Coldplay - Viva la Vida
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Free Music Notes for Viva la Vida
Free Music Review: It's one of the more loveable albums
Hit: 5 Stars
Was eagerly waiting for this album since long. Getting an album in hand on its release day is not easy when you are sitting in a country like Bangladesh. Advance order system came of help. However, that's a long, different story altogether. Coming to the heart of the matter: the single "Violet Hill" was available in the net for last 2 months or so; downloaded that and got hugely inspired to get the full album in hand. Today listened to it, all 10 songs and gave the album a 5 star rating.
Coldplay was not in my list of favorite bands of 2000s though I liked Parachute a lot. My favorites from current decade are: The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Interpol, Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand, Audioslave and of course Elbow; and to some extent Death Cab for Cuties, Foo Fighters (ESPG album), Radiohead (for their best album so far i.e. In Rainbows which came during this decade), Weezer, Mew and Wilco. The list can actually get a little longer than this because I am someone who lives in music (more specifically in Indie & Alternative rocks)thorough & thorough. Music is not a mere passion for me, it's something (in fact the only thing) that keeps me going. My "lifeblood", to say the least (borrowing from Manic Street Preachers' album name - they are another great band from the Britpop era and if you have not listened to their newest relase titled "Send Away the Tigers", which was released during this decade, you have truly missed something).
To come back to the point, I have somewhat resisted myself all along from putting Coldplay in the list of my favorites (thereby listening to them a lot less than I listen to my favorites). But no more. After devouring Viva La Vida, now I know why Mr Martin deserves all the hype and media attention that his band - luckily - recieve always.
Coldplay to me was always something like: typed, too subdued for my taste, something where same pattern / same format gets repeated, and something which takes long time to get into. And there was also this stupid comment I heard in Copenhagen in 2006 from a bookstore owner: "Coldplay? You like Coldplay, huh? They are a gay band, man." This got into my head (nothing wrong if somebody is a gay or whatever, but somehow this comment from a music buff uttered in a foreign land on a foggy winter morning got seriously into my head and made me prejudiced towards Coldplay).
Today I am throwing away all those and putting in Coldplay in my list of favorites. It's an honor they have done to me, to the millions of other music lovers like me, by producing and releasing such a stunning collection of songs where all 10 tracks are loveable ones and none of the 10 tracks takes more than just one listening to fall in love with. "Violet Hill" still remains the best and after 3 listenings, I think "Yes" is a great song. I think this album will be hailed by all pundits as the best album Coldplay has produced so far. Congratulations to Brian Eno also. He showed why he is the Brian Eno (to me he however is the creator of one of my all time favorite songs "By This River".) Viva Coldplay!!!
Free Music Review: A Wonderful Experiment, Beautiful Sonic Landscapes.
Hit: 5 Stars
Few bands attain the level of equalized love and hate like Coldplay, this was especially evident during their last album, 2005's "X&Y" which sold bucket loads but was also slammed as a repetitive recycling of old gimmicks. For "Viva La Vida" the band decided it was time to not lose their identity, but start exploring new avenues and soundscapes, for this they employed Brian Eno, who's work with Roxy Music and U2 is legendary. And the results are impressive. Eno has helped recraft this band into a powerhouse of sound and mood that gives us more than one flavor in "Viva La Vida," we get everything from church organs to Middle Eastern violins. This is a fresh experiment for the band with a fresh feel.
Fans of the group will not be disappointed, Chris Martin's usual tastes for despair, gloomy romance and Bono-like quest to find God in something are all here, but with a better defined, broader sound. The album even opens with an instrumental, "Life In Technicolor," which dumps Coldplay's signature piano sound for an Iranian instrument that creates a rainy feel. This then leads into "Cemeteries Of London," a dramatic, haunting gallop of a song that evokes ghosts, God, war, witches and curses. Unlike previous Coldplay efforts, this doesn't then connect with some track that recycles what we just heard in a lower key, instead we get "Lost!" Here Eno takes the band into the same kind of gospel-pop territory he crafted for U2's "The Joshua Tree." A clapping rhythm decorated with a church organ-vibe creates a wonderful, visceral atmosphere.
