Viva La Vida Reviews

• Viviendo La Vida!

  
  By A3O8YT41TDXL0B on 2008-06-17
  Coldplay has turned in another solid effort with its 4th studio album, the indecisively-titled "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends," but they expand their boundaries this time. Gone is the predictability of tightly-wound, highly catchy 4 minute arena pop/rock anthems marching in succession, not to mention the sensitive male singer/songwriter clichés and often dial-by-numbers production values. The British quartet has traded that solid but stagnant formula for artsy experimentation, and the results are commendable, even if their enlisting legendary studio wizard Brian Eno to bolster the LP's ethereal, left-field sound is in and of itself predictable. These songs do not lend themselves to radio playlists in the vein of "Clocks" or "Talk," but the album is their most intriguing and memorable. The results are a little less Phil Collins, a little more Peter Gabriel.
  
  The highly digitized, nearly instrumental "Life In Technicolor" opens the album on a high note with sweeping Middle-Eastern instrumentation and loopy, buoyant beats. Immediately ascertainable is that this is not an album that can safely grace the intercom of the local ShopRite. With hand claps and frothy production values behind a droning, funereal organ, "Lost!" is a poignant, yearning ode to finding salvation and a new lease on life. Accented by just the right amount of electric guitar, the intriguing, atypical track not only rocks and invigorates but finds these talented musicians trying for something new and succeeding, underscoring the album's unexpectedly adventurous direction.
  
  With its soul-searching sentiments and sizzling melody, chugging lead single "Viva La Vida" is the only track that oozes mainstream appeal with its sweeping, gorgeously evocative melody that has landed it at #1 on the Billboard pop charts. In that light, it is classic Coldplay and, amazingly, their first Top 5 hit. Even alternate lead single "Violet Hill," a Top 40 hit, defies radio programmers with its mercurial tempo and deep, adventurous lyrics. Singer Chris Martin, however, has never sounded more confident in his delivery, and the band's playing skills have never been demonstrated so impressively in-studio. These four guys sound truly in-sync, and rather than burying their sound Eno smartly accentuates it, bringing out the essence of the songs.
  
  The plaintive "42" is another awesome outing. After 90 seconds of mellow piano and dark lyrics the song zooms into a succession of production swirls, fast melody swings and snazzy electric guitars. It is not only a marvel, but worth many listens. "Lovers In Japan" is also a winner with its sunny, bristly melody - the way Martin wraps his vocals around the proceedings is a pleasure to hear. The thunderous ode to peace that is "Death and All His Friends" is also a highlight as it closes the album before revealing a hidden track titled "The Escapist," a mellow finale set to the tune of "Life In Technicolor."
  
  The men of Coldplay will likely lose fans who prize clear-cut ear candy over adventurousness, yet will surely gain respect from those who had previously written them off as creators of slick but predictable radio-savvy pop/rock. What's for sure, however, is that this is their most interesting outing to date.
  
  The painting on the album covers is "Liberty Leading the People (La Liberté guidant le peuple)" by French artist Eugène Delacroix depicting the July Revolution of 1830.
  
  

• Coldplay enters into yet newer territory, with great results

  
  By A14GK0E64J0WAS on 2008-06-17
  As a fan from Coldplay's very early days (I still have "Parachutes" as one of my favorite albums of the last decade, and I saw the band's second ever US gig, in February 2001 in Portland, OR), I have to admit that I was somewhat apprehensive about the new album, which has been widely touted as Coldplay's 'experimental' album. One of the things touted was that the album would feature sounds recorded in a Barcelona church, as if anyone really cares about that, in the end we just want to hear good songs/a good album. So.... three years after "X&Y", finally comes Coldplay's 4th studio album.
  
  "Viva la Vida or Death and All of His Friends" (10 tracks, 46 min.) starts off with a 1-2 blast of the soaring instrumental "Life in Technicolor" and the equally great "Cemeteries of London". "Lost!" finds Chris Martin pensive ("I May Be Losing/But I'm Not Lost"). The album centers around the two long tracks into the middle: "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" (2 separate songs stapled together for whatever reason, with "Lovers in Japan" reminding me of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name", courtesy of producer Brian Eno) and "Yes", which also features 2 different songs, albeit under the same name. "Viva La Vida" (2nd single, also featured in the iPod commercial, prompting Coldplay to its biggest Billboard Hot 100 success ever at No. 3) is a nice dreamy song. "Violet Hill" (1st single) is for me the best song on the album, even without it being catchy as such. The album's closer "Death and All of His Friends" crashes in after a pensive beginning and also includes the 'hidden' track "Chinese Sleep Chant", which reprises the"Life in Technicolor" theme, and a nice way to round off the album.
  
  In all, this album makes clear that this is not the Coldplay of yesteryear. Even "X&Y" sounds dated by this. There isn't a single "catchy" song as such on here. "Speed of Sound" from "X&Y", the last link to the earlier Coldplay instantly recognizable sound, sounds far, far away now. No falsetto singing from Chris Martin is to be found here. This is the new Coldplay. "Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends" is intended what U2's fourth studio album, 1984's "The Unforgettable Fire", was intended to be: a nice break with the previous band's output, paving the way for more ambitious future outings, and on that level, Coldplay definitely have arrived. Whether Coldplay has an album like U2's next album, 1987's "The Joshua Tree", in them remains to be seen. But this album sure feels like Coldplay is up to it. I am in for the ride.
  
  

• Assuming We Knew Nothing of Coldplay...

