Coldplay - LP7: A Head Full of Dreams

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The harbinger for me was Every Teardrop. That was the first time I was like "oh no". But, in spite of itself, I grew to love not only that song, but that album as well. The tour that accompanied it was a letdown. Sets only ever lasted 90 minutes, which is at the very least half an hour too short for a band of their stature (and for the prices they were charging) and prioritised the spectacle over the music. It was gimmicky and seemed designed just to show off how many huge hits they've had, at the expense of anything real. But still, I liked Mylo Xyloto and was still on board.

Then came Ghost Stories. It was in every way the antithesis to everything Mylo Xyloto was; or at least, that's the story we were told to buy. But there were several problems with that whole little era. The first was that Chris Martin's attempts at writing a break-up album were atrocious. His lyrics on Ghost Stories are about 80 per cent asinine and the music wasn't good enough to make up for that, as it had been so often in the past. One of Coldplay's strengths in my view has always been that they are far, far greater than the sum of their parts: we all know Chris Martin has never been a great lyricist and we all know that Coldplay's music has never been groundbreaking. (And just on Chris Martin, no, he will never be held up as a great lyricist, but for the vast majority of his career he has been extremely effective in writing simple, beautiful, touching and relatable lyrics that never stunk.) But up until Ghost Stories, I would argue that they consistently nailed their niche. They understood what they were and they played to their strengths - to some people who have never liked them (and fair enough, I'm not going to go on some crusade about how Coldplay are actually a much better band than they think) their music has always been on the nose, but for me, at least, they nearly always pulled it off. Mylo Xyloto was testament to that - I ended up loving that record in spite of itself.

Now, Ghost Stories had some great tracks. Midnight, the undisputed highlight, is fucking terrific, even if it's a pretty blatant rip off of Bon Iver. When that track came out I was incredibly excited about the direction they might be taking, but unfortunately it was a red herring. Still, Always in My Head is gorgeous and Magic is, as LM stated above, the last great Coldplay song. It's a great example of what I've always liked about Coldplay: non-pretentious, effortless, relatable, gentle, enjoyable, catchy, melancholic, a song that works despite Chris Martin's simple lyrics.

But you also had a songs like True Love. A second harbinger in Sky Full of Stars. Think of all the great breakup albums there have been; heartbreak is such a rich and fertile subject for musicians but Coldplay failed to mine that and turn it into something amazing. Instead, they started getting lazy and allowing their worst tendencies to start to filter in unchecked.

And then, at the arse end of 2015, came A Head Full of Dreams, and with it the Coldplay that I once loved ceased to exist. I listened to it once in full, and couldn't make it through a second listen. A Head Full of Dreams is to me what Coldplay have always been in the eyes of Laz and Martha. A completely medicore, bland, pathetic, vapid and empty collection of songs that are designed only to soundtrack confetti blasts. In comparison it makes Ghost Stories seem like a masterpiece.

So it's no surprise to me this Chainsmokers collab has come out. It's not a terrible song, but it's just a nothing song, which is arguably worse. Chris Martin said a million times he'd retire at 33 and now I wish they'd ended things years ago.

Those fellow long-time Coldplay fans of mine: remember when our biggest gripe with the band was that X&Y was a bit of an ugly duckling compared with Parachutes, Rush of Blood and Viva La Vida? I look back now and I only wish Coldplay was capable of releasing an album like X&Y.

I'm a little heartbroken, and this is the most I've ever written on the band, and I'll shut up now, but man do I miss the band I once loved. At least we'll always have the good stuff. :down:
 
I liked both the tour and album for mylo xyloto. I can see how it still signaled the demise, though. Ghost Stories seemed like it gave us promise, but the big fat ugly lead single was evidence that they were still serious about that direction. I forgot what their new album was even called, and wish it didn't exist. Holy shit was it bad. Abysmal. I briefly heard the chainsmokers bullshit. So disappointing.
 
I saw them on the MX tour and I really dug the show (despite how short it was), which helped me like the album more.

I didn't much care for Ghost Stories, but hearing what's come since, I'd happily take 5 more Ghost Stories.
 
They're playing the stadium in Seattlw this year. I might see if I can get a good ticket for cheap right before the show.
 
