LP7- "A Head Full Of Dreams"

[arushofjacktothehead]

Somebody should do a remix of this album and take out all of the bad production stargate gave us. I'll buy that copy. (Though I'll still buy this one, songs are great.)

 

If they do, IMO they should replace XMTS with Miracles and Army Of One with A Spell A Rebel Yell. Hymn is actually decent.

[Xylobryte98]

If they do, IMO they should replace XMTS with Miracles and Army Of One with A Spell A Rebel Yell. Hymn is actually decent.

 

 

What thing about Army Of One exactly didn't appeal you?

Just asking. As I saw either people love it v much or just call it meh.

I want to know the perspective of people who don't like it.

:)

[LeftrightleftArchi]

REJOICE PEOPLE!!! I made a version of Up&Up with the piano isolated from the Tidal live debut!

http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/thr...n-*WITH-PIANO*

[the_escapist]

I just noticed something interesting. It is v much possible that the background voices that we hear in COLOUR SPECTRUM are all the songs of the album excluding UP&UP. Fits with the whole completion of something thingy too.

 

Pls check and tell me if you guys hear all the songs of the album in CS too.

 

That is correct. I can also hear certain songs but not others. It is like a summary of the album with a little tune over before Up&Up.

[kaisin]

Alright, now that i have a clear head and the excitement from yesterday has subsided i have a few thoughts regarding the album:

 

1. AHFOD is a GREAT opener, they sure know how to open an album, i can already see myself jumping to it at the beginning of next year's concert with the xylobands glowing.

 

2. Birds is probably my favourite song from the last 2 albums, it makes me really angry because Chris has been saying that they are no longer a rock band and that's fine, i'm not one of those Oldplayer nazis who only likes the first 3 albums, i thoroughly enjoy ALL of their music but Birds just proves that that type of soft rock is that they do best, it's a fucking amazing song.

 

3. HFTW is a fine song, the chorus is really catchy, i can't really see the Holi video go along with that song, right now i really see that type video going along with the AHFOD song but hey, we'll have to wait till we see it right?

 

4. Everglow has gotten a bit of hate and i really don't get why, i absolutely LOVED IT , i needed a Coldplay ballad in that tempo, those are the best and the lyrics are really touching (O was great too slow and melancholic).

 

5. Fun is my least favourite song so far but i can listen to it, i just don't like it as much as the other songs. Another's Arms was my least favourite song off of GS and i couldn't listen to it from start to finish so i guess that means that (for me, at least) this album is better right?

 

6. Army of One is growing on me just like Ink did from GS, i didn't like Ink at all when i first listened to it and now it's one of my favourites from GS.

 

7. Could Up&Up be the worst closer in a Coldplay album? I sort of liked it but I think it is one of the worst closers, along with Twisted Logic (i really, reeeeally don't like that song)

 

Overall, i think AHFOD is a better album than GS but still below par, Birds gives me hope that they can still write and perform really great rock songs so i'm not disappointed, just really looking forward to the tour, it's been 5 years since i last saw them live :)

[the_escapist]

Obviously I have been hearing the album non stop since yesterday. It is such a shame that the forum has been down several times since then. That said, some general comments:

 

AHFOD is indeed a song written on purpose for the tour. Amazing in my opinion and a highlight of the album if they get the whole stadiums to sing the ooohs.

 

Birds is amazing. I want a whole album with that style. And I think it is a song written for Apple and Moses telling them that everything is going to be OK despite the divorce.

 

Hymn for the Weekend is a Beyoncé song by Coldplay. It is not bad, but I also don't think that it is great. I don't see it becoming a classic.

 

Everglow is amazing. Another highlight of the album. Chris at his best and I agree that this is Chris weakest album. Obviously it is not Fix You but it is better than Us Against The World.

 

Adventure of a Lifetime is another song written for the tour. The song that shows best that they were able to reinvent themselves once again.

 

Kaleidoscope is fine. I guess it is more about the message than the song. Merely designed to be an interlude.

 

Army of One and X Marks the Spot: the weaker moments of the album for sure. Army of One is fine but it will be remembered as an album filler.

 

X Marks the Spot is the worst song in the album in my opinion. It is Chris trying to something he is obviously not good at. Sounds like a song Chris tried to wrote for Rihanna. Hopefully he got it out of his system and will not try going this route in the future.

 

Amazing Day: it is a good song. It will probably stand the test of time but in my opinion Everglow and AHFOD are better.

 

Colour Spectrum: another filler. Not much sense besides making a pause between Amazing Day and what comes next.

 

Up&Up: the best song of the album. It will stand the test of time and it is going to become a classic. Coldplay at its best and at what they are good doing.

 

It is a good album. Not their best but I will be enjoying it for a good time. And the tour is going to be amazing. We always want an album with only great songs but that has been almost never been the case with the boys.

 

And finally, let me just say that I don't get the hate that GS is getting. It was a decent album in my opinion considering the circumstances and what they tried to do.

[the_escapist]

One way to judge the album is to think which and how many songs will feature in the LP8 or LP9 tours (if we are lucky enough to see that day).

 

For this album I think that only the following will stand he test of time:

 

Up&Up

Amazing Day

Everglow (possibly).