  
  By A107R79K63CE30 on 2008-06-17
  And assuming that we had no knowledge of any of Coldplay's previous 3 albums, and assuming that we had no idea of Coldplay's alleged greatness in today's music world. So without any comparison or benchmark, here's what I have to say.
  
  "Life in Technicolor" is so aptly titled. An instrumental arrangement that gradually picks up in volume, texture and excitement, this album opener is so colourful it reminds you of a carnival. It gets your foot tapping and your head nodding. Some sources rumour that this song will be sung in words in Coldplay's next CD. The mood then glooms down when "Cemeteries of London" comes along. Sinister synthesizers flood the atmosphere and mysterious notes tinkle from the piano before the beats enter and the song erupts into a minor-key rock anthem. You'll find yourself singing "la la la la la" in no time. "Lost" bounds in, as track #3, with claps and a bouncy beat. Featuring some of the most intriguing lyrics (either deep or nonsensical will depend on you) - "just because I'm hurting, doesn't mean I'm hurt" and "just because I'm losing, doesn't mean I'm lost" - this song maintains the upbeat tempo throughout.
  
  The mood becomes sombre once again at the beginning of "42". Apparently this is the favourite number of this band's lead singer. Anyway, by the time you finish pondering what makes 42, the number, so likeable, this song takes a sharp turn and rages forward, pounding drums screeching guitars and all. "42" finishes off back where it began - kinda like a fine day turning into a storm and becoming peaceful once again after the storm. Work of art. "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" is really 2 songs. "Lovers in Japan" sports a `happy' tune, with racing piano. If drums were replaced by a techno beat, it could easily pass off as the next hottest dance-pop tune in the vein of Dario G's "Sunchyme". "Reign of Love" is soothing, tranquil and relaxing. The vocals are gentle, cradled by softly played piano, all enveloped by warm synthesizers. Reminiscent of a walk in the garden in the evening.
  
  "Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant" is once again 2 songs. "Yes" seems like it is sung by a different singer. Turns out it's not. Same singer, lower register. Interesting presentation. Dangerous sounding, minor-key tune. At the 1:33 mark, Arabic-flavoured strings add zest to the instrumental arrangement of the song. "Chinese Sleep Chant" could easily sit in the track listing of the soundtrack to "Lost in Translation". Guitar distortion and feedback, pounding drums, and a faded yet ethereal voice makes listening to this track a giddying sensation. You could be hypnotised.
  
  "Viva La Vida". Remarkably intelligent songwriting. Encapsulates originality, creativity, artsiness and yet retains every element needed for commercialism. Chorus is catchy as ever. The bell and strings stick in your head - for a long, long time. "Roman cavalry choirs", "Jerusalem" and "St Peter" will pop up in your head a lot. Come minute mark 3:00, when the band erupts into "Oh oh oh oh oh", the song lift itself into the stratosphere, sweeping you along with it. "Violet Hill" comes next. A dark, brooding rock song, A piano-laced song, sprinkled with distorted electric guitar and a mean guitar solo - I'm inclined to call this rock song of the year. A little U2, a little Phil Collins, a little White Stripes - brilliant.
  
  "Strawberry Swing" starts like a folk tune. The beats enter like tribal drums. Can you see yourself dancing around the fire? Catchy melody, immaculate instrumentation. "Death and All His Friends" is a piano-based song that starts with a gentle lullaby-ish chanting and builds up into a soaring and memorable crescendo, as the album bids you good-bye with a reprise of "Life in Technicolor", entitled "The Escapist". "Death and All His Friends" reminds you what a thrilling ride your musical senses have just been on. By the time this CD leaves you, you'd be eager to push play again.
  
  "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" is a most enjoyable listening experience that keeps getting better each time. Don't judge it in comparison to the 3 previous Coldplay CDs. This one is completely different but just as, if not more, haunting.
  
  Liam
  18 June 2008
  
  
  

• Coldplay's Progressive Rock Experiment

  
  By A1TXPWO46J0PPQ on 2008-06-17
  Ah, how the mighty have fallen. If you're a longtime Coldplay fan from the days of "Parachute" and "A Rush of Blood...", chances are that you will not recognize the band playing on "Viva La Vida." Coldplay experiment with string and synth sounds not heard on previous releases. "We weren't afraid to try anything," Chris Martin told Billboard in April.
  
  This approach worked famously for Radiohead--but Radiohead weren't the biggest band in the world at the time they released the avant garde "OK Computer." While it's certainly a fearless move to bury Martin's trademark falsetto and abandon the standard verse-chorus-verse structure of the modern pop song, "Viva La Vida" is a gamble that won't pay off for every listener. The lyrics are more obtuse than on previous albums, and the religious tones are overbearing at times.
  
  Coldplay are streaming the album online for free--I recommend taking a listen before joining Coldplay on their new journey.
  
  

• Dross

  
  By AF8VKB9DBBA3Z on 2008-06-24
  The silly, pretentious, and utterly pointless name of the album had me worried. And for good reason. But that is not to say it is not aptly titled. For what lies inside is just as silly (Strawberry Swing), pretentious (Lost!), and pointless (everything else). Eno layered so much retreaded junk onto this record that it could be almost anybody or nobody submerged in this pseudo world-music mess. If Coldplay is actually in this dreck somewhere the only song that gives any indication of it is Violet Hill (earns the one star) which only stands out because of the spoilers it finds itself keeping such uneasy company with. Three great albums is more than most bands can muster so we can be grateful for Coldplay's very enjoyable back catalog. But even now the used bins are filling quickly and mightily with this consummate clanger.
  