There is a great feeling of experimentation in "Viva La Vida" as Coldplay tries different flavors and colors, sometimes mixing it all up as in "42" where a mournful piano-driven opening suddenly spirals into an ecstatic expression of drums and guitar. "Yes" features a low, very low Martin vocal that is suddenly accompanied by a Middle Eastern string section. Eno has taken the band to orchestral heights in this album with tracks that sometimes feel more symphonic than pop, consider the title track which is a cascade of violins and bells as Martin sings about a fallen king besieged by revolutionaries who want his head on a plate. The band even tries a little bit of harder, glam-rock type of material with "Violet Hill" which thumps and grinds with visions of dead soldiers and menacing Decembers.
"Viva La Vida" is one of the year's best pop/rock albums because it gives us something fresh and original from a band usually known for repitition and gimmicks. The usual Coldplay album features one or two solid tracks, think of "Clocks" and "Speed Of Sound," but then usually descends into the realm of filler. But here we get one impressive track after another, all retaining the Coldplay spirit but with new twists and turns, going from European moods to world music experimentation. As with U2's "Achtung Baby," Eno here has helped a band that was beginning to lose flavor find new colors to play with and soundscapes to explore. "Viva La Vida" is fun, moving, and never boring.
Free Music Review: Coldplay return with a sophisticated, mature and brilliant album.
Hit: 5 Stars
I just finished listening to the album and while it will take a while to fully sink in, here is my take on the album. By the way, it is a truly wonderful album. Powerful and beautiful yet not as immediately accessible as anything they've released before. This is a very mature album from the best band in the world today.
1.Life in Technicolor- Beautiful instrumental opening. Sets the tone for the glorious music that is to ensue. Gorgeous!
2.Cemetaries of London- This is a great, great, song. Interesting beats. Dark tones and mood. Great Buckland guitar. Atmospheric, delightful head candy. One of my favorite coldplay tracks ever and my most favorite off the new alsbum so far.
3.Lost!- Brilliant song. Rich and textured. This version is more funked out with a thick beat. Beautiful.
4.42-What an opening. Gorgeous and reminiscent of old-school Coldplay. The breakdown at 1:35 is wonderful. This is a song that has it all. Guitar and piano. It is ballady and rockin' and lush and glorious.
5.Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love- Better than the acoustic version I must say. Eno production is sparkling here. Faster beat, beautiful vocals, piano, the whole deal. Reign of Love was a soft delicate ballad but I was not blown away. It was good but not great.
6.Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant- Great opening strings. I think this song will grow on me. It is almost bluegrass sounding. I do love Martin's lower register on this track though.
Chinese Sleep Chant I liked more. Great guitar riff which martins vocals glide over. Gauzy, great reverb, great sound.
7.Viva La Vida- great song, we are all aware.
8. Violet Hill- ditto
9. Strawberry Swing- A real sweet treat this one is. Very different. Almost sounds like a country song meets Fleetwood Mac meets Coldplay's majesty. Reminds me of Eno's An Ending(Ascent) in chord structure. Great chord changes here. Definitely one of the standout songs for me. Chills the whole time. Wow.
Death and All His Friends/The Escapist- Beautiful ballad, one of their best ever, and I love the guitars towards the end. A worthy closing piece though Amsterdam will always be the king of Coldplay album closers. Still this track is gorgeous and the Escapist revisits the wonderful theme of Life in Technicolor while adding the vocals that would have been nice as opener. Granted, this is still a great track.
All in all this album is very solid and a definite 5 stars. Coldplay have progressed and did not go back to the same bag of tricks for this album. Not all fans will be pleased and again, this is an album that demands repeated plays to truly understand its greatness. This album comfortably stands in the ranks of Parachutes and Rush of Blood. I am glad that Coldplay sound as good as ever. We really are lucky to have such inspiring and beautiful music to get us through the long lazy Summer.
Free Music Review: A Triumphant Return!
