Malcolm-Edge Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 The other night I was listening to A Rush Of Blood To The Head, which i consider to be Coldplays best album. The Scientist came one, and I was quickly reminded why I love Coldplay, and why The Scientist is their best song. On Parachutes and AROBTTH, they sang about what everyone human has, emotions and angst. Song we connected with. The Scientist for me has always had a double meaning ever since storytellers. Where Chris talked about the media and how being married to Gwen and being in the public eye is hard. That he would never sing anything personal again, and sing about things like art, history and architecture. Jon told him to not edit anything, and it does show a bit on X&Y. AROBTTH is full of emotion, The Scientist, Green Eyes. On Parachutes you have Yellow, Trouble, and Shiver. Viva La Vida (song) is about the fall of a King. Violet Hill is about a soldier going off to war. Lovers In Japan is just about Lovers in Japan. Prospekts March is a story of history as well. I always think aftermath of a war. LiT ii, is just a happy song. Glass of Water, is about seeing your future in a glass of water. Sorry Im not diving to deep just hitting the literal meanings here. The only new song with any emotion is Lost!(?, @, +). The best being Lost? which to me is the best song from the EP/LP, because it shows the emotions of Chris and the guys. For them to write a great album, Chris needs to write about his feelings. Happy or sad. I love VLV, but I dont want to hear about Kings, and bells. I want sappy love/angst songs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjaiken Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I like Viva la Vida the way it is. You can't write the same thing over and over and expect to remain relevant as an artist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotcheese2768 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 VLV is great all of the albums are so unique u can't compare them.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Escapist Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Its not all just about the lyrics either. Musically viva is simply a divine album and the lyrics are great as well. Just because they dont show chris' feelings doesn't mean they're not good songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasoKnight Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I happen to agree that AROBTTH is Coldplay's best work, but, for me, songs like Violet Hill and Viva la Vida are still very much about love and loss of the most personal forms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A RUSH OF VIDA Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I agree that VLV to me u cant really feel the emotion in the songs.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corkus Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Well, Viva's themes are certainly different. Lots of life/death references regarding gloom and confusion, as seen in 42, Cemeteries, etc. It's not as emotional as past albums, but emotion wasn't the direction they were aiming for (heck, they were even criticized for not branching out earlier). So while neither the album nor its EP have a "Fix You" or "The Scientist" on them, it's not as if they tried to replicate those and failed. (And for the record, I do love AROBTTH most) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58328832 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Viva la Vida is my all-time favourite album. AROBTTH is in the top 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tnspieler1012 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 ugh, you put so much emphasis on emotion, when lost! is clearly the worst track on the album IMO. If they fell short on VLV, it was not because it wasn't emotional enough, but because the music was subpar. You can bleed your heart out til it's dry, but it doesn't make much difference if the album is unoriginal or pretentious crap (and I'm not saying VLV is either of those). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostbitepanda Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I don't think they'll ever hit Parachutes or Rush ob Blood greatness again. Viva is a great record though. However, I think you are missing out a large portion of the album. Viva La Vida (song) is about the fall of a King. Violet Hill is about a soldier going off to war. Lovers In Japan is just about Lovers in Japan. Prospekts March is a story of history as well. I always think aftermath of a war. LiT ii, is just a happy song. Glass of Water, is about seeing your future in a glass of water. Those are very, very literal interpretations of these songs. The Scientist, although about love and loss, is wrapped in a metaphor. This person tried so hard to plan and to scientifically analyze something (love) that obviously cannot be done. Many of Coldplay's best songs are metaphoric and some are even oblique. Spies, A Rush Of Blood To The Head, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Politik... all of these songs could have many interpretations but still possess that directness that makes Coldplay's music so beautiful. And to say that Lovers In Japan is about lvoers in Japan is almost laughable. Coldplay have taken a new road and Chris has definitely found a new niche of songwriting, but I can relate to Lovers In Japan in that the first verse is all about life: 'Runners / Keep on the road you're on / Until the race is won'. A very simple sentiment on how to live life, sung in a song that is wrapped in a conceit. Violet Hill is about what is facing us today, in this world. War and death and 'puppets' (Politicians). Glass Of Water is basically a warning against superstitions and leaving life up to chance. Coldplay are out there, living their lives just like the normal human beings they are. They cannot and should not be the same people (And hence the same artists) that they were in 2000-2003. I know a lot of people miss that, as do I, but I'd much rather see them stretch their wings and reach out a bit further into the musical spectrum than to try to recapture Parachutes/Rush. X&Y we saw the band trying to fill a void that they really couldn't fill: bombastic stadium rock. The arrangments may've been nice, but the songwriting suffered for it. This record, the band has definitely stretched their boundaries and have grown more confident in their abilities, their choices, and their own tastes. I still feel as though they're holding back a bit, but as evidenced on 'Prospekt's March', they're just getting started. I think the success of Viva will help them prusue their creative whims to their fullest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WV Gal Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 If you want to hear sappy love/angst songs then listen to Adult Contemporary Radio where you can hear Barry Manilow, Josh Groban, and others ( BTW...I like those two guys music. LOL!) Every song is about emotion, but it all depends on what you're looking for. Some folks may not get something out of VLV but others can. It hits a nerve in them because there's something in those songs that they can relate to. That, IMO, is the most important thing. It doesn't matter what the song is about or what theme an artist is aiming for, all songs have emotion in. You just have to relate to it to truly see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Hill Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Parachutes rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clocks In My Place Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Well, Viva's themes are certainly different. Lots of life/death references regarding