[EasySuperstition99]

Alright I'm listening to Everglow again, bout the cry, that song is gonna be so awesome live at Wembley.

[Jaytheblue]

One way to judge the album is to think which and how many songs will feature in the LP8 or LP9 tours (if we are lucky enough to see that day).

 

For this album I think that only the following will stand he test of time:

 

Up&Up

Amazing Day

Everglow (possibly).

 

Well no I don't think that's an accurate judgement on the album ... Yellow is the only song that gets consistent play from parachutes, and that's regarded as a very good album!

[WeddingDom]

Up&Up has the chance to become a classic only in the live shows. I agree that production almost killed it.

[EasySuperstition99]

One way to judge the album is to think which and how many songs will feature in the LP8 or LP9 tours (if we are lucky enough to see that day).

 

For this album I think that only the following will stand he test of time:

 

Up&Up

Amazing Day

Everglow (possibly).

For this album I think that only the following will stand he test of time:

The only songs that survive future tours are the big sellers and the classics. Rarely do they play oldies but goodies. They need to learn from Muse cause Muse played songs from like 1999 and 2002 and like the DEEP CUTS for their shows this past spring and Coldplay needs to play We Never Change or A Rush of Blood To The Head or like Bigger Stronger, or Twisted Logic (etc.)

[kaisin]

^ Agreed, they never play Sparks or Warning Sign or Amsterdam and they are great, beautiful songs. I see them playing Everglow and maybe Birds (it could replace GPASUYF as the rockier song on the setlist)

[Minarets]

Miracles is pretty good. I saw it available when looking for a link for the album. It was streaming on some site. It's a piano opening. It's kinda forgettable for me. It's good, but bad, but isn't a song that makes me want to listen again and again. It's good filler.

[JM-42]

Underwhelming album. I know they want to appeal to the masses but some of this songs are just...bland. I did enjoy AOAL, Birds, Fun and Amazing Day from the first listen and AHFOD is starting to grow on me really quickly. I really hope the Up&Up version from the leak is not the final one. Can't believe they managed to screw it up with the mixing but should be pretty great live.

[beastwars]

I try to share my opinion

 

A Head Full Of Dreams - It seems like a U2 cover feat. Cut Copy. It clearly reminds of ETIAW, but for me it's slightly better, even if Chris forgot to write lyrics for the second half. 7/10

 

Birds - A good episode. It feels very indie pop and the fact that vocals remind of Win Butler makes think of Arcade Fire even for the music. The more I listen to it the more I discover new details, starting from the vaguely dreamy guitars. Please Jonny, delay e reverb as much as you can. The abrupt ending is quite unsettling. 7,5/10

 

Hymn For The Weekend - An awful let down. Melodically is too similar to "Give Me A Reason" by Nate Ruess & Pink, pathetic lyrics, terrible bridge & chorus. This could easily be a single by Destiny's Child & Flo Rida with Alexandra Stan. VOTO 4

 

Everglow - Ok, it's simple, classic 4 chords, Chris is almost without voice, but it's the ONLY song of the album that's Coldplay. It doesn't take me emotionally, but I can say that I like it. Even without ambitions and ideas, the boys make good songs when they don't forgot their identity. 8,5/10

 

Adventure Of A Lifetime - Daft Punk, Pharrell & Bruno Mars, woohoo. A nightmare. 5/10

 

Fun (feat. Tove Lo) - A good experiment for me. the combination of the two voices is surprisingly good. The only flaw is that it seems an Imagine Dragons song. 7.5/10

 

Kaleidoscope - A spot for Obama. 2/10

 

Army Of One - electropop cover of "Every Breaking Wave". 6/10

 

X Marks The Spot - Lowest point of their career by a mile. 0/10

 

Amazing Day: a classic ballad ruined by Stargate pompous production. 6/10

 

Colour Spectrum: Nothing with nothing feat. nothing. N.V.

 

Up&Up: This could be a great song, but Stargate completely ruined it again. First 6+ mins song of their career, two great guitar solos , a Champagne Supernova-alike structure, but this claustrophobic overproduction mess it all. The ending is criminal. 6,5/10

 

It lacks of cohesion, transitions are not very good, songs are what they are. My final vote is 5/10.

Now they should go on hiatus for at least 5 years, reset their minds and then go autoproducing. Maybe we could achieve a final good album in this way. But it will never happen

[Miha]

I think this album is a venture into new, exciting territory for the boys. Maybe they try a bit too hard sometimes to embrace a genre (X Marks the Spot, Army of One, Hymn for the Weekend - although it's catchy). I don't feel it's a bad album at all. But I do feel a few until now, were better and context-wise, I feel Ghost Stories was a better album as well.

[the_escapist]

BTW, Fun is GREAT. One of my favorites of the album.

[Miha]

But as I write this, there are some songs that will stand the test of time, like Amazing Day, AOAL (a bit like Every Teardrop is a Waterfall to me) and maybe Everglow (although it might be the next "Warning Sign")

[cp3176]

NO PMing of the link you people' date=' otherwise you're gonna kill the forum again![/size']

 

I agree. The forum went down already 2 times today. I'm getting addicted to this forum and if I don't have it I can't function :(

 

 

Alright! I have listened to every track for one time through the leak of the album. This is a review based on my first listen, things may change!

