Have they lost their minds?

[mark55]

Listening to Paradise, I'm waiting to hear that cringe-inducing yelp of Timbaland in the background....

 

 

I have been a fan ever since I saw them perform "Yellow" on TV ages ago. I can recall thinking, "Who is this?" and started to become a fan of theirs after that point...

 

It wasn't really until A Rush of Blood to the Head came out though, and I listened to the album and instantly said, "WOW" to myself. It completely blew me away. After that point I fell head over heels in love with Coldplay. I honestly think AROBTTH is one of the greatest rock albums of all time, and it made me fall in love with Parachutes so much more. I remember that summer very fondly, finally falling in love with a band that was all "mine" and not the Beatles or another band that had disbanded decades ago that I would never see live...

 

As soon as I heard the buzzy synth bass and electronic snare on Paradise today I was like, "Oh Jesus". I gave it a shot and listened to it a few times through, soaking in it's repetitive chords over and over again.

 

I think if you showed this song to the guys back in their Parachutes/AROBTTH era and told them they were going to write this a decade later, they would have laughed at you and said they're not trying to be the Backstreet Boys.

 

THIS IS WHAT COLDPLAY SOUNDS LIKE NOW?

 

I realize not all their songs are going to sound like this -- the other new stuff they released so far is ok. Not anywhere near as good as their early days, but still ok. This Paradise song makes Every Tear Drop A Waterfall seem like "I Am the Walrus" in comparison to how generic this is. Funny how "Moving to Mars", their most "classic Coldplay" sounding song out of the 3, didn't make the cut .

 

I've pretty much given up on Coldplay. Have they lost their minds?

 

They're always going to have a special place in my heart, but ... they've let all their original, longstanding fans down.

 

And what's with all the people saying, "Oh stop hatin, this song is a 10/10", trying to defend it and make us look like fools. You do realize they were an amazing, deep organic sounding band before you discovered them last year on your NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL MUSIC VOL 245 cd, right? That we have been listening to their beautiful melodies for years now and this simply does not hold up whatsoever to classics like, "Everything is Not Lost", "Amsterdam", "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face", "Spies", "Clocks", "Trouble" and so on.

 

Someone in a previous post said they have regressed in songwriting, using Amsterdam as a comparison (I 100% agree) and someone said, "No, they just changed their sound" and to get over it. You're trying to tell us that a song like Amsterdam with that mind-blowing ending and lush, deep dark piano chords that are cleverly written, is not a MILLION miles above this repetitive tween crap?

 

It's just average for a pop song anyway; it's no man's land in terms of its appeal. If I didn't know them and I heard it on the radio, I would just change the channel. It makes me sad to say that, because I've never done that to a Coldplay song before.

 

I would kill to go back to the days of X&Y. Everyone made fun of that album but it still was Coldplay and organic. It's strange because I love Eno but he somehow totally destroyed this band's sound and essence. Viva La Vida had some cool parts in it and some lovely songs but it felt cold, soulless and overcompressed and overproduced. Coldplay's music used to remind me of laidback foggy mornings in the countryside. Now they remind me of Glee marathons or music that should be played during an ABC Family montage.

 

And yes -- I KNOW bands change their sound and grow. I grew up with Radiohead too. This is not growth. This is regression, like the other person said. This is not better. Coldplay opened up a whole new world with me when I learned their early songs on guitar and all their unique chord progression and endless weird tunings. I got all their chord books and was blown away by how clever and original their songwriting was. I bought the Viva La Vida songbook and all the chords stared becoming predictable, no alternate tunings, and it's come to a full stop now. The majority of their new songs lack any of that slightly dark, mellow, humble beauty that the old Coldplay songs had.

 

I've always felt that Coldplay has done a horrible job of looking at themselves as a band, objectively & subjectively. Their B-sides like Animals, Murder, I Ran Away, 3.16, One I Love, Ladder to the Sun, Help is Round the Corner, Poor Me, Gravity, How You See the World, etc were all absolutely BRILLIANT and should have been included on their respectable albums. I feel like these songs got cut because they probably felt like they were too "outside the box". Which they aren't at all. But I felt like they knew the labels/mainstream wouldn't like them as much and cut them off. I always try to show people the Coldplay b-sides because it shows a cooler, darker vibe from them. I feel like if they had showed off more of these types of songs, it would have given them more of a mainstream-Radiohead-esque type of approachability and charm...instead of always choosing the most poppy, predictable songs to make the ends of their album cuts (a la "The Hardest Part")... they just come off like they're always trying too hard to please everyone.

