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bedrock_barney
= Cult of Ray =
United Kingdom
871 Posts |
 Posted - 09/30/2013 : 04:04:12
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I have to say that I am continuing to be fascinated by this new release by the Pixies. After all this band is either no.1 or no.2 (depending on my mood) in my “favourite artists of all time” list.
Therefore I seriously do care.
They are also nearly unique for me in that I pretty much like love, all of their original output.
However, I am in some kind of aural purgatory at the moment. I have been trying very very hard to continually listen to and hopefully eventually love EP1. It’s just not happening though and I’m almost feeling deficient because of this.
I can’t be labelled as one of those fans who likes the first release and then thinks all future output gets progressively worse. I bought each Pixies album as it was originally released and was blown away each time (although I do remember a slight hesitancy with Bossanova but that only lasted a week or so). I thought Trompe Le Monde was stupendous and remember being confused by some of the more negative reviews at the time (eg. Pixies have gone “heavy metal”).
I can therefore usually cope with progression as long as the songwriting / energy /production values / mojo is there.
So, here’s my latest brief review one month after release:
Andro Queen – it’s ok I suppose and I might have expected to see it (and therefore could easily ignore it) as a b side in the old days.
Another Toe – still don’t like it. Could be anyone and everyone.
Indie Cindy – this is more like it. After repeated listens I do like it although I would have preferred more down to earth production. It is perhaps slightly overlong though and the tempo of the chorus not to my liking.
What Goes Boom – very clearly a Pixies tune. Lots of energy and I’m enjoying this more now than I did a month ago.
Side One – 3/10
Side Two – 6/10
Overall – 5/10
I’ve just spent a fun 30 minutes reading through all of the reviews that popped up on the first 3 or 4 pages of a google search. There are quite a few out there. Here they are in good to bad order (with my interpretations of those that are not scored):
1. Stereoboard 4/5 (80%)
2. Banana Static 3.6/5 (72%)
3. When The Gramophone Rings 7.2/10 (72%)
4. Soundlab 7/10 (70%)
5. Listen Before You Buy Positive (no score, say 70%)
6. Rock The Body Electric 3.5/5 (70%)
7. Bearded Gentlemen Music 3.14/5 (63%)
8. The Line Of Best Fit 6/10 (60%)
9. Jakob’s Album Reviews 5/10 (50%)
10. Popmatters 5/10 (50%)
11. Rolling Stone 2.5/5 (50%)
12. Punknews 2.5/5 (50%)
13. Rocksucker Middling (no score, say 50%)
14. Golden Plec Middling (no score, say 50%)
15. The Massachusetts Daily Collegian Middling ( no score, say 50%)
16. Rocknreel Reviews 2/5 (40%)
17. State 2/5 (40%)
18. Earbuddy 3/10 (30%)
19. Louder Than War Negative (no score, say 30%)
20. Off The Tracks Negative (no score, say 30%)
21. Popblerd D (say 30%)
22. Pitchfork 1/10 (10%)
Average is more or less 5/10 or 50%.
I know the relative scores need to be read in context with others on the review sites as an 8/10 may be rare on one site and very common on another.
Quite a few of the reviews highlighted Indie Cindy as the stand out track.
They are all fairly easy to find (don’t ask me to insert 22 URLs!) and, in the main, go into a reasonable amount of detail. Worth a read.
A couple of quotes:
From Bearded Gentlemen Music “Another Toe probably just as good as anything from their last full length”………Really!!?? I may have said a rude word when I read this.
From Rocknreel Reviews “EP1 is not a bad record, but it is a bad Pixies record”
From Listen Before You Buy “this is an exciting and welcomed return to one of the cornerstones of alternative rock’
Any more reviews out there??
