I don't think I have listened to this album in years and years, but I thought it was pretty good at the time.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 22 May 2019 21:11 (five years ago) link
Yeah, 'Glass of Water' was definitely worthy of going on this album, but I've no idea whereabouts on the album it could have gone. The tracklisting is pretty perfect. This is, to date, the only Coldplay album that I can really listen to front-to-back without wanting to skip anything.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 22 May 2019 21:21 (five years ago) link
pretty easily the best coldplay record, though not one of the best records of the 00s, and i agree with brad that some of prospekt's march is great too - "glass of water", "rainy day" and "prospekt's march/poppyfields" especially
voted for "strawberry swing"
― ufo, Wednesday, 22 May 2019 21:30 (five years ago) link
I remember when Pet Shop Boys did Glastonbury (I think it when they were touring on Yes) and Neil Tennant was being interviewed and he said something along the lines of that when they first heard 'Viva la Vida', they thought "ooh, they've written a Pet Shop Boys song!"
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 22 May 2019 21:32 (five years ago) link
Never listened to the album, then or since (out of snobbery and also there is so much other music), but the title track is as wonderful as it is cheesy and means as much to me personally as it is meaningless in actuality. Inextricably bound up with events in my life that started 11 years ago to the day(!) - Ill happily listen to this album to assess the rest of the tracks but my vote will be "Viva La Vida".
― dorsalstop, Wednesday, 22 May 2019 21:42 (five years ago) link
Eno doesn't have the magic touch on every album works on, but he did a really great job on this record, which makes Mylo Xyloto all the more frustrating, in the sense that this album shows that they could have pulled off their version of Zooropa if they'd wanted, but instead they decided to go more pop.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 22 May 2019 21:53 (five years ago) link
Sometimes I wish 'Chinese Sleep Chant' were twice as long. They never really returned to that territory again, and it's a shame.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 22 May 2019 23:52 (five years ago) link
i don't recall liking much of this album honestly, or even the big single. i liked "lovers in japan" tho
― dyl, Thursday, 23 May 2019 01:17 (five years ago) link
what’s the shuffly one with the organ, is that on this album?
― brimstead, Thursday, 23 May 2019 01:21 (five years ago) link
that's "lost"
― ufo, Thursday, 23 May 2019 02:16 (five years ago) link
they named the album "viva la vida" because to them this seemed like a good album title & that's the part that's hard for me to get my head around
― she carries a torch. two torches, actually (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Thursday, 23 May 2019 02:57 (five years ago) link
works as a tribute to vida blue
― mookieproof, Thursday, 23 May 2019 03:00 (five years ago) link
xpost tbf they named it Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, so even they hedged.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 23 May 2019 03:55 (five years ago) link
I was single when this record came out and was dating a Canadian gal who was really into this album, there was a shoegaze-y/dream-pop song that wasn't terrible... after googling it's "Chinese Sleep Chant".
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 23 May 2019 05:09 (five years ago) link
I come off as an elitist twat kind of in that post, I actually like a couple Coldplay songs:
"Sparks" (reminds me of Little Wings) & "Talk" ("Computer Love" is one of my fave songs and I like how they paid homage to it)
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 23 May 2019 05:14 (five years ago) link
Their best album by far. One of the best of the 00s? Don’t be a cretin.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 23 May 2019 05:57 (five years ago) link
Don't be a 'musical snob'.
