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Post by Lennon2217 on Nov 23, 2018 10:39:39 GMT -5
I wouldn’t have minded Mat Whitecross focusing on Parachutes thru Viva. They raced thru X&Y to Dreams. Seemed like 20 minutes were spent between the 5 albums meanwhile an hour and 20 min were based sorely on Parachutes and Blood. Good call on Kings of Leon. I absolutely adored that band between 2002 and 2005. It’s amazing what has happened since. Selling out is putting it lightly. Sure they lost a ton of fans selling out but I’m willing to bet they aren’t missing us and have replaced us with legions more. Agreed if you stick from debut era to Viva era, then you could have a decent documentary. The band aren't stupid they know that half their fanbase has fallen off with the last few albums which this DVD is aiming for. Plus they know critically those first two albums are their most acclaimed. although I like X & Y besides Fix You and Viva La Vida is their best album imo. The funny thing is one or two of the guys in KOL said they regret doing the first two albums. I get that vibe from the band that they hate people saying "they were cool once but they are such sellouts" also that people say that their first two or three albums are fantastic and everything since has been bland. They so want to be U2 when they could have been another Creendence Clearwater Revival. Shame as they had so much potential. People forget that Kings were this kinda young and dangerous band. They grew up very isolated. Grew up on southern rock and bands of the 70s. They drank heavily. They fucked extreme young women. They looked like a real life Stillwater from Almost Famous. In Lizzy Goodman’s book “Meet Me In The Bathroom”, there is an entire chapter when they toured with the strokes in late 2003, early 2004 and its straight debauchery. Terrific read. Highly recommend. |
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Post by Lennon2217 on Nov 23, 2018 10:40:39 GMT -5
Anyone else watch the doc yet?
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Post by Lennon2217 on Nov 23, 2018 10:51:57 GMT -5
I listened to it too yesterday. I agree, most tracks on the album sound very familiar to one another, and I find 'Fix You' quite unlistenable. The highlights for me are the b-sides 'Proof', 'Things I Don't Understand', 'Gravity' and 'What If (Tom Lord Alge Mix)' The first 6 songs besides Fix You, and the Hardest Part are the albums strongest part. Fix You is the first time you see the selling out touch creeping in with Martin. It skipped Viva la Vida then after that it became more obvious with the albums after. Every big band has that one song that even non fan's of that band love the song, Oasis have it with Wonderwall, Coldplay's is Fix You. I do like a bunch of songs from X&Y. I’d have tweaked the track list for sure. I didn’t know it then but man they missed Phil Harvey. Square One White Shadows Fix You Talk Speed of Sound Things I Don’t Understand Pour Me (studio) Sleeping Sun Low The Hardest Part A Message ‘Til Kingdom Come It’s funny. At the time of release I liked White Shadows and Low. Didn’t love them like I did songs like Yellow, Clocks or The Scientist. But as the years pass they are the two songs i revisit the most from X&Y. Is it Eno’s touch? Maybe. I just dig that vibe the band was flushing out on those tunes. Darker. Edgier. Seemed like a natural progression from A Rush of Blood. Pour Me was a highlight for me on the Rush of Blood tour. Sucks we never got a studio version but the live b side is killer. |
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Post by matt on Nov 23, 2018 18:07:55 GMT -5
My relationship with Fix You is troubled... Me at the start of Fix You...  Me by the end of Fix You...  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2018 18:14:35 GMT -5
Fix You is so far beyond awful. I... have no words.
