie spelling...but come to think of it, he might be from Budapest.

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  66. I mean Budapest is just about Goth-Central isn't it - just up the road from Transylvania ;D

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