 

On top of that they let the negative criticism get to them too much after X&Y. They got so popular people started belittling them (NY Times article calling them "most insufferable band ever") and then Chris Martin said "We won't be seeing you around for a while" at that awards show, with his tail tucked between his legs. He should have told them all to fuck off and stuck to his guns. I remember reading interviews of them after that point, talking how they were embarrassed and didn't know what to do with themselves... and then they hired Eno. Rest is history.

 

Funny how they were embarrassed after X&Y, but aren't embarrassed to wear these silly matching outfits with the cheap-looking decals ironed onto their clothes, looking like a poor man's version of Sgt. Pepper, singing trite songs like Paradise. What happened to the UK blokes that wore jeans and just cared about making beautiful music? Oh yeah, I forgot, they got money. That's not to say being rich makes you a bad musician, however as we've seen throughout history over and over again, a lot of times the passion/originality is never the same.

 

Well that's my rant and I could give two shits if you don't like it. But I'm sorry, Coldplay are a joke of what they used to be, and what their potential during their early days had been. You see bands like Radiohead, who write music the way they want to, no apologies, and the fans flock in droves...Coldplay could have had that, but instead they sold out for Top 40 collaborations with Rihanna (are you serious?)

 

And finally, let me add, I don't mind pop music. I love synths and certain electronica music and sounds, and i'm not really against Coldplay meshing that in. I loved the drum synth playing underneath Chris Martin's piano chords during Animals. It sounded unique, classy. This just sounds vacuous and generic, and the chords are boring. You can write pop music and still be original, avant garde, new. Coldplay have never been the best lyricists, but at least they had great song structures and melodies. Now they have none of that. Even as vague as some of their early lyrics were, it still had a symbolic prettiness to it. Their lyrics are getting cheesy here.

 

I used to have a few friends that loved Coldplay in highschool along with me... now most are too embarrassed to even admit they used to like them. I'm always the one defending Coldplay from those who call them boring, whiny, etc but now it's at a point where I don't even know how to defend this anymore....

 

I know this'll never happen but they should just get back to the basics.

 

Mark

[Mark]

I've also been a Coldplay fan quite a while, and actually, I do think this new direction is good. It's bringing Johnny to the fore, it's mixing contemporary chart music with the Viva blueprint, and it's more intriguing than the simple Yellow. I know you couldn't "give two shits" what I think, but seriously, that band make music to please themselves and if this pleases them, let them.

[Vitamin Z]

That was a great read and you know what, as much as I disagree about Paradise being rubbish, you make a lot of sense.

 

I think the criticism of X&Y (which I think was completely unjust as X&Y is my absolute favorite Coldplay album) really effected Coldplay's direction. I can't blame the guys at all, as with that amount of criticism I'd probably be looking to do something drastic too, but they seemed to abandon everything that made them *them*. The heavenly sounds of Clocks, the epic ballads of Fix You and What If...I could go on. I remember when I first listened to Viva la Vida after the long 3 year wait...I couldn't help but feel like everything I once loved about them was gone. That they'd never be another song like Amsterdam or Everything's Not Lost.

 

But despite all that, I think Coldplay still make amazing songs. They will never have the effect of their previous work, but they are still one of the best bands out there. I learnt to love their new music. - Paradise may be poppy to it's core, but it still shows how amazing these 4 musicians are.

 

But, I'm also hoping I might be shocked and Up in Flames or another MX track will have an essence of the old Coldplay!

[Jedi Leo]

I believe the fact that Coldplay can write songs like Amsterdam and Paradise at the same time is mind-blowing and proof that they have a lot of talent. They choose what direction they want to take and artistically they can go anywhere, across any genre.

[Jedi Leo]

But, I'm also hoping I might be shocked and Up in Flames or another MX track will have an essence of the old Coldplay!

 

Yes I am sure you will as they said the acoustic parts found their way into the album as well

[Super Luka]

My friend do you visible you coldplay or even you do know what it does feel as to apprecciate the sympathy of cold? I speak you this my good person I saw Martin once on the party and he said to me know he actually was good friends of mine and he said to me " Luka we good friends and I delight in by your company much, I must say you cold game it goes to make a new song and people hate me" , and I said " Martin, people never it will hate your lyric poetry and powerful lights" , only he said " Luka they will be. But you must ever not betray me". :angry:

 

Why you did write this longer and boring essay about your hatred of paradise? Only poor people and lost hate paradise, paradise probably one of the best songs Of coldplay furthermore that each drop in the break a drop in the water and repair you. You know nothing from Martin and his ways deceiver and your of Essa paradise did not drill. :angry: :angry: :angry:

[coldplayfan24]

This is a different album and they are experimenting with new sounds. Yes I'm glad they are using Jonny more and he is great. They band as a whole are working great together on Hurts Like Heaven, Charlie Brown, ETIAW. After three listens I'm still not feeling it. Chris' singing at points remind me of A Rush of Blood to the Head but they lyrics always working for me. Para Para Paradide...every time I hear that I think of ella ella ella and then I remember Rihanna is going to be on the album... I know they wanted more fans and for people not to hate on Coldplay but I don't approve of this path. I'm hoping I will love the rest of the album afterall this is just one song. There's always a song or two that people don't like on an album.

 

The comment I read somewhere about Moving to Mars being their most Coldplay like sounding song and it not being on the album is true. I love it. Shame it wasn't paradise.

[SueDeNimes]

What an amazing first post! :awesome: :clap:

Thanks for putting my thoughts into words.

 

Welcome here! :nice:

[Super Luka]

What an amazing first post! :awesome: :clap:

Thanks for putting my thoughts into words.

 

Welcome here! :nice:

 

Do not say bad things about Martin when you are the staff of his webpage you nasty wench :angry:

[Jedi Leo]

What is soulless to some is moving to others...ah the beauty of subjectivity :)

[Jedi Leo]

Do not say bad things about Martin when you are the staff of his webpage you nasty wench :angry:

 

:laugh3::laugh3::laugh3: I admire your loyalty :)

[kspillers2]

Anna, I very much agree with the first poster as well.....and PS...how did that crazy Yossarian pop up in here again. I've missed him.

[Super Luka]

This thread should have closure and lockage and its regular poster be banished because he says that the new song by Martin and his friends is for a joke, I am good friends with Martin and I know he never had a joke with this and he loves very much to make musical and lyrical poetry with his good friends Brian Eno.

[lndnsky]

Aha a ti si kao Luka Modrić! Ja sam žena Nike Kranjčara. Hahahaha! I odakle ti pravo govorit protiv ljudi koji rade za forum, svatko ima pravo na vlastito mišljenje.

 

Sorry guys for posting in Croatian but I just had to.

 

edit. And a lovely 1st post. I pretty much agree with you!

[cephaus]

Anna, I very much agree with the first poster as well.....and PS...how did that crazy Yossarian pop up in here again. I've missed him.

 

ROFL oh god, I remember him!

 

Anyway I really like what Mark's posted, and I really share the frustration. I believe many (not all) of us do; Most of them are those who've seen Coldplay evolve from their roots til today.

 

Some people are kind of misunderstanding what all the frustration is all about though. It's not that we hate Coldplay. It's the opposite, in fact. It's not that we don't want Coldplay to evolve. It's just that this... isn't evolving. Especially when you know how much potential Coldplay has.

 

I get the feeling that many years from now, maybe a decade or so, when we hear everything in retrospective, we'll be cringing at songs like these.

[Abracadabra]

Listening to Paradise, I'm waiting to hear that cringe-inducing yelp of Timbaland in the background....

 

 

I have been a fan ever since I saw them perform "Yellow" on TV ages ago. I can recall thinking, "Who is this?" and started to become a fan of theirs after that point...

 

It wasn't really until A Rush of Blood to the Head came out though, and I listened to the album and instantly said, "WOW" to myself. It completely blew me away. After that point I fell head over heels in love with Coldplay. I honestly think AROBTTH is one of the greatest rock albums of all time, and it made me fall in love with Parachutes so much more. I remember that summer very fondly, finally falling in love with a band that was all "mine" and not the Beatles or another band that had disbanded decades ago that I would never see live...

 

As soon as I heard the buzzy synth bass and electronic snare on Paradise today I was like, "Oh Jesus". I gave it a shot and listened to it a few times through, soaking in it's repetitive chords over and over again.

 

I think if you showed this song to the guys back in their Parachutes/AROBTTH era and told them they were going to write this a decade later, they would have laughed at you and said they're not trying to be the Backstreet Boys.

 

THIS IS WHAT COLDPLAY SOUNDS LIKE NOW?

