Me defending Coldplay

[StephenG]

Because this one really really is annoying me lately. Since the release of their new album they seem to have attracted all sorts of hostility from the mass media and not to be a rabid fanboy but its all unfair. Viva la vida sees them pushing their simplistic pop sound and cherpy guitars to a sound more akin to art rock. When Radiohead/U2 did this they were applauded, when the Beatles did this (Stg Pepper onwards) it was a magical moment in music history. When Coldplay do it people can't dismiss it fast enough.

And pardon me If I think Strawberry Swing and Yellow are the closest we've came to the simplistic joy of the earlier Beatles hits in 60 years, while The Scientist stands up there alongside Yesterday as a brilliant ballad.

Looking at the usual complaints for Coldplay now, heres a few.

 

 

They just try far too hard to be Radiohead, they just copy the The Bends (Radiohead album) in its entiraty and are completely unoriginal

Parachutes Coldplay's first CD has been accused of sounding like the Bends as much as Muse. (another band with little influence from Radiohead musically)

Lets be serious back in the 90's Radiohead revolutionised modern rock, they changed the definitions of what a rock band could be and what band could not be influenced by them? Chris Martin certainly makes no bones about how much he admires them. But looking back at Coldplay's early EP's and recordings the sound is much different to early Radiohead. Parachutes is a logical progression of this sound with heavy bass around winding atmospheric guitars. Plus when did Radiohead write songs as bouncy and simplistic as Yellow or Shiver. From here you get the piano driven A Rush of Blood to the head. Radiohead never really used piano dominatly, sure they have some piano driven songs most notably Karma Police and Videotape but once again are they anything like Clocks and The Scientist? Coldplay then went all arena rocky with XandY and the similarities with U2 began. Then again what big arena pleasing band isn't compared to U2? Case closed.

I suppose any light rock band with a multi ranged singer would be compared to Radiohead though. That and the fact both write complex and intresting music about themes anyone can relate to.

 

 

Its music for wimps and teenage girls

If Coldplay was for everyone, if everyone was sensitive enough to appreciate their ballads or the brilliance of Radiohead's lyrics and the innocence of their voices, i'm sure the world would be a better place. The best rock bands only rock out when it adds something to their music and don't all sound the same. Like some entire genres of none wimpy music with a more masculine reputation (like metal)

 

 

Im sick of hearing people like Chris Martin promoting fair trade

Never did get this one, really ignorant comment there. When rockstars get behind a good cause to raise awareness its a good thing, not a bad thing.

 

 

I think pretty much any critism of Coldplay anyone has come up with has been adressed here, so the Daily Mail can stop slagging them off and go back to slagging off immigrants instead.

[Batman]

I heart you for this statement:heart:

[gus]

i think theres a lot of people who are scared about the coldplay success:

1.- they love their band and they hate that coldplay put standards up they camouflage this feeling saying that coldplay is unoriginal cause i dont see a fact to hate a band they dont kill people and they dont make wars.

2.-well in the other hand i know gay people who listen metallica and slayer so this are stupid coments besides the fact that being gay is not a crime.

3.-pure envy

4.-hate to all the succesfull bands cause their lives sucks and they want to hate something popular but theres a lot of people who hate the mainstream music yep. but they didnt notice that they are making another mainstream too.

[chuck kottke]

Well, it's easier to hide behind a mask; the mask of their insecure selves- outwardly offensive, and inwardly afraid of letting down their guard, and admitting that Coldplay's music is very soulful! (and excellent in general!)

Inspiration takes many forms, and each groups remakes earlier tunes to create their own feel to it; some of these tunes are as old as the hills, and often that's where they came from!!

So, the Beatles reworked old claims, to find the lost nuggets of gold in the hills! And Coldplay seems to have mastered the art of mixing & changing songs to create whole new ones, with many of the attributes of these earlier works.

And I'd like to see these critics make great music for a change! It's easy to sit in the back & throw spitballs; hard to stand in front and create masterful art!:smug: