Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
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Free Music Notes for A Rush of Blood to the Head
Free Music Review: Coldplay, One Step Forward
Hit: 5 Stars
This is definitely the most awaited record of the year, and I have to say, Coldplay really don't disappoint. Though highly derivative from the previous "Parachutes", "A rush of blood to the head" is a step forward, with a greater confidence in songwriting and the skills to keep off from the cliches of making a thousand different versions of "Yellow", which is, IMHO, one of the worst songs they ever wrote. Highlights of this cd are "Politik", "The Scientist", "Clocks" , the title-track, and "Amsterdam". It seems that Coldplay know what they are up to, and deliver a classic here.
Let' s take a deeper look... I read many reviews and they all seem to differ, I mean they compare this record to U2's Achtung Baby, or Neil Young, but I feel Coldplay are turning a page here.
They definitely prove that Parachutes was a - great collection - of mid-tempo-low-key love songs, but instead of sitting on it, they decided they had to change.
And what a change. A Rush of Blood to the head is such a masterpiece in songwriting... I mean, Chris Martin's lyrics only have become a thousand miles better than they were before, and any song is definitely more structured, just have a look at the way the endings are made... any song just ends differently from how it started, which is just a sign of a more constructive work in the studio.
I think it's really difficult to say "Listen to this song if you want to have an idea on this record..." , as it is a very uniform and homogeneous effort, in which the only "black sheep" is the radio-friendly In My Place.
I'll just make a list of what is good and what's not so good for each song:
Politik - great lyrics and great guitar pattern, though it could have been made much more powerful with a different drumming style.
In My place - a good song for kids, a genius 3-note riff that gets stuck in your head, but not much more than it...
God Put A smile on you face - Another gem... great acoustic intro, followed by a killer guitar riff, another song which I am not fully satisfied with the drums during the verse, but I have to say the drums are in full fashion in the great choruses.
The Scientist - A piano wonder, in which Chris Martin excels... another great ending with the full band.
Clocks - A peak of this record, with an hypnotic piano base and - yes ! - a great drumming and bass rythm, definitely a single with style.
Daylight - Perhaps the most Parachutes-style track, but in a Radiohead-fashion, if I can say it... It reminds me the rythmic section of some OK-Computer tracks.
Green Eyes - A ballad, acoustic guitar in, and then full band follows. It has echoes of some classic guitar-based american rock.
Warning Sign - A potential sing with a very smart chorus... with Chris singing "and the truth is... I miss you" . Surely a hit with the broken hearted.
A Whisper - Great rythm section on this one, and a very dark sounding verse, with just a great chorus ... it reminds me some Swervedriver songs... if anybody remembers them !
A Rush of Blood to the head - A marvellous song, in which Coldplay trash a thousand of U2's ballads at one time !
Amsterdam - An amazing piano track, with a good falsetto from Chris Martin... a perfect ending for this high quality album.
Free Music Review: What an awesome album...
Hit: 5 Stars
The follow-up to the stunningly and surprisingly successful Parachutes, A Rush Of Blood To The Head is a much more confident record. Most of its eleven tracks are knockouts. The first of these is the lead track, 'Politik', which asserts the band's purpose this time around. The music reflects the urgency of the lyrical message, with intense guitars and drums crashing on every beat, all held up by Chris Martin's piano playing, which adds a distinct element of drama and emotion to the song. Following 'Politik' comes the record's first single, 'In My Place'. The simple, uplifting guitars and vocal harmonies make it hard to listen to this song and come away not feeling good.
The intensity returns with 'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face', with Will Champion's snare drum present on every beat. The song introduces a habit of Coldplay's - combining electric and acoustic guitars in the same song, yet keeping the electric guitar to a minimum. In such situations for Coldplay, the acoustic guitar always seems to take precedence over the electric.
The second and forthcoming single is 'The Scientist'. Again built on soft piano, it is a song containing an ideal mix of piano, guitars, and drums, with just enough strings to make it emotionally appealing without going over the top.
Opening with a beautiful piano riff, and where Champion's percussion line is again rhythmically varied, 'Clocks' is a song that truly showcases Chris Martin's vocal abilities. The addition of harmonies with backing vocalist Champion is a powerful addition. While most Coldplay songs are built around a piano, 'Clocks' is set apart because of how prominent and aggressive the role of the piano is.