― Ned Caligari (Tom D.), Thursday, 23 May 2019 06:47 (five years ago) link
*digs out Scik's positive Keane review* ;)
― imago, Thursday, 23 May 2019 06:51 (five years ago) link
Yeahyeahyeahyeah, I can hear you being all like "what? no! fuck off!" but you're wrong!
a person who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people."a musical snob"
― nicky lo-fi, Thursday, 23 May 2019 10:26 (five years ago) link
Their best album by far. One of the best of the 00s? Don’t be a cretin.― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, May 23, 2019 5:57 AM(five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, May 23, 2019 5:57 AM(five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
^ See what I mean, re: the musical snobbery issue? I mean, god forbid that Coldplay made one of the best albums of the '00s! Which they did, and throwing around words like "cretin" doesn't change this.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:21 (five years ago) link
and there were a lot of great albums released in the '00s.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:22 (five years ago) link
I mean, this album is flawlessly written, impeccably produced, absolutely breezes by as a start-to-finish listen (it doesn't sag at all), remains sonically interesting throughout and has zero filler, so I mean it obviously is a great record. That it irritates people because Coldplay made it says more about what they're unable to do than what Coldplay have done.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:36 (five years ago) link
clodyalp
― nashwan, Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:42 (five years ago) link
Textbook self-clowning.
― Ned Caligari (Tom D.), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:44 (five years ago) link
Do you have anything to say about the record, Tom?
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:50 (five years ago) link
Charlie Watts is great on it.
― Ned Caligari (Tom D.), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:51 (five years ago) link
Ah, I see - you haven't and you're only on this thread to troll. FP'd.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:54 (five years ago) link
Seriously though, I cannot stand Chris Martin's voice, which is somewhat of a drawback to appreciating Coldplay, who, otherwise, I don't have any great dislike of.
― Ned Caligari (Tom D.), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:54 (five years ago) link
(xp) LOL, you need to take a break from ILM, you're just making a fool of yourself.
― Ned Caligari (Tom D.), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:55 (five years ago) link
Ah, okay, well that's fair enough - I feel pretty much the same way about Tom Waits.
(x-post)
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:55 (five years ago) link
Tom Waits, is he someone musical snobs like?
― Ned Caligari (Tom D.), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:57 (five years ago) link
(I don't like him either btw!)
― Ned Caligari (Tom D.), Thursday, 23 May 2019 11:58 (five years ago) link
Am I musical snob if loved the first album, liked some songs of the second, then refused to listen to anything by them again after the first time I heard "Fix You"?
― enochroot, Thursday, 23 May 2019 17:08 (five years ago) link
fair reaction but it also makes me think you'd dig this record
― american bradass (BradNelson), Thursday, 23 May 2019 17:12 (five years ago) link
Yeah, I agree. Even at the time I thought that X&Y was gonna be the record that would finish them off.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 17:45 (five years ago) link
It's a bit OTT to call this record "impeccably written" but it is very well produced and arranged and performed, which more than makes up for the worst of Coldplay's inclinations (which manifested soon enough).
A mystery to me: the band worked very closely with Eno again on Zenyatta Xyloto or whatever, to the extent that he gets a "Additional composition by Brian Eno" credit. But ... he is not credited as a producer, and the album comes off as a boring pop response to the stuff they did on this album. Wonder what happened? Martin comes off pretty self-aware in this interview but also concedes he'd do anything Eno asked. Maybe Coldplay's pop direction, like 2000s U2, was Eno's doing!
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 23 May 2019 18:59 (five years ago) link
(sad lol, I've been playing this album in the background and tbh it was all a bit much so I had to turn it off)
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 23 May 2019 19:03 (five years ago) link
It's a bit OTT to call this record "impeccably written"
Elaborate.
it was all a bit much so I had to turn it off
"a bit much" in what way?
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 19:17 (five years ago) link
As I remembered the album there was I thought a bit more weirdness, but as I listened to it today however many years later it seemed pretty steeped in the usual "whoaoahoah" Coldplayisms. Given the relationship between Dravs and Eno I figured that was why he was involved, but I think they hooked up with Markus Dravs for a bit of that millennial whoop Arcade Fire stuff, like a lot of acts were doing at the time
As for how it's written, again, it was playing in the background, but a lot of the album sounded pretty (literally) sketchy to me, like a bunch of ideas and hooks and whatnot cobbled together - often in a cool way but not always as good start-to-finish songs so much as catchy mood pieces.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 23 May 2019 19:29 (five years ago) link
But I won't die on that (violet) hill.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 23 May 2019 19:30 (five years ago) link
without relistening the only song I remember from this record is "Strawberry Swing" and it was nice so I voted for it.
