Coldplay you either love them or you hate them. I for one love them, and have ever since their groundbreaking album "Parachutes". Coldplay are very much a unique band, no one will ever produce the sound or music they do, hence why you either love their music or hate it.

Their first three albums i feel don't fully do the whole of Coldplay justice. I don't think in the first three albums do we see the true ability they have. Saying that Parachutes, Rush of Blood to the Head and X&Y are all amazing albums. I truly can say none of there song are bad, each song Coldplay produce has a meaning to it. Chris martin ( singer ) is my idol he really is, his ability to create amazing meaningful songs is just wow. The only fault, people have about Coldplay is they feel all their albums sound the same... well that is bs. They dont. You gota Give Coldplay credit for their guts. After the so-inoffensive-it-hurt X&Y, Coldplay could have taken the safe route and continued to make heart-warming ballads and spaced out piano rock that would garner lots of cash regardless of its actual worth until the end of their days, and everyone would have been just fine with that. Indifferent, maybe, but just fine nonetheless.


But then we wouldn’t have Viva La Vida. Viva La Vida shows Coldplay taking the risks that the general public had no idea they would ever take and having a ball doing it. The result is easily Coldplay’s best album to date, a record filled with exuberance, charm, and the heart they’ve been feigning for years.


The album opens in a shimmer of keyboards with "Life In Technicolor", building over two minutes of dulcimer and drums before giving way to "Cemeteries of London", a faux-folk piece built from wisps of U2-ish guitar and piano, whipped along by galloping drums. “Cemeteries of London” exudes tons of promise for Viva La Vida, a promise only delivered on by tracks like “42” and "Viva la Vida" A great start, will this great start keep on flowing though?


Life In Technicolor - a twinkling electro-acoustic instrumental that might have strayed from an U2 record. 9/10

Cemeteries Of London - I don't no why but this song reminds me alot of U2, with the " galloping drums" and Chris Martins "whispers" in his voice. It is a very well, wierd way to open the album. Chris went for a more traditional style of writing. I love the sea shanty-like chant of la la, la la la la, while the song is propelled by a clean clipped beat. It makes me wont more more more and more. Do i get it? 9/10

Lost! - That now traditional Coldplay church organ makes its sombre appearance and we’re on familiar footing. “Just because I’m losing, doesn’t mean I’m lost”, the frontman enigmatically intones from the start. I like this song alot. 8/10

42 - "42" is Viva La Vida's own matured version of the "The Scientist" or "Trouble". “Those who are dead, are not dead, they’re just living in my head”, Chris Martin rather disturbingly claims. Another sombre reflection on life, death and all the syrupy bits in between, it waltzes along gracefully on a bed of unobtrusive orchestration until halfway through the song snaps into something more biting; the violins begin to scale the walls and guitars begin to slash through the speakers, before a rush of crystal chorus streams out. “You didn’t get to heaven but you made it close”, we are giddily informed, showing how Coldplay have matured once again and has took another look at life and death. Defiantly my favorite song on the album. 11/10

Lovers In Japan/Reign Of Love - A slice of pure eighties infused pop, nibbling at the hems of the Psychedelic Furs and the band’s beloved Echo & The Bunnymen, but with a sweeter touch. The ivories twinkle and guitars trail in an Edge-lite manner in fact it sounds like a less self-conscious rendition of U2s ‘City of Blinding Lights’. Essentially it’s all Coldplay’s big stadium backlit rock moments curled into one and proof that melody will never desert Martin, regardless of any desire to bury it all in what to him sounds like on-the-edge experimentation. The song segues into a gentle piano lullaby, which seemingly is the ‘Reign of Love’ part of the song. It’s merely pleasantly non-descript though. 9/10

Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant’ - Another two-for-one special from the quartet, although there’s nothing to distinguish the two tracks from each other, if they are meant to be separate at all; Regardless, the ‘Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant’ is probably the stand-out radio-humping track from the album which also means that its among the best songs on the record. Essentially ‘Speed of Sound’ with Brian Wilson drum rolls and lush strings replacing soaring guitars, it’s a lovely piece of melody and astute chord changes. Think of a birds-eye view of Scrooge spinning round in the snow on Christmas day, redeemed and reborn; well this is the song that would be played. For once the lyrics fail to grate, and even though they reference Saint Peter and missionaries in foreign fields it all feels rather apt. 9/10

Viva La Vida - One of my favorite songs on the album. Its a very hard hitting song. "Viva La Vida" itself likewise cleaves to a Coldplay staple, in this case that of devising a simple, memorable melody line and ramming it home through endless repetition. It adopts an oddly chipper tone for a song about a former leader fallen on hard times, but makes an apt pairing with the cantering battle fantasy. Chris.... wonts to fight in a battle lol. (= 10/10

Violet Hill - The opening single as it were called back in the day. Familiar to millions already. Not the best song on the album, but its catchy. The solo is also a nice addition to the song i was shocked to here it the first time i head the song. "if you love me , wont you let me know?" 9/10


I LOVE YOU COLDPLAY.

