I have some very high expectations for this upcoming album!! I just can't see Coldplay disappointing! I personally think that they're first 4 albums were masterpieces, Mylo was really good but it wasn't quite on par with the others for me. It's going to be tough for GS to match the others but I think it has a shot! But if I'm honest, I'll be pleased if it can be as good as MX! + I'm really glad the boys are back!

Expecting a very solid album for them. Best one since Viva.

better than x&y and mx for sure

I think it will at least be their third best.

 

For me it already seems better than X&Y, MX and Parachutes.

 

Whether it will beat AROBTTH and/or VLVODAAHF only time can tell. :)

 

 

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up par with AROBTTH! and VLV!

Well we've only heard two tracks from the album so far (we don't know how the tracks played live will sound in the album) but so far I think it'll be pretty good. I'm not expecting to be blown away though.

up par with AROBTTH! and VLV!

Whoah lets not get too carried away! I absolutely love Midnight and Magic but...

My personal rankings are Rush>'Chutes>X&Y>MX>Viva

 

I would project GS to be above X&Y at the moment and as high as parachutes. Doubt it can reach 'Rush' status.

MX better than viva? lol

i have a feeling it will be better than MX and X&Y. possibly better than parachutes. but have to wait to listen to the album as a while and let it sink in for awhile. the first listen is not always the best to judge an album for me.

 

EDIT: in any case, i think we can expect much better production on this album than MX. the production in midnight and magic is awesome!

The nice part about having favourite bands is that they can almost do no wrong. While this is entirely a subjective question, it does seem most Coldplay fans, at least those who have been fans since the Parachutes/AROBTTH era, tend to not like MX and X&Y as much out of the entire discography. I myself fall in this category and I bet that Ghost Stories will certainly be a more well received album than MX, perhaps not commercially, but definitely critically and amongst older fans.

 

Of course, I could be entirely wrong and it could be their best album or their worst, we really haven't heard enough yet I think to be able to tell. I look forward to finding out and hearing new tracks as they trickle in. After some of these early reviews I can't help but have high expetations myself!

MX better than viva? lol

 

lol, I know its a little bit out there, but I thought long and hard about. What sold me was I didn't have a single track from the Viva era on my playlist which surprised even myself. Dont get me wrong, I like Viva, but I just don't prefer it to MX.

 

Or perhaps I'm going about the whole thing wrong. I'm putting a higher reliance on strength of individual tracks than the album as a whole.

lol, I know its a little bit out there, but I thought long and hard about. What sold me was I didn't have a single track from the Viva era on my playlist which surprised even myself. Dont get me wrong, I like Viva, but I just don't prefer it to MX.

 

Or perhaps I'm going about the whole thing wrong. I'm putting a higher reliance on strength of individual tracks than the album as a whole.

You've managed to unconvince yourself!

MX better than viva? lol

 

I also think that MX is better.

Unlike MX, I have high expectations for this album. We'll see if that backfires on me on May 16th (or whenever the album leaks)

I think that MX has some really strong tracks in it but, as a whole, i don't like it as much as i like the other LPs. For example, i think that Viva is a pretty solid record from start to finish because it has such good cohesiveness (i don't know if that word actually exists) but, individually, the only song on it that i really love and listen to on a regular basis is Strawberry Swing, whereas MX has great tracks in it like Charlie Brown, UATW, Hurts Like Heaven or DLIBYH but it's a pretty uneven record.

Will probably be the third best after VLVODAAHF and AROBTTH

All this speculation is raising the levels of anticipation. 3 long years...

I think that MX has some really strong tracks in it but, as a whole, i don't like it as much as i like the other LPs. For example, i think that Viva is a pretty solid record from start to finish because it has such good cohesiveness (i don't know if that word actually exists) but, individually, the only song on it that i really love and listen to on a regular basis is Strawberry Swing, whereas MX has great tracks in it like Charlie Brown, UATW, Hurts Like Heaven or DLIBYH but it's a pretty uneven record.

