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Wed Jan 06 2021
5
Wow. This album is so tasty. Every groove is in the pocket, every note sung is perfect, the mixing and production are smooth as hell and yet retain enough energy to stay super interesting. There some really dated, Casio-level synth drums on here that would usually lose an album a star but this was 1974, so this was cutting-edge stuff at the time. No penalty. Full marks.
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Fri Sep 10 2021
2
Album generally is a tease. Makes you think it's going somewhere and it's got something or it's developing something, but ultimately just waddles about like a lost penguin.
The highlight of the album is the latter 1/3 of "Sparkle City", the rest is sleepy, boring, slop of someone too stoned to have put in the effort to be as good as they could be.
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Thu Dec 02 2021
2
I feel like it overpromises and then underdelivers on the grooves.
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Thu Sep 03 2020
5
A curiously funky album. Easy to listen to.
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Mon Mar 15 2021
5
underrated gem. I don't know anyone who even knows who Shuggie is. The file clerk at Flagstar used to hook me up with albums all the time. This was one of his best recommendations.
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Mon Oct 11 2021
5
Shuggie is a recent discovery for me. A music podcast that came out during the early days of the COVID pandemic was discussing albums of 1974 and Inspiration Information was one of the albums that was talked about. I immediately fell in love with it and also discovered that I knew the title track as well as Shuggie's famous Strawberry Letter 23.
What I didn't know was that he played bass on Zappa's "Peaches en Regalia" and that he was only 16 when he did. In fact this album came out when he was only 21. Everything written by him.
The album is a soulful and psychedelic musical
journey that deserves to be better known than it is. This is an easy 5 stars!
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Fri Feb 26 2021
4
Enjoyed this. Sorry for the lack of reviews - I’m trying to catch up!
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Tue Feb 16 2021
2
Started well, but then became a bit too much elevator music for me. A couple of decent tracks towards the end but I don’t reckon I’ll ever think about this album again.
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Fri Aug 27 2021
2
A little soul, and R&B, with a nice '70s vibe. But there wasn't really anything about the song writing, or the singing that put this over the edge for me.
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Thu Apr 07 2022
2
Once upon a time, a man used a drum machine for his soul album and pretty much everyone was hyped about it
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Thu Feb 04 2021
1
Urgh... This is my first 1 star album. It's soooo boring and long and I just didn't like it. Not one song is memorable.
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Tue May 11 2021
1
Most definitely NOT my thing!!
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Fri Oct 16 2020
5
album is pretty good too. not much to say about it. its warm and it grooves. would probly be more fitting on a sunny day and not a cloudy afternoon-almost-night but hey whatre u gona do ? 9/10
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Wed Jan 20 2021
5
I love it! It's like Pink Floyd but with less drugs.
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Wed Apr 07 2021
5
Phych soul r and b bangers
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Tue Feb 23 2021
5
inspiration inspiration
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Tue Jan 26 2021
5
Crazy album with soul, funk and jazz mixed into one with an epic outro. This album will grow on me. And how can I forget about Strawberry Letter 23.
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Thu Mar 04 2021
5
LOVE the title song, so it was nice to be exposed to the rest of Shuggie's songs. Very chill and funky. I'll definitely be diving deeper into his music!
Highlights:
-Inspiration Information
-Island Letter
-Sparkle City
-Strawberry Letter 23
-Not Available
-Ice Cold Daydream
-Sweet Thang
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Tue Jan 26 2021
5
Nice surprise to find this
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Thu Feb 11 2021
5
Anonadado. Conocía una canción de este disco. Qué chido que este juego me dio la oportunidad de escucharlo. Increíble. Lo voy a conseguir en vinil.
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Thu Feb 18 2021
5
Funky boppy mellow voice
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Sun Mar 28 2021
5
A veces funky, a veces jazzero, a veces rockero pero siempre psicodélico. Hay wawa y hay Hendrix con bañador de palmeras. Largos desarrollos y piezas vocales muy bonitas. Grande.