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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7445 Posts |
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IBreed
= Cult of Ray =
310 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 08:29:44
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i strongly believe that the sequencing of the EP, and the inclusion of Another Toe killed this release critically. pixies flopped the same way billy corgan flopped with "teargarden by kaleidoscope". he busted out the gate with an inaugural release stuffed with curios and half baked songs because they, to paraphrase, "might be interesting to some people". you can't do that. not with such a limited release and what amounts to an open ended, undefined, schedule. it's legacy leaning and lazy.
andro queen is such a shitty opener. an ok song to be sure (though only ok), but christ, what a flounder of a "come back", and make no mistake, this was a come back, no matter what it amounted to. to follow up a song that slight with something so far removed from what drew people to the pixies-- the bland, faceless Another Toe-- is a death kneel. all of the complaints levelled against the GOOD songs on this EP, that they could be a product of just about any ol' generic indie pop band in the pixies wake, derive from that piece of chaff. utterly forgettable dross. i tried to remove myself from expectation and just take it for what it is, but frankly, i would never tolerate a song like this, let alone from an artist i like. the most broad, boring song of the pixies hefty career.
NOW. side b is good. side b is VERY good. indie cindy and what goes boom belong in a conversation with the rest of the catalogue, and they do so without standing on the shoulders of giants, so to speak. they're songs that would, in a perfect world, pique the ears of a pixies fans regardless of who was performing. they encapsulate the spirit of the band while never sounding fakey or forced. the production leaves them sounding ever so slightly hesitant, but it's excusable. i KNOW the pixies have other new songs of this calibre, why the fuck would they piss in the pool with side A? magdalena, greens & blues, classic masher, silver snail, blue eyed hexe...
the more troubling aspect of EP1 is that it gives the impression the pixies don't quite know what they're doing or where they're going. Another Toe shows its hand in the title-- there's hesitancy beyond just the production. sure, the EP is something of a smorgasbord, but it feels less like a display of virtuosity and more a sign of being adrift.
there's my review. put it in the pile. |
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OLDMANOTY
= Cult of Ray =
United Kingdom
469 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 10:32:23
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Well, I despise generic mainstream rock and Another Toe does come dangerously close. I should hate it, 2/3rds of it is entirely predictable musically. And yet...and yet I keep wanting to hear it anyway. For 'utterly forgettable dross' I'm having a hard time getting it out of my head, absent mindedly singing the chorus in public etc. Also, the more I listen the more 'Pixies' it sounds to me. It's a curious beast. I understand why many can't stomach it, though.
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IBreed
= Cult of Ray =
310 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 11:02:43
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| s'all good, brah. if frank liked it enough to record it, i'm sure there are many more out there like you. |
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Active Duck
~ Abstract Brain ~
United Kingdom
459 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 11:18:53
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I share faint echoes of some of your feelings on EP1 IBreed. Andro = decent track but not a really great statement as an opener in my opinion. The EP makes a lot more sense to me listening to it in reverse order.
I'm definitely with OldMan on Another Toe though. |
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OLDMANOTY
= Cult of Ray =
United Kingdom
469 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 12:20:34
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I agree about the track listing, it probably did influence reviews to an extent. For me, this would've been better:
Indie - mix of classic Pixies/Frank Black but totally fresh sounding. Perfect opener.
Andro - has that 'Pixies returning to earth' quality that Gil Norton was after imo.
Boom - archetypal Pixies, everyone seems to love it. Some reckon it should've been track one but it just doesn't sound like an opener to me.
Toe - the curveball, ironic as it's superficially such a generic sounding song. Safely tucked away at the end to avert too much sorrow. But it's a grower, and it fades out which is also why it works as the closer. |
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natenate101
= Cult of Ray =
USA
895 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 12:26:45
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| "death knell"? Hardly, seems to me the are just getting started. I agree Andro is a curipus opener, but thats maybe why they didnt want to make this a classic album release. Arange the tracklist how you want, to suit your wishes/desires |
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IBreed
= Cult of Ray =
310 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 13:56:04
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great list, oldmanoty. to my mind, that would have been more satisfying. better still would have been the inclusion of another winner, but alas, limited palette, i know!
the outcome remains to be seen, natenate. i can't help but feel fumbling out of the gate hurt them in a way that'll be hard to recover from. the reviews skewed negative, and not only are they working against speculative shortcomings (the lack of k deal), but now very real ones-- EP1 being spotty and divisive. i think they'll continue to sell well, but out reach wise, their presence in social media and music blogs will become increasingly smaller. time will tell! i hope i'm wrong and the band comes back with a much more solid EP2, but i'm not sure! i agree they're sounding fantastic live.
