BBC Newsnight "review" has a long history (for those not familiar with it) of trashing modern pop culture or anything that is seen as remotely populist. That's what irriates them here.

 

I guess the reason Chris takes the criticism to heart is because the thought of "does populist = Great or not"?" goes through his mind a lot: i.e are they are a Beatles or a Spice Girls?

 

Let me say this. No one else but Chris Martin has the talent and wit to write lyrics about 18th Revolutionary France and set them to a very catchy theme, complete with 18th century-style strings, when all the other "cool kids" are writing about soppy summers of love and have problems strumming the chord of G.

 

Give me Coldplay any day to the dross we have to endure in the Charts in the UK these days!

 

As for Chris Martin himself, he comes across as warm, likeable, humourous, energetic and immensely likeable. I've always thought the hatred towards the man is jealousy, pure and simple.

 

Here is an extract from a Newsnight blogger's reaction to that "review" which sums up my feelings very well and I'm sure is typical of most people's reactions to Chris when they see him live rather than listen to the dross written about him in the press

Having said that, I came across two tickets for the BBC Radio1 gig last night and went along to enjoy it but not expecting much. Chris Martin, who seems to be the root cause of most people's anti Coldplay feelings, may come across as whiny and weird in the media but I found him to be anything but.

 

He commands the stage, is extremely energetic, he laughs and jokes and shares banter with the audience which is not always the case with some frontmen.

Newsnight review sucks anyway ;)

I'm not even watching it (damn you british your accent is so hard to understand :P)... I wish i could bash the bbc but they are a respected media (well I say this because I love dinosaurs and I love bbc's dinosaurs documentaries). But it looks like they are assholes :P

Only some parts of the BBC are assholes :P

it sucks that there talking shit about coldplay cause it seems like coldplay and BBC do alot of buisness together...and its fucked up and stupid that anyone would actually do a special show just to talk shit about a band especially a great one like COLDPLAY

Some people set out to hate the album even before they listened to it.

I watched about 5 minutes then turned it off.

 

Good for them if they love to hate Coldplay, thanks for letting us know, it's easy to take a pop at Coldplay. It's been done before and it'll be done again. In the interests of healthy debate it may have been more interesting to have a panellist that had something positive to say.

 

There's about ten times them amount of people that love to love them though (or at least love them but won't admit to it :P)

 

totally just made me think of that 70's classic.

 

"OOOOooooOOOOOoohhhh Love to love ya babyyyyyy"

 

[/'random' spelled sideways is 'supercalifragilisticespialidocious']

I've been reading everyone's comments and I'm really tempted to say, yeah down with Coldplay - they're rubbish! - just to mix it up, you know? Sorry that's a bit of my devilish streak showing, not to cause any sort of harm or offence (splintered), you understand. But as I happen to absolutely adore Coldplay I couldn't bring myself to so it. What I will say and this may be a bit boring but I don't think their latest album isn't about 18th century revolutionary France at all. I was laughing when the critics were discussing the album in those terms, I just thought, jeez you don't get it. But I see some have bought into that here and wonder, Am I missing something?

Sorry too many n'ts in there, basically I don't see the 18th revolutionary France connection :)

Sorry too many n'ts in there, basically I don't see the 18th revolutionary France connection :)

 

Their album cover may just be a clue! ;) see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_Revolution

 

Whilst we're on the subject of typo's I meant 1800's not 18th Century!

I think that the show simply exists to play devil's advocate. They just ripped it apart with barely any mention of musical merit at all. Pfffft.

It's funny you say that because the more I learn about Coldplay, more Chris Martin in general, the more I start to agree with you a little bit. I think that this album is fantastic, I really do. But as I listen to Chris talk during interviews I can see that he is embarrassed by his lyrics some of the time. He doesn't write as personally as he did when the band first started and like he said in the Hour interview he wouldn't write songs like Fix You, In My Place, and Green Eyes (I can't remember exactly which songs he picked and I'm not about to go through and watch the interview online again to find out) but I don't understand why? Because people will criticize them? Or him? The songs they wrote before were and are beautiful... those songs are what makes the band... and I don't think they really need to be racking their brains for more intense or universal lyrics... because the songs that remain my favorites are the classics... Shiver, Yellow, Fix You, Trouble, In My Place, and Warning Sign.... which by the way, Chris didn't even want on the album but he was outvoted by the rest of the band. Imagine if we never heard Warning Sign?

I don't know. I just think that Chris is too hard on himself.

 

 

 

I really like Chris simple lyrics too. Trouble, Dont Panic, even Politik is simple,(my fave song ever by the way) but its absolutely marvelous. But I do think XY was weighed down a bit because of this. It didnt work as well. I know a lot of stuff was scrapped. There was deadlines and everything so I can forgive them. So I think they did need to change a bit, especially the critics who couldnt say anything positive about it. And as we know Chris he probaly so miserable and depressed because of this. That dickhead is so stupid. He dosent know anything and that other guy. So stupid. What a waste of time from the BBC.

Their album cover may just be a clue! ;) see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_Revolution

 

Whilst we're on the subject of typo's I meant 1800's not 18th Century!

 

So has the whole concept of metaphors passed you by? :)

So has the whole concept of metaphors passed you by? :)

 

No, but you could apply the metaphors to any tyrant who has fallen from grace and lost power.

 

Many people believe the lyrics of Viva La Vida to be about Tony Blair, which Chris has always emphatically denied.

The way I see it is like this, music is personal and it is as personal to me as say religion is to others. If we tack just one meaning to a beautiful piece of music, it is in danger of losing its true meaning and feeling. I love the feelings this album invokes and where my emotions take me. From there I can almost smell the air, feel the passion and touch the story. My meaning comes purely from my feelings, so therefore I'm in favour of dumping all the political nonsense as I feel the true essence of the album will be lost! :)