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Post by matt on Nov 23, 2018 18:24:06 GMT -5
I listened to it too yesterday. I agree, most tracks on the album sound very familiar to one another, and I find 'Fix You' quite unlistenable. The highlights for me are the b-sides 'Proof', 'Things I Don't Understand', 'Gravity' and 'What If (Tom Lord Alge Mix)' The first 6 songs besides Fix You, and the Hardest Part are the albums strongest part. Fix You is the first time you see the selling out touch creeping in with Martin. It skipped Viva la Vida then after that it became more obvious with the albums after. Every big band has that one song that even non fan's of that band love the song, Oasis have it with Wonderwall, Coldplay's is Fix You. I honestly thought that Yellow, Scientist, Clocks, Viva La Vida and Paradise were all bigger tunes than Fix You, in terms of timeless appeal and ubiquity. I’ve heard plenty of folk say they love Paradise or Yellow despite not liking Coldplay themselves. But I’d certainly say the one tune that defines Coldplay for me is The Scientist. If you get it, you’re going to love so much of their work. If you don’t, then they’re never going to appeal. My personal opinion is how the hell could anyone not see the beauty and sadness in that song. |
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Post by matt on Nov 23, 2018 18:30:47 GMT -5
Today took a listen to X&Y after almost a decade, half of it is very good, great singles, but overall it's a drab, all sounds bit too samey. Fix You still very cheesy. Do you not think Speed Of Sound is drab? I’ve never liked it and am still shocked at how they thought it was worthy as a single, let alone lead single. And that was my opinion of the band when they released it in 2005 at the age of 14 - drab. I’d never paid full attention to them in all honesty and was familiar with the odd riff, chorus, etc but never invested my time in any one tune. It was only when my twin brother got the album about this time of the year in 2005 that I took a listen. The one tune that really grabbed me and got me in to Coldplay? Talk - always loved that song and the lyrics. |
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Post by The Escapist on Nov 23, 2018 18:37:17 GMT -5
Speed of Sound is Chris' least favourite Coldplay song, and X&Y his least favourite album. He always says they fucked up the recording of the former, and didn't get what they wanted from it. I'd love to know what his vision for the track was as the vocal melody is actually one of the prettiest he's ever wrote in my opinion - and that really is saying something.
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Post by Headmaster on Nov 23, 2018 19:07:06 GMT -5
Today took a listen to X&Y after almost a decade, half of it is very good, great singles, but overall it's a drab, all sounds bit too samey. Fix You still very cheesy. Do you not think Speed Of Sound is drab? I’ve never liked it and am still shocked at how they thought it was worthy as a single, let alone lead single. And that was my opinion of the band when they released it in 2005 at the age of 14 - drab. I’d never paid full attention to them in all honesty and was familiar with the odd riff, chorus, etc but never invested my time in any one tune. It was only when my twin brother got the album about this time of the year in 2005 that I took a listen. The one tune that really grabbed me and got me in to Coldplay? Talk - always loved that song and the lyrics. I forgot it was a single, hahaha, in my mind White Shadows was the first single, maybe because both sound very similar, never liked Speed of Sound, at the time it did nothing for me and also does nothing now, it isn't a memorable single, White Shadows on the other hand is one of X&Y best songs. Talk is great too, love that Kraftwerk riff but with guitars. |
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Post by matt on Nov 23, 2018 19:18:23 GMT -5
Do you not think Speed Of Sound is drab? I’ve never liked it and am still shocked at how they thought it was worthy as a single, let alone lead single. And that was my opinion of the band when they released it in 2005 at the age of 14 - drab. I’d never paid full attention to them in all honesty and was familiar with the odd riff, chorus, etc but never invested my time in any one tune. It was only when my twin brother got the album about this time of the year in 2005 that I took a listen. The one tune that really grabbed me and got me in to Coldplay? Talk - always loved that song and the lyrics. I forgot it was a single, hahaha, in my mind White Shadows was the first single, maybe because both sound very similar, never liked Speed of Sound, at the time it did nothing for me and also does nothing now, it isn't a memorable single, White Shadows on the other hand is one of X&Y best songs. Talk is great too, love that Kraftwerk riff but with guitars. Yeah this thread made me revisit X&Y, and I agree that with the general consensus of a good first half and a second half that is running on fumes. Although Til Kingdom Come is lovely (most Coldplay albums end on a high note, but god knows what they were thinking with Twisted Logic). I’ve also got to agree with The Escapist here, I think Mylo Xyloto is a superior album. It very much has its up and downs but it’s biggest problem is following Viva La Vida (which is hardly fair considering that albums lasting appeal) but it still does retain an energy and vibrancy that is somewhat lacking on X&Y. What I’ll say about Coldplay is this though; for all the shit we throw at them for their current output, every single album of theirs - yes even A Head Full Of Dreams - has some very good tunes. I checked out Adventure Of A Lifetime today and I was surprised at how fun it was, got a great beat and a great guitar riff which is something you’d rarely find in any chart hits today. Even so-called ‘guitar bands’ like Kasabian can’t write as decent a riff as that these days. |
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Post by Lennon2217 on Nov 23, 2018 19:51:40 GMT -5
It’s ironic. Chris let all the negative reviews and fan objections really rattle him yet he still went on and mad several lackluster albums like Mylo, Ghost and Dreams. I’d take X&Y over those because it still contains banger tunes and was still the “classic” Coldplay model.