  
• Huge disappointment...
  By A2YXXQL0D8NXW3 on 2008-06-26
  Pre-ordered this one with great expectation. But it turned out to be such a huge disappointment like a third-grade, street rockers' works. Loud, clueless, and souless.
  
  
• The usual self-obsessed, whiny derivative mush
  By A391RY3TA1MCVM on 2008-07-18
  Even by Coldplay's standards, this is a bad album. I can see why they released the song Viva la Vida first because it's the only one that's half decent, even though it sounds like something from slick Norwegian popsters A-ha. Other riffs could have come from U2 and OMD and if they thought they were being clever by starting the album with the same tune that finishes off the last track, let me remind you -- Pink Floyd did that on The Wall. The idea isn't original and neither is anything else on this shallow work.
  
  
• Mesmerizing Concept C.D. for Hungry Ears and Minds
  By A3EE0H0NWQ9QVL on 2008-06-18
  Coldplay's music comes off like it's another sequel soundtrack of Arthur C. Clarke's `2001: A Space Odyssey'. Mesmerizing, the echo effect of Chris Martin's guitar is second-cousin twice removed from U2's The Edge with lead singer Jonny Buckland's voice sounding like a homely, but likable, version of Bono. Far be it from me to complain or make a claim of plagiarism; they remain sustaining with their songs, much like The Cure did in their day.
  
  Their new release `Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends' is a concept album, one that encapsulates the dichotomies of the broader subjects of life with clever--if not contradictory--phrasing to match the mysteries they try to reflect. While the quality is consistent for the entire album, there are no songs as great as "Clocks" or "Green Eyes," yet the album is greater than the sum of its parts.
  
  Featuring some sublime and substantive piano work and some exotic and excellent violin, there's enough variety to make this work a must have for fans and newcomers alike.
  
  The subject matter is twofold, often like the structure of their songs--just like the C.D. title. Most of the tracks are really two songs fused together, segues if you will, like the Beatles did on `Sgt. Pepper' and `Abbey Road,' except they do it within a song instead of between songs (reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson's "Irvine," off of 'My December,' which is really two songs, except she did it with a break). Like `...Pepper,' they even reprise the first song at the end. "Life [is indeed] in Technicolor".
  
  Musically, they change notes and tempos to reflect the theme. The best songs in the middle do this, including "Lost!" (the folly of winning and losing); "Lovers in Japan" and "Yes," (yearning, 'Lust/Caution' and attainment); (The first part of "Lovers..." sounds like U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name;" the second part like something off of 'October'.) "Viva La Vida" (those who reign on heaven and earth, "St. Peter won't call my name/...When I ruled the world.") and "The Violent Hill," (the secular and spiritual realms, "...Long and dark December/When the banks became cathedrals.")
  
  Exceptions include "42," which may be in four parts--I keep losing count--and invokes the memory of the dead, reconciling the divide between the living and the departed. "Strawberry Swing" is a country fusion and properly remains one solid song. The lyrics celebrate the wonders and pleasures of life, and, call me all wet, but I believe recently deceased Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman, is invoked here. After all, Bergman revered the fruit, and depicted it in exuberant community partaking in `The Seventh Seal' and `Wild Strawberries'. Similarly, "Cemeteries of London," is celestial, and while the words are elusive to me so far, it is one of the best tracks on the C.D.
  
  I love this album despite its alleged flaws. I am hypnotized by its reverberating rhythms, and get lost in its everyman lyrics. "Lost!" is an encouraging reminder that winning is tentative and limiting; not everyone can win at once after all. If the nearly subliminal wisdom doesn't get you, then some of the last lines will: "No, I don't want battlefronts from beginning to end./No, I don't want to recycle revenge."
  
  What better way to travel through life than with in your car with this Coldplay C.D.? It provides food for thought, but, ah, what exquisite food for the ears and mind.
  
  
• Weak! But a nice Christmas gift for Mom!
  By A1CWC70ZUIJNOU on 2008-07-02
  Man...
  
  These guys keep making weaker and weaker music.
  
  This new album sounds like an uplifting Christian rock compilation.
  
  I hereby declare Coldplay the new Air Supply.
  
  Weak, boring, and not as catchy as previous efforts.
  
  But your mom might like it.
  
  
  
• Not terrible, but not brilliant either
  By A1GCXC0YGMTN55 on 2008-06-17
  3.5 Stars. I just want to to say to those who are giving this album one star is that you aren't listening to it enough. When I first heard the album I hated it. But I also can't agree with the rosy 5 star reviews that call this their best album yet. And that won't change over time either. Coldplay made this album in part because of some macho complex that kept telling them they are a girly band, Martin has a girly voice, and their music isn't all that serious. In other words, they made this album for critics. And the critics, to no surprise, love it.
  
  I have liked every album Coldplay has put out and I will say that I don't think they have really made an atrocious song yet. That streak has come to an end. As I mentioned, I listened to this album straight through the first time and I did not care for it all. But being a fan and listening to other positive fan reviews I decided to keep listening. After this exercise, I have to say there are a few good songs on here, but this is not the complete album that Coldplay's previous efforts have produced. On those other albums I may occasionally skip one song. On this album, I find myself only listening frequently to a few. Here are my thoughts:
  
  I want to say that I really like the first part of the album. Cemeteries of London is a good song. It has a great pace and catchy chorus in the refrain. I also absolutely love 42. It's probably the most familiar song Coldplay fans will find on this record. As for Lost! and Lovers in Japan, I like them, but I love! love! love! their acoustic versions better. It is kind of ironic that these acoustic versions sound much more like Coldplay than the regular tracks. With Lost!, perhaps it is that the piano, which I absolutely adore, lets this track shine and the lyrics and Martin's voice shine through. I don't think I have ever patently preferred an acoustic version of a song over the original until now. As for Lovers In Japan, I like both versions, but again, the acoustic brings out the lyrics better than the original.
  