 

Let's start!

 

WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO LISTEN ON THEIR OWN AND I MEAN MAJOR SPOILERS, ONE OF THE HINTS THEY GAVE US APPEAR IN ONE OF THE SONGS SO BE WARNED NOW IF YOU TRULY WANT TO FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF WHAT THEY SOUND LIKE!!!!!!!!!!!

 

A Head Full Of Dreams:

+: I like the atmospheric intro. Great job by Coldplay there. How the drumbeat kind of fades in is REALLY cool as well. When I listened to it for the VERY first time I was sort of disappointed that it didn't like explode right there but now I actually think it's a very acceptable fade-in, I like it more this way. I also like how they distorted Jonny's guitar part, it kind of makes is sound epic. Guy's bassline is AWESOME!!!!!! I love how Guy is really starting to show his true potential, to be honest everyone's showing their potential here. Jonny has a quicker guitar part as well, which is awesome to see him get a little faster. I like the presence of real drums as well (through most of it). The one part where it doesn't, it actually fits having a snap of the fingers there. I also like the explosiveness of this track, it's a lovely way to start off this great album. The production isn't actually too bad on this one, Stargate so far is doing a great job. I like it. The U2 vibe is also very cool -- nothing Coldplay's ever done before! Tracks like this they've done before, but really they're putting new experimental twists on it like they do for everything, and I find that awesome how they're experimenting more and more.

-: Not much... I suppose it's a tad repetitive, and the "woah-oh-ah-ahhhhohhohohohhhhh"'s are way too loud in a track like this. I also find it disappointing how Jonny's quick guitar part in that one point in the song is covered up by production. Again, most of the productiion is good in this song, but there are a few downfalls such as that one. Also, this track is a little short. I wish it was longer... however this track isn't the most variety so I can see why it's short. That's another sad thing about this... there's not a lot of variety and thus the fuil potential of this song isn't quite met. If there was more variation I could see this being a much better song.

Overall Score: 7.5-8/10

 

Birds:

+: I like how that ending effect at the end of A Head Full Of Dreams leaks into the intro. I also approve of the guitar work! One of the best parts of the song, and also in some parts where it goes high, it gives the song another dimension, as I said earlier. The distorted guitar sounds REALLY good IMO. This is a very dreamy track as well on second thought. The guitar gives that "dreamy" dimension as well. Chris vocals make it go so well... I really like the way he sings in this song, all softer. The electronic drums and noises in the background fit sooo well with the production in this song... I feel like this is one of the best produced-songs in the album... everything just blends sooo well together, and there's many different variation of these sounds in the album that are distorted, tha make it feel so dreamy yet different! I love it! I also like how they managed to make such an EPIC track yet such a dreamy and relaxing track! I have no idea how they could make an energetic yet calming track, because usually you see it as one or the other. Here however, Coldplay's real talent is peeking through. They've done such a GREAT song... it's unexplainable. Last thing, the experimentation. I LOVE how the experimented with all the things described above, Again, one of the most experimental tracks of Coldplay, especially with the dreamy guitar and the electronic drumbeat to keep the song flowing!!! It just... perfect. Also, I love how the outro gets so bright and celebratory with those high notes, the feelings generated by that are just so AMAZING!!!! The song as a whole feels much longer than it actually is. It feels like a 5 minute song, yet it's not even past the 4 minute mark. :D

-: Only thing I don't like is that all the energy just comes to an abrupt halt at the VERY end of the song. Such a letdown way to finish off the last second of a song like that. At least the background doesn't "click" when it stops... I don't know how they pulled that off, to let it end so abruptly yet make it not an annoying "click". There's some real talent there.

Extra Notes: I also really like how the song gets better as it goes on. More and more layers come in, yet the production has it all under control. This song has so much flavor that way that just keeps rising.

Overall Score: 8-9.5/10

 

Album So Far: Going great! Song-to-song flow is SOO amazing.... I like how AHFOD bled into Birds a little, and Birds seems like just the right way to continue on. Flow of the album, so far, so great! :D

 

Hymn for the Weekend:

+: First of all, I LOVE how Birds just bleeds into this song. It's interesting, because at the end there's these bird nature noises and then Beyonce's vocals just kind of fade in, and at that, an interesting way. I find it puzzling how they just fade out the "Birds" part of HFTW without you noticing, and the HTFW part gets more and more! I like how they managed to pull that off... also, the specific way that Beyonce's vocals bleed in is just so interesting! It sounds like a VERY experimental pop way of doing it. If you do pop, may as well make it experimental... I like how they pulled that off, Also, the experimentation. That's what seperates this from any normal pop song you hear on the radio. This is radio pop, but with a VERY experimental twist. They have these short-ending vocals and these TRUMPETS... wow! Coldplay have NEVER done that before. Also, the song structure where it goes from this beautiful piano, to Chris' great vocals (NOT lyrics, don't confuse :D) then they add more layers of these different and experimental sounds (even though it is electronic drums, it fits with a song like this) to the "poppy" parts with trumpets, building up to such a great beat with the piano in the background, such an uplifting beat, then it goes back to the original piano part, where the part before that bleeds in... it's such a great transition! I LOVE it. Then, when Beyonce harmonizes... her vocals are just so BEAUTIFUL!!!! Can't get ENOUGH!!!!!! So BEAUTIFUL!!! And when she's singing on her own, she's so gorgeous!!!! I LOVE it.. My favorite parts are the "so high, so high" part... it's such an uplifiting beautiful part of the song!!!! I LOVE it!!! Now I must admit this is on my second listen. I can't remember what alll the songs sound like off the top of my head since it's been an hours since I've listened to the album through the leak but this song has grown on me a million since the first listen. I originally thought this was pop trash, but now I realize that it's so experimental you can't call it radio pop anymore. Not quite. Although, this is undoubtedly the poppiest of the album. But I find it so great now! I've got to admit this is NOT Coldplay, but it's beautiful nonetheless, as this is a new branch of Coldplay yet again. This is like PoC done FREAKING RIGHT!! Overall, this song defines where catchy meets beautiful. I liked how they were able to smack together these two and make them work! I love it... something for the catchy-lovers, and something for the beauty-lovers as well. It's great, I must admit. So much experimentation that this is officially MUCH more engaging and exciting than radio pop trash. The production, great so far. Not much that "limits" the song, so as to speak.

-: This is a bit poppy though, I must admit. Almost too much for my taste. I almost want to say that the experimentation almost degrades the quality because a lot is going on but I just can't. The experimentation only makes this song in particular better. And it's all in good to have that bravity in your songs, where you're not afraid of making a piece sound a little less, because if you do nail it using the experimentation than it turns into a WONDERFUL track. Also, the lyrics are just... :facepalm: One of the worst I've ever seen Coldplay write. I mean, this is a GREAT song and all, yet the lyrics actually ruin the song in a way. It's not common for this to happen as usually the instrumentation and melody is enough to make up for it. Yet, when you have absolute TRASH lyrics like these they just bring down the song a little. I mean, CLEAR references to getting "drunk and high" Chris Martin??? No, that has to be Beyonce. I'm WILL give up on Coldplay if they droop to the level of pop trash lyrics. UGHHHHH. Don't let Beyonce let trash lyrics ruin it... the notion that any lyric is good with the right beat is COMPLETELY wrong. "Drunk and high" is freaking pop trash. Don't droop to that level.

Overall Score: 6.5-7 (almost .5)/10

 

Album So Far: Flow is AMAZING so far, arguably the best of any Coldplay album Very little production problems thus far. clean production doesn't really ruin any songs yet. As for how well the album is grabbing my attention, my attention is starting to fall a tad but I'm stilll very excited to hear... Everglow.

 

Everglow:

+: Again, this is the big brother to Up In Flames. Same sort of slow-ballad idea, drumbeat, etc. This song is growing on me. It's a BEAUTIFUL ballad. It starts off so well... the piano part is GORGEOUS. Contrary to other's thinking, I actually like Chris' vocals in this one. It really fits! I also like it, because this is the "breather" of the album. Through the relatively joyful and energetic tracks preceding, this is a very calming and soothing way to take a little break. The guitar solo at the end is also AWESOME!!! I like how they found a way to stick a nice guitar solo in this one. The guitar work in the background throughout most of the song is a great accompanient as well. Also, I like how they went to a more realistic drumbeat in the guitar solo. The ride cymbal is just great in that case. Finally, I like that there is a little bit of that explosive moment in the song as well, and it turns into something more. Production is both good and a bit of a ledown here. I like that little effect where it turns into something more... it's perfect for a song such as this. The fact that the guitar is used as the atmospheric element hear is also great! It feels so dreamy as well -- I could imagine myself looking at a sunset while listening to this song, and just drifting off. :) So beautiful. Chris vocals "Everglow" just before the guitar solo is just magnificent! He kind of goes up, then down, how it should be.

-: Electonic drumbeat is a bit of a letdown. It makes this track feel more "Newplay" where it should have an Oldplay vibe to it. It sort of takes away some of the magic it could have had. Production, while great, also feels a little too clean for my liking; again, it makes it feel more Newplay where this one arguably should have more of an Oldplay-ish style production. It is almost a little bit of a big deal because this song would have been much more special with better production. But I do suppose it's okay with the Newplay production -- it gives us a song that we wouldn't have heard if we did have the Oldplay-style production on it... it's a bit hard to explain.

Extra Notes:

For those of you saying "wahh this is a generic snoozer ballad" -- listen to it again. It's so beautiful!! Sure, it may be a little generic, but it's still very beautiful and I enjoy it. They literally managed to fit a guitar solo in there as well. Just wonderful.

Also, where's Gwyneth Paltrow? I can't hear her anywhere... can anyone point me to where she is? I know it's likely they hid her so many people would find it as an "easter egg", just a fun fact that his ex is in the new album.

Overall Rating: 7.5-8.5/10

 

Album So Far: Flow - GREAT! Remains the best of Coldplay's albums. Production - Some problems have arisen in Everglow, but so far, for the most part, it's just fine! The way the album grabs my attention -- it's losing it's power, I must admit. I don't know why, but I think I'm starting to doze off a little and start to get a little uninterestied. Oh well -- I guess I can just lean back and enjoy the album.

