Coldplay
Rock Handbook Rule #6 clearly states "a Rocker must come from an impoverished background, have numerous chips on his/her shoulder and be troubled in some profound way." Attending University College of London, an institution known for turning out bankers and Parliament members, rather than malcontents, would seem to violate the rule.
Chris Martin (vocals), Jon Buckland (guitar), Guy Berryman (bass) and Will Champion (drums), all University College students, formed Coldplay in '98. That same year they released a couple of EPs ("The Safety" and "Brothers and Sisters") on indie labels that went nowhere. However, the following year they signed with Parlophone Records and recorded three more EPs ("Blue Room," "Shiver" and "Yellow"). The UK music press soon proclaimed Coldplay " the next big thing." Finally, tracks from recent EPs made an appearance on Coldplay's full-length debut "Parachutes" which led with the mid tempo acoustic/electric "Yellow." The U.S. release came in November of '00. "Rush of Blood To The Head" followed in '02. The next year the group released "Coldplay Live 2003" which contained versions of their best known songs and a couple previously unreleased tracks. The packaged included a bonus DVD of a live concert, with lyrics and a tour diary.
In between all this activity, Martin married actress Gwyneth Paltrow and started a family. The couple soon became inescapable at the magazine counter.
Work on Coldplay's fourth studio album began in late '06. Touring caused the project to be put on hold but by the end of '07 the album was said to be finished. "Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends," with the lead single "Violet Hill" (a Top 10 hit on the Modern Rock chart) was issued in June, '08. Just a day before the set was release Coldplay launched their 'Viva la Vida World Tour' with a free concert at Brixton Academy in London.
Coldplay often gets compared to the likes of Radiohead. That's not necessarily a good thing.
Because the songs were developed over time and without much pressure, "Parachutes" holds up. Second effort "Rush of Blood To The Head" is diffuse at best, boring at worst. Opening track "Politik" is a piano ballad with a little punch in the chorus. Not until the third track "God Put A Smile On Your Face" does the group show any real life. Later on, "Warning Sign" sounds like a rehash of "Politik" only with an acoustic guitar subbing for the piano. Not much happening here.
On "Coldplay Live 2003" the group amps up the energy and are better for it. Not surprising, the strongest studio tracks become the best concert performances. "God Put A Smile On Your Face" still stands out. "Shiver" remains dreamy while "Yellow's" airy intro gives way to a solid rendition. The audience is eating all this up and are a bit intrusive - but then again, this is a live album not church. There are also two good previously unreleased uptempo tracks "One I Love" and "Moses."
Coldplay stretches a bit (longer songs) on "X & Y" while Chris Martin (a.k.a. Mr. Gwyneth Paltrow) works his plaintive and often mournful vocals to good effect. The album has a handful of good songs including "Square One," "Speed Of Sound," "A Message" and "Low." "White Shadows" could pass for an '80s U2 track. As often happens, a problem arises with the ballads. With the exception of the acoustic "#13 Hidden Track" which is not half bad, the slower songs don't hold together. "What If" brings back the sleepy piano and diligently tries to be profound. But it's consistently undercut by easy rhymes. The title track is an excursion into Art Rock and "Tragic Logic" doesn't fare much better.
Nobody expects a blazing or trailblazing album from Coldplay. They have found huge commercial success and a measure of credibility landing just left of pop. But on "Viva La Vida" they give their sound some muscle and continue to expand the aperture (under the guidance of producers by Brian Eno and Markus Dravs). World beat influences on "Life In Technicolour" and the earthy, tight rhythms, similar to U2's mid-'80's mode, on "Cemeteries Of London" signal the group's altered tradjectory. "Lovers In Japan" is an energetic acoustic number with a quirky pop feel while the midtempo yet dreamy "Strawberry Swing" features an irresistible guitar hook.
Of course, when it's money time, Coldplay still relies on the downtempo material to get across. "Viva La Vida" and "Violet Hill" are both engaging with clever arrangements that accentuate Martin's emotive vocals.
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