Music - Coldplay Appreciation #16 - Because VLV is the musical equivalent of a work of art!

**~*bitterswt*~** · 06-16-2008, 10:58 AM

Coldplay Appreciation Thread

The Band
Chris Martin - Vocals, Piano, Guitar
Jonny Buckland - Lead Guitar
Guy Berryman - Bass Guitar
Will Champion - Drums

Discography
Parachutes - July 10th, 2000
A Rush of Blood to the Head - August 27th, 2002
X&Y - June 6th, 2005
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends - June 12th, 2008

Singles
Yellow
Trouble
In My Place
The Scientist
Clocks
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
Moses
Speed of Sound
Fix You
Talk
The Hardest Part
White Shadows
Violet Hill

Links
Official Site
Coldplaying

Biography
Coldplay never intended to become England's favorite rock & roll sons when their signature rock melodies ruled the charts throughout 2000. The Brit rock quartet -- composed of Chris Martin (vocals/piano), Jon Buckland (guitar), Will Champion (drums), and Guy Berryman (bass) -- yearned to mess around a bit, plucking their own acoustics for fun while attending the University College of London. All had been playing instruments since their early teens and had been influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, the Stone Roses, Neil Young, and My Bloody Valentine.

They never imagined taking reign of the U.K.'s ever-changing rock scene. Each member had come from a solid household of working-class parents who encouraged music. Martin, the eldest of five, began playing the piano as a young child. He started playing in bands around age 15 and sought solace in the words of Tom Waits. Buckland, on the other hand, was into the heavy guitar work of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix and was playing guitar by age 11. Scotland native Berryman was into funk instead of indie rock, therefore leaving him to play bass. The multi-instrumentalist, Champion, didn't plan to be a drummer until he joined Coldplay. He favored playing guitar, bass, and the tin whistle, but caught on to playing percussion when the band became official.

Coldplay was heart-rending like Travis, passionate like Jeff Buckley, and as fresh as Oasis when they burst onto the scene. They had played their first gig at a festival for unsigned bands in Manchester, and the Safety EP was issued shortly thereafter. The Brothers & Sisters EP was issued by Fierce Panda and released a year later. (Both releases saw only 500 pressings.) Their sweet melodies and swooning lyrics landed Coldplay a U.K. deal with Parlophone in April 1999, and the five-track limited-edition Blue Room EP followed that fall. With nods from the media, the dream pop foursome was hailed as the next Travis, thanks to their simplistic acoustics and charming personas. Two more EPs, Shiver and Yellow, arrived in spring 2000.

Their full-length debut, Parachutes, earned the band a Mercury Music Prize in the U.K. It saw a U.S. release in November 2000, and a month later "Yellow" was chosen as the theme song for all promo spots for ABC. The well-received hype surrounding Coldplay continued throughout 2001 as well; they were nominated for three Brit Awards and embarked on a sold-out ten-date tour of the U.S. Rumors of a split consumed most of the U.S. tour. Martin frequently battled nasty colds and voice exhaustion, which led Coldplay to cancel a series of American dates and scrap a European tour. With all gossip aside, Coldplay resumed playing in summer 2001 and earned additional success with second single "Trouble."

By fall, they headed into the studio for a second album. Rumor had it that it might be Coldplay's last album, for the bandmembers felt they might not capture such brilliance again. A Rush of Blood to the Head was released in August 2002. The CD/DVD package Live 2003 was issued one year later. Capturing the band's show at the Horden Pavilion in Sydney, Australia, it highlighted Coldplay's monumental success worldwide with A Rush of Blood to the Head. Martin specifically earned a higher notch on the celebrity scale by marrying actress Gwyneth Paltrow in December 2003. Paltrow gave birth to the couple's first daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, the following April.

Fatherhood didn't stop Martin from working, as Coldplay began recording material for a third album within weeks. Previously recorded material with longtime producer Ken Nelson was scrapped early on, while Danton Supple (Morrissey, the Cure) joined Coldplay to complete the recording of X&Y. "Speed of Sound" marked Coldplay's first single from their long-awaited third effort in spring 2005; the album followed in June, topping the charts around the world, including America and Britain.

The band released their fourth studio album, "Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends" in June of 2008. Produced by Brian Eno, this album is said to be a new direction for the band. Coldplay released their first single "Violet Hill" off the album in late April, offering it as a free download to fans worldwide. It has since reached up to 2 million downloads and charted well across the globe. The band will be kicking off it's Viva La Vida World Tour later this month, offering free gigs in New York, London and Barcelona. Check out the full tour date schedule here!

The previous thread can be found here.

**~*bitterswt*~** · 06-16-2008, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Coldplay's melodic 'Viva La Vida' should please fans who relish signature sound
June 16, 2008
The Canadian Press

Coldplay's hit-making formula has served the band well: Thoughtful, mid-tempo songs driven by pleasant melodic hooks delivered by frontman Chris Martin's blend of sublime and soaring vocals.

And the British quartet doesn't stray too far in its latest effort, "Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends."

Despite the band's decision to embrace experimentation and shake things up, "Viva La Vida ..." sounds more like the result of a brief, quirky musical detour than a huge departure from what Coldplay delivered in its previous three studio albums.

That's bound to please longtime fans who relish Coldplay's signature sound, but could underwhelm those who may have been looking for Martin and Co. to follow up 2005's "X&Y" with a more substantial surprising, musical journey.

Still, a few tracks off "Viva La Vida ..." are formidable additions to the band's oeuvre, including the shimmering "Cemeteries Of London," the anthemic "Lovers In Japan," and the sweet pop of "Strawberry Swing."

Martin and his cohorts - bassist Guy Berryman, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland and drummer Will Champion - infused "Viva La Vida ..." with a mix of introspective ballads and mid-tempo rockers exploring themes of religion, loss and love.

The album was produced by Markus Dravs, Rik Simpson and Brian Eno, a master of ambient soundscapes and experimentation known for helping artists such as U2 stretch their musical legs.

Eno and the other producers clearly were enlisted to do the same with Coldplay, and the tracks on "Viva La Viva ..." are peppered with exotic musical touches, from African rhythms and sounds to even fiddle-driven melodies, like on "Yes."

(The band also threw in a couple of curve-balls on the track listing, burying two hidden tracks in the album.)

The album opens with an upbeat instrumental that feels like it's building to a grand climax, but just ends. Things pick up gradually from that point on, as Martin croons over light synth and piano on "Cemeteries Of London." The track soon swells on flamenco handclaps and guitar to a catchy refrain of "Singing lala-lalalala-lay/And the night over London lay."

In "Lost," Coldplay marries rhythms driven by handclaps, drums and tablas with a backdrop from a church organ as Martin sings, "You might be a big fish in a little pond/Doesn't mean you've won/Cause along will come a bigger one."

The track "Viva La Vida" showcases perhaps Martin's best lyrical work on the album. The track, at once layered and pulsing with strings, combines urgency with built-for-sing-along refrains including: "For some reason I can't explain/I know St. Peter won't call my name/Never an honest word/But that was when I ruled the world."

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: "Violet Hill" features a gritty guitar, production and melodic twists that harken to John Lennon's solo work. Martin shows great phrasing on the chorus, delivered with bombast early in the song and then as if he were singing a lullaby at the end: "If you love me, won't you let me know."

"Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends" (Capitol Records)

And re-posting this from the previous thread:

Quote:

New Coldplay Album Sells 300K In Three Days
June 16, 2008
Billboard

Coldplay raced to a No. 1 debut on the new U.K. album chart yesterday (June 15) with "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" (Parlophone/EMI), even though the album was only released on Thursday, halfway through the sales week.

"Viva La Vida" sold 302,000 units through Saturday night, according to data from the Official U.K. Chart Company, making it the band's fastest-selling release. The total compares to the 465,000 sold by 2005's "X&Y" in a full sales week, and 274,000 for 2002's "A Rush of Blood to the Head."

One more day till we get it in Canada/the US!

Brajavio · 06-16-2008, 11:07 AM

Just a note, in the OP it says "Viva La Vida - July 12th, 2008"

...Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends - June 14th, 2008

**~*bitterswt*~** · 06-16-2008, 11:09 AM

Thanks Chris, changed that.

Brajavio · 06-16-2008, 11:11 AM

I don't even know my Coldplay clearly, it was June 12th the debut

And thanks for the new thread,

such a great title! And I love the OP, so much Coldplay photo goodness!

**~*bitterswt*~** · 06-16-2008, 11:22 AM

Ah, I thought so! But clearly the July part was wayyy off...I was getting it confused with Delta, her US album will be out in July!

Can't wait till tomorrow, when I'll actually be able to discuss the album in detail with you all!

Brajavio · 06-16-2008, 11:25 AM

Yeah, I was like July, what?

I was getting the UK release mixed up with our release. Ah well! Its all fixed now!

Yes, I cannot wait til' we all have heard it.

**~*bitterswt*~** · 06-16-2008, 01:08 PM

What's been your favourite track so far, Chris?

Brajavio · 06-16-2008, 01:13 PM

Hmmm its tough! But...I'd probably say Strawberry Swing, Life in Technicolor and Yes all equal. In my opinion there is not one bad song on the album, it is all awesome.

I managed to get tuned into the live concert they are doing right now at Brixton yay

**~*bitterswt*~** · 06-16-2008, 01:18 PM

Oh that's awesome! Wish I could see it!

Brajavio · 06-16-2008, 01:30 PM

I wish I was there...

Carlie06 · 06-16-2008, 02:58 PM

TFTNT!

I hear Strawberry Swing and Lovers in Japan are awesome.

ETA: Just read the People mag and they gave Coldplay 4 out of 4 stars with a great review to boot.

**~*bitterswt*~** · 06-16-2008, 07:07 PM

TFTNT? I'm having a little trouble figuring that out, Carlie.

Awesome about the People review! Is it online anywhere?

Carlie06 · 06-16-2008, 07:14 PM

LOL! Thanks For The New Thread. I'm lazy.

I dunno. I read it in that actual mag. It may.

**~*bitterswt*~** · 06-16-2008, 07:31 PM

LOL, ahhh! Sorry for making you type all that out, first time I've seen that acronym.

I'll have to look out for it in the actual mag then.

A few more hours!!!