The final song, 'Amsterdam', is easily the class of the record. The musical arrangement of the song is practically flawless; it opens with only Martin's vocals and piano. As the song moves along, the pace picks up, the piano melody gets more intense, and drums and guitars come in, adding an intensity not seen on the rest of the record. The song contains the most intense and the most relaxed moments of the record all in one; the juxtaposition of the two extremes makes the intense moments seem even more intense, while the relaxed moments seem even more delicate.
Lyrically the record is not as good as it is musically. There really isn't a song with lyrics intense enough to make you feel like you just heard something metaphysically timeless, but having said that, Chris Martin doesn't embarrass himself. All-in-all, it's an album that is lyrically accessible - it won't leave anyone feeling overwhelmed.
As for the presentation of the album, it looks far more professional than Parachutes did. With its white cover and black-and-white photographs of the band, the art is simple and effective. While lyrics are not printed in the actual CD booklet, they are in a second booklet available as a promotional item.
While not as musically versatile as Oasis, not as powerful as U2, or as unique as Radiohead, Coldplay are carving out their own niche in popular music, and are carrying on the tradition of excellent British guitar bands. Listen to this record.
Free Music Review: The next U2? Quite possibly...
Hit: 5 Stars
You can probably count on both hands (and then some) the number of bands during the past decade who have been annointed as the next U2. U2's unique brand of heartfelt, emotional songs are difficult enough to replicate for one album, let alone an entire career. Thus, few bands who have been given this distinction ever live up to the hype. However, after the release of their first album, "Parachutes", people began mentioning Coldplay and U2 in the same sentence. With the release of "A Rush of Blood to the Head", those comparisons are are being made more and more and are, I believe, accurate.It is rare indeed when an album comes along that can, from start to finish, bring you through an entire range of emotions without ever feeling contrived or insincere. And had this album been made by practically anyone other than Chris Martin and Company, perhaps it *would* sound contrived. However, as Martin sings "Give me love over this..." in opener "Politik", there is no doubt about his sincerity here.
Musically, "Rush of Blood..." is as elegant and pristine an album as you are likely to find. The styles here run the gamut from louder, guitar-driven pieces, to quiet, plaintive ballads, to folk-tinged acoustic numbers. Shimmering walls of guitars, perfectly-placed piano chords, and well-constructed songs all come together here, blending seamlessly from one track to the next. "Clocks", with its simple yet well-laced piano riff, is the epitome of mournful alt-rock. "In My Place" is a stunning ballad, while "politik" and "God Put a Smile on Your Face" show that the band is capable of turning out more than teary-eyed ballads. "the Scientist" is a terrific tune but perhaps goes on a bit long. The true star of the album, though, is the closer "Amsterdam". It begins exceptionally quietly, with only Martin and his piano. Gradually other instruments come in, until the explosive coda where, when you are truly *listening* to the song, time seems to stop and all seems right with the world. It is THAT good.
What truly sets this album apart, however, are the lyrics penned by Mr. Martin, and his heartfelt delivery of them. Martin's songs bring out a variety of emotions: warmth, mourning, longing, etc. And though he is no doubt writing from personal experience, he writes in such a way that the listener can so easily relate to it that they feel the song is about *them*. Truly good songwriters have a knack for doing this.
So what we are left with is a lovely, cohesive album that places Coldplay suqarely on the path of being one of rock's all-time great bands. Whether or not they will be able to sustain it is, of course, open for debate. But fo rnow, at least, they have staken their claim as one of rock's most sincere and emotional bands. Don't pass this one up.
Free Music Review: Unexpected album of the year...
Hit: 5 Stars
This year's been a dissapointment both in the movie scene and the music industry. We had such film disappointments as Star Wars Episode II, Austin Powers: Goldmember and of course the ending to Spider-Man. Music wise, there was Will Smith's album which unlike previous works wasn't the least bit inventive lyrically or musically. There was the Goo Goo Doll's album which sadly was also a terrible rehash of thoughtless melody. I really liked the Goo Goo Doll's before their latest album 'Gutterflower'. There's more but I don't want to bore you.
Anyways, not to be too cynical on the lovely North American entertainment industry, there has been 'some' good things. Can't think of anything at the moment but I know one of you will prove me wrong.