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Classic Masher
- FB Fan -
146 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 14:33:10
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I loved What Goes Boom and Indie Cindy right out of the gate and still do. I actually liked Andro Queen more when I first heard it. Now that I've heard it sound SO much better live, I'm disappointed with the studio version. Another Toe is a grower. It's really not a bad song, just not a good song. To me it sounds more like the Pixies' imitators than the genuine article. I do love Joey's guitar work at the end though. The end actually almost brings the whole song up to higher level. Can't wait for EP2!
"Mixed messages from Sir Naff, please authenticate..." |
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natenate101
= Cult of Ray =
USA
895 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 14:42:21
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quote:
Originally posted by IBreed
great list, oldmanoty. to my mind, that would have been more satisfying. better still would have been the inclusion of another winner, but alas, limited palette, i know!
the outcome remains to be seen, natenate. i can't help but feel fumbling out of the gate hurt them in a way that'll be hard to recover from. the reviews skewed negative, and not only are they working against speculative shortcomings (the lack of k deal), but now very real ones-- EP1 being spotty and divisive. i think they'll continue to sell well, but out reach wise, their presence in social media and music blogs will become increasingly smaller. time will tell! i hope i'm wrong and the band comes back with a much more solid EP2, but i'm not sure! i agree they're sounding fantastic live.
Seems like this return is in the beginning stages. They also don't seem to give a damn about reviews, which is great. EP-1, which I am quite happy with, will hopefully be a footnote and looked back on as them finding their feet in this new landscape and time in their lives. You mentioned them being tentative or unsure about their direction, and that is very likely. Doesn't mean that they can't build on what they've started with in regards to these 5 songs and whatever else they already have recorded. Blogs and media will be there, Pixies name resonates and aside from several online reviews, it seems those who listen to the music not for a job and those who are seeing them live are pretty content. Let's give some room to experiment, challenge expectations and provide interesting music. Viva! |
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IBreed
= Cult of Ray =
310 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 14:52:54
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| i'd love experimentation and turns that challenged expectation. unfortunately, hesitancy does not equal that by any stretch. the former evokes a boldness and, as good as the other songs are, none of them feel particularly challenging or experimental by any stretch. indie cindy was probably the most unique of the bunch we've heard. the others? they're just solid songs. that's why i like 'em. the pixies aren't exactly hitting us with wonder 2, here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWyRfqfEC2s). |
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natenate101
= Cult of Ray =
USA
895 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 15:52:32
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Experimentation comes in many forms, and I strongly disagree that it all evolves out of a boldness. Uncertainty, changes in personality and relationships can provoke experimentation without being bold or confident.
Regardless, 5 songs into a new era, and you are talking "death knell" for the band. Seems extreme and overly critical to me, but to each his own. I enjoy the songs as they exist.
Never been am mvb guy. |
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IBreed
= Cult of Ray =
310 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 16:13:20
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| nate, you're sharper than this. i was talking about EP1's critical reception. |
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Helmut
= Cult of Ray =
315 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 17:37:54
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Songs are catchy and polished as f#ck, sound more like a Frank Black/Black Francis release with Foo Fighters production values. I'd love to hear the 2011 rehearsal tapes with Kim Deal, surely they have to get leaked. I reckon a 6/10 is a fair rating and it'd probably be a 6.5/10 if Kim was there. 40-something Pixies were never gonna recapture the sound of their 20s.
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natenate101
= Cult of Ray =
USA
895 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 18:18:37
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quote:
Originally posted by IBreed
nate, you're sharper than this. i was talking about EP1's critical reception.
Thank you, I guess. Thinking reception to 1 song, or one 4-song Ep would effect the band's future to any large extent doesn't seem very sharp to me. Especially since this is BF we are talking about. He'll do what he wants, and I'm pretty confident it'll be good.
I've said before that the one big negative I could see to the Ep release idea, is that the 4 songs that will be released each time (presumably) will be broken down an insane amount. Moreso than if they were grouped together with other like-minded tunes in a larger tracklist.