He had a sizable audience of older, college aged fans who adored the moody atmosphere of their earlier work who now think he’s a complete sellout for a much much younger fan base. He went for the quick laugh. The cheap joke. He should have been more concerned what true fans thought. Not writers from The NY Times, Spin, the fork.
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Post by The Crimson Rambler on Nov 23, 2018 19:58:56 GMT -5
Not really a Coldplay fan but I've got a soft spot for X&Y having grown up with it being played a lot in the house. But what a dreadful ending though. Ugh. I'd do a playlist but I don't know the b-sides but basically dump the last 3 tracks and end on 'A Message'.
Great:
1) Talk
2) Fix You
3) Square One
4) White Shadows
5) Speed of Sound
6) What If
Good:
7) A Message
8) X&Y
9) Low
10) The Hardest Part
No:
11) Swallowed in the Sea
12) Til Kingdom Come
13) Twisted Logic
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Post by matt on Nov 23, 2018 20:04:43 GMT -5
It’s ironic. Chris let all the negative reviews and fan objections really rattle him yet he still went on and mad several lackluster albums like Mylo, Ghost and Dreams. I’d take X&Y over those because it still contains banger tunes and was still the “classic” Coldplay model. He had a sizable audience of older, college aged fans who adored the moody atmosphere of their earlier work who now think he’s a complete sellout for a much much younger fan base. He went for the quick laugh. The cheap joke. He should have been more concerned what true fans thought. Not writers from The NY Times, Spin, the fork. Do you not think there was a legitimate argument though that what vibes they were covering on the first three albums was what U2 and Radiohead had ‘ownership’ of? Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love most of those first three albums and those two bands above don’t have the melodic quality of Chris Martin, so we would have been deprived of songs like The Scientist. But with Viva La Vida, I do feel there was an album where they really came into their own and captured a sound that they could own - I couldn’t imagine any band making an album as vibrant and colourful as Viva La Vida these days. |
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Post by Lennon2217 on Nov 23, 2018 20:07:52 GMT -5
It’s ironic. Chris let all the negative reviews and fan objections really rattle him yet he still went on and mad several lackluster albums like Mylo, Ghost and Dreams. I’d take X&Y over those because it still contains banger tunes and was still the “classic” Coldplay model. He had a sizable audience of older, college aged fans who adored the moody atmosphere of their earlier work who now think he’s a complete sellout for a much much younger fan base. He went for the quick laugh. The cheap joke. He should have been more concerned what true fans thought. Not writers from The NY Times, Spin, the fork. Do you not think there was a legitimate argument though that what vibes they were covering on the first three albums was what U2 and Radiohead had ‘ownership’ of? Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love most of those first three albums and those two bands above don’t have the melodic quality of Chris Martin, so we would have been deprived of songs like The Scientist. But with Viva La Vida, I do feel there was an album where they really came into their own and captured a sound that they could own - I couldn’t imagine any band making an album as vibrant and colourful as Viva La Vida these days. I’m really referring to what happened after Viva. Endless cheap of sounds and lyrics. Superstar collaborations that were so out of leftfield. |
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Post by matt on Nov 23, 2018 21:20:36 GMT -5
Yeah this thread made me revisit X&Y, and I agree that with the general consensus of a good first half and a second half that is running on fumes. Although Til Kingdom Come is lovely (most Coldplay albums end on a high note, but god knows what they were thinking with Twisted Logic). I’ve also got to agree with The Escapist here, I think Mylo Xyloto is a superior album. It very much has its up and downs but it’s biggest problem is following Viva La Vida (which is hardly fair considering that albums lasting appeal) but it still does retain an energy and vibrancy that is somewhat lacking on X&Y. What I’ll say about Coldplay is this though; for all the shit we throw at them for their current