  The next part of the album is what I would call more experimental. Reign of Love is okay, but it lacks something that I can't quite pinpoint yet. Yes is very much experimental... sort of like A Whisper. What I don't like is Martin trying to change his voice. It sounds brooding and dark. I hate Chinese Sleep Chant.
  
  Viva la Vida is one of the two singles getting air time. It is a great song. I think if it was placed earlier in the album it would probably play better. My head is still ringing from Chinese sleep chant. I think it could also use some piano. More Piano! More Cowbell!
  
  Violet Hill, the main single, is okay. But again it feels out of place on the album. It also sounds like an 80's song I can't quite place. I think another reviewer referenced this. I like the song... but it just doesn't really sound like a Coldplay song.
  
  Strawberry Swing... the concept and jingle is interesting, but is very poorly executed. Martin sounds like he is mumbling like a later Eddie Vedder. I also think it could use a more robust guitar. Something more akin to the guitar work in Green Eyes. It's a song worth listening to once to sample the band's experimentation, but I can easily see my self forgetting this song over time.
  
  Death and all his friends... okay ending song. But again, you are kind of already asleep from Strawberry Swing to really get the effect of the intro. I would take it or leave it.
  
  I get the sense that this album will most likely sound better live without all the extra layers of production Brian Eno felt the need to saddle this album with. The guy who produced Arcade Fire also worked on this album and it shows. I don't much care for Arcade Fire because while their music is interesting, it's also so layered and textured that it almost becomes an exercise in itself to listen to it. Many songs on this album require that similar exercise. I am glad Coldplay decided to break the mold a bit, even though I really liked X&Y. But I think they could have been experimental without abandoning their sound on much of the album. It seems almost like an imposter band is playing the music on some of this album because they were trying to make their sound more macho. I think they failed in this respect and also failed in staying true to their sound. The song Yes is the epitome of this effort. Coldplay needs to stop listening to producers and critics that are telling them to go this direction. It ignores the millions of fans that fell in love with their first three albums.
  
  On a final note, I can't recommend to you enough to get the acoustic versions of Lost! and Lovers in Japan.
  
  
• Assuming We Knew Nothing of Coldplay...
  By A107R79K63CE30 on 2008-06-17
  And assuming that we had no knowledge of any of Coldplay's previous 3 albums, and assuming that we had no idea of Coldplay's alleged greatness in today's music world. So without any comparison or benchmark, here's what I have to say.
  
  "Life in Technicolor" is so aptly titled. An instrumental arrangement that gradually picks up in volume, texture and excitement, this album opener is so colourful it reminds you of a carnival. It gets your foot tapping and your head nodding. Some sources rumour that this song will be sung in words in Coldplay's next CD. The mood then glooms down when "Cemeteries of London" comes along. Sinister synthesizers flood the atmosphere and mysterious notes tinkle from the piano before the beats enter and the song erupts into a minor-key rock anthem. You'll find yourself singing "la la la la la" in no time. "Lost" bounds in, as track #3, with claps and a bouncy beat. Featuring some of the most intriguing lyrics (either deep or nonsensical will depend on you) - "just because I'm hurting, doesn't mean I'm hurt" and "just because I'm losing, doesn't mean I'm lost" - this song maintains the upbeat tempo throughout.
  
  The mood becomes sombre once again at the beginning of "42". Apparently this is the favourite number of this band's lead singer. Anyway, by the time you finish pondering what makes 42, the number, so likeable, this song takes a sharp turn and rages forward, pounding drums screeching guitars and all. "42" finishes off back where it began - kinda like a fine day turning into a storm and becoming peaceful once again after the storm. Work of art. "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" is really 2 songs. "Lovers in Japan" sports a `happy' tune, with racing piano. If drums were replaced by a techno beat, it could easily pass off as the next hottest dance-pop tune in the vein of Dario G's "Sunchyme". "Reign of Love" is soothing, tranquil and relaxing. The vocals are gentle, cradled by softly played piano, all enveloped by warm synthesizers. Reminiscent of a walk in the garden in the evening.
  
  "Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant" is once again 2 songs. "Yes" seems like it is sung by a different singer. Turns out it's not. Same singer, lower register. Interesting presentation. Dangerous sounding, minor-key tune. At the 1:33 mark, Arabic-flavoured strings add zest to the instrumental arrangement of the song. "Chinese Sleep Chant" could easily sit in the track listing of the soundtrack to "Lost in Translation". Guitar distortion and feedback, pounding drums, and a faded yet ethereal voice makes listening to this track a giddying sensation. You could be hypnotised.
  
  "Viva La Vida". Remarkably intelligent songwriting. Encapsulates originality, creativity, artsiness and yet retains every element needed for commercialism. Chorus is catchy as ever. The bell and strings stick in your head - for a long, long time. "Roman cavalry choirs", "Jerusalem" and "St Peter" will pop up in your head a lot. Come minute mark 3:00, when the band erupts into "Oh oh oh oh oh", the song lift itself into the stratosphere, sweeping you along with it. "Violet Hill" comes next. A dark, brooding rock song, A piano-laced song, sprinkled with distorted electric guitar and a mean guitar solo - I'm inclined to call this rock song of the year. A little U2, a little Phil Collins, a little White Stripes - brilliant.
  