gloom and confusion, as seen in 42, Cemeteries, etc. It's not as emotional as past albums, but emotion wasn't the direction they were aiming for (heck, they were even criticized for not branching out earlier). So while neither the album nor its EP have a "Fix You" or "The Scientist" on them, it's not as if they tried to replicate those and failed. (And for the record, I do love AROBTTH most) Agreed. AROBTTH is my favorite too. I think it's because it is some of the first music that has made me cry, get the chills, really listen to lyrics and a 100 more things. That album has touched me like nothing else. It's a masterpiece. :heart: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pseudonym Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 It's really hard for me to choose. Obviously AROBTTH and VLVOD rise above Parachutes and X&Y. But they are so different it's hard to choose. Rush of Blood represents so many ranges in Coldplay music. From their dark and angry views of the human race (Politik) to sweet songs about belonging and love (Clocks, Amsterdam). It truly is a masterpiece and it shows Coldplay at their peak as a rock band. Viva La Vida shows Coldplay's reinvention of themselves. It provides new elements added to familiar sounds (Violet Hill) as well as completely new and innovative songs (Yes, Life In Technicolor, Cemeteries of London). It brings Coldplay into a new light, and shows them in a more artsy style. I wouldn't really classify any of the album as "rock" So it is very hard to compare the two, and most of the time it comes down to which you are more related to, more in the mood for, etc. For me, I break it down like this: Can I listen to AROBTTH over and over again all the way through? No. I get sick of a few songs (A Whisper, Warning Sign, Daylight) after too many listens. Can I play VLVOD again and again and not get sick of it? Yes I can. No song gets old, even after several listens through. In fact, each time I listen, I find a new reason to love each song. So I look at it that VLVOD is better (for me) because AS AN ALBUM, it is much better to listen to, it flows much better, and it tells a story. Song by song AROBTTH may be better, but as a whole, Viva wins. *end of rant* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Escapist Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 ^good point. I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prospekt. Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I was listening to Parachutes yesterday and I was like woah. That is all. Lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Escapist Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I just listened to parachutes just then. there really are soem amazing songs on there. Just timeless really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clocks In My Place Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 2732 - Good point. I like that "analyse" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squareonefivesix Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I want sappy love/angst songs! I'm sorry - but since when did Coldplay ever write a sappy love song..? If you want sappy, listen to James Blunt :P I don't see the point in comparing one album to any of the others - it's like having a favourite child. :D AROB was a snapshot of who they were/what they were feeling at the time, and Viva is a different snapshot of time. If Viva was a AROB clone, we'd all be moaning (& the critics too, tho' they don't need much of an excuse!) that they were churning out the same old stuff. Also Chris's personal life (and the other guys) has changed since Parachutes/AROB era - now he's married, settled, has kids under his feet. Your outlook on love and romance changes in that situation. He's not a twenty-something pining for some unavailable woman or falling in and out of love every five minutes. His emotions will have matured and that will be reflected in his choice of lyrics. Besides, loking at AROB, there's not that many straight-forward 'love' songs. I think Parachutes and X&Y have the monopoly on love songs. I think on Viva they were stretching themselves both musically and lyrically, not to distance themselves from their earlier work but to mature and perfect their craft. I think all the albums have a healthy dose of emotion :D And I :heart: them all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Escapist Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Our favourite album is probably the first album we heard when we started to be a fan of coldplay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pseudonym Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 If you want sappy, listen to James Blunt :P :laugh3::laugh3::laugh3::laugh3: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squareonefivesix Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Our favourite album is probably the first album we heard when we started to be a fan of coldplay. Not necessarily, I got into Coldplay from Parachutes, and I think they have bettered themselves with each release. My favourite album is always the lastest one at the time, simply because they get better and better each time :D But them I'm sooo easy to please :laugh3: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm-Edge Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 Our favourite album is probably the first album we heard when we started to be a fan of coldplay. Then I am damned to loving X&Y! Which I dont hate actually. I am not saying VLV is a bad album by a stretch. I just think, they need to go back to singing about their lives. I agree with the Lovers In Japan comment. That song is full of emotion and is a sappy love song, one of the best on the album. Reign of Love was great, I loved it, because it was classic Coldplay. I appreciate they are going in a new direction for Coldplay, I love it dont get me wrong. I just think Chris needs to let some emotions in and influence a little more. Lost? is my favourite track, simply because its a piano ballad. I want some old Coldplay infused with this new Coldplay, which we saw on PM, and I was excited and wished that was the base for the album with he stellar tracks added from VLV. They are all growing as musicans, and its great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki0012 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Ummm........ for me it sucks how some people keep on comparing albums...... For me coldplay just kkeeps getting better and better every other album release.... Too much emotion /sad themed songs can make you slash yourself...so its best to balance that... There is a huge amount for me /emotion in the album VLV ....they may not be heard or seen in the lyrics or chris' voice.... but its the emotion you feel when you hear the melody of the song.... its so inspiring it lifts you up.....like no other album can....... Bottomline....i love all their albums and i think i cant compare them all seperately,,, its just how coldplay goes......bbetter and better albums every other release....FINAL :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mad Hatter Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 I think you're taking the lyrics too literally. Yeah, and A Rush of the Blood to the Head wasn't as good as Viva la Vida...AT SUCKING roflcopter lolcats On A Rush of the Blood to the Head, there were a few filler songs like "Daylight" and "A Whisper" that had no particular spot on the album and didn't really do much for me at all, but on Viva la Vida, everything fit. It didn't seem like they crammed some random songs in to make the album longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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