output, every single album of theirs - yes even A Head Full Of Dreams - has some very good tunes. I checked out Adventure Of A Lifetime today and I was surprised at how fun it was, got a great beat and a great guitar riff which is something you’d rarely find in any chart hits today. Even so-called ‘guitar bands’ like Kasabian can’t write as decent a riff as that these days. Plus the title track, Birds, and Up&Up are good tunes too. Honestly, I think I was too harsh on AHFOD when it came out, as I was a raging hipster completely opposed to anything poppy at the time. It's undoubtedly their weakest album,and tracks like Fun are just nothing songs, but there is a lot of tasteful, infectious pop on there too. This would have been a decent album: A HEAD FULL OF DREAMS1) A Head Full of Dreams 2) Birds 3) Hymn for the Weekend 4) Everglow 5) Adventure of a Lifetime 6) All I Can Think About is You 7) Hypnotised 8) Army of One 9) Amazing Day 10) Colour Spectrum 11) Up&Up Of course, a lot of people on this forum will hear Beyonce's voice and have to go and listen to some boring British indie band for "purity" or whatever, but if you get past that then it's only because you know the band are capable of so much more than fun chart-pop that the album leaves a sour taste. At the end of the day, they could make an album like that every year with no real difficulty, and the prospect of Coldplay diving deeper into the creativity of Viva... post-2009 only makes it seem lazier; there's more imagination in the single Yes / Chinese Sleep Chant track than most of the last two albums, pleasant as they both are. I agree with the Beyoncé perception, far preferable than the turgid retro indie shite which usually gets a support slot at a Gallagher gig. Songs like Hymn For The Weekend have an obvious hook to latch on to and for sure, millennials who were my age when VLV was released absolutely love the current Coldplay guise. I see the appeal even if it’s personally not my bag, and I get why they keep writing these tunes when so many millions are fans of it (it’s not comparable with Oasis who were losing fans in droves and not gaining younger fans in the early 2000s with dire release like Heathen Chemistry). You have to give it to Chris Martin though - he has his ear to the ground with regards to the popular trends in alternative and pop music and, in two decades, he always without fail produces a hit; even in Coldplay’s alt rock early days, back in 2003 he was writing early noughties RnB hits for Jamelia, a year later he hands a ready made alt rock hit in Gravity to Embrace. There’s also an unreleased Mike Skinner collaboration in 2005, dabbling in a bit of alt hip hop/garage. He does the Homecoming collaboration with Kanye West in 2007, based around his piano riff. That’s only with regards to popular music too, forgetting even more left field choices like hiring a then relatively unknown Jon Hopkins to collaborate on VLV. So many acts latch onto current trends in a desperate bid to stay ‘relevant’ but only Chris Martin has succeeded in convincingly doing so, regardless of whether you like the song or not. If he wasn’t some megastar, he’d be easily the most sought after songwriter in the music industry. |
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Post by Lennon2217 on Nov 23, 2018 21:43:23 GMT -5
Plus the title track, Birds, and Up&Up are good tunes too. Honestly, I think I was too harsh on AHFOD when it came out, as I was a raging hipster completely opposed to anything poppy at the time. It's undoubtedly their weakest album,and tracks like Fun are just nothing songs, but there is a lot of tasteful, infectious pop on there too. This would have been a decent album: A HEAD FULL OF DREAMS1) A Head Full of Dreams 2) Birds 3) Hymn for the Weekend 4) Everglow 5) Adventure of a Lifetime 6) All I Can Think About is You 7) Hypnotised 8) Army of One 9) Amazing Day 10) Colour Spectrum 11) Up&Up Of course, a lot of people on this forum will hear Beyonce's voice and have to go and listen to some boring British indie band for "purity" or whatever, but if you get past that then it's only because you know the band are capable of so much more than fun chart-pop that the album leaves a sour taste. At the end of the day, they could make an album like that every year with no real difficulty, and the prospect of Coldplay diving deeper into the creativity of Viva... post-2009 only makes it seem lazier; there's more imagination in the single Yes / Chinese Sleep Chant