Coldplay - Viva La Vida - ongoing discussion

[cobl04]

There was no new thread around, and it'd been two hours since the last reply so here ya go.

I'm really coming around to it now... Life in Technicolour is a great opener, and the best part is that Chris Martin doesn't wreck it! Cemeteries of London then comes in and you'll see my point, I hate the opening 30 seconds or so of that song.

42 hmm the jury's still out on that for me, I don't think it's all that awesome/revolutionary as I've been reading. Lost is pretty great, second Zoots' sentiment on that is how you use claps in a song. Lovers in Japan's very U2ey, but I love it, Reign of Love not as much.

Yes is a bit meh, Chinese Sleep Chant might be favourite bit of the whole album, Viva La Vida is definitely overrated I think, it sounds like its getting somewhere but never quite does... and it will be everywhere soon.

Violet Hill, again for me pretty meh, though it gets better. And then you have Strawberry Swing, which I think might be favourite song, it's gorgeous, I love it. Great lyrics and vocals, percussion.. and it leads into Death and All His Friends, which again gets better as it goes along, I'm a fan of the two little refrains at the end there, but I'd prefer there be one or two more, and I could do without The Escapist I think.

Overall, not bad at all!

Continuamo.

 

[phanan]

It didn't take long to get through another thread. Love 'em or hate 'em, they sure do provoke discussion.

And at least people have come to their senses this time. Back in 2005, every other thread started was about Coldplay. Here's to consolidation.

 

[cobl04]

They're really not that bad; I don't understand all the hate. If the music sounds good to me, then it's a good song.

Though I did read review of this album and at the end the reviewer said "Coldplay will never grow hairs on their chest" and I had a bit of a ripsnort.

I think sometimes even the U2 comparisons are a stretch. This forum has a tendency to reeeeeeally over analyse and nitpick sometimes.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

This forum has a tendency to reeeeeeally over analyse and nitpick sometimes.

this forum? Really? NOOOO! No way this forum could be guilty of that! You must be thinking of some other forum...

 

[LemonMelon]

Though I did read review of this album and at the end the reviewer said "Coldplay will never grow hairs on their chest" and I had a bit of a ripsnort.

Hey, they're a good band, but no one ever said the Coldplay jokes weren't funny.

 

[gareth brown]

Viva La Vida is Coldplay's worst song probably...i can't believe the praise that's being heaped on it. Nor can I believe it's fucking number 1 over here...my girlfriend detests coldplay yet THIS song shows up and she loves it. There's never been a more crushing irony. It's just fucking shite lyrics and the song is overproduced to breaking point and don't get me fucking STARTED on those church bells and TIMPANI DRUMS.....URGH!!!!!!!!! I FUCKING HATE IT. rest of the album's great...also Violet Hill is pretty dull compared to the rest of it...but viva la vida?!?!? AARRRRRGH!!! SO CRAP..

 

[phanan]

Tell us how you really feel.

 

[Rob33]

Viva La Vida is Coldplay's worst song probably...i can't believe the praise that's being heaped on it. Nor can I believe it's fucking number 1 over here...my girlfriend detests coldplay yet THIS song shows up and she loves it. There's never been a more crushing irony. It's just fucking shite lyrics and the song is overproduced to breaking point and don't get me fucking STARTED on those church bells and TIMPANI DRUMS.....URGH!!!!!!!!! I FUCKING HATE IT. rest of the album's great...also Violet Hill is pretty dull compared to the rest of it...but viva la vida?!?!? AARRRRRGH!!! SO CRAP..

that's a pretty accurate assessment of the title track, I agree

 

[cobl04]

that's a pretty accurate assessment of the title track, I agree

this forum? Really? NOOOO! No way this forum could be guilty of that! You must be thinking of some other forum...

A bit of an obvious statement wasn't it

Hey, they're a good band, but no one ever said the Coldplay jokes weren't funny.

I'll always enjoy the jokes. But it is true... I don't hear a SBS or a Bullet coming from them...

 

[A_Wanderer]

Don't like it, having had one listen all the way through I pin it at 2/5, but I went back to a Rush of Blood to the Head and it still stands out well.

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

Did anyone catch them on the Daily show? Like Gareth above, I don't like Viva La Vida nor Violet Hill so was pleasantly happy to see them perform 42 and Lost.

Not sure why Chris Martin bothers so many people - he's goofy (which I personally like about him) but harmless...

 

[cobl04]

Personally I just reckon he's a cockhead. I just don't like him, a fair bit of it stems from the interview he did with Denton a few years back.

 

[LemonMelon]

Personally I just reckon he's a cockhead. I just don't like him, a fair bit of it stems from the interview he did with Denton a few years back.

For me, it's because of the newfound moody douchiness he's been showing lately, particularly in that BBC interview he did a couple weeks ago where he just walked out for no reason.

 

[cobl04]

For me, it's because of the newfound moody douchiness he's been showing lately, particularly in that BBC interview he did a couple weeks ago where he just walked out for no reason.

Yes, all of a sudden he's taking on this 'rockstar' thing it seems, and it's all contrived.

Man did I hate him when I heard that.

 

[LemonMelon]

Yes, all of a sudden he's taking on this 'rockstar' thing it seems, and it's all contrived.

Man did I hate him when I heard that.