 

I realize not all their songs are going to sound like this -- the other new stuff they released so far is ok. Not anywhere near as good as their early days, but still ok. This Paradise song makes Every Tear Drop A Waterfall seem like "I Am the Walrus" in comparison to how generic this is. Funny how "Moving to Mars", their most "classic Coldplay" sounding song out of the 3, didn't make the cut .

 

I've pretty much given up on Coldplay. Have they lost their minds?

 

They're always going to have a special place in my heart, but ... they've let all their original, longstanding fans down.

 

And what's with all the people saying, "Oh stop hatin, this song is a 10/10", trying to defend it and make us look like fools. You do realize they were an amazing, deep organic sounding band before you discovered them last year on your NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL MUSIC VOL 245 cd, right? That we have been listening to their beautiful melodies for years now and this simply does not hold up whatsoever to classics like, "Everything is Not Lost", "Amsterdam", "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face", "Spies", "Clocks", "Trouble" and so on.

 

Someone in a previous post said they have regressed in songwriting, using Amsterdam as a comparison (I 100% agree) and someone said, "No, they just changed their sound" and to get over it. You're trying to tell us that a song like Amsterdam with that mind-blowing ending and lush, deep dark piano chords that are cleverly written, is not a MILLION miles above this repetitive tween crap?

 

It's just average for a pop song anyway; it's no man's land in terms of its appeal. If I didn't know them and I heard it on the radio, I would just change the channel. It makes me sad to say that, because I've never done that to a Coldplay song before.

 

I would kill to go back to the days of X&Y. Everyone made fun of that album but it still was Coldplay and organic. It's strange because I love Eno but he somehow totally destroyed this band's sound and essence. Viva La Vida had some cool parts in it and some lovely songs but it felt cold, soulless and overcompressed and overproduced. Coldplay's music used to remind me of laidback foggy mornings in the countryside. Now they remind me of Glee marathons or music that should be played during an ABC Family montage.

 

And yes -- I KNOW bands change their sound and grow. I grew up with Radiohead too. This is not growth. This is regression, like the other person said. This is not better. Coldplay opened up a whole new world with me when I learned their early songs on guitar and all their unique chord progression and endless weird tunings. I got all their chord books and was blown away by how clever and original their songwriting was. I bought the Viva La Vida songbook and all the chords stared becoming predictable, no alternate tunings, and it's come to a full stop now. The majority of their new songs lack any of that slightly dark, mellow, humble beauty that the old Coldplay songs had.

 

I've always felt that Coldplay has done a horrible job of looking at themselves as a band, objectively & subjectively. Their B-sides like Animals, Murder, I Ran Away, 3.16, One I Love, Ladder to the Sun, Help is Round the Corner, Poor Me, Gravity, How You See the World, etc were all absolutely BRILLIANT and should have been included on their respectable albums. I feel like these songs got cut because they probably felt like they were too "outside the box". Which they aren't at all. But I felt like they knew the labels/mainstream wouldn't like them as much and cut them off. I always try to show people the Coldplay b-sides because it shows a cooler, darker vibe from them. I feel like if they had showed off more of these types of songs, it would have given them more of a mainstream-Radiohead-esque type of approachability and charm...instead of always choosing the most poppy, predictable songs to make the ends of their album cuts (a la "The Hardest Part")... they just come off like they're always trying too hard to please everyone.

 

On top of that they let the negative criticism get to them too much after X&Y. They got so popular people started belittling them (NY Times article calling them "most insufferable band ever") and then Chris Martin said "We won't be seeing you around for a while" at that awards show, with his tale tucked between his legs. He should have told them all to fuck off and stuck to his guns. I remember reading interviews of them after that point, talking how they were embarrassed and didn't know what to do with themselves... and then they hired Eno. Rest is history.

 

Funny how they were embarrassed after X&Y, but aren't embarrassed to wear these silly matching outfits with the cheap-looking decals ironed onto their clothes, looking like a poor man's version of Sgt. Pepper, singing trite songs like Paradise. What happened to the UK blokes that wore jeans and just cared about making beautiful music? Oh yeah, I forgot, they got money. That's not to say being rich makes you a bad musician, however as we've seen throughout history over and over again, a lot of times the passion/originality is never the same.

 

Well that's my rant and I could give two shits if you don't like it. But I'm sorry, Coldplay are a joke of what they used to be, and what their potential during their early days had been. You see bands like Radiohead, who write music the way they want to, no apologies, and the fans flock in droves...Coldplay could have had that, but instead they sold out for Top 40 collaborations with Rihanna (are you serious?)