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Fri Apr 02 2021
5
This album rules. Love a modern sounding soul funk sound. Synths plus soul is such a good combo.
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Mon May 03 2021
5
Até as viajadas mais lounge no órgão valem a pena nesse álbum. Espetacular (a versão com 13 faixas, que vai até Freedom Flight).
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Tue Jun 08 2021
5
5/5 - has that Stevie Wonder feel to it; analog synths and a Jamiroquai flavour
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Tue Jun 22 2021
5
Funky, chilled, Shuggie must have listened to a lot of Jackie Mittoo
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Mon Jul 12 2021
5
Amazing!!!
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Mon Jul 26 2021
5
23rd July 2021
Listened on my phone in the morning and sent a recommendation in to the Blues Kitchen podcast.
Absolutely loved this, saved it on Spotify. Summer, heat, waves, juice, all of it in one record. Stunning.
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Wed Sep 15 2021
5
New sound for me, a new genre of music.
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Fri Oct 01 2021
5
One of my all time favourite soul albums.
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Mon Oct 18 2021
5
Chilllllll
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Sat Nov 13 2021
5
Unexpected….chill while demanding attention.
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Mon Nov 15 2021
5
This is the first artist I hadn't heard of, and it is a fantastic album!*
*Disclaimer: I'm white, so any RnB/Funk/Soul boggles my mind with its greatness!
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Mon Nov 22 2021
5
Am I old? Because this was awesome. Jazzy noodle-y 70s guitar vibes. Gentle. Ground zero for the 70s revivalists bands. And as soon as I heard Freedom Flight I knew it was sampled or covered somewhere.
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Wed Nov 24 2021
5
Loved it
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Mon Dec 06 2021
5
Excellent.
Finally an album I’ve not heard before that I really enjoyed listening to.
Sounds like Shuggie could have been one of the greats but shied away from success after this release.
Very impressive to write and perform that album at 21.
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Thu Dec 30 2021
5
Smooth grooves, funk, and psychedelic love. So good.
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Fri Jan 07 2022
5
Wow - this is the era and style I love - but why don't I know Shuggie Otis - it's hardly a forgettable name. But then pop on Strawberry Letter 23 and it's 'ohhhhh'.
Lovely, warm, cuddly.
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Thu Jan 20 2022
5
Perfect album. Soulful, jazzy, funky, and everything good.
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Mon Jan 31 2022
5
😔🙏 merci pour les travaux
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Fri Feb 11 2022
5
Very good funk type of music! No bad songs
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Tue Mar 08 2022
5
Oh man i love this weird lo fi r & b funky record so much. Where has this been my whole life? He used to roll with zappa. Of course.
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Sat Mar 19 2022
5
This album is a hidden gem, and one of the greatest I have ever heard. Filled with smooth beats, analog drum machines, Shuggie's voice, this is all I could ever ask for from a '70s album. 100% relistening, it's a shame Shuggie Otis never got the recognition deserved for this genius album that was far ahead of its time. Favorite Tracks: Rainy Day and Pling!
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Fri Apr 01 2022
5
What a revelation. Mostly instrumental pieces that are smooth and funky. Didn't want it to end. And that cover? Sheesh.
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Fri Apr 01 2022
5
A frente do seu tempo.
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Sun Apr 03 2022
5
Vraiment une decouverte, bonne guitare, bonne production, du grouve du fumk il y a tout ce qu.il faut pour que j’aime. 4.95
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Sat Apr 16 2022
5
So awesome. Great mix of funk and soul with some early rock thrown on. I can see got this has been so influential for R&B
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Sun May 29 2022
5
A nice surprise. I like this one!
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Thu Jun 02 2022
5
Superb album. Totally dig this vibe, definitely something that I'll spend more time listening to.
Just really enjoy how loose and mellow this is all the way through.
Also, if I have another kid, I'm naming it Shuggie.
