Coldplay: Viva La Vida Or Death and All His Friends

There're perhaps three or so songs that I dig, and to be honest, they're okay borderline good... nothing exceptional.

6/10 is spot on.

i sincerely doubt that 6/10 is anywhere near as good as the fantastic "Parachutes", but i enjoyed this review generally

really curious...

would probably give it a five, innofensive - but even for background music, there's much better stuff out there.

at least they're trying to do something a bit different and "artistic", despite being resolutely mainstream. And any attempt by mainstream artists to do something adventurous whilst still going for the Tesco market is to be applauded, even if the delusions of grandeur are a bit pompous and misplaced.

But that's the point really - to expect something of Coldplay outside of their realms and to cut them down because of a perceived inability to compete with the sub-mainstream in terms of invention. Even though Eno is way past his prime in purely textural terms i'm sure he brings something to this record a little different from someone like Jacknife Lee. And Violet Hill sounds really quite unusual as a sonic piece when it comes on the radio, even though it's almost ruined by perhaps the most pedestrian guitar solo ever put to wax

I hafta believe most of the Coldplay hate stems from their popularity and personalities (though Martin seems pretty cool to me) because this is a pretty damn good record.

are regarded as uncool by music journos, they will never make the classic that Chris Martin is desperate to create. X&Y was pretty poor admittedly, but you've gotta applaud them for at least trying to move away from their 'bland' stadium band image.

don't panic
see you soon
brothers and sisters
spies
warning sign
politik
a message
till kingdom come

which finally gives very few informations apart that Coldplay are a "big" band that sounds like a "big" band...

He's funny and I like him.

As far as Coldplay albums go this one can actually be listened to all at once. I couldn't get through their previous albums without skipping a couple songs. A 6/10 is spot on.

...they really do.

I actually own all of their albums to date but I'm not sure why: I don't think I've listened to Parachutes or X&Y more than once. The latter was DULL.

I've certainly never had a "ooh, I feel like listening to a Coldplay album" moment. They just don't fit any given mood.

- well put

certainly not their best yet, but they wont ever get better than this now.. i like three songs, the rest is very average

"At one point on Coldplay's fourth album, Chris Martin, millionaire rockstar and male-bride of Oscar-winning Hollywood stalwart Gwyneth ‘homeopathy’ Paltrow, "

Review the fucking ALBUM.

Which I agree he goes on to have a crack at, but what a fucking pointless thing to put at the start. We all know this and have our opinions of it, but if wanted snidey comments about personalities I'd fucking read Heat.

I don't even like Coldplay and this annoyed me....

anyway....

no actually, this is a terrible review, I just re-read it. This has been written with pre-conceived ideas and opinions and absolutely no objectivity whatsoever. This can all be summed up by the line:
"music for people who don't like music"

You can say a lot about Coldplay but that's just inaccurate. Have you ever heard a Westlife album in its entirety? Until you have, you have no idea what "music for people who don't like music" even means.

and had absolutely no interest in seeing what they did next. But... I've had a nosy on the myspace streaming and yep, it's good. It's better than the last two by a long long way, if not quite brilliant. Review spot on.

even thought i knew this review would annoy me, i read it anyway. whats wrong with me?

doesn't represent an age where you can't tell one drummer from an other or whatever the review said. He is just a fucking boring player, albeit one who has been overproduced to fuck.

is an excellent artist, and his work is hardly aimed at those who 'don't like art'. I feel this is a profoundly ignorant comment.

Mr. Southall:

Your preconceived notions of this band have unfortunately tainted this review beyond all repair, making it a transparent and predictable chastising of Chris Martin and company.

Time and time again throughout the review, you return to your skewed talking points that are both remarkable and laughable.

Your use of "catchy but unremarkable melodies" begins your tour of ridiculous comments. Whether you are foolishly suggesting that crafting instantly likable melodies is child's play, or simply that you personally prefer more dissonant sounds, the phrase is utterly useless.

I don't think that I even need elaborate on your "music for people who don't like music sentiment" because it is patently absurd and clearly caters to the flocks of faux-elitists who cannot resist an easy target like Coldplay.

Then, framed by the fact that they stripped the opening track of its lyrics, and obsessed with the idea that Martin is "cripplingly" desperate for critical acceptance (raising both points multiple times) you go on to negatively characterize the band as making a "safe" attempt at radicalism.

The whole concept of "safe" is meaningless. If they stick to writing massive, soaring pop tunes, they're being safe. If they try to do something different, they're doing it in a safe way. That view is insulting because it again shows a fundamental disrespect for the art of songwriting. It also trivializes the band's understandable desire to retain their core characteristics (which you clearly despise, and condescendingly dismiss repeatedly) while experimenting just a bit.

What exactly would be "risky" for Coldplay? Releasing some avant garde, atonal sound collage? Expecting "genuine radicalism" (now *that* got a laugh out of me) from this band is missing the point entirely, and unfortunately you've based your entire review on that premise.