― Evans on Hammond (evol j), Thursday, 23 May 2019 19:35 (five years ago) link
It's really funny how a couple of people have mentioned 'Strawberry Swing' as a highlight, because I always remember that particular track generally being singled out at the time as being the one that wasn't as good as the others. I like it, of course.
The use of headphones is recommended to get the most out of this album.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 22:25 (five years ago) link
The only song I remember from this album is "Lovers in Japan." I prefer X&Y.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Thursday, 23 May 2019 22:34 (five years ago) link
Wait, neither of you remember 'Viva la Vida'!?
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 22:36 (five years ago) link
that song is very much not “impeccably written”
― brimstead, Thursday, 23 May 2019 22:42 (five years ago) link
Of course it is. There's nothing about that song that I can find fault with, and nothing about it that's unnecessary/doesn't need to be there. It became a huge hit to the surprise of nobody.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 22:54 (five years ago) link
good times for ilm
― FernandoHierro, Thursday, 23 May 2019 23:02 (five years ago) link
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ca/e4/db/cae4db4539b244b479dd293e8316dc7c.gif
― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 23 May 2019 23:06 (five years ago) link
Good times for ILM to come up with a dismissal of this record that isn't "lol Coldplay", that is... I'm still waiting!
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 23:47 (five years ago) link
I liked Coldplay's first three albums quite a bit. I saw them at Madison Square Garden on the Rush of Blood tour and really enjoyed it. But I found this album overdone, like they were trying way too hard to come up with sounds that would make people say "Well, I didn't expect that from Coldplay." It's always a bad sign when a band starts dressing in faux-military or mock-marching band uniforms, too. So IMO it's been all downhill for them starting with this album. I'm basically in full "I can't believe I used to like these guys" mode with Coldplay at this point.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Friday, 24 May 2019 00:15 (five years ago) link
I only like a handful of Coldplay songs but listened to this all the way through for the first time last night. In terms of production/sonics it's a lot stronger than what they'd done previously but bar a few exceptions I just don't think they write particularly interesting melodies. Would give my vote to 'Death and All His Friends'.
― Gavin, Leeds, Friday, 24 May 2019 09:22 (five years ago) link
I saw them on this tour and it was a truly life-defining moment because I was 5th row and I turned around like every song when things got very Coldplay-esque and watched an entire stadium of people less cool than me experience emotions that I'm too dead to ever experience myself
This is very much what my experience was like seeing them on the Rush of Blood tour. I distinctly remember thinking that this was not music that would work in a small club at all - they really needed the giant scale of an arena and a massive worshipful crowd singing along for their music to do its job properly.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Friday, 24 May 2019 10:13 (five years ago) link
i.e. the U2 Effect
― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 24 May 2019 10:44 (five years ago) link
What appeals to me about Viva La Vida is that the lyrics kinda deal with a topic that I haven’t heard dealt with with such grace in a another #1 single, basically,: “oh wow I’m 32 and the denial of my youthful agency is taking on internal proportions that I would describe as biblical”Kill me for being a sucker for a big single that describes a universal experience in a singular manner
Kill me for being a sucker for a big single that describes a universal experience in a singular manner
― dorsalstop, Friday, 24 May 2019 11:36 (five years ago) link
in his 60s my dad adopted it as his anthem when he and my mom got divorced
normally chris martin is a terrible lyricist (i think he's even copped to this, his lyrics are more space fillers than they are expressing anything usually) but "viva la vida" is p easily his best work
― american bradass (BradNelson), Friday, 24 May 2019 11:49 (five years ago) link
I have no idea what the lyrics to any Coldplay song are so it’s the string patches, which sound like a free software demo, that ruin the song for me.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Friday, 24 May 2019 11:52 (five years ago) link
Yeah 'Viva La Vida' I was close to liking but the strings and the 'whoahoh' bit sort of spoil it. Full disclosure, I have a sort of lingering resentment towards the singles as they were on the radio all the time during a particularly depressing time at my depressing previous job.
