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The 'negative' ETIAW discussion


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What on earth does using a gazillion instruments, altering voices and overly repeating the same boring tunes and chords have to do with "trying harder"? So if they record a good stripped down song using 3 instruments and a human voice, they're "not trying hard enough"?

 

I'm starting to hate the word "big", "big tunes", "big direction", "big band". How does having a "big sound" make a band any better? No, it's just screaming for a more immature teen audience, an audience that doesn't think more deeply about music and doesn't understand that stripped down and acoustic is not the same as dull and bad. While there are less and less bands that can do what Coldplay can do, and not even Coldplay themselves are doing it in this song. Songs like this are a huge step backwards. Thank God their other new music isn't like this.

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News from the band's Twitter:

 

Just to be clear on ETIAW, I heard the opening chords in the film Biutiful, then got official permission to use them to make a new song. CM

 

Not really a 100% new song though is it Chris? Who says creativity is dead, eh?

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What on earth does using a gazillion instruments, altering voices and overly repeating the same boring tunes and chords have to do with "trying harder"? So if they record a good stripped down song using 3 instruments and a human voice, they're "not trying hard enough"?

 

I'm starting to hate the word "big", "big tunes", "big direction", "big band". How does having a "big sound" make a band any better? No, it's just screaming for a more immature teen audience, an audience that doesn't think more deeply about music and doesn't understand that stripped down and acoustic is not the same as dull and bad. While there are less and less bands that can do what Coldplay can do, and not even Coldplay themselves are doing it in this song. Songs like this are a huge step backwards. Thank God their other new music isn't like this.

 

I like stripped down and acoustic. HOWEVER, I also love "big" sounds, as you say. And no, I wouldn't say that "big" sounds scream for an immature audience. Heck, look at Arcade Fire! They're one of the best bands out there today, and they have so much going on in their songs that it's ridiculous!

 

Also...stripped down doesn't necessarily mean limited to drums, bass, and acoustic guitar only. If it were...I can understand why people might find that somewhat boring. I wouldn't want an album limited to those instruments alone.

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Yeah, well I guess we just have different interpretations of what "big" means. I wasn't really talking about all the instruments anymore, but rather about the catchy "killer"tunes, the (cheap) pop sound they're using more and more. Although Clocks is one of my favourites and it has a rather catchy tune, but we all know that Clocks is a lot more than just the piano tune. I can't say that ETIAW is so much more than just the tune. I hope I'm making myself clear.

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Yeah, well I guess we just have different interpretations of what "big" means. I wasn't really talking about all the instruments anymore, but rather about the catchy "killer"tunes, the (cheap) pop sound they're using more and more. Although Clocks is one of my favourites and it has a rather catchy tune, but we all know that Clocks is a lot more than just the piano tune. I can't say that ETIAW is so much more than just the tune. I hope I'm making myself clear.

 

I do understand. And it's this point that makes Clocks and many of Coldplay's other songs far better than Every Teardrop...but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the new song, even if it doesn't stand up to their previous releases. :shrug:

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I do understand. And it's this point that makes Clocks and many of Coldplay's other songs far better than Every Teardrop...but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the new song, even if it doesn't stand up to their previous releases. :shrug:

 

I agree with you, although I gave up on my efforts to try and enjoy ETIAW. I just can't.

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It's not just that. It's the song as a whole. Chris' singing sounds monotone, especially in the beginning. He may like the keyboard sound and the melody (I don't), but it's not fit for a Coldplay song. The song sounds basically the same from beginning to end, just with more instruments. The lyrics are plain and superficial, just about "being happy, loving to live, loving to listen to music", and full of clichés. It's not good enough to write a Coldplay song about. Just a bad song because it doesn't come even a little close to matching my high standards for Coldplay. I think if it weren't a Coldplay single, I would mildly like it but still think 'meh'.