  "Strawberry Swing" starts like a folk tune. The beats enter like tribal drums. Can you see yourself dancing around the fire? Catchy melody, immaculate instrumentation. "Death and All His Friends" is a piano-based song that starts with a gentle lullaby-ish chanting and builds up into a soaring and memorable crescendo, as the album bids you good-bye with a reprise of "Life in Technicolor", entitled "The Escapist". "Death and All His Friends" reminds you what a thrilling ride your musical senses have just been on. By the time this CD leaves you, you'd be eager to push play again.
  
  "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" is a most enjoyable listening experience that keeps getting better each time. Don't judge it in comparison to the 3 previous Coldplay CDs. This one is completely different but just as, if not more, haunting.
  
  Liam
  18 June 2008
  
  
  
• Very disappointing!
  By A15WR4MFIVVA9H on 2008-06-18
  I loved "X&Y". This is NOTHING like it! There isn't a good song
  on the entire C.D., not even the title track that they have been
  hyping on I-tunes. A very long wait with a really BAD result!
  If you want to buy a new C.D., I suggest "Grand Archives".
  At least their songs are interesting.
  
  
• Real disappointment
  By A1SIMO7PYZNUBA on 2008-08-20
  It's really sad to see a great band like coldplay release a botched album like that. Don't get me wrong, it has its moments, but overall, this album lacks coherence and is really... well... not good at all. Coldplay rose and is now down the wrong path: parachutes was really good, a rush of blood to the head was simply a-m-a-z-i-n-g, but then x&y took them back to 'just good', and then this new album. I hate to say this, because I really, really think coldplay is an amazing band... I tried hard, but this new album simply doesn't work for me. After years of critics towards the band about the fact that 'coldplay will always sound like coldplay', they obviously tried to change that, but instead of trying to make their own style evolve, they simply shoved as many random ideas as they could in this album, with songs that simply don't fit together. Don't get me wrong, I realize it's a challenge, but look at radiohead for instance, every single album has almost no connection with the others, and yet they all are coherent in their own way. Also, coldplay introduces the BOGO (buy one get one) concept, with a bunch of songs that actually are two songs in one. While it works amazingly for bands like queen, because again these 'multiple personalities' songs are disjointed yet coherently built, coldplay didn't understand the recipe: they took songs that don't match each other, and stuck them together anyway (happens multiple times on the album, e.g. tracks 5, 6 and 10). Only a handful of bands managed to pull this one off (queen, system of a down, radiohead...), coldplay will not be one of them. And don't get me started on how dull the lyrics can be... Anyway, they deserve at least one star, for viva la vida (the song) which is amazing, but sadly it's only one song buried deep in the album, stuck between 9 others that are so-so - at best. Disappointing - at least that's my opinion, you don't have to agree with me.
  
  
• Nauseatingly Commercial & Annoyingly Pretentious
  By A3SWKPUVGAEIHJ on 2008-06-20
  Coldplay is back to terrorize the world yet again with their 4th studio album, and wow is it ever a stinker. This cold, calculated industry radio music leaves me yearning for the days of true innovation and revolution in rock and roll. Instead today we have bands like Coldplay and Radiohead where every move they make is a precalculated marketing ploy that is but one element in a much larger precalculated marketing plan. There is a definite absence of heart and soul and sincerity in this music. It might as well have been created by industry-designed robots...and I'm not convinced it wasn't.
  
  
• Boring - Boring - Boring
  By A3TZYX9YVD672M on 2008-06-19
  OK. I know that sometimes you have to listen to a CD a few times before really "getting it". So far I have listened to the new Coldplay release four times and I have no interest in wasting my time with a fifth round. The title track is good - the rest is boring. I have nothing against Coldplay - I have all their CDs and loved X&Y. This one is a waste of money.
  
  
• Sad, So Very Very Sad!
  By A1GCZ4A9WKGGZ3 on 2008-07-20
  I, Like a complete idiot, bought coldplays Viva based on the first three
  albums which I liked very much. I think they are great, but Chris Martin
  felt he needed to go in a different direction because of his "Critics"
  Hey Chris, you don't please your critics, you please your FANS! I should write to you and ask for a refund! I feel as if I threw my money into the toilet! I can't even give the cd away, I've tried. Go away for a couple of years and then try again!
  
  Same for REM and Madonna's newest, SAD SO VERY SAD!!!!
  I would give zero stars but I guess amazon won't let me!
  
  
• Simply put...their worst album.
  By AX8850X5HIW2O on 2008-06-17
  This CD sucks...bad. It sounds NOTHING like Coldplay, more like Paul Simon (who I can't stand). The album is extremely boring and forgettable. The best song on here is "Violet Hill." Still, it would be no more than the 4th best song on any of their other albums. I'm a HUGE Coldplay fan, that's why it hurts so much to say that this album sucks as much as it does. If you're expecting songs like Yellow, Clocks, Speed of Sound, Square One, you can forget about it. The album is full of nothing but boring (aside from Violet Hill). I like most of their slower songs, but these ones just don't have any feeling or emotion to them. The album is full of fillers, unfortunately.
  
  Overall, I rate the album a 1/5 simply because it's Coldplay and I can't give them lower than a 1. However, if it was any other group, it'd get a .5 because there is almost nothing redeemable about this. It's utter garbage, pure junk. They need to stick with their formula from the previous 3 CDs. You know, the style that got them to where they are today. Too many bands change up their sound. Usually (as is this case), the change is for the worse. Too bad, I looked forward to the new album and was highly disappointed.
  