track than most of the last two albums, pleasant as they both are. I agree with the Beyoncé perception, far preferable than the turgid retro indie shite which usually gets a support slot at a Gallagher gig. Songs like Hymn For The Weekend have an obvious hook to latch on to and for sure, millennials who were my age when VLV was released absolutely love the current Coldplay guise. I see the appeal even if it’s personally not my bag, and I get why they keep writing these tunes when so many millions are fans of it (it’s not comparable with Oasis who were losing fans in droves and not gaining younger fans in the early 2000s with dire release like Heathen Chemistry). You have to give it to Chris Martin though - he has his ear to the ground with regards to the popular trends in alternative and pop music and, in two decades, he always without fail produces a hit; even in Coldplay’s alt rock early days, back in 2003 he was writing early noughties RnB hits for Jamelia, a year later he hands a ready made alt rock hit in Gravity to Embrace. There’s also an unreleased Mike Skinner collaboration in 2005, dabbling in a bit of alt hip hop/garage. He does the Homecoming collaboration with Kanye West in 2007, based around his piano riff. That’s only with regards to popular music too, forgetting even more left field choices like hiring a then relatively unknown Jon Hopkins to collaborate on VLV. So many acts latch onto current trends in a desperate bid to stay ‘relevant’ but only Chris Martin has succeeded in convincingly doing so, regardless of whether you like the song or not. If he wasn’t some megastar, he’d be easily the most sought after songwriter in the music industry. People forget Chris went through a period of “nicking” other peoples tunes. Some people played ball like Kraftwerk on “Talk” and Hopkins on “Technicolor” and “The Escapist”. Others did not. Joe Satriani had Coldplay by the Fucking balls with Viva La Vida. Their global smash hit. It was going to trial. They were probably going to lose and give Joe writing credits and royalties. They ended up paying him a shit ton of money to drop it and not soil their banner 2008. Id love to know how much they paid. They were dead in the water. Most people don’t even remember this case but it was a big deal back in 2008 and 2009. |
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Post by matt on Nov 23, 2018 21:49:49 GMT -5
I agree with the Beyoncé perception, far preferable than the turgid retro indie shite which usually gets a support slot at a Gallagher gig. Songs like Hymn For The Weekend have an obvious hook to latch on to and for sure, millennials who were my age when VLV was released absolutely love the current Coldplay guise. I see the appeal even if it’s personally not my bag, and I get why they keep writing these tunes when so many millions are fans of it (it’s not comparable with Oasis who were losing fans in droves and not gaining younger fans in the early 2000s with dire release like Heathen Chemistry). You have to give it to Chris Martin though - he has his ear to the ground with regards to the popular trends in alternative and pop music and, in two decades, he always without fail produces a hit; even in Coldplay’s alt rock early days, back in 2003 he was writing early noughties RnB hits for Jamelia, a year later he hands a ready made alt rock hit in Gravity to Embrace. There’s also an unreleased Mike Skinner collaboration in 2005, dabbling in a bit of alt hip hop/garage. He does the Homecoming collaboration with Kanye West in 2007, based around his piano riff. That’s only with regards to popular music too, forgetting even more left field choices like hiring a then relatively unknown Jon Hopkins to collaborate on VLV. So many acts latch onto current trends in a desperate bid to stay ‘relevant’ but only Chris Martin has succeeded in convincingly doing so, regardless of whether you like the song or not. If he wasn’t some megastar, he’d be easily the most sought after songwriter in the music industry. People forget Chris went through a period of “nicking” other peoples tunes. Some people played ball like Kraftwerk on “Talk” and Hopkins on “Technicolor” and “The Escapit’s”. Others did not. Joe Satriani had Coldplay by the Fucking balls with Viva La Vida. Their global smash hit. It was going to trial. They were probably going to lose and give Joe writing credits and royalties. They ended up paying him a shit ton of money to drop it and not soil their banner 2008. Id love to know