I don't want him to continue this nonsense. It's making it more difficult to enjoy Viva La Vida.

PS: I burn him repeatedly for his recent bullshit in the upcoming Coldplay cartoon. And I do mean repeatedly.

 

[cobl04]

Oooh expanding your horizons?? Nice...

And that's very true. If he didn't annoy me so much I'd be enjoying this album more.

 

[namkcuR]

People keep mentioning 'Chinese Sleep Chant' as if it's on the album, but it's not. Am I missing something?

 

[LemonMelon]

People keep mentioning 'Chinese Sleep Chant' as if it's on the album, but it's not. Am I missing something?

It's what the faster, more indietastic part of Yes is called.

 

[cobl04]

There's three 'double' tracks on the album, but the only one that's labelled is Reign of Love backing Lovers in Japan.

 

[blueeyedgirl]

Personally I just reckon he's a cockhead. I just don't like him, a fair bit of it stems from the interview he did with Denton a few years back.

Did you really not like that? I thought it was one of Denton's good interviews! At any rate, I've never read an interview yet with Chris Martin, and this is going right back, where he's ever expressed that's he's comfortable with the interview process, and in all of the print ones anyway, he's always veering wildly from extreme enthusiasm to extreme depression, and the rest of the band are always telling the journalist not to take it personally!

And of course these days he gets all the knobhead journalists who want to wind him up and talk about Gwyneth etc ad nauseaum. He's no worse an interviewee than Michael Stipe in my opinion, who can get REALLY narky when he wants to.

Anyway I've got interviews with Bono from the early 80s where he's a right tool (some would say nothing has changed really.... )

 

[cobl04]

Did you really not like that? I thought it was one of Denton's good interviews! At any rate, I've never read an interview yet with Chris Martin, and this is going right back, where he's ever expressed that's he's comfortable with the interview process, and in all of the print ones anyway, he's always veering wildly from extreme enthusiasm to extreme depression, and the rest of the band are always telling the journalist not to take it personally!

And of course these days he gets all the knobhead journalists who want to wind him up and talk about Gwyneth etc ad nauseaum. He's no worse an interviewee than Michael Stipe in my opinion, who can get REALLY narky when he wants to.

Anyway I've got interviews with Bono from the early 80s where he's a right tool (some would say nothing has changed really.... )

Yeah... look it was an interesting interview, no doubt, I just didn't like the way he handled himself, what he said, how he said it, the four million bits that he was wearing on his hands and wrists...

 

[the tourist]

I do believe I am the only one on the planet Earth who likes each Coldplay album subsequently better than the previous.

IMO, Viva la Vida>X & Y>Rush of Blood>Parachutes

 

[blueeyedgirl]

Yeah... look it was an interesting interview, no doubt, I just didn't like the way he handled himself, what he said, how he said it, the four million bits that he was wearing on his hands and wrists...

No better or worse than those doofus rubber One bands that Bono's got...

Anyways, I've been listening to Rush of Blood again this week in the car and God I love this album. Every song fits (even In my Place, which I think is meh), it flows, it's just a great album. Green Eyes, Warning Sign, love it

 

[intedomine]

The other title track shits all over Viva La Vida.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Mel, your new Sig is several levels of awesome

 

[LemonMelon]

Mel, your new Sig is several levels of awesome

As long as I have MS Paint in my possession, Liechtenstein will be milked.


Went through some more Viva reviews last night. It's not kind AT ALL, but the best I read by far was by the Village Voice:

village voice > music > Down in Front: Coldplay's Insurmountable Fire by Rob Harvilla

Apparently, they're thinking Coldplay's number #1 influence at the moment is not U2, but Arcade Fire.

 

[Zoots]

Apparently, they're thinking Coldplay's number #1 influence at the moment is not U2, but Arcade Fire.

They are absolutely correct!

Awesome sig, btw! Love the added Coldplay bonus!

 

[lazarus]

Thanks for the link, LM. I love the photo caption:

"(Politely) tearing down the walls that hold them inside"

Also, Gibson Girl would do well to read this part, about Life in Technicolor:

"Eno's sweetly pastoral synth landscape sets the tone, and soon it all piles on: the jangly electric-guitar riff, the cheerful acoustic to sketch out the simple chords, the rumbling bass and drums to give those chords muscle and propulsion, the ecstatically clanging piano, a few joyful oh-oh-oh's from Martin just to remind us who's in charge here—a steady and true and exhilarating 150-second rise in volume and intensity that's pure "Where the Streets Have No Name," and if it doesn 't quite blossom into a full, magnificent anthem the way "Streets" did, the point is made."

Guess he's as crazy as everyone else.

Here's another gem:

"...Martin's normally sleek falsetto squeaking amid swirling guitar-hero blasts, as though he actually did give his left ball to write something as good as OK Computer and got ripped off."



"And when the pastoral Eno flourishes that started Vida off so promisingly return for a quick coda, Martin reverts back to his suavely crooning self, but blows it with his first four words: "And in the end . . . . " Bam, you're thinking Abbey Road, and while Vida is far from a dog, it's just another unflattering comparison that the record itself needlessly invites—an extremely overconfident way to handle a crisis of confidence. Big isn't necessarily good, no, and bigger isn't necessarily better."

 

[phanan]

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

seriously we get it Rob, er I mean Laz...