Viva La Vida IGN Rating: 9.3

[Space Cadet]

For people who need more positive ones around here: http://music.ign.com/articles/883/883028p1.html

 

Some excerpts:

 

"they seem to have taken the fragile acoustic sounds of Parachutes, the edgier side of A Rush Of Blood To The Head, and the silky sounds of X & Y and cobbled together the best bits of each to expand upon for a more worldly direction for the band."

 

"The vocals are perfect this time around, as Martin uses his falsetto sparingly and Brian Eno's smart production places him in the middle of the band, rather than well out in front of it."

 

"The album's other 'rock in piano ballad wrapping' is "Death And All His Friends", which opens with perhaps the best melody the band has ever crafted with just Martin and a chilled piano in what sounds like a love song." [Mo's note: It's certainly the first Coldplay tune I can't stop humming randomly.]

 

"If you have a deep hatred for all things Coldplay, "Viva La Vida" is the song you will most likely try to hate the most, and fail. It is their one and only foray into unabashed orchestral pop, but the punchy strut of the strings and fantastic marching vocals make it far too charming and lively to dislike, and even harder not to love."

 

"They had gone from indie darlings to stadium rock geniuses to an emasculating punch line of The 40 Year-Old Virgin in just three albums. On their fourth, they triumphantly return as rock royalty."

[ricardo]

thanks

[Hotplay007]

thanks much!

[ApproximatelyInfinite]

i agree with pretty much every single thing save for the part about this being the finest vocal performance from chris yet. i think that was parachutes, 100%. i wish there was some way he could hit that same level and sound again.

 

thanks for this! :dance:

[Space Cadet]

i think that was parachutes, 100%. i wish there was some way he could hit that same level and sound again.

 

 

I don't think he could without destroying his voice. The untrained fragility in it back then was exactly the reason he kept loosing his voice and canceling shows. I remember listening to some of the early bootlegs thinking - "that, right there. It may sound great, but that's got to hurt. There it is again." Not good.

[ApproximatelyInfinite]

i know, but it sounded so AMAZING! i still can't get over that voice to this day. of course i don't want chris to destroy his voice, because that's definitely what would happen, but it's one of my big coldplay wishes, for chris to have the parachutes voice again.

[Shawndorman]

haha, the reviewer misstates that 42 is Cemeteries of London (his description of Cemeteries of London is actually describing 42). Other than that little misstep, I completely agree with his review.

[CRYSTAL]

nice review!

 

i am a fan of Chris falsetto ,and i like it so much when he sings "oohhh" so much!

 

and his voice is really beautiful:kiss: its a turn over on me!

[JonnyBawesome]

This is good considering they bashed X&Y with a 6.9 and gave AROBTTH a 7.2

 

Good to see some positive reviews.

[*Becky*]

Thanks! Best article so far!

[iPsy]

good old IGN! :)