 

I might say that as far as album flow goes, MX is Coldplay's most cohesive release, every big bang on that album is complemented by a a softer sound to follow, and overall it does feel like some sort of sonic story. I significantly prefer Viva however, because every track for me is solid, diverse and I just like how that era incorporated some artpop/shoegaze/folk elements. Plus it is flows amazingly well from start to finish.

 

I agree with your assessment of MX though, all the tracks you mentioned are awesome, and I would even add Paradise, ETIAW, and Major Minus. However, I hardly even touch the other tracks, especially Up In Flames.

I might say that as far as album flow goes, MX is Coldplay's most cohesive release, every big bang on that album is complemented by a a softer sound to follow, and overall it does feel like some sort of sonic story. I significantly prefer Viva however, because every track for me is solid, diverse and I just like how that era incorporated some artpop/shoegaze/folk elements. Plus it is flows amazingly well from start to finish.

 

I agree with your assessment of MX though, all the tracks you mentioned are awesome, and I would even add Paradise, ETIAW, and Major Minus. However, I hardly even touch the other tracks, especially Up In Flames.

 

Yes, it is well structured indeed, i meant 'uneven' in terms of quality :)

The only fear that I have is that maybe Ghost Stories won't have a song like Chinese Sleep Chant in VLVODAAHF or like Major Minus in MX... I hope I'm wrong.

I've been trying to think about this based on what we've heard so far. The band purposely chose Midnight to be the first song they shared with the public. Why? Because Midnight is the track that they want to sort of 'lead into' Ghost Stories. Midnight is Coldplay's most different song we've ever heard, and it is easily the best of the tracks we've heard yet. Secondly, the band releases Magic as the lead single. This one is more obvious, Coldplay has two sides: the pop side (Paradise, Viva La Vida, Princess of China, Clocks) and they have their alternative side (Charlie Brown, Violet Hill, Amsterdam, Spies). Magic is Coldplay's 'pop' side at it's finest, and it works as a radio friendly single.

 

Next on the list are the two live songs we've heard: Another's Arms and Always In My Head. I think Coldplay knew that not as many people would watch the concert as they would buy the full record. This is why they chose Always In My Head to start the show off with. It's an opener song, and what do you want when you finish hearing the opener song? MORE SONGS. Always In My Head is classic Coldplay, and the band knows that. They knew the fans were the ones who would be watching, so why not give them a little teaser? So if my logic is correct (and I think it is) then we can expect Ghost Stories to feel a lot more like Always In My Head rather than Magic. Now, I could be wrong, but these are just my predictions. If Ghost Stories is more of the Always In My Head sound, I believe this album might rival some of their best work. But it's going to have to work hard to dethrone A Rush of Blood To the Head.

That's a good analysis by you, especially the part about Always in My Head being more representative of the album.

 

I came to that conclusion in a different way though. It seems to be the case that the opening track of each album is pretty indicative of the feels of the rest of the album.

 

Parachutes album - Don't Panic

Alt-soft rock vibes

 

A Rush of Blood to the Head - Politik

Piano rock

 

X&Y Album - Square One

"Harder" piano rock with more guitars. Space rock lite

 

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends Album- Life in Technicolour

Artsy and colourful vibe with strings accompaniment, organic and more experimental

 

Mylo Xyloto Album - Mylo Xyloto/Hurts Like Heaven

Wall of sound, prominent guitar and delving into electronic aids

 

Now with Ghost Stories. If the pattern continues and going off of Always in My Head, it appears to be...pretty darn good lol

 

Now with Ghost Stories. If the pattern continues and going off of Always in My Head, it appears to be...pretty darn good lol

 

That would be my conclusion as well! Always In My Head might just be one of my favorite Coldplay songs, it rivals Don't Panic as an intro song.

They just have such a knack for intro songs man, its insane.

 

The trouble is, it's hard to fit it into the setlist of the next tour. In other words, i'm not sure where i'd plug in Politik, Don't Panic, HLH, LiT or Square1 if not the first song to start the setlist or at least first song coming out of an encore

The only fear that I have is that maybe Ghost Stories won't have a song like Chinese Sleep Chant in VLVODAAHF or like Major Minus in MX... I hope I'm wrong.

 

This completely, thank you .