 

Adventure of a Lifetime:

+: Jonny's guitar riff in the beginning is AWESOME!! The way it begins is pretty good. I also like the drums they're using. It's not something you hear everyday, and again, the experimentation of this track is already beyond most Coldplay tracks, as are most tracks thus far in this album. The beat is awesome as well. But the GROOVE --- is what gets me. It's just so GROOVY, I LOVE IT!!! Coldplay's trying new things every day in this album, and it's like that they're trying every genre, but at the same time, keeping their signature sound. Keep it up Coldplay. :) The way it ends with both ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC guitars is amazing, and beautiful! The "Woo-hoo's" are also, in my opinion, great. I like the part where it gets all quiet, then just goes straight up into awesomeness! That's not a sign of pop, that's experimentation (AGAIN). I like how they used that to give it a dancey and uplifting feel to it. Great all-around song. A few of the lyrics are gems: "Under this pressure, under this weight. We are diamonds, taking shape" "I'm a dream that died by light of day" << ESPECIALLY that one. It has a sad undertone to it, see? Coldplay haven't gone completely poppy and happy thoughts and lollipops and rainbows yet :D

-: I'd have wished Jonny's guitar riff in the beginning was a little more varied as in one of the remakes of this song. It's be a great way to keep our attention for even longer. It'd also be great if his guitar was a little more dreamy -- as in that same remake of the song I was talking about earlier. It would fit more in the theme of the album, and, even that the soft Everglow flows into Adventure of a Lifetime pretty well considering the danciness of this track as compared to the slower Everglow, it'd flow even better with a dreamy guitar sound as sometimes is present in Everglow. Also, if those vocal samples, which are okay, weren't there and were replaced with an acoustic guitar (SAME REMAKE AS I WAS TALKING BEFORE!) this song would be better. In short, here, I'll just give you the link to listen, because a better version of this song does exist that fixes akk the problems that I've listed in this section and you may be wondering where it is, [THREAD=105102]yet it exists right here on this forum.[/THREAD]

Overall Rating: 6-7/10

 

Album So Far: Flow - great as always. Production - slight letdowns at times, but most of the album is only enhanced by the production so far. Attention grabbing - really letting go at this point. AOAL woke me up a little but honestly my interest is waving off. I don't know what it is.. my first time through, I'm just sitting in my chair, I think that's all it is, but I'm dozing off fast, even with the woo-hoo's at the end, I put my head against something. If the next track is bland, I might fall asleep.

 

Fun:

+: Great guitar intro and the work overall.... it's so moving! I'm noticing a lot of distorted guitar so far in the album. It's also worth noting that the beat is really creative; it's not your typical run-of-the-mill, it's enough to keep you interested while listening because it has such a weird way of going, that isn't really bland at all. I also like the fade out at the end, how it echos and gets quieter, Again, not something you see everyday. This song continues the experimental trend throughout this album. Overall, it's such a gorgeous guitar-driven song.... I'd have never expected something of this quality with Tove Lo included. Speaking of Tove Lo, this song has obvious Tove Lo influences in the guitar especially. It's a little bit poppy but the guitar has such a Tove Lo feel to it. The production is also pretty good for most of the song, yet you'll see here in the negatives that I don't approve of it all, and I'm sure many feel the same way as me...

-: The guitar note at around 0:18 I feel needs to resolve to a lower note. I hate it when songs don't resolve to that lower note that feels so good. If it resolved to a lower note that would have been beautiful.. unfortunately it doesn't. Also, even though at the beginning it's really beautiful, throughout the song it just kind of drags on more and more. Yes, things do change in the song, but from my memory it just sounds like the same thing over and over. The beat is VERY experimental, yet the guitar needs more variation to give it more flavor, and thus improve the song. It's not bland at all at the beginning, yet it kind of gets old and bland as the song goes on. Also, I can't hear enough Tove Lo. She's doing NO solo lyrics from what I can remember; also, all she does is harmonize and backup vocals with Chris Martin. Seriously, this song obviously has less Tove Lo influence (yet I can still feel her in the song) than Beyonce has influences in Hymn For The Weekend, so I seriously don't understand why "feat. Tove Lo" is written on there when all she did was have an influence in the guitar part probably made by Coldplay and some backing vocals that follow Chris' exactly. Hymn For The Weekend really needs a "feat. Beyonce" on there. Half the song is hers, and she sings at least 40% of all the vocals in the song. She sings about 70% of the time, and features as more than just an "angel". Yes, her vocals are beautiful (and she sings 40% of the lead vocals) and I'm pretty sure half the song was also written by her, both instrumentation-wise and lyric-wise. Literally, that song is more "Beyonce feat. Chris Martin" than "Coldplay". It makes no sense, really the song should be hers, but I can see the nice bleed-in from Birds to this song. WAIT. Enough of Hymn For The Weekend. All I wanted to say about the presence of Tove Lo and Beyonce and how the "feat." should be switched. Anyways, my final thought on the negative side of things, is, well, to be honest, the production in the beginning was great, yet in the end the vocals get drowned out. EXACTLY like in Don't Let It Break Your Heart, it has the same problem at the end where it gets overproduced. Now, DLIBYH might have been different since there's soooo much LAYERS of everything that it's easy to get messed up (although that seems like a rushed job to me if you didn't care to fix it) but really, in that part it's a simple guitar and some vocals (not sure if there was drums) but the point is there's not a wall of sound in that point. There's no excuses for poor production on that part. That part was obvously rushed and not looked over. If the producers were good they'd have fixed the vocals there. But instead, no, just make a fool out of yourself and make it look like you're unprofessional when you don't even know how to make the vocals more clear. Come on, even an amateur at audio editing could make the vocals sound much clearer in that case. They're professionals. They know how to do this kind of stuff.

