There's been a ton of grumbling as to why Chris' voice sounds so overproduced on Mylo Xyloto. For years Chris has tried to prevent Coldplay from turning into "The Chris Martin Show". I think he finally found a way to do this by making his vocals one of the various instruments used to tell a story.

 

While we all love the old formula (which places raw vocals on top of the music), the band has finally found a way to create an album that puts everyone equally in the spotlight.

 

 

Thoughts?

So they've overdone his voice so much in the hope that people won't notice it? =\

After listening to the album I wouldn't say you can't notice it. It is certainly still in the forefront. That being said, it doesn't carry the same weight as it did on their prior LP's. Everything blends into musical genius with perfect balance, IMO.

 

I think they succeeded in doing what they wanted with the album, while keeping the focus on Coldplay rather than CM. With that being said, I'd love to see an acoustic album down the road.

On some tracks the strings are too loud, but other than that I think it was produced very well. The distorted vocals are only noticeable on Major Minus really.

On some tracks the strings are too loud, but other than that I think it was produced very well. The distorted vocals are only noticeable on Major Minus really.

 

just on Major Minus?!

 

have you Heard Hurts Like Heaven?? they kinda raped that one:cry:

Production made crap from his voice on this album.. sometimes I'm even thinking the've recording some things in a water tank.. way too much production.

Production made crap from his voice on this album.. sometimes I'm even thinking the've recording some things in a water tank.. way too much production.

 

I totally agree with you.

 

We get very far from Ken Nelson's production on Parachute.

I think the effects make a nice difference!

The one that bothers me the most is Major Minus. The rest sounds ok. Not that I like it - they could do without it of course - but the others like HLH doesn't bother me as much as Chris' voice in Major Minus.

The only song that I thought the vocals were really over produced on was Major Minus but even that sounds ok to me now. That being sad I much rather more stripped back vocals...

I didn't mind Major Minus much, but I definitely am looking forward to more of their old school stripped down acoustics and vocals. If we're speaking about trying to sound more Coldplay than just Chris Martin, perhaps we can hear more of Will, Jonny and Guy singing? I haven't exactly heard the latter two's voices distinctly, and I simply adore Will's tone.

Eurgh, I hate the phrase "over produced" or "over producing". I personally don't believe in it, I think they produced the album to the extent that they wanted and that they thought sounded good and that's what most people like to do. If you "over produce" something you spend months on top of months producing something, turning the song into something completely different, messing up the original song and making it sound crappy (as I have done frequently in the past).

It's not "over production" it's just very clean, refined, polished, different and detailed.

I love what they've done on Hurts Like Heaven, there's a lot going on with his voice, at least 3-4 at the same time in the verse, clearly double tracked and something else cropping up now and again.

I really like effected vocals too, (overdrive, chorus, echo etc) especially in Major Minus, it sounds brilliant, I prefer it to the live version honestly.

I'm also favourable to clean vocals, like up with the birds, although they're very compressed especially from the very start, but it's nice.

Honestly, we're witnessing production innovation (not quite as much as The Beatles), this album is not only musically different form everything else out now, but technically too, the sonic landscapes created are just fabulous, and I think it's fronted by the change in Chris's voice, it's fresh and different form what they've done before.

Eurgh, I hate the phrase "over produced" or "over producing". I personally don't believe in it, I think they produced the album to the extent that they wanted and that they thought sounded good and that's what most people like to do. If you "over produce" something you spend months on top of months producing something, turning the song into something completely different, messing up the original song and making it sound crappy (as I have done frequently in the past).

It's not "over production" it's just very clean, refined, polished, different and detailed.

I love what they've done on Hurts Like Heaven, there's a lot going on with his voice, at least 3-4 at the same time in the verse, clearly double tracked and something else cropping up now and again.

I really like effected vocals too, (overdrive, chorus, echo etc) especially in Major Minus, it sounds brilliant, I prefer it to the live version honestly.

I'm also favourable to clean vocals, like up with the birds, although they're very compressed especially from the very start, but it's nice.

Honestly, we're witnessing production innovation (not quite as much as The Beatles), this album is not only musically different form everything else out now, but technically too, the sonic landscapes created are just fabulous, and I think it's fronted by the change in Chris's voice, it's fresh and different form what they've done before.

:curtain::nod:

Eurgh, I hate the phrase "over produced" or "over producing". I personally don't believe in it, I think they produced the album to the extent that they wanted and that they thought sounded good and that's what most people like to do. If you "over produce" something you spend months on top of months producing something, turning the song into something completely different, messing up the original song and making it sound crappy (as I have done frequently in the past).

It's not "over production" it's just very clean, refined, polished, different and detailed.