  
• Same difference (Sigh)
  By A35V9RK8Z0FJCT on 2008-06-18
  I'll start right off the bat by saying that I like Coldplay. I really do. For me they're like that band that you knew from high school that made it pretty big and you're rooting for them, hoping for their success. But I can't help thinking as I'm listening to Viva La Vida, "when are you guys going to stop living in the shadow of your favorite bands and CREATE something?" This time around the overzealous fanboys harvest cliches from U2 (especially The Unforgettable Fire), David Bowie, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music - pretty much the whole art rock genre - in large chunks. It's relieving to hear Coldplay working out of their established element, but it comes off a bit pretentious. I'm losing patience with these guys because I hear potential for a 5 star album, but they keep taking the easy way out. You can almost describe the albums in their catalog like this: Coldplay's been listening to Radiohead. Coldplay's been listening to Pink Floyd. Coldplay's been listening to Kraftwerk. In this case: Coldplay's been listening to Brian Eno. It's not bad music; in fact much of Viva La Vida is satisfying. It's just the same Coldplay through different color glasses. It remains to be seen if Coldplay will remain rock music's most successful fanboys, or if they have a five star record in them. Here's hoping.
  
  
• COLDPLAY'S REVOLUTION VIA BRAIN ENO (4.1 stars)
  By A1OFTP2XE6JHLM on 2008-06-24
  Ok, let me get this out of the way from the get-go. I really like Coldplay. There I said it. More importantly in terms of this record, I should also admit to my vast fondness for U2, there, I said that. Now that we have that in the open, it's no secret that Coldplay harbor some U2-ish aspirations in records past. Nothing wrong with that. I even remember seeing the Vertigo tour in Chicago and right before Bono and company took the stage, the stereo started blasting Coldplay's `Clocks' and a spotlight pointed out that Mr. Martin was in one of the skyboxes (apparently taking a note or two). The most amazing thing was the crowd's reaction, the 20,000 sang `Clocks' like it was one of Bono's own. It was a true passing of the big band torch moment, unfortunately, that torch is quite heavy, especially when the U2 really have no intention of giving it up completely. Then came Coldplay's somewhat maligned and tepidly received X and Y. While it has some great moments on it (Fix You, What If), the predictable, soft-hard-soft-hard-soft track listing hurt the overall appeal of the record and it just hasn't aged very well. Enter uber-producer (and U2 main button pusher) Brian Eno.
  
  Eno and Coldplay immediately address the weaker points (production and track listing) of X and Y on their newest release, the strangely titled: `Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends'. The initial results are fantastic, the track listing is very narrative and logical and the production via the ethereal Eno, acts like little sonic band-aids in all the right places. Right away listeners will notice the atmospheric touches from Eno. Acting like the band's 5th member, he adds beautiful soundscapes that add texture and layers, giving the songs tons of depth and dynamics. The record takes a while to get going, sure: the electro-instrumental opener `Life In Technicolor' sounds like something from James' Wah Wah sessions (also Eno) and seems a tad unnecessary until it gets book ended as the albums final track. The first few tracks build on each other - with Chris Martin's voice giving a ghostly play by play, it's all quite surreal, but equally enjoyable. Viva really hits it's stride though when `Lost' starts up, church organs, handclap rhythms, and a stronger vocal from Martin. Then we get the amazing 42, a very classic sound à la `Trouble' with Martin plucking the ivories and playing his best balladeer. Then just as you settle in, it oddly breaks into a rock stomper, somewhat new territory for this band. 42 has a structure that some will say is aped from Radiohead's `Paranoid Android', and that may be somewhat true, but it all works in Coldplay's own little world. The rest of the middle session of the record is equal parts familiar, and parts where Eno has really pushed what he can do with the band at hand. There is rarely a weak moment. Lyrically sound, Martin's voice is given the spotlight when needed, and other times background voices and choirs become more apparent, again more Eno magic.'Yes' is one the track that delivers on the band's promise of some middle eastern influences, albeit slight, they are definintely there. `Yes' ends up being another amazing song, it's simply Coldplay being Coldplay, a formula that's been a pretty good one to date. Now to the obvious, with Eno behind the wheel, and stadium rock and Coldplay already comfy bed-fellows, Viva was bound to have some typical U2 moments on it. The most blatant of which, are the Josuha Tree friendly, `Lovers in Japan', and the riveting `Chinese Sleep Chant'. Both are bound to be big hits in those massive arenas in the near future. Despite all the Edge-isms, the end result is a combo of tracks perfectly executed in all areas for this band and this album.
  
  By the time we get to the itunes advert, and title track, the album gets even stronger. The title song is indeed a great single, and carries the rag-tag revolutionary theme of the record on its shoulders without problem. Viva pours directly into Violent Hill's gospel blues and ends with another tender moment of Coldplay of old, namely Martin and his piano. Strawberry Swing gives a little break from all the hub-bub of the stadium filling fare, and does so with compelling results. The finally act of Death and All His Friends expands on Chris' introspective piano intro with Buckland's guitar echoing in church-like rhythm until the song grows into this uplifting vocal chant. Moment later it morphs into the afformentioned instrumental from the opener, this time with lyrics. When Martin sings the final chapter, "in the end we lie awake and dream of making our escape", it's a somewhat chilling and effective bookend to a great sonic landscape.
  