 

But from now on, I won't rant about it anymore for another week. Major Minus has got my hopes up high. They're still a top band. I still love the rest of their music.

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From what I understand this song was inspired by watching the movie Biutiful, which I have seen. My wife says that the song being inspired by that movie makes a lot of sense to her, but I don't see it yet.

 

I'm not super crazy about ETIAW, but I like it; and I like it more than I remember liking Violet Hill on first listen (not that I didn't like that either).

 

I'm curious though, for those who don't like ETIAW, have you seen Biutiful? If the song was truly inspired by the movie and a song from the soundtrack, maybe seeing the movie could give you a frame of reference that may make you appreciate or like the song more?

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is anyone else sick of hearing about how it's a great 'summer song'?

 

It could be for a lot of people, although not for me.

 

But then again, Coldplay doesn't make "summer songs". Coldplay doesn't go there. Coldplay makes music.

 

I've not seen Biutiful, no, seems like a good film though from what I've heard, about the Oscars and stuff.

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I really have tried to like this song, but I can't....parts of it are ok, but as soon as I hear "you can hurt, hurt me bad..." I just think of all the times he said "I've gotta get better with my lyrics".

 

Really, how can Coldplay or anyone around them fail to see the SHITTY lyrics??

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is anyone else sick of hearing about how it's a great 'summer song'?

 

I cannot even begin to express how tired I am of that! A song is either good or bad, it is not based on the season in which it is released! A song cannot be good in summer and a piece of crap in winter, it is not possible people.

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But then again, Coldplay doesn't make "summer songs". Coldplay doesn't go there. Coldplay makes music..

 

Isn't this kind of labelling the band and placing restrictions on what they can do? Though also for me it's been difficult to accept ETIAW and its new sound, I think the guys should be free to write and play any song they want as long as they enjoy that song. If any of you write or sth, it should be easy to understand this point. And this do-what-you-enjoy should apply also to massively famous bands with a huge fan base, otherwise music becomes just another job that clears the mortgage, when it should be first of all a pleasure.

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I don't necessarily agree with the moniker of a summer song, but many things have seasonal relevance attached to them; food, music, plays, musicals, etc.

 

Most people aren't going to get excited for a big, hot bowl of new england clam chowder on a hot summer day, and you're not going to go see a live performance of The Nutcracker in June.

 

If you don't like the song, no big deal, but many art forms have seasonal relevance attached to them.

 

I also think that many who are criticizing need to watch the film it was inspired by, the more I think about it conflated with Biutiful, the more I like the song.

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Isn't this kind of labelling the band and placing restrictions on what they can do? Though also for me it's been difficult to accept ETIAW and its new sound, I think the guys should be free to write and play any song they want as long as they enjoy that song. If any of you write or sth, it should be easy to understand this point. And this do-what-you-enjoy should apply also to massively famous bands with a huge fan base, otherwise music becomes just another job that clears the mortgage, when it should be first of all a pleasure.

 

That's not what I was trying to say. I meant that I'm positive that Coldplay consider ETIAW as a serious song that shouldn't be restricted to a certain period during the year, judging how they love it themselves. They don't release singles of which they know that it won't be remembered after whatever season it was released in, barring Christmas Lights, which is obviously a Christmas song (though I'm sure some people still listen to it around this time).

 

Briefly, Coldplay themselves wouldn't want ETIAW to be just a summer song.

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That's not what I was trying to say. I meant that I'm positive that Coldplay consider ETIAW as a serious song that shouldn't be restricted to a certain period during the year, judging how they love it themselves. They don't release singles of which they know that it won't be remembered after whatever season it was released in, barring Christmas Lights, which is obviously a Christmas song (though I'm sure some people still listen to it around this time).

 

Briefly, Coldplay themselves wouldn't want ETIAW to be just a summer song.

 

Thanks for making it clearer, I misunderstood. But again, even if they wanted to, there would be nothing wrong with it, right? It's their choice.

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