Sometimes negative critical response to my favorite artists bothers me, in this case though, it just doesn't. That has a lot to do with the fact that I never thought they'd make new music ever again. When Richard Ashcroft got shit reviews for solo stuff, it bothered me even though the criticism was fair and deserved. Same for Q-Tip's Amplified. But in this case, I'm letting em slide and just focusing on whether I enjoy the songs or not. The legacy and putting too much emphasis on it will only hurt this experience, in my eyes. So I'm not. This is on my ipod, right next to the old stuff and when it comes on I don't cringe or skip them. To me, that means they have succeeded thus far. |
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IBreed
= Cult of Ray =
310 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 19:40:01
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quote:
Originally posted by natenate101
quote:
Originally posted by IBreed
nate, you're sharper than this. i was talking about EP1's critical reception.
Thank you, I guess. Thinking reception to 1 song, or one 4-song Ep would effect the band's future to any large extent doesn't seem very sharp to me. Especially since this is BF we are talking about. He'll do what he wants, and I'm pretty confident it'll be good.
I've said before that the one big negative I could see to the Ep release idea, is that the 4 songs that will be released each time (presumably) will be broken down an insane amount. Moreso than if they were grouped together with other like-minded tunes in a larger tracklist.
Sometimes negative critical response to my favorite artists bothers me, in this case though, it just doesn't. That has a lot to do with the fact that I never thought they'd make new music ever again. When Richard Ashcroft got shit reviews for solo stuff, it bothered me even though the criticism was fair and deserved. Same for Q-Tip's Amplified. But in this case, I'm letting em slide and just focusing on whether I enjoy the songs or not. The legacy and putting too much emphasis on it will only hurt this experience, in my eyes. So I'm not. This is on my ipod, right next to the old stuff and when it comes on I don't cringe or skip them. To me, that means they have succeeded thus far.
i'll try to make my thoughts clearer. leading a comeback release with andro and another toe was the death kneel for EP1 getting a positive reception.
i'm glad you're enjoying the release, but the lady doth protest too much, me thinks.  |
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natenate101
= Cult of Ray =
USA
895 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2013 : 19:44:26
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quote:
Originally posted by IBreed
quote:
Originally posted by natenate101
quote:
Originally posted by IBreed
nate, you're sharper than this. i was talking about EP1's critical reception.
Thank you, I guess. Thinking reception to 1 song, or one 4-song Ep would effect the band's future to any large extent doesn't seem very sharp to me. Especially since this is BF we are talking about. He'll do what he wants, and I'm pretty confident it'll be good.
I've said before that the one big negative I could see to the Ep release idea, is that the 4 songs that will be released each time (presumably) will be broken down an insane amount. Moreso than if they were grouped together with other like-minded tunes in a larger tracklist.
Sometimes negative critical response to my favorite artists bothers me, in this case though, it just doesn't. That has a lot to do with the fact that I never thought they'd make new music ever again. When Richard Ashcroft got shit reviews for solo stuff, it bothered me even though the criticism was fair and deserved. Same for Q-Tip's Amplified. But in this case, I'm letting em slide and just focusing on whether I enjoy the songs or not. The legacy and putting too much emphasis on it will only hurt this experience, in my eyes. So I'm not. This is on my ipod, right next to the old stuff and when it comes on I don't cringe or skip them. To me, that means they have succeeded thus far.
i'll try to make my thoughts clearer. leading a comeback release with andro and another toe was the death kneel for EP1 getting a positive reception.
i'm glad you're enjoying the release, but the lady doth protest too much, me thinks.