  Coldplay have perfectly placed themselves near the top of the new rock order with Viva La Vida, and while this is very much Eno's record, it still is undoubtably Coldplay. Together the two artists have stretched themselves a bit, not only in songwriting and production, but in ambition and accomplishment.
  
  
• Bets of 2008: Viva Coldplay!
  By A1IANEBSMVGHS9 on 2008-06-26
  After their previous album, I had dismissed Coldplay, but having enlisted Brian Eno may have been one of the most brilliant moves ever made by British band. They actually sound a LOT better than U2 (one of the bands whose sound Eno helped shape) these days.
  
  From the opening instrumental "Life In Technicolor," you know you are in front of a great album. Viva La Vida blends diverse ethnic influences in a brilliant way (in "Yes" there are Middle Eastern sounds and in "Cemeteries of London" there's clapping reminiscent of Flamenco music). Yet, you still get the "classic" Coldplay sound, with Martin doing some basic piano stunts with a background of strings (as he does in "42"). There are SO many great songs in the album that it's hard to single out one of them: the title track really stands out; you will also enjoy the vibe of "Lovers In Japan" and "Strawberry Swing" which reminds of Travis at times.
  
  The second half of the album has three songs that clock at more than 6 minutes. The final track, "Death and All His Friends," is the closing parenthesis that complements beautifully the opening track, wrapping up the album in an uplifting way. All in all, Viva La Vida will easily make it to my list of Best of 2008.
  
  
• From a truly huge Coldplay fan who just had a great disappointment!
  By A1Y8Q8LTM5L72P on 2008-06-26
  I really was a huge Coldplay fan, not the type looking for a second of excitement, falling for the songs with the commercial sound! I really enjoyed their first two albums, overflown with very high quality songs. Even the third album, although a little bit on the commercial side compared with the previous ones, made me still believe in them mainly for songs like "Swallowed in the sea". I of course was very excited about their fourth baby especially that everybody was expecting so much from their collaboration with mister Eno. Such a big disappointment for me!!! First time I listened to the album I couldn't even believe that I am actually listening to Coldplay! The album it's a big huge mess! It's sounds to me like a novice band, like their were forced to produce this album, like it was a huge effort for them! I heard there was a lot of pressure on their shoulders with this album and this is exactly the way the final product sounds like! Like they were composing songs under pressure, like they were annoyed! Of course I'm up for a change for coming out with something new, for stretching ones boundaries but this album is far far away from doing that! It is a changed Coldplay indeed, but regrettably I must say, it's a change in a wrong direction! I was so looking forward to seeing them perform live, as I did two years ago, amazing live performance by the way, but this time I think I'm going to skip it! So once again big disappointment, from the number 1 band for me! Still a huge fan and hoping for the better! Meanwhile for anyone reading this review and interested in high quality music, I recommend my actual number 1 band, EDITORS!!!
  
  
• Great album, I just wish amazon sold the whole thing
  By APX95J1YV2I7 on 2008-06-17
  On amazon the album is incomplete. If you buy the album on itunes, it comes with an 11th song titled, "Lost?". Yes I'm aware that there is also a song called, "Lost!".
  
  
• Terrible
  By A1PZFL8TLIA8FS on 2008-06-17
  This alblum is nowhere near the standard of music we are used to hearing from Coldplay. I'm a huge fan, and own all their other alblums, but this one was horrible. Its a good thing I listened to it via an online jukebox before purchasing the tracks. Other than Violet Hill, the rest of the cd is forgettable. I'm very disappointed because I was really looking forward to this cd. I don't know why they felt the need to change up their sound so much. As a musician, I understand wanting to explore new things and not continue to put out the same stuff all the time, but they really took a risk with this alblum, and its not going to pay off.
  
  If I had bought the alblum I would feel cheated... now I just feel very disappointed.
  
  
• Want cookie cutter predictability?? Go elsewhere.....
  By A37PESBO7FOD2Z on 2008-06-26
  For those of us who are avid Coldplay fans and thought (prior to this CD)that there was no way they could top X&Y, we were right. My opinion is that X&Y was their best work to date. My first listen through this album was "Wow...this is different". Nothing like the previous albums. I wasn't overwhelmed and I wasn't underwhelmed. By my 4th time through it I found that Coldplay had once again captured me with their music. It really made me appreciate their departure from previous works. Why is it that some people just want and expect predictability? Were the Beatles predictable over their career? Viva La Vida was just what I needed from Coldplay but I didn't know it. If you listen to this album on a nice stereo at a good volume four or five times and you're not hooked, then you can go back to listening to the canned Top 20 radio songs. This is a great composition of unique songs. Buy it and enjoy.
  
  
• Poor Effort by Coldplay
  By AGIER88OOH1US on 2008-06-27
  Coldplay has made one of the worst albums I have ever purchased. The previous two albums had me sold that they were one of the greatest bands of all time and they are still owed praises for the incredible work they did. I will remain a major fan of theirs because of those albums. Unfortunately, they have tried to evolve into something very different and pathetic for this album. They were known for loud guitar and piano playing from the lead singer that had soul and a message. They have one song #4 that still echos what made them great, but now all you hear is orchestra and electronic sounds that block out the lead singers voice. They only REALLY have 8 tracks on the album (#1 and #10 don't count because all they are is noise and no singing). They really struggled to put an album together and must of rushed this atrocity to salivating consumers. I will continue to be a Coldplay fan and hope they have a worth buying album next time, but strongly regret buying this album.
  