I love what they've done on Hurts Like Heaven, there's a lot going on with his voice, at least 3-4 at the same time in the verse, clearly double tracked and something else cropping up now and again.

I really like effected vocals too, (overdrive, chorus, echo etc) especially in Major Minus, it sounds brilliant, I prefer it to the live version honestly.

I'm also favourable to clean vocals, like up with the birds, although they're very compressed especially from the very start, but it's nice.

Honestly, we're witnessing production innovation (not quite as much as The Beatles), this album is not only musically different form everything else out now, but technically too, the sonic landscapes created are just fabulous, and I think it's fronted by the change in Chris's voice, it's fresh and different form what they've done before.

 

Amen

Eurgh, I hate the phrase "over produced" or "over producing". I personally don't believe in it, I think they produced the album to the extent that they wanted and that they thought sounded good and that's what most people like to do. If you "over produce" something you spend months on top of months producing something, turning the song into something completely different, messing up the original song and making it sound crappy (as I have done frequently in the past).

It's not "over production" it's just very clean, refined, polished, different and detailed.

I love what they've done on Hurts Like Heaven, there's a lot going on with his voice, at least 3-4 at the same time in the verse, clearly double tracked and something else cropping up now and again.

I really like effected vocals too, (overdrive, chorus, echo etc) especially in Major Minus, it sounds brilliant, I prefer it to the live version honestly.

I'm also favourable to clean vocals, like up with the birds, although they're very compressed especially from the very start, but it's nice.

Honestly, we're witnessing production innovation (not quite as much as The Beatles), this album is not only musically different form everything else out now, but technically too, the sonic landscapes created are just fabulous, and I think it's fronted by the change in Chris's voice, it's fresh and different form what they've done before.

 

You've thought about this. Good stuff.

If innovation means making the record sound like a scratched vinyl or like a total mess of sounds that kill each other as well as Chris's voice, then I prefer to get stuck in time. I'm all up for innovation, fusion, electronic beats and what not, but this is anything but innovative nor clean, refined and polished, imo.

And I still don't get the idea of not wanting to have Chris's voice in the spotlight and just make it one of the instruments. Why wouldn't you want something so good to shine? His voice never hid the instruments but this time the production does hide his voice, so it's not like they're all in the exact same position. If they wanted the other members to take the spotlight instead of Chris, they could have made some real and decent interludes instead of the jokes we got or get the others to sing a little more.

I'm glad so many fellow Coldplayers like this new formula but I just don't get it.

I dont mind the vocal effects.I kind of like them.Its something new and different.Although I am not a big fan of when Chris sings in his lower register.It just seems a bit weird to me.

Eurgh, I hate the phrase "over produced" or "over producing". I personally don't believe in it, I think they produced the album to the extent that they wanted and that they thought sounded good and that's what most people like to do. If you "over produce" something you spend months on top of months producing something, turning the song into something completely different, messing up the original song and making it sound crappy (as I have done frequently in the past).

It's not "over production" it's just very clean, refined, polished, different and detailed.

I love what they've done on Hurts Like Heaven, there's a lot going on with his voice, at least 3-4 at the same time in the verse, clearly double tracked and something else cropping up now and again.

I really like effected vocals too, (overdrive, chorus, echo etc) especially in Major Minus, it sounds brilliant, I prefer it to the live version honestly.

I'm also favourable to clean vocals, like up with the birds, although they're very compressed especially from the very start, but it's nice.

Honestly, we're witnessing production innovation (not quite as much as The Beatles), this album is not only musically different form everything else out now, but technically too, the sonic landscapes created are just fabulous, and I think it's fronted by the change in Chris's voice, it's fresh and different form what they've done before.

 

I agree wholeheartedly. It's like special effects in a movie. They can either enhance the story or try to hide the fact that there is no plot. I think MX contains solid songs which the effects enhance. I, too, think the effects on Major Minus are perfect. It's suppose to sound sinister & oppressive. They've done a great job.

I agree too. Major Minus does sound better on the album. I don't usually say that about most tracks. I think the overlapping vocals add a dimension to the sound not captured in concert

Overproduced? They're just playing around with effects, if anything I don't like the notes he's hitting. His voice is aging and they need to take a different approach.

Overproduced? They're just playing around with effects, if anything I don't like the notes he's hitting. His voice is aging and they need to take a different approach.

 

True, he get pretty pitchy on some of those high notes. But to me, Chris has never been a great technical singer and its more about his passion, enthusiasm and sincerity.

I honestly don't see them going straight back to acoustic or stripped down or even "under produced" songs straight after this album, or even at all, cause I think they've found their place, this big sound is what coldplay in my eyes should be. They won't go back to a basic sound at all I think.