― Gavin, Leeds, Friday, 24 May 2019 11:59 (five years ago) link
fuck coldplay and all your feeble human emotions!!!!!!!!!!
― big gym sw0les (crüt), Friday, 24 May 2019 12:05 (five years ago) link
the strings on vlv are live, though recorded one at time and overdubbed instead of using a string section or orchestra, but i can hear how they'd be mistaken for synths
i don't love it but i can agree it's one of martin's few decent lyrics and certainly the best out of their biggest hits. there's a lot of really nice sonic touches throughout, presumably thanks to eno, and i like the choral backing vocals at around 2:12 a lot.
― ufo, Friday, 24 May 2019 12:30 (five years ago) link
recorded one at time and overdubbed instead of using a string section or orchestra
Just ftr there is absolutely no reason to ever do this, unless you're just actively trying to waste your label's money. Especially not if you're gonna get the results these dorks got.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Friday, 24 May 2019 13:03 (five years ago) link
https://vimeo.com/116989320
oh actually at about 4:50 here davide rossi's (who arranged and played the strings on it) thing is explained - he's figured out some setup with multiple microphones to get an orchestral sound from a single violin when those tracks are put together, and then he overdubs loops etc
but i don't really get it
― ufo, Friday, 24 May 2019 13:17 (five years ago) link
revisiting a rush of blood to the head and wow “god put a smile upon your face” is a really good song
― american bradass (BradNelson), Friday, 24 May 2019 14:21 (five years ago) link
riff is very radiohead but the rhythm section take it in kind of a post-punky direction and it sounds fantastic
― american bradass (BradNelson), Friday, 24 May 2019 14:24 (five years ago) link
Yeah, I completely agree. It was my favourite song on the album by a long way even at the time, and for me it's still the highlight and has retained its freshness, whereas other songs on that record - 'Clocks' and 'The Scientist' mostly - were killed very quickly for me by overplay. I like 'Daylight' also, even if it's not quite as good as 'God Put a Smile Upon Your Face'
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Saturday, 25 May 2019 23:39 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Tuesday, 28 May 2019 00:01 (five years ago) link
Just ftr there is absolutely no reason to ever do this, unless you're just actively trying to waste your label's money. Especially not if you're gonna get the results these dorks got.― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Friday, May 24, 2019 1:03 PM (four days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Friday, May 24, 2019 1:03 PM (four days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
There's, of course, a very good reason to do this. If things are recorded separately, it gives whoever it mixing the record more flexibility and control at the mixing stage without having to worry about bleed. The downside of this, of course, is that it can also feel a little sterile, but in this case I think the band were just trying a different approach and seeing what happened. I think the end result sounds great, of course.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 28 May 2019 00:33 (five years ago) link
Uh, hey. I have done exactly that on hundreds of records. There are ways to make overdubbed single violins sound wonderful. It isn't easy and there are lots of methods and tricks, but Davide's method sounds really good to me.
It is really expensive to hire orchestras on albums, and especially expensive for major label artists such as Coldplay; major labels oftentimes have mores stringent requirements with regards to adhering to union regulations with your choice of orchestra.
― flamboyant goon tie included, Tuesday, 28 May 2019 02:45 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Wednesday, 29 May 2019 00:01 (five years ago) link
I went with 'Chinese Sleep Chant' in the end, but 'Cemeteries of London', 'Lost!' and '42' all deserved a vote.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 29 May 2019 00:04 (five years ago) link
the new songs are a return to VLV's art-rock lite so they've vaguely got my interest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goyq7GDYEkE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJNG3WmsOs4
― ufo, Sunday, 27 October 2019 08:50 (four years ago) link
"arabesque" rules
― american bradass (BradNelson), Monday, 28 October 2019 02:00 (four years ago) link
Yeah, "Arabesque" makes me think they've been listening to 70s Afro-rock.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Monday, 28 October 2019 02:02 (four years ago) link
...Drew Goddard (the director) has a writing credit on that?