  
• Rock-by-numbers...
  By AUGH54GYJLA79 on 2008-06-26
  Love them or hate them, (New York Times writer, John Pareles, called them "the most insufferable band of the decade"), Coldplay know who they are and have since their first release. That may just be the problem.
  
  Mr. Pareles may have overstated things a bit. After all: are Coldplay more insufferable than the collective boy-band movement we all lived through? Hardly. Still, in his seminal 2005 article, "The Case Against Coldplay" Mr. Pareles does, in fact, make a good case against Coldplay. In spite of being a fan myself of 2000's Parachutes and 2002's A Rush Of Blood to the Head, I couldn't help but agree with most of what he wrote.
  
  Coldplay are, to their detriment, acutely aware of themselves, down to every note on every song. And therein lies the rub. Rock music, at its most brilliant, is built on "happy accidents". Nothing about Coldplay's music is accidental, spontaneous or organic in any way. Add to the mix a high-profile front man who has cultivated a "Whoa is me, I'm just like you" image - while being married to Gwyneth Paltrow, no less - and you have the makings of a band flirting dangerously with self-parody.
  
  Viva La Vida is the culmination of their ascendance into super-group status. It's been produced with surgical precision, marketed with sublime aplomb and even found its title track used to indirectly promote iTunes before its release date. These are all the hallmarks of a band finding its stride - at least commercially, if not artistically.
  
  In the case of Viva La Vida, track after track of overproduced anthems drip with all the sincerity of a Hollywood air kiss. What's worse, the lyrics throughout the album, if read on their own, possess the depth of a sixth grade girl's first attempt at poetry. The opening lines of song "42", for example, find Martin proclaiming, "Those who are dead are not dead / They're just living in my head." Well, it does rhyme.
  
  To prove they are a super-group, Coldplay hired the producer-extraordinaire, Brian Eno, to coax pearls of brilliance from Viva, although it's far more likely that his pedigree was employed as a means of establishing both the record and the band as being among the musical elite. Unfortunately, especially given the result, one is left questioning the validity of and motivation for hiring such a musical luminary to produce for a band already graduated to product endorsement and sitcom background music. In the end, Eno's employment here does little more than draw attention to the band's desire to be spoken of in the same breath as U2. Sadly for Coldplay, Eno could not do for them what he did for U2 - not by a long shot. But then Coldplay are no U2 - not by a long shot.
  
  
• Overrated
  By A10IJ8JBNS7FU9 on 2008-07-16
  A complete waste of my time. Since this band has been compared to Keane and Radiohead, I thought I might check them out and was almost bored to tears. Everything is unoriginal and uninspiring. I feel like half the songs I've heard previously and the lead singer's voice was so annoying and whiny on high notes, that alone would've turned me off. Don't waste your time on this band; if the rest of the world wants to conform to liking to them, fine with me. I've got better music to listen to
  
  
• Simply put...their best album so far.
  By AGPN9TS7F4EO4 on 2008-06-17
  In the weeks leading up to this albums released I have read many professional reviews as well as reviews from fans about Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. The one thing that all of the dissatisfied "customers" have in common is this....."it is too experimental or it doesn't sound like "Parachutes" or "X&Y" etc. Well, I have one thing to say, if you want an album that sounds like "Parachutes" why don't you just, I don't know, listen to "Parachutes?"
  
  Imagine if all artists allowed themselves to be pigeonholed by the immature ears of their fans. Nobody would ever evolve and nobody would ever last longer than about 2-3 records. Radiohead would have died with "OK Computer." "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" is indeed Coldplay's first foray into "experimentation" and they pulled it off with a resounding success that leads me to believe that this band will be around for a very long while.
  
  Admittedly there isn't much here besides "Violet Hill" or "Viva La Vida" that can be considered a radio friendly single but who cares? It's 2008 and all of us listen to our iPods anyway. The first listen to this album floored me. I fell in love with it after listening to it a second time. If you have an open mind and a discerning ear you will love this album. The rest of you can go listen to "X&Y" for the thousandth time.
  
  My favorite tracks? Let's just say that in my iTunes library of over 1000 albums that "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" is the FIRST ALBUM THAT GOT A FIVE STAR RATING ON EVERY SONG. Buy it people. You owe it to yourself and music this good deserves our patronage!
  
  
• Very disappointing...
  By A7M7ZKZEG6OAU on 2008-06-17
  After listening to "Violet Hill" for the last few weeks before the release of this new album, I was all geared up to hear an edgier Coldplay, much like the first album. Instead, we get a much more "POP" version of Coldplay. I was excited for nothing. This was a major disappointment. The rest of the album is nothing like "Violet Hill". It left me thinking, "I waited 2 years for this? A pop album? C'mon!" I've listened to it multiple times now and I come away feeling the same each time. I think you can take Coldplay out of the Alternative Rock Genre (which Amazon has!)and place them directly into the Pop Genre. Right there with Britney and the gang. I was afraid this might happen after their last album veered in that direction. Being a Coldplay fan, I find this very disheartening. Maybe over time, I will find a way to enjoy this album. Until then...
  
  
• Not really, Don't believe them*****
  By A3S1LWQISCHMR5 on 2008-06-17
  I am a HUGE Coldplay fan and was looking forward to the new CD comming out. After hearing all the songs I have NO IDEA what the people who gave it ONE STAR are smoking because it's so NOT TRUE. Listen to the songs again, how can you say 42 isn't a GREAT song???? Well to each his own.Can't wait till Oct. 26th!!!! FIVE (hundred) STARS!!*****
  
  

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• Parachutes
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• X&Y
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