how much they paid. They were dead in the water. Most people don’t even remember this case but it was a big deal back in 2008 and 2009. The Hopkins stuff was written with Coldplay though, incomplete instrumentals at the time which Coldplay latched onto with direct collaboration with Hopkins. I don’t have a problem with ‘nicking’ - Talk used a motif from Computer Love rather than directly ripping it off, ala The Verve and Bittersweet Symphony. I agree, VLV is the most contentious but then again, Satriani ripped it off from Cat Stevens. And then again, Coldplay only improved that melody by making a better tune. The case was tiresome though, particularly from guitar bores in their bedrooms who’d post YouTube videos attacking Coldplay. |
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Post by Lennon2217 on Nov 23, 2018 22:04:57 GMT -5
People forget Chris went through a period of “nicking” other peoples tunes. Some people played ball like Kraftwerk on “Talk” and Hopkins on “Technicolor” and “The Escapit’s”. Others did not. Joe Satriani had Coldplay by the Fucking balls with Viva La Vida. Their global smash hit. It was going to trial. They were probably going to lose and give Joe writing credits and royalties. They ended up paying him a shit ton of money to drop it and not soil their banner 2008. Id love to know how much they paid. They were dead in the water. Most people don’t even remember this case but it was a big deal back in 2008 and 2009. The Hopkins stuff was written with Coldplay though, incomplete instrumentals at the time which Coldplay latched onto with direct collaboration with Hopkins. I don’t have a problem with ‘nicking’ - Talk used a motif from Computer Love rather than directly ripping it off, ala The Verve and Bittersweet Symphony. I agree, VLV is the most contentious but then again, Satriani ripped it off from Cat Stevens. And then again, Coldplay only improved that melody by making a better tune. The case was tiresome though, particularly from guitar bores in their bedrooms who’d post YouTube videos attacking Coldplay. Hopkins says otherwise. He played him a song he had for his upcoming album and Chris became obsessed with it. Coldplay then sampled it. Was not co written. Whatever the case with Viva. They were gonna lose. The leaked stories are a Kings ransom was handed over. With chris more concerned with not admitting guilt over sharing potential profits. |
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Post by matt on Nov 23, 2018 22:13:49 GMT -5
The Hopkins stuff was written with Coldplay though, incomplete instrumentals at the time which Coldplay latched onto with direct collaboration with Hopkins. I don’t have a problem with ‘nicking’ - Talk used a motif from Computer Love rather than directly ripping it off, ala The Verve and Bittersweet Symphony. I agree, VLV is the most contentious but then again, Satriani ripped it off from Cat Stevens. And then again, Coldplay only improved that melody by making a better tune. The case was tiresome though, particularly from guitar bores in their bedrooms who’d post YouTube videos attacking Coldplay. Hopkins says otherwise. He played him a song he had for his upcoming album and Chris became obsessed with it. Coldplay then sampled it. Was not co written. Whatever the case with Viva. They were gonna lose. The leaked stories are a Kings ransom was handed over. With chris more concerned with not admitting guilt over sharing potential profits. Are you talking about Light Through The Veins - I was sure Hopkins was in the studio producing that with them? That or I’m getting mixed up with Midnight. |
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Post by Lennon2217 on Nov 23, 2018 22:18:41 GMT -5
Hopkins says otherwise. He played him a song he had for his upcoming album and Chris became obsessed with it. Coldplay then sampled it. Was not co written. Whatever the case with Viva. They were gonna lose. The leaked stories are a Kings ransom was handed over. With chris more concerned with not admitting guilt over sharing potential profits. Are you talking about Light Through The Veins - I was sure Hopkins was in the studio producing that with them? That or I’m getting mixed up with Midnight. Midnight he collaborated with them. Not the other. That song was fully formed prior to Chris hearing it. |
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Post by World71R on Nov 23, 2018 23:46:37 GMT -5