Overall Score: 7-7.5/10

 

Album So Far: Flow - still remains to be the best of any Coldplay album so far. Great flow. Production - a few problems starting to pop up, but mostly it's fine. Attention grabbing - I'm really starting to snooze here. This album feels like it's really dragging on. Again, maybe it's because it's my first time but there's something that it feels that it's missing. I can't put my finger on it... but I'm starting to really snooze here. Don't know why. But, for now, the interesting one....

 

Kaleidoscope:

+: Great piano work. It almost sounds like CLASSICAL MUSIC!!! Seriously. Now Coldplay's getting so experimental that they're actually going to CLASSICAL music WHILE managing to contain the vibe of the album. HOLY. It's a whole new level... it's also pretty beautiful. One of the best and most atmospheric interludes yet.... you've got Obama, the end is a really creative moment, and overall this is arguably Coldplay's most experimental interlude. It has such a classical vibe to it that almost no band has done before, and the Obama thing is just crazy. Coldplay have really taken a turn for the brave side in this album. The ending really seems to be very experimental production wise as well.. you have these piano notes that sound like they don't work but they just... do. For Coldplay to have such the musical genius to create something this atmospheric and interesting and great is crazy.

-: It's really short. I mean, it kind of works that way, but really this track would be some spectacle if they managed to find more material. It's GREAT as an interlude still, yet the true potential would be unlocked if they managed to make it longer. Also, it's kind of a weird inturlude... experimental, beautiful, yet there's just that thing about it. I don't know. This is a pathetic attempt to come up with a minus for this song where I know there's something but I can't think of it so I say something completely inaccurate to justify it. :lol:

Overall Score: 6.5-7 (almost .5)/10

 

Album So Far: Flow - same as above. Production - same as above. Attention grabbing - Interesting interlude. Woke me up a bit, yet the album at this point needs a high point again. And not a "sort of high" point -- I mean a REAL high point. Otherwise I may just fall asleep. Come on album, please include something really engaging. I think something finaly needs to be said about the EXPERIMENTATION taking place in the album. I mean, holy! This certainly rivals Viva. In fact, I'm willing to say that at this point, it's more experimental than Viva. That's right. For how experimental Viva is, this album needs credit for even topping it. Wow. Coldplay never changes. In the experimental sense. ;)

 

Army Of One:

+: FIX YOU ORGANS ARE BACK!!!!!!!!! I KNEW THEY'D RETURN ONE DAY!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D Wow... those organs in the background though. Go SOO well with the overall melody. They sound SO good. They're just the CLASSIC Fix You organs. WOOOO!!!!!!!!! From my mind, if I play the drumbeat, it almost reminds me of Up In Flames. However, I just played the actual song again, and rest assured, the drumbeat is more interesting than UiF. I really like it. :) Those background vocal effects may not be the greatest but they do add a nice touch still... again, that's all that E word: EXPERIMENTATION. What could they do with it? Turns out they settled on that. Don't like it? Too bad. Coldplay's trying new things, and they're evolving and experimenting. Grow up. :) Overall, it's beautiful. It gets more so as it goes on as the organ's note resolves.

-: Not enough variation in the melody. Gets boring. Needs a guitar solo.

Extra Notes I actually noticed the lyric "The Falling Of Snow" is in thie song! That's what the message on Chris' back at GC was referring to... it was referring to the album release AND this! I think some people guessed this as a lyric too, well here it is! :D

Overall Rating: 7/10

 

Album So Far Flow - great. Production - few problems, but good so far. I'm starting to snooze here. Experimentation is top notch though.

 

X Marks The Spot:

+: very experimental, not a lot of bands use a vocoder in this, and they usually don't try hip hop either. What kind of band does alt rock and hip hop, and disco rock, and pop rock? I also really like the experimental effects they used, in normal hip-hop they don't really do that a lot, they add some flavor to the song. Normally I'd say something about the length but for a song of this type and with not a whole lot of variation it's a suitable length.

-: Just not my cup of tea, compared to other Coldplay songs, it isn't that good. Also there is problems with the production at the end, the vocals are hard to hear. It's not as bad as Don't Let It Break Your Heart though.

Overall Rating: 6/10

 

Album So Far: Flow - great. Production - few problems, still good. This album is making me snooze at this point, it just drags on and on. Experimentation, you know.