I feel the same about your protests, believe me. |
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Grotesque
= Cult of Ray =
France
777 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2013 : 02:37:26
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| After many listenings i like Another Toe as a song. The production of course is awfull so it takes time to hear the song underneath. The worst thing on this one and what goes boom are the stifled guitar sounds in the quieter part, this cheap punky california pop effect, sounds like the offspring!!! In the live version of WGB there is no such thing of course. Even the most califonian punk FB song doesnt sound that cheap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ8I_IKAyw4 |
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Jason
* Dog in the Sand *
1446 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2013 : 11:05:43
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| To me, Frank is Bob Dylan or Neil Young. He's one of those guys who's going to make new music until he drops. The critics have no say in this matter. Like Dylan and Young, Frank has weathered tons of criticism, as well. But they've kept going and will continue to do so. The mixed reviews and controversial nature of the new Pixies music doesn't bother me much because I've followed Frank's music for almost twenty years and I know that ALL of his records have gotten mixed reception--and yet he's never stopped. His post-1991 work has never truly been embraced by the "in crowd". Even Teenager of the Year is much more of a cult favorite than a critic's favorite. I've been reading bad reviews of Frank Black records that I love for years. The current state of affairs, in terms of the critical reception, is nothing new. Just another year in the career of a cult artist. |
Edited by - Jason on 10/01/2013 11:07:05 |
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hammerhands
* Dog in the Sand *
Canada
1594 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2013 : 11:29:04
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| Yup. |
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johnnyribcage
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1301 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2013 : 18:53:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Jason
To me, Frank is Bob Dylan or Neil Young. He's one of those guys who's going to make new music until he drops.
I agree and I've said this a few times before in other threads. Granted, I've publicly written my doubts (usually with plenty of alcohol on my breath) about the increasingly sporadic quality of output level over the last 4-5 years (like many others on this forum), I've always had faith. I think Charles delivered in spades on the new Pixies material.
To me, it's equivalent to Freedom or Blood on the Tracks if you want to make the Bob/Neil reference. Then again, I may just be proselytizing alone.
Dial 1-888-RIB-CAGE for your free Bag Boy manual. |
Edited by - johnnyribcage on 10/01/2013 19:28:33 |
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Grotesque
= Cult of Ray =
France
777 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2013 : 01:50:10
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quote:
Originally posted by Jason
To me, Frank is Bob Dylan or Neil Young. He's one of those guys who's going to make new music until he drops. The critics have no say in this matter. Like Dylan and Young, Frank has weathered tons of criticism, as well. But they've kept going and will continue to do so. The mixed reviews and controversial nature of the new Pixies music doesn't bother me much because I've followed Frank's music for almost twenty years and I know that ALL of his records have gotten mixed reception--and yet he's never stopped. His post-1991 work has never truly been embraced by the "in crowd". Even Teenager of the Year is much more of a cult favorite than a critic's favorite. I've been reading bad reviews of Frank Black records that I love for years. The current state of affairs, in terms of the critical reception, is nothing new. Just another year in the career of a cult artist.
At least these critics pointed out the fact that these recordings are not very visceral. That's not a or a mistake or a misanderstanding; it's what Norton and the Pixies wanted the production to be: a more mature, outer space, luxurious version of the pixies. That's why thay put Andro Queen as an opener. But at the same time, Charles didnt seem to be on that wave as a songwriter. Take out the reverb of andro queen and you have a simple humble lullaby that could be on Fast Man Raider Man or Honeycomb. You know, on Bluefinger you have Angels come to comfort me, an ambitious song recorded as garage rock. On this one you hear 2 pop songs and 2 rock songs recorded by a giant computer... Charles was kind of lucky untill Teenager, his songs always got the right treatment. Even the first Catholics album, that i dont really like, has a perfectly adequate sound for these songs. Then he was more hit or miss, and now he comes back with Feldman or Norton it's still the same gap between sonwriting and final sound. Even if you follow a cult artist, you can have some regrets on that... Charles as a songwriter doesnt care anymore about thos tricks and weirdness that defined him before: he knows how to do that, but he's not really thrilled by that anymore. So he was more like himself on honeycomb or show me your tears, but nobody wanted to follow, so he kind of imerged himself in a role play to be Weird Black Francis again. It kinda works. |
Edited by - Grotesque on 10/03/2013 01:57:41 |
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sdon
= Cult of Ray =
France
786 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2013 : 02:27:41
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Interesting analysis
I agree
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"Aristophanes! (gong sounds)" |
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hammerhands
* Dog in the Sand *
Canada
1594 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2013 : 04:38:24
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And
Ano
I
W |
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Collation of EP1 reviews