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Thu Jun 16 2022
5
Petit bijou que cet album hétéroclite et très personnel. La soul, le funk qui en constituent les assises principales sont des musiques qui ont l'habitude de prendre de la place, mais ici Otis les propose à partir d'un endroit intime, comme si c'était du R&B de chambre. La voix y est pour quelque chose. La guitare, idiosyncratique, est savoureuse. Un Hendrix qui se serait calmé. J'y reviens souvent, cet album est magnétique.
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Tue Jul 12 2022
5
This is excellent. Like Jarimoquai twenty years before Jarimoquai, with the added bonus of not having Jay Kay anywhere near it.
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Thu Sep 01 2022
5
Great!
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Sun Sep 11 2022
5
Two of my favorite musical flavors: psychedelia and soul, perfectly balanced here, with early drum machines to boot! I remember when this was reissued on CD in 2001 and me and my friends devoured this album. Hearing these irresistible tunes and finding out it wasn't particularly well received in its time blew my mind and sent me on a neverending quest to find similar "lost" albums - but I'm not sure I'll ever find one that is both as amazingly ahead of its time and downright enjoyable as this one. Dude was 21!
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Fri Sep 16 2022
5
this was great, glad im doing this 1000 albums thing.
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Tue Sep 27 2022
5
Wow! This is the most wildly varied funk/soul album. I am so blown away by it. And is this the original of the mighty Strawberry Letter no. 23? One of the best tunes ever.
It's surprisingly experimental. Can't believe it flopped at the time too, it's got tunes!
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Fri Oct 14 2022
5
Hear influences of/from Grateful Dead, Beastie Boys, Tod Rundgren , Tommy Bolin, and Al Greene. Even the Casio synth beats are great.
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Mon Oct 24 2022
5
Masterpiece of instrumental music. Really good and groundbreaking loved it and nothing to add.
5/5
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Thu Oct 27 2022
5
Sweet shit.
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Tue Dec 06 2022
5
liked it. music to play if you own a studio apartment in ny and want to impress your date.
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Wed Jan 25 2023
5
it felt so good listening to this
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Wed Feb 01 2023
5
Very dope.
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Fri Feb 03 2023
5
Now THIS is some easy listening funk and soul! Perfect album to just chill out to.
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Fri Feb 03 2023
5
I really really enjoyed this, it was very chill and groovy
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Wed Feb 08 2023
5
This album is ultra-smooth. I especially love ‘Strawberry Letter 23’, and, while a very unique thought, ‘Rainy Day’ would maybe be a good basis for a mellow electronic song.
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Sat Feb 18 2023
5
lovely vibe
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Tue Feb 28 2023
5
What a gorgeous album and what a find?!? So pleased to be introduced to Shuggie Otis too, I will certainly be listening to his other albums now! Really enjoying the jazz r&b blues and other great sounds of this. Also love the ideas behind the lyrics. Highlights included inspiration information with its squelchy bouncy beats and lush guitar parts. Such a top fee good track. And also Strawberry Letter 23, really cool idea for a song.
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Sat Mar 11 2023
5
So good
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Fri Apr 07 2023
5
Wasn't expecting to like this but instantly did and head nodded all the way through - in a word 'funky' 4.6
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Sun Apr 09 2023
5
Rad
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Thu Apr 13 2023
5
Great soul / funk album. I always thought the production could be a bit less lo-fi, but it does not matter.
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Tue Apr 25 2023
5
Otis was a good guitar player before and after the sessions documented here but this recording captures a very special moment, one where everything clicked. A true classic.
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Sat May 13 2023
5
Exactly my kind of music. Chill, funky and dreamlike.
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Mon May 29 2023
5
Funky as hell, i love this one!
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Wed Jun 14 2023
5
Lekker een beetje pielen op een orgeltje, een funky baslijntje, drums omdat het moet, her en der een subtiel koperen blazertje en af en toe een keer een stukje zingen. De nummers met zang zijn voor mij niet de favorieten, maar het breekt het album wel lekker een beetje. Een prima album om de dag mee te beginnen.
Omdat ik positief verrast deel ik een 5 sterren wildcard uit. Geen legendarisch album vol iconische nummers, maar wel een top album-ervaring.