 

Amazing Day:

+: I LOVE the affect at the beginning, and as it fades in the sound gets more richer. The production is SO rich on this track, it's wonderful. They NAILED the emphasis on the strings. It has a GREAT melody, with great guitar work. The strings accompany it perfectly. I love how it turns into this power ballad at the end... the ride cymbal has so much power, celebratory energy and emotion in this track. The lyrics are inferior to other tracks Coldplay have done in the past yet they suit this song perfectly. "Sat on a roof, named every star" "Can there be breaks in the chaos of times?" << That one I really like. It represents the world in it's current state very well. The high string at the end is amazing! Overall, this is such a beautiful and powerful track. Just the thing we needed when the album was starting to make me snooze for some reason.

-: This is arguably a very safe-sounding track, and one of the most safe tracks in Coldplay's discography. Yes, the production is very rich and experimental, but I think that this isn't very experimental. Which is completely okay, because you can't be experimental all the time, plus they needed a song they make sure would sound good. The beauty of the track overall makes this an insignificant problem. If the production was a little less cleaner I'd have liked this song more. The electronic drums with the hi-hat sound like the ones that only work with hip-hop tracks. The way it opens sounds so fake and electronic, I don't like it.

Overall Rating: 8-8.5/10

 

Album So Far: Flow - great as always. Production - little problems, but still good. Amazing Day literally saved this album from being a snoozer. Experimentation is mostly good as always.

 

:

+: Very experimental and atmospheric interlude! I love the way it sounds as a whole. The sounds they use and the way it kind of goes remind me of The Escapist, also a very good short track. I can hear whispers of lyrics and melodic features in other tracks drowned in the production of this one, which I REALLY think was a cool and creative idea. Overall, one of Coldplay's greatest interludes.

-: Wish they'd have extended this into something like Midnight. It certainly has the right vibe to be that sort of experimental and atmospheric track. If they couldn't do that, I don't see why they'd just stick it to the beginning of Up&Up. That'd make it's length even more impressive, almost 8 minutes in that case. I suppose it's all good to see why they did put this as their own track; they wanted us to realize that every album has a color and feel to it (and that most of them have a "color song" to it as well) and that this would be the mixture of it all (and to be honest, this really sounds like something as experimental as Viva, as colorful as MX, as atmospheric as Midnight, as calm as Parachutes, and as sort of "dark" as AROBTTH and X&Y. They really named this the color song of the color songs I guess... :D

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

 

Album So Far: Flow - masterclass. Production - only a few problems so far. This past song sounds much more interesting now that Amazing Day roused me. Experimental as always.

Now, for the FINALE...

 

Up&Up:

+: Just a LOVELY song. It's so long (almost 7 minutes) and I really liked that they threw the 4-minute rule right out of the window because if it were for that, we wouldn't have these absoutely gorgeous guitar solo's, nor would we have this Everything's Not Lost-esque sing-along at the end too. They really went outside of their boundaries in this song. I love the idea of 2 guitar solos, and how they took it a step further; they didn't just ask Jonny to come up with two guitar solo's, since this was their happy track supposed to reach out to everyone they reached to Noel Gallagher and they asked him to do a guitar solo like Jonny, and vice-versa. I don't think that's ever happened before with two guitarists in musical history. It's crazy. The "Believe in Love" is the PERFECT way to end off the song. Even though it's not as good as in the live version, it's still so powerful because the message itself is so insanely striking, and the muffled voice under the production really seems to be Chris and the band saying a goodbye to us for a few years. (Of course they're not done yet :P) I LOVE the idea of having a children choir, Chris' own children, Beyonce, and Merry Clayton on this one song. They tried to make the ultimate happy song -- and in my eyes, it was a massive success. Another hell of an album closer by Coldplay, and they really made this one count because it's a goodbye -- for now.

-: The production and the electonic drums COMPLETELY KILLED the studio version of this song. The electronic drums in the beginning shouldn't be there, it should just be the piano. Then the electronic drums should come in later, than during the sing-along part, the ride and the real drums come in, like they should. The sing-along's power is just drained because of the electronic drums. It should be like in the live version, where the ride really comes in. The ride just brings such a wave of energy, and unfortunately they can try to make the sing-along as powerful as they want, but it's not going to be the same without the electronic drums. It's only one minus, but it's a huge deal because it took a full point away (and that's alot!) from the song in the end. Those stupid electronic drums is what made the difference between this song being on my favorite's list, and it not. Unfortunately, it's on the latter. The song itself is beautiful and gorgeous, and another dazzler of an album closer, but the production and electronic drums simply killed it, and made it the second-worst album closer of Coldplay,

Extra Notes: If the song weren't ruined by trash production and electronic drums, i.e. the live version, it'd be 3rd favorite as an album closer.

Overall Rating (Live): 7.5-8.5/10

Overall Rating (Studio): 6.5-7.5/10

 

EDIT: Just noticed I went so hardcore on my reviews :D

 

 

Just a thought, many say that this album isn't cohesive. In my opinion, although the album is EXTREMELY experimental, it's actually very cohesive and flows very well, as many songs bleed straight into the next. Any thoughts?