― Simon H., Monday, 28 October 2019 05:42 (four years ago) link
they've absolutely been listening to 70s afro-rock - the "music is a weapon" bit is a fela kuti sample and one of his sons and one of his grandsons play on it. palestinian oud trio le trio joubran also play on it
― ufo, Monday, 28 October 2019 10:51 (four years ago) link
"orphans" feels especially indebted to the unforgettable fire & the joshua tree, even for them, but that's not a bad thing
― ufo, Monday, 28 October 2019 11:18 (four years ago) link
"Arabesque" was a nice surprise, but that "Orphans" song sounds pretty generic to me, not unlike that loosely Afro-poppy "Adventure of a Lifetime" song of theirs or one of those recent Beck songs."Colors?"
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 October 2019 11:48 (four years ago) link
i think this new album might be their best, pleasantly surprised
― ufo, Thursday, 21 November 2019 21:00 (four years ago) link
"trouble in town" is really cool
― ufo, Friday, 22 November 2019 06:21 (four years ago) link
livestream of their performance in jordan right now on youtube
― DT, Friday, 22 November 2019 06:36 (four years ago) link
"Church" is very much the same widescreen late 90s downtempo-influenced-by-"world music" feeling as Ray of Light and i love it
― ufo, Saturday, 23 November 2019 02:24 (four years ago) link
this album is excellent
― american bradass (BradNelson), Monday, 25 November 2019 16:50 (four years ago) link
unfortunately Chris "Lib Dem" Martin is now cancelled
― FBPRieu (Noodle Vague), Monday, 25 November 2019 16:51 (four years ago) link
the first side is really wonderful the whole way through, even the lyrics of "daddy" can't make me dislike it. it's a shame nothing else is quite as adventurous as "arabesque" for them but as i said before "church" and "trouble in town" are highlights too
the second side is much more inconsistent though, "cry cry cry" is horribly cloying and a terrible use of that sample, it's the only track i skip. "bani adam" is an interlude in form but longer than a lot of the proper songs and both parts of it are fairly insubstantial. "eko" and "old friends" are gorgeous folk ballads at least, some of their very prettiest. "orphans" is one of the few concessions to radio and arenas but evokes the wide open desert feeling of joshua tree-era u2 in a really nice way, especially the verse. the chorus is a little clunky but as far as big coldplay arena anthems go i really like it. the other one on this album, "champion of the world" is plodding and forgettable though
― ufo, Tuesday, 26 November 2019 11:43 (four years ago) link
i think they get away with the earnest prettiness of tracks like "daddy" here because they don't aim for any sort of big arena-rock emotional catharsis climax in the way they usually would. they're happy just to let the songs be extremely pretty and float along (and really they're recorded so gorgeously here!)
― ufo, Tuesday, 26 November 2019 11:47 (four years ago) link
Best Coldplay album in 11 years. Looks like EDM and loudness war is finally toned down a good bit.
― The GeirBot (Geir Hongro), Wednesday, 27 November 2019 12:32 (four years ago) link
Heard "Champion of the World" today and liked it!
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 16 January 2020 01:55 (four years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWUV5-frRU4
they've gone prog?
paris from king has a writing credit on it
― ufo, Friday, 23 July 2021 01:35 (two years ago) link
haha they have bts on their single out this week that's a very goofy move
― ufo, Tuesday, 21 September 2021 09:43 (two years ago) link
They played City Winery in NYC last night, which holds about 500 people max.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Tuesday, 21 September 2021 14:29 (two years ago) link
That must be a thing as bands ease back into live performance. Metallica played here last night at a venue that holds a thousand max.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 21 September 2021 14:49 (two years ago) link