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Mon Jun 26 2023
5
Really enjoyed this. Funky and relaxing.
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Thu Jul 13 2023
5
this is so sick! funky but also weirdly shoegazey? for an album from the early 70s it sounds shockingly modern but also extremely old. really really great
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Thu Jul 13 2023
5
I’m not sure if I believe in divine inspiration, but this album is making me believe in extraterrestrial inspiration. This album stands out with no clear predecessors or successors. Funky!
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Fri Jul 14 2023
5
A very very strong five stars for this one. Never heard of him but obviously incredibly influential on a lot of people. Listened to it five or six times now and loved it more every time.
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Fri Aug 04 2023
5
Sweeeeeet
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Tue Aug 29 2023
5
A warm hug of an album, with hints & echoes of a bunch of artists from Clapton to Prince, Funkadelic to Donovan. An artist I had never heard of, but really enjoyed and look forward to listening to again
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Tue Sep 19 2023
5
Fantastic Soul album, really one you can sit down and enjoy on a Sunday evening
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Mon Sep 25 2023
5
Toimii.. voi jopa harkita uudelleenkuuntelua..
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Thu Aug 27 2020
4
Some great funk going on here.
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Fri Feb 05 2021
4
2/4
Our brother Shuggie had the right ideas!
Standout Tracks: Aht Uh Mi Hed, XL-30, Wings Of Love
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Thu Dec 17 2020
4
A nice relaxing album. Surprisingly pleasant. 3.5
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Mon Sep 21 2020
4
Groovy
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Tue Feb 16 2021
4
Funky. A couple of forgettable tracks, but really pleasant overall. Best track: Sparkle City
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Mon Apr 12 2021
4
Funky shit, loved it
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Fri Jan 22 2021
4
Likte det overraskende godt. Vanskelig å plassere helt, funk, rock, blues, alternativ. Hadde vært fin å ha i platesamlingen.
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Wed Jan 27 2021
4
Sparkle City is my jam. Funk is a genre I wish I listened to more of.
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Thu Jan 21 2021
4
Some really good funk, here, and it led to me learning more about Shuggie Otis, which was cool.
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Sun Feb 14 2021
4
I never listened to it before, but the mix of vocal and instrumentals is great. Nice introduction for me, but a favourite for her.
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Tue Jan 26 2021
4
funky
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Sat Jun 26 2021
4
Incredible inventiveness, musically adept and powerful. I’m not sure it all quite hung together as a cohesive whole, though all the individual pieces were exquisite.
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Wed Jan 27 2021
4
8.5
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Fri May 07 2021
4
Fuggie epic.
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Mon Jun 07 2021
4
This album was long! It had alot of great songs, but I don't see myself revisiting them.
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Thu Jul 01 2021
4
Oh yeah, this is lovely! Super chilled out soul, with a splash of psychedelia and folk.
"Strawberry Letter 23" is an absolute tune, but it's not present on most versions of the album, so I'll go with "Island Letter" or "Pling!" as my top track - love those relaxing latin rhythms underpinning them!
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Fri Feb 26 2021
4
Got a kick out of this one - a groovy album navigating various genres and standing out as an early predecessor to more modern R&B styles. Put it on good speakers and vibe out!
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Thu Feb 11 2021
4
Ahora sí que un álbum muy chill. Ni siquiera sé qué género es, pero hay un balance acertado entre lo instrumental y las vocales. Acertado porque varía, se complementan, al principio parece que las canciones van perdiendo la voz, pero después regresa y bueno, finalmente desaparecen en esa última canción larguita de pura instrumentación. Fue muy bonito escucharlo, desconocía a Shuggie Otis por completo y creo que "Inspiration Information" es un rolón. "Aht Uh Mi Head", "XL-30" y "Strawberry Letter 23" me gustaron especialmente por esas percusioncitas y la vibra más chill que siempre. Un álbum del cual me quedo con canciones, pero quizá no revisitaría entero. 8.5/10
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