I forgot it was a single, hahaha, in my mind White Shadows was the first single, maybe because both sound very similar, never liked Speed of Sound, at the time it did nothing for me and also does nothing now, it isn't a memorable single, White Shadows on the other hand is one of X&Y best songs. Talk is great too, love that Kraftwerk riff but with guitars. I’ve also got to agree with The Escapist here, I think Mylo Xyloto is a superior album. It very much has its up and downs but it’s biggest problem is following Viva La Vida (which is hardly fair considering that albums lasting appeal) but it still does retain an energy and vibrancy that is somewhat lacking on X&Y. What I’ll say about Coldplay is this though; for all the shit we throw at them for their current output, every single album of theirs - yes even A Head Full Of Dreams - has some very good tunes. I checked out Adventure Of A Lifetime today and I was surprised at how fun it was, got a great beat and a great guitar riff which is something you’d rarely find in any chart hits today. Even so-called ‘guitar bands’ like Kasabian can’t write as decent a riff as that these days. I completely agree with this! Mylo Xyloto is a damn good album, a 7/10 imo, and about the best mix of electronic, art rock, and alternative that the band has put together. Take out Princess of China (make it a standalone single or something) and put in Moving to Mars, and it's just right. The opening sequence of songs is strong and while it does slide a bit towards the second half, and gets more mellow, you still have a solid acoustic track in UFO, a good and elegant grower in Up in Flames and a strong finish with Don't Let it Break Your Heart (one of my favorites by Coldplay) and Up With the Birds. It's energetic, inspired, fun, good stuff. Yeah this thread made me revisit X&Y, and I agree that with the general consensus of a good first half and a second half that is running on fumes. Although Til Kingdom Come is lovely (most Coldplay albums end on a high note, but god knows what they were thinking with Twisted Logic). I’ve also got to agree with The Escapist here, I think Mylo Xyloto is a superior album. It very much has its up and downs but it’s biggest problem is following Viva La Vida (which is hardly fair considering that albums lasting appeal) but it still does retain an energy and vibrancy that is somewhat lacking on X&Y. What I’ll say about Coldplay is this though; for all the shit we throw at them for their current output, every single album of theirs - yes even A Head Full Of Dreams - has some very good tunes. I checked out Adventure Of A Lifetime today and I was surprised at how fun it was, got a great beat and a great guitar riff which is something you’d rarely find in any chart hits today. Even so-called ‘guitar bands’ like Kasabian can’t write as decent a riff as that these days. Plus the title track, Birds, and Up&Up are good tunes too. Honestly, I think I was too harsh on AHFOD when it came out, as I was a raging hipster completely opposed to anything poppy at the time. It's undoubtedly their weakest album,and tracks like Fun are just nothing songs, but there is a lot of tasteful, infectious pop on there too. This would have been a decent album: A HEAD FULL OF DREAMS1) A Head Full of Dreams 2) Birds 3) Hymn for the Weekend 4) Everglow 5) Adventure of a Lifetime 6) All I Can Think About is You 7) Hypnotised 8) Army of One 9) Amazing Day 10) Colour Spectrum 11) Up&Up Of course, a lot of people on this forum will hear Beyonce's voice and have to go and listen to some boring indie band for "purity" or whatever, but if you get past that attitude then it's only because you know the band are capable of so much more than fun chart-pop that the album leaves a sour taste. At the end of the day, they could make an album like that every year with no real difficulty, and the prospect of Coldplay diving deeper into the creativity of Viva... post-2009 only makes it seem lazier; there's more imagination in the single Yes / Chinese Sleep Chant track than most of the last two albums, pleasant as they both are. I like this tracklisting, but I would put in A L I E N S, replacing Army of One. A L I E N S, imo, is one of the best things that the band released during the AHFOD era. |
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Post by Headmaster on Nov 24, 2018 8:38:54 GMT -5
This thread is making me want to listen to their post VLV albums, I have to hear Mylo Xyloto again and also Ghost Stories and AHFOD, these albums are a blur in my head, long time without listen.