So you're thinking, 'Why is the title of this review about Coldplay's latest album when all he's writing is how bad the year's been in entertainment'. The reason is quite simple. All things to come out this year that was any good wasn't (surprisingly?) North American.
Coldplay. A British band. Their second album was released a week and a half ago. What can I say about it? Or more to the point, what can't I say about it? Well, for starters I am listening to it right now. I haven't listened to anything else in my cd player since I got it two days ago.
'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' is truly a revolutionary album. You might hear it on first listen or you might not, but eventually you will realize what I'm talking about. This ain't no traditional rock. Sure it's got the guitars, the drums, the bass but the band puts emphasis on piano and keyboards. It's a very different sound for a rock album. The lyrics too, are insightful and emotional. This album was a total surprise for me.
I have a certain standard when it comes to music. I hate rehashed and repetative pop. If pop music was written and composed by the artists then I wouldn't have a problem with it. The reality though is that it's not, or at least rarely done. That's why I can listen to pop music by artists like Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson.
Every track on this album measures up to a certain standard of originality. No track sounds like the other, the track arrangement fits to tell the larger theme of the album (as in 'The Wall'). This album shouldn't be classified as 'rock'. It just shouldn't be classified at all. Maybe 'Music as it should be' is a suitable title. Nothing else, though.
My favorite tracks: Politik, In My Place, The Scientist, Clocks (should be their second single), Green Eyes, Warning Sign, A Rush Of Blood To The Head and Amsterdam.
Just do yourself the favour and pick this up. This is music at its finest. We won't see the likes of this in a long time. In any genre. This compares to other revolutionary albums such as 'The Wall', 'The Joshua Tree', 'Dangerous', 'OK Computer', 'Nevermind' and 'Ten'.
Five Stars. Definately.
Free Music Review: Coldplay is not, and never will be, Pink Floyd, or Led Zeppelin, or any classic rock band
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm tired of these kids coming on this forum(and by kids I mean ages 13-19) and saying "This isn't as good as Dark Side of the moon,listen to Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin." Two things piss me off about this:
1. This album doesn't try to be anything. Sure X&Y rips some stuff off this album, but this album didn't copy off anything. Clocks and In My place were completely original when this album came out. This album doesn't try to be magnificent, kinda like weezer's blue album or Dookie, but now it is considered a classic(although now it is cool to downplay it because X&Y wasn't that great and Speed of Sound is overplayed)If this band is like any band before them it is Oasis, and that is only because they are somewhat recent, British, cocky, and kinda stormed the U.S. with their first 2 albums before failing on their 3rd. DON'T compare them to a band simply because you like that band. This band isn't like any other band.
2. Most all the peopleof who listen to Coldplay are in their teens or twenties. None of these people were alive when Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd or the Beatles were big. You can't relate to these bands, I'm sorry but I never worry about fighting in 'Nam or race riots. These bands belong to the baby boomer generation. Not to take anything away from their music(Their music is amazing), but its time to breathe in some new music from some new bands that are part of YOUR time. I just hate how soicety has popularized classic rock, the music is good, but all the T-shirts and the whole cool, retro mystique("this is the only good music ever made") that surrounds it NOW, in todays society, it pisses me off. The genre of people and products that surround classic rock nowadays is more corporate and materialistic than anything MTV or hip-hop could ever create. And the thing is that the music MTV and hip-hop make sucks
Enough venting, now on to AROBTTH, this album is just great. When people look back on the 2000's they will look at this as maybe the best rock(Yes I said rock) album of the decade. From Politik(which is awesome live)to Clocks this album just dominates. It's catchy and the songs aren't slow, repetitive, annoying, or just bad like on X&Y. Plus this album does one thing some great albums(like Dark Side of the Moon) can never do, the sound translates live almost better than on the album. Led Zeppelin and the WHo were known for their rockin shows, but U2 took the non hard rock, rock album to the stage live exceptionally well. the Joshua tree isn't Led Zeppelin II, but they make those songs amazing live, just like Coldplay does.
Overall I can't recommend this album enough, if you complain about how new rock sucks and MTV sucks and everything sucks than just suck it up enough to buy this album, it is very good. It created legions of fans for a reason.