Head Full Of Dreams was a fat pile of ass.
That said I would absolutely see them on this current tour given half the chance. (I already had tickets to the theatre like a PONCE when they were in Melbourne)

Ghost Stories was a great surprise, one of my favourite albums by them. Some of the lyrics are pretty bad, True Love stinks and I hate that they just bolted on some completely unnecessary stadium friendly dance track near the end, but I think it's a brilliant album on the whole.

Personally, I hated most of Mylo Xyloto so was really glad they dialled it right back with Ghost Stories, I just wish they'd toured it a bit more instead of rushing straight back into the studio to record Mylo Xyloto 2 lest people desert them for not churning out more stadium BANGERS.
 
I just wish they'd toured it a bit more instead of rushing straight back into the studio to record Mylo Xyloto 2 lest people desert them for not churning out more stadium BANGERS.



What an insult to MX... those albums are *nothing* alike.

If you don't like stadium bangers, what's your opinion of half of U2's catalog?

Coldplay's most recent album was filled with a bunch of manufactured pop songs featuring other big artists. MX hinted at this with Princess of China, and Ghost Stories confirmed it with A Sky Full of Avicii Underwater. MX though, as an album, was undeniably a Coldplay album, with Coldplay character. A far cry from what we are seeing, now.
 
What happened to Chris Martins great songwriting like Animals, Crests of Waves, I Bloom Blaum, Yellow etc etc etc. This new stuff is just so turgid and bland, it's a crying shame how he's become enslaved to this pop bland crap. You get the hint of a decent melody now and again and then it's drowned out by some stupid turgid beat or dance loop. I saw them last year on tour and it was strange, you went from the sublime version of Clocks they did to the hideous Hymn For The Weekend. The show was schizophrenic like that. That was my 5th time seeing them, the first was circa 2000 and they were brilliant each time since, they've been getting progressively worse(VLV tour aside) .
 
Agree with LN7 on Mylo Xyloto - it definitely had that Coldplay character to it. Hurts Like Heaven, Charlie Brown, Major Minus (recalls 00-02, 08 Coldplay, best track on the album by some distance, and one that could comfortable sit on their three best records) are all terrific and there's four or five more that are great (and I'd include Princess of China in that). (Paradise can get fucked though.) Moving to Mars is better than 90% of the album as well.
 
What an insult to MX... those albums are *nothing* alike.

Coldplay's most recent album was filled with a bunch of manufactured pop songs featuring other big artists. MX hinted at this with Princess of China, and Ghost Stories confirmed it with A Sky Full of Avicii Underwater. MX though, as an album, was undeniably a Coldplay album, with Coldplay character. A far cry from what we are seeing, now.

Okay fair point, MX did have Hurts Like Heaven among others, after all. Perhaps I phrased it wrong. AHFOD is more the worst of Mylo Xyloto turned up to 11, now with 50% less Coldplay. :wink:

If you don't like stadium bangers, what's your opinion of half of U2's catalog?

In what sense? Because I honestly don't think Coldplay's current phase is the same as half of U2's catalogue at all. For all the complaints we make about U2 trying to hang on to relevance, they've never really thrown out everything that made them great and gone native to the extent that Coldplay have done this last couple of years. Again, maybe I just chose the wrong phrase.

(sorry for all the edits if anyone's quoting this later to argue back :lol: )
 
I wasn't taking a dig at Princess of China, for what it's worth. More just me saying that it was an indication of their direction. Featuring huge artists in order to encourage appeal.

Our own Bonzo et. al. was guilty of this with the whole Mary J. Blige/Green Day/what have you mess in the mid 2000s. I suppose they were around the same age at the time.

But look at U2 now... how tasteful was Lykki Li on SOI? I thought that was amazing. Maybe Coldplay will get over this section of their careers and when they're over the hill rockers in their 50s they'll be doing that? Who knows...
 
I wasn't taking a dig at Princess of China, for what it's worth. More just me saying that it was an indication of their direction. Featuring huge artists in order to encourage appeal.

Our own Bonzo et. al. was guilty of this with the whole Mary J. Blige/Green Day/what have you mess in the mid 2000s. I suppose they were around the same age at the time.

But look at U2 now... how tasteful was Lykki Li on SOI? I thought that was amazing. Maybe Coldplay will get over this section of their careers and when they're over the hill rockers in their 50s they'll be doing that? Who knows...
CM is in full blown 40s mid life crisis mode.
 
I wasn't taking a dig at Princess of China, for what it's worth. More just me saying that it was an indication of their direction. Featuring huge artists in order to encourage appeal.

Our own Bonzo et. al. was guilty of this with the whole Mary J. Blige/Green Day/what have you mess in the mid 2000s. I suppose they were around the same age at the time.

But look at U2 now... how tasteful was Lykki Li on SOI? I thought that was amazing. Maybe Coldplay will get over this section of their careers and when they're over the hill rockers in their 50s they'll be doing that? Who knows...

While I don't think One/The Saints Are Coming were as heinous as Coldplay's recent offerings, that's a very good point! god, I hate them both :lol: And yeah, you're right about Lykki Li.

I just hope Coldplay either knock it on the head and go out on top before any more "damage" is done or go down some other route for the next album, if there is one.
 
They've just announced a new EP. Kaleidoscope.

My hopes are low.

They've released a song as well, in addition to the chainsmokers collaboration.

So they've released two songs from the EP by early March and the EP is not coming out until June. So there are three more songs left to hear.

What's the fucking point?
 
Disappointed that Something Just Like This is on the EP, but I guess it counts as a new song.

Hypnotised is much better.
 
They've just announced a new EP. Kaleidoscope.

My hopes are low.

They've released a song as well, in addition to the chainsmokers collaboration.

So they've released two songs from the EP by early March and the EP is not coming out until June. So there are three more songs left to hear.

What's the fucking point?
They need to call it a day, they're heading nowhere fast. There's just nothing to their latest music, bland and soulless. Hypnotised is much better than the other new one, far too sugar syrupy sweet though the production is dire, straight out of a Disney movie.
 
Didnt they already announce this EP months ago? (edit- sorry, they just said they were working on it in November.)
But it's not even out til June, with two of the songs already released, what the hell takes so long? Pretty weird. Hypnotised is terrible too and as I type this I've decided maybe I should stop posting in this thread for a while this band just annoy me at the moment :lol:
 
I'm listening to X&Y for the first time in years. Lyrics aside, its way, way better than I remember it being. The music is really, really on point. Incredibly underrated.
 
I've been saying for a few years now... it's interesting how for so many years it was the whippingboy of their catalogue, but since Ghost Stories you can actually now look back on it and go "god I wish they were still making music like X&Y"
 
Yeah, X&Y is a dull re-run of their earlier work and it's way too long, but I'd take it over Mylo Xyloto or A Head Full of Dreams any day of the week.
 
Bloody hell X&Y's 12 years old now! Haven't listened to it in a long long time. Still remember being down at the front for their Glastonbury set that year, shin deep in liquid mud. Played that album to death that summer.
 
Talk's music is great. As a guitarist, that tone is amazing. I'm also one of the few (it seems) that loves Mylo Xyloto. A Head Full Of Dreams is easily my least favorite.

1. Viva La Vida
2. Mylo Xyloto
3. A Rush Of Blood To The Head
4. X&Y
5. Ghost Stories (but only the deluxe edition with the great bonus tracks)
6. Parachutes
7. A Head Full Of Dreams

Really though 3-6 are pretty even for me. My least favorite "hits" are on Rush Of Blood (The Scientist and Clocks).
 
I actually quite like this track that will be on the new EP Kaleidoscope.

Hearkens back to their earlier stuff a bit.

 
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The best songs on X&Y (Square One, White Shaddows, Low) are definitely some of Coldplay's best. I used to love Talk but I've grown tired of it.
 
I actually quite like this track that will be on the new EP Kaleidoscope.

Hearkens back to their earlier stuff a bit.



Yes, same here. It randomly appeared on my Apple Music's A-List Alternative playlist and I thought "Wow, they actually made a good song?"
 
I have a soft spot for A Message, its corny af but I love it in spite of that.
There was a great compilation video about Lance Armstrong's seven TdF's with The Message as background music. I watched it countless times, back when it was still acceptable to be a fan of Armstrong, and Coldplay for that matter.
 
As much as I slate Coldplay on here, I love their new song, brilliant Clocks like piano riff in the middle and the song builds right through . It takes me back to the days when they were great. Theyve still got it somewhere!
 
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