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Post by Lennon2217 on Nov 24, 2018 9:48:03 GMT -5
I wonder why they stopped with the b-sides and bonus material? They use to have fabulous b-sides. Particularly in the AROBTTH era.
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Post by The Crimson Rambler on Nov 24, 2018 10:08:43 GMT -5
Not really a Coldplay fan but I've got a soft spot for X&Y having grown up with it being played a lot in the house. But what a dreadful ending though. Ugh. I'd do a playlist but I don't know the b-sides but basically dump the last 3 tracks and end on 'A Message'.Great:
1) Talk 2) Fix You 3) Square One 4) White Shadows 5) Speed of Sound 6) What If Good:
7) A Message 8) X&Y 9) Low 10) The Hardest Part No:11) Swallowed in the Sea 12) Til Kingdom Come 13) Twisted Logic Okay, having just listened to the b-sides and the early studio version of 'Talk' (a fun listen) here's what I'd have done: Coldplay - X&Y
Square One White Shadows Fix You What If Talk X&Y Speed of Sound Low The Hardest Part Gravity A Message
[55 minute run time] I didn't realise Coldplay wrote 'Gravity', huh? I used to play that song with my guitar teacher a long, long time ago and I'd forgotten what it was called so it was a surprise to hear it and it gave me a smile. I'll be honest I prefer the Embrace version but oh well it's still nice. If we're being hypothetical I assume it's fair game then? This I think would be a great album. 'What If' comes in too early on the official version in my opinion and spoils the mood flow so I've moved it back a little to a place I think really fits. 'Fix You' to 'What If' is a great shift. The album's still a little front heavy (no more than most albums though) but it's far more balanced now the final three (three worst imo) songs have been removed and instead now ends on the much stronger and obvious closer 'A Message' (though it is a shame he doesn't hold that last note a touch longer). 'Gravity' to 'A Message' though, what an end. I wouldn't be totally advert to putting 'Proof' and a studio version of 'Pour Me' on there but I reckon it'd make the album too long. They're just not required really. I'd be tempted to edit down 'Low' a touch in length but apart from that I'm very, very happy. I refuse to believe any other playlist could exist, haha, try it. QED |
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Post by The Escapist on Nov 24, 2018 11:40:04 GMT -5
Okay, I'll take off Swallowed in the Sea by popular demand, but X&Y without Till Kingdom Come is just dead on arrival in my opinion. That track and Fix You shine out of the album as the only real classics - I remember when I started listening to Coldplay my dad mentioning this acoustic song he loved back when I was a kid. I hadn't heard X&Y yet and assumed he meant Green Eyes - but when I finally found it and played it for him, it was an amazing moment. Gorgeous, gorgeous song:
That leaves me with:
1) Square One
2) White Shadows
3) Fix You
4) Talk
5) Speed of Sound
6) A Message
7) The Hardest Part
8) Low
9) Gravity
10) Twisted Logic
11) Till Kingdom Come
...Not bad at all.
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Nov 4, 2024 5:04:30 GMT -5
Nov 4, 2024 5:04:30 GMT -5