Strawberry Swing
- Awww man, you have to love this song. When i heard the opening 20 seconds i had no idea where the song would go, i was think country song maybe? LOL i was very much wrong. ‘Strawberry Swing’ is a lovely ruminating track. Muted and pastoral it exudes a lightness of touch that the band so often fail to display. It’s such a perfect day, declares Martin over a gentle clatter of drums and Bucklands-looped, forever lost guitar. Alot better than "Violet Hill" This should be a single. 10/10

Death And All His Friends - The last track of "Viva La Vida". You would think Coldplay being Coldplay they would end it with a song to remember, a song to keep you're hunger for more at bay. I didn't get that feeling though. I got the feeling that they ran out of idea's. I'm sure they didn't but that's the impression i get. Saying that its not a bad song, i liked the "crowd" feeling you got when you heard all of the members of Coldplay singing together. Was something really nice to hear, something new within the band its self. 8/10


Overall Impression - It safe to say that Coldplay has toped all of their past 3 albums. Why? They have matured, and moved from the typical "Chris Martin song" to a "Coldplay song" If you don't know what i mean, i dont understand myself either. If your a big Coldplay fan i feel you will understand what i mean. The feeling i get with the album is that the "whole band" has put their own feelings into the album. Every single member of Coldplay has put their own musical ability into "Viva La Vida" and this is something new.

If you were hoping for a new "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" or "Parachutes" you will be disappointed because you don't have that. What you do have though is a album that has changed my aspect on music once again. "Viva La Vida" is Coldplay at their finest, there sound has grown up and so have they.

10/10


* Parachutes (2000)
* A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
* X&Y (2005)
* Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)





Sources for "some" information google.

Great review. I think it's a great album too. Almost all of you rating were exactly what i would put except i would rate 42 and DAAHF a 9.5.

I do like Coldplay, but I have nothing from them.

I think with this album release I will get a discography and listen to them a lot more.

After I listen, I will review it.

Nice review

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Lots of nice words, but I have some points to refute:

"I truly can say none of there song are bad, each song Coldplay produce has a meaning to it."

NONE of Coldplay's songs are bad? I know you enjoy this album and this band, but that doesn't mean you can't be critical of some of their works. Songs like "The Hardest Part", "Swallowed in the Sea", undoubtedly suck.

"The only fault, people have about Coldplay is they feel all their albums sound the same... well that is bs."

Well, aside from the fact that some of their songs are downright terrible, they do tend to rework a lot of material. "Speed of Sound" is just a crappy way to cash in on the success of their single "Clocks". Now many artists have the same vibe from album to album, and Coldplay does hold a core sound throughout, but the fault doesn't lie within their monotony: it's the mediocrocie of their songs. They sound the same, and aside from some singles, are largely filler material.

Now I have not heard Viva La Vida... yet (nor do I really intend to), but I have heard a portion of the title track. It's a stray from Coldplay's old vibe, but it isn't flat out terrible. Really, I give credit for this to Brian Eno, who worked with the band during the process of creating this album. Eno, who practically created ambient music, is amazing. I don't know how the rest of the album turned out, but with Eno, it probably surpasses any of their previous work.

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Nice review I'm listening to the album right now.

Cemeteries Of London is my fave song for sure.

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I said each song they produce has meaning, i never i liked them all (=. There's songs i enjoy and some i find niffy, but i do agree with you though.

On the point about Eno, he undoubtedly played a big role in the album. You can tell by there music change, the change though is not a bad one. He's made them look at their music in a new way.

Wow, nicely written review. I've got to listen to these songs.

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All songs have meaning, just different meanings then other. Music is an art where the medium of sound is used to depict or reveal some form of emotion from the artist to the listener. While some song's meanings may seem more "trivial" than others, you really can't place ones meaning above another, you can judge the manner in which the meaning is presented (which, in turn, affects the effectiveness of the meaning the artist wishes to portray).

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Damn, I like those songs. I'll have to agree with buddy here, I really cannot think of one Coldplay song I 'hate'. Like, a song may be a little dull or mundane, but almost all of their songs are absolute cash-money in my opinion. They have a very soothing and detailed sound that I've loved through all 3 albums. Lyrics are always catchy and inspiring.

I have not listened to Viva la Vida yet, but I'm about to download it and I'll post a review of meh own.

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