Lastly (in the interest of time) your shallow criticisms of the production values (i.e. the Pro Tools argument) epitomize your delusion. Eno's ability to craft shimmering walls of sound is an instrument in itself, and just because it doesn't meet your lo-fi indie cred criteria, it doesn't mean that it is soulless.

All in all, an entertaining read for the sheer prejudice and posturing, but a disgrace of a music review.

The opening two tracks, Chinese Sleep Chant and Strawberry Swing are decent enough. For me, the rest of them are either suffering from overplay (Itunes ad, the single) or just dull.

I quite like Coldplay, I'm glad to see some good tracks on there, but recently I realised that there's just so much more out there that warrents my precious listening time.

I'm sure it's going to do well, hardly the biggest crime in the world.

This review is for people who don't want to read a real review.

It was about image. That's it. The review also seems far too subjective. You rated it based on Chris Martin's expectations of creating a classic, and something that everyone would consider different. They may not have succeeded, but what about the album? Forget what you read about Chris Martin, forget his band's image, forget his desired image. Review the album as an isolated thing.

I don't really like Coldplay, and I hated that first single of theirs, but if I'm going to listen to an album, I'm going to try and keep my bias and perceptions in check.

The album probably deserves a 6/10 or 7/10, but not because it fails to live up Radiohead.

i think 6/10 is a little unfair. with this album i believe coldplay did challenge themselves and did daringly stride for a different braver sound but at the same time kept it safe; maintaining the exciting yet comforting coldplay momentum and the soft double-bed duvet we all love to snuggle in.

This album will have you playing football in the blistering sun with a smile on your face yet will make you howl lyrics from the rooftop of a spanish cathedral amidst the night.

Whilst some sounds may sound a little out of proportion and a little 80s teenage sitcom theme tune style after the first hearing, one must not judge yet. soon you'll gladly drown into each song one by one - some will have you sinking after the first listen (strawberry swing) and some may take you a week or more (lovers in japan) but one thing is clear, the efforts are not wasted. There is only one word to describe this album...nice.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/andy-gill-why-i-hate-coldplay-844190.html

by Andy Gill. He totally annihilates every aspect of Coldplay in that little diatribe there (by the way, Andy Gill is worse than Pitchfork when it comes to elitist reviews, but that's by the by) - he criticises their melodies, their lyrics, their image, their lead singer and their fans.

But then I see a review of Viva la Vida. 3 stars out of 5. Reviewed by Andy Gill. Soooooo, they're not that bad then? Or is that "I hate Coldplay" rubbish just to get your 15 minutes? I know what I think...

It's been brought to my attention that Coldplay's motivation for sticking two songs together randomly on more than one occasion on this album is so that "downloaders effectively get an extra song for free". Which makes the new Coldplay album BOGOF Rock.

Why write a review of a band that you clearly hate? I'm here to read critically insightful comment - positive or negative - not hear that Coldplay are useless because they have verses and choruses (like every other band), use compression and click tracks (like every other band) or write 'stadium-shaking' openers (how can that possibly be a criticism?). You clearly don't care about this band or their music, not even enough to criticise it fairly. Please get someone else to review them next time; you're not doing your job properly.

it's okay to review reviews...as reviewers of music generally either have no clue what they are listening to or look for a way to bend the review to suit their agenda...which is always to create some drama -either to support or deflate (Not talking about this critic, btw). Many critics, including the public feed their egos thru reviewing by either trying to show they are knowledgeable or by resting all their hopes on a record to make their own lives seem more relevant and less ordinary. In my humble opinion - don't read too many reviews and take them with a grain of salt. Truly listen to the music and form your own opinion. Try making your own music...or perhaps take a cooking class.

and everyone on it are just the most terrible bunch of CUNTING WANKSTAINS.

Painfully try-hard beardy wet media student failed muso CUNTS especially MUFF DIVER.

The worst thing about this album is coldplay themselves and that wet chap especially.

I have finally gotten a chance to listen to--bask in--Viva la Vida.

WOW.

Who knows what makes some people like music, and some people not. However, reviewing music is hugely like reviewing food--the level of subjectivity is so high as to make it nearly impossible to have a logical conversation about "good" and "bad," short of burnt sauce or ghastly engineering.

Viva la Vida is so gorgeous it makes me want to be a better human being. It is a soundsea to be bathed in, rocked by, watered by, invigorated by. Viva la Vida sparkles, glimmers, gives me that same, joy-soaked rush as floating in a warm ocean on a brilliant day. As a musician, it absolutely floods my veins with musical thrill and an insatiable desire to create.

How do you measure beauty? Beauty is as much about what note comes before and after the next, as it is about engineering, originality (a selfish and misleading term), or any investiture of God-like responsibilities into guys who just want to play music. Particlar chords, particular rhythmic subtleties, note sequences, vocal qualities--these beauties are highly, highly subjective and, to me, what makes a song. So, "judging" songs can be a non-starter of an idea.

How can my experience be so different from the critics...who knows...I also adore Tabasco in my burgundy sauce...p'raps you should try it...