 

And finally, let me add, I don't mind pop music. I love synths and certain electronica music and sounds, and i'm not really against Coldplay meshing that in. I loved the drum synth playing underneath Chris Martin's piano chords during Animals. It sounded unique, classy. This just sounds vacuous and generic, and the chords are boring. You can write pop music and still be original, avant garde, new. Coldplay have never been the best lyricists, but at least they had great song structures and melodies. Now they have none of that. Even as vague as some of their early lyrics were, it still had a symbolic prettiness to it. Their lyrics are getting cheesy here.

 

I used to have a few friends that loved Coldplay in highschool along with me... now most are too embarrassed to even admit they used to like them. I'm always the one defending Coldplay from those who call them boring, whiny, etc but now it's at a point where I don't even know how to defend this anymore....

 

I know this'll never happen but they should just get back to the basics.

 

Mark

 

Bravo, what an outstanding post. I fully support everything you pointed out and unfortunately, don't have a single reason to disagree. Welcome to the forum.

[Super Luka]

Aha a ti si kao Luka Mordić! Ja sam žena Nike Kranjčara. Hahahaha! I odakle ti pravo govorit protiv ljudi koji rade za forum, svatko ima pravo na vlastito mišljenje.

 

Sorry guys for posting in Croatian but I just had to.

 

edit. And a lovely 1st post. I pretty much agree with you!

 

Hahaha Nike Kranjčara si kao za forum, GLORY TO AN INDEPENDENT CROATIA WE SING

[Xanderp15]

I agree with mark55 wholeheartedly.

 

The problem with creating art for a living is that people get attached to it. Well, we got attached and fell in love. And now, our love has fallen for someone/something else. And it's a dirty skank named pop music (Eno, that piece of dirty butt floss!!).

 

I'm gonna go listen to Warning Sign and appreciate good songwriting.

[Nattatouille]

What an amazing first post! :awesome: :clap:

Thanks for putting my thoughts into words.

 

Welcome here! :nice:

 

Basically this.

 

I'm very pro-X&Y. I loved that album and I may go as far to say that it is my favourite Coldplay album. I disagreed with all the 'bashing' that went with it because I thought that even though it wasn't the most cohesive album... It had some real beautiful tracks on there (Talk, White Shadows, Fix You). I had hoped that VLV would follow that formula; obviously it didn't. But I accepted that sound and even if it did feel a little more clinical than previous albums, I enjoyed it.

 

I could enjoy MX if it was an VLV rehash.

 

I just think the direction they've taken now is far too extreme and yeah. Basically you put it in a way my brain fails to formulate being as disappointed as I am now.

 

Thank you for the extremely coherent and well written piece. I agree with you 100%. It disappoints me a lot too, because I loved the older Coldplay. I feel like they're trying to recapture the youth of experimentation as a band they never got to have because they immediately became massive

 

Do not say bad things about Martin when you are the staff of his webpage you nasty wench :angry:

 

First off... This is not Chris Martins' webpage. This is Ians'.

 

Secondly, how rude and disrespectful that you can talk to anyone like that... Let alone a member of staff on this board.

 

People are allowed to express their own opinions on this board, and if you don't like their opinions you have every right to express that you don't. But you do not have the right to be rude to anyone.

[Abracadabra]

This thread should have closure and lockage and its regular poster be banished because he says that the new song by Martin and his friends is for a joke, I am good friends with Martin and I know he never had a joke with this and he loves very much to make musical and lyrical poetry with his good friends Brian Eno.

 

Yeah, I didn't think the mods would wait any longer. :lol:

[Abracadabra]

dp

[DukeNewcomb]

Hahhahaha +1 to the swift bannage

[kspillers2]

I didn't mean to out 'Yo'. :\

[SueDeNimes]

Hahaha Nike Kranjčara si kao za forum, GLORY TO AN INDEPENDENT CROATIA WE SING

^ Just to let you know before you start asking questions.

This account has been banned because multiple accounts are not allowed on the forum - not because of the insult. :)

Yossi, don't hide and stay nice.

 

Now please back to the OP, his points shouldn't be drowned in Yossi interrupting because Mark has put into words so wonderfully what I wasn't able to say.

Hope to see you around here for a while. :)

[lndnsky]

Hahaha Nike Kranjčara si kao za forum, GLORY TO AN INDEPENDENT CROATIA WE SING

 

Okay you are banned and can't see this. But google translate??? REALLY?

That doesn't even make sense.

 

Thank you Anna! :D