i think the general consensus is that X&Y isn't on par with AROBTTH and parachutes. on its own, i think it's a damn good album (well, i think it's a damn good album anyway), but when you hold it up against the standard established by parachutes and AROBTTH...i think it pales a bit in comparison. to me personally, it sounds like they tried a bit too hard, like they were trying to get bigger as well as better, like their image was just as important as the music, where that had never been the case before.

 

i LOVE X&Y, i really do. it's just that i love parachutes and AROBTTH more, and they mean more to me. i think there's more feeling in them than there is in X&Y, and frankly it seemed to me as though the guys were enjoying themselves more and were more satisfied with themselves with the first two albums rather than the third.

 

i think VLV already sounds like they're on the right track with caring about the music and satisfying themselves over anyone else. however, i do worry ever so slightly on all the attention on the things that aren't the music, such as the new costumes, the make-up seen on the billboard cover, the potential gymnastics in the stage shows, etc etc. i just think music should speak for itself, is all, and it worked perfectly for them on parachutes and AROBTTH. they seemed to introduce all the extra stuff with X&Y, and that's when it went slightly...squiffy.

 

anyway, in my LOOONG post, my point is that i think pretty much everyone on here LIKES X&Y, but they just like the other two albums more.

 

 

Lots of my thoughts exactly...I also worry about the marketing...I actually don't mind the costumes, but it does make me laugh the comment about the gymnastics.

 

I don't hate the X&Y album and their are many good songs on it- I personally preferred the Y songs, but the X songs sounded good live-which is what they probably had in mind (do I agree with this tactic, I don't know...)

 

I agree with the post when they said, "it sounds like they tried a bit too hard, like they were trying to get bigger as well as better, like their image was just as important as the music."

 

That is exactly what I felt. They were marketing themselves more and the music was left a little behind. They also were trying very hard to make a "great" album. I think they should just do what they do best, and that is make good music from the heart...not by any particular standards.

 

It is good to read what others thought, after the album has been out for a while.

Oh...the other thing I remember. During the live shows for AROBTTH, they were playing new songs like, "One I Love" & "Moses." The sound was different and more upbeat. But, I was digging their new songs. I thought these songs or these types of songs would be on the X&Y album. So I was caught off guard when it sounded totally different.

 

Some of my favorites on X&Y are... Speed of Sound, A Message, The Hardest Part, and Swallowed By the Sea.

 

I did like Fix You at first, because of its lyrics and sentiment...helped me through tough times too...

 

but after time it just started sounding more depressing for some reason. I also didn't understand how it caught on so fast...out of all of the songs in the album it was quite different. Chris falsetto is really intense for me at times in this song...and I love his falsetto most of the time. Maybe for me, it was overused? I love his voice btw.

 

X&Y- no comment...let's just say, it has grown on me...kind of :)