Hit: 5 Stars
Like a million others, ive waited patiently and with baited breath for this to be released, ive just been given it as a Fathers Day presy and must admit that its not been off the media player ever since. Ive been a fan since the first album and have been impressed with the bands development release upon release. Their music has always been melancholic, graceful, surpressed and quietly understated. This album blows all that away in what can only be described as an 'awakening', after all 'Viva La Vida' does mean 'Long Live Life'. Its as if they are celebrating the success they have achieved by shouting it from the roof tops. The new songs from this album are so colourful, uplifting and a complete breath of fresh air. 'Life In Technicolour' is an instrumental introduction to proceedings which leads nicely to 'Cemetaries Of London' which has some uncharacteristic beats for Coldplay and sets the direction of the album. 'Lost' was apparantly the first song written for the album and got its inspiration from the band listening to 'Sing' by Blur off the 'Leisure' & 'Trainspotting' albums. '42' is more instant Coldplay until half way through where it changes tempo and we are treated to a great sing out loud chorus, again taking the song into a new untried dimension for the band. 'Lovers In Japan/Reign Of Love' is the first noticable track that has that Eno/U2 feel to it, 'Where The Streets Have No Name' comes to mind upon first listen. I dont agree with some reviews saying Coldplay are just U2 wannabees, I feel they have their own unique style and sound, this is just Eno putting his own stamp on the album. 'Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant' is another atmospheric tour de force with a foray into strings and another catchy beat and does sound reminiscent to something ive heard before. 'Viva La Vida' is the album stand out song for me and should be played at full volume, a crescendo of a chorus and clever use of a string section, you cant help feeling happy/liberated when you hear it, which I presume was the intent as the cover depicts 'Liberty Leading the People' by the French painter Eugène Delacroix which commemorates the July Revolution of 1830. 'Violet Hill' as we all know is a great lead single and showcased the risks they were taking with this release. 'Strawberry Swing''Death And All Its Friends/The Escapist' finish off the album in rousing fashion with the latter having more U2 likenesses. The album is quite short at around 45 minutes for today's standards, no lyrics included in the booklet except an indecipherable splurge of a montage in the middle, this is always a bit of a let down as you cant immediately get into the songs without them. All in all though an excellent album expertly produced and definately reassurting Coldplay at the top of the best sellers list. This will easily out sell X&Y, just watch it fly out of the shops regardless of what we all say on this site!Free Music Review: Surprise of the Year (2009 i.e.)
Hit: 5 Stars
I heard Coldplay the first time a decade or so ago when a local radio station played Yello, suggesting the band could be big. I immediately rushed out to buy the album, Parachutes, and was mildly disappointed. Although the album in itself is fine, Yello is a definite high mark on it. I was, therefore, a bit surprised when Coldplay had become big a few months later.
A couple of years elapsed and In My Room was released as the lead off single to their follow up album. Again, great track and the first half of the album was great. As an album as a whole I still felt something was missing in making it worthwhile, like some sort of Radiohead/US lite version (which they were actually commonly accused of being).
When I heard the Speed of Sound of their X&Y album I decided to give Coldplay a rest. It is a decent song but devoid of any progression in sound.
When Viva was released it was hyped as being a different Coldplay with Brian Eno steering them to new territories. Violet Hill, the lead off single, gave, however, few signs of any improvement. Although the title track and Lovers in Japan became hits and more importantly, songs that I did like, my interest based on past experience in listening to the album was limited.
A friend of mine owned the album and urged me to borrow it, stating it really was much better than Coldplay's previous records. Since his musical taste aligns often to mine, I decided to give it a decent try. From the very first notes until the ending, I was stunned during the first listen. It is as if the group have transformed into a different entity. Eno's influence is all over the record, with the aural landscape blending with simple melodies. There is barely a weak track on the record, except maybe the previously mentioned Violet Hill. Samples of great tracks can be found on YouTube of Strawberry Swing (fantastic video) and Lovers in Japan; both actually expressing the experimentation abundant on the album.
The main gripe is maybe the non inclusion of Life in Technicolor, which starts the album but while the version is superb, only instrumental, it would have been better also getting the long version with lyrics. That version is available on the mini album released a few months later, Prospect March, but apart from that one track little value is in that record.
Having listened constantly to this record this year (2009), I decided buying X&Y when I saw it on sale. It is, however, like their previous ones, OK (Fix You is great) but not anything to get excited about. Viva la Vida is the one Coldplay album to get, save the rest for their compilation some time later.