 

Important Note: And a fun fact! I literally spent a whole day writing this (obvious breaks, and sleep). You know why? For one, I suck at making short reviews. :lol: For two, since the STUPID TOKEN expired when I pressed "Preview Changes", I couldn't get my post back. (Is there a fix for this in case I make this stupid mistake in the future so I can get my unnessecarily long posts back in the future anyone? :D) So, I spent half an hour trying to get it back, and I never did, so I got really mad.(You seriously need to fix that, whoever's in charge of that! Please find a way for us to get our message back if the token expires!) Everything in the editor on the last page was up to Everglow, and when I pressed that button to restore the auto-saved content I got everything up to Army Of One's plus section. If you're wondering why the minus section is so freaking short, that's why, I'm not putting any effort into something I worked so hard on then lost. But I got happier as time went on so my reviews got longer again :lol: But we need a fix for that.

 

To the point, I know it's been another 3 days since the elimination over on the song contest ended, so I'll post the scores for that today. More importantly, I'll come and edit this post later to give my overall thoughts on the album, as well as where it ranks within the albums in Coldplay's discography so far, and the song rankings as well. Have a good day! :D

[the_escapist]

For LP8, they should go back and work with Brian Eno. And Chris should get some help for the lyrics.

[ctc799]

Yes, another album with Brian Eno would be amazing!

[CP-EST]

After getting used to these songs and whole album, I'd say that it's got a great flow and is most fun listening of any Coldplay albums.

Also these interludes fit in perfectly for me, they create kind of "a head full of dreams" atmosphere - meaning that i feel like i'm in dream.

 

So in general i'd say that this album feels like living a day in a dream and thinking about your life subconsciously.

 

1) A Head Full of Dreams

Starting with ambient tone - falling asleep straight into an extremely adventurous, colourful and crazy dream. At the end of the song you feel it's awesome to be in this dream and go through some things.

2) Birds

Getting the adventure going, it's rhythmically so catching - I literally can't keep my legs still while listening to this song.

We're free to fly or do anything we want in dreams.

At the end of the song realising "oh i don't have to run around like crazy in a dream, i could do anything i want... how about some crazy stuff?"

3) Hymn for the Weekend

Just having total freedom - in a dream you don't have to worry about the consequences :D

4) Everglow

After getting tired of being wild, you just take a moment to sit and it's time to go through some memories. At the end admitting - it's past now, but each memory will always live in your head and inspire you to go on with your adventure.

5) Adventure of a Lifetime

Life is an adventure! People around you remind you to get up and have some fun, we have only one life.

6) Fun

Being able to look at things in entirely positive light - what happened, was meant to happen, no regrets! Life goes on.

7) Kaleidoscope

Defining a new philosophy in your life - a mindset of accepting every emotion as a learning experience.

8) Army of One

Realising you could be stronger now, finding a strength in your heart and fight against negatives with love.

X Marks the Spot

Thinking "Oh wait! I have still some time to go nuts, before i wake up from this dream." This one is a bit too surreal to interpret.

9) Amazing Day

Sitting down and going through all the craziness in the world. Starting to embrace living in a moment and loving each day.

10) Colour Spectrum

All of the scenes from the dream go through your head, starting to sense the waking up.

11) Up&Up

One last, but very long sleep cycle. Getting the energy from approaching to everything with love. It's possible to go through anything when you feel total togetherness with your friends and loved ones.

At the end of song feeling the dream fading away, while "believe in love" is echoing in your head when you open you eyes.

[cp3176]

After getting used to these songs and whole album, I'd say that it's got a great flow and is most fun listening of any Coldplay albums.

Also these interludes fit in perfectly for me, they create kind of "a head full of dreams" atmosphere - meaning that i feel like i'm in dream.

 

So in general i'd say that this album feels like living a day in a dream and thinking about your life subconsciously.

 

1) A Head Full of Dreams

Starting with ambient tone - falling asleep straight into an extremely adventurous, colourful and crazy dream. At the end of the song you feel it's awesome to be in this dream and go through some things.

2) Birds

Getting the adventure going, it's rhythmically so catching - I literally can't keep my legs still while listening to this song.

We're free to fly or do anything we want in dreams.

At the end of the song realising "oh i don't have to run around like crazy in a dream, i could do anything i want... how about some crazy stuff?"

3) Hymn for the Weekend

Just having total freedom - in a dream you don't have to worry about the consequences :D

4) Everglow

After getting tired of being wild, you just take a moment to sit and it's time to go through some memories. At the end admitting - it's past now, but each memory will always live in your head and inspire you to go on with your adventure.

5) Adventure of a Lifetime

Life is an adventure! People around you remind you to get up and have some fun, we have only one life.

6) Fun

Being able to look at things in entirely positive light - what happened, was meant to happen, no regrets! Life goes on.

7) Kaleidoscope

Defining a new philosophy in your life - a mindset of accepting every emotion as a learning experience.

8) Army of One

Realising you could be stronger now, finding a strength in your heart and fight against negatives with love.

X Marks the Spot

Thinking "Oh wait! I have still some time to go nuts, before i wake up from this dream." This one is a bit too surreal to interpret.

9) Amazing Day

Sitting down and going through all the craziness in the world. Starting to embrace living in a moment and loving each day.

10) Colour Spectrum

All of the scenes from the dream go through your head, starting to sense the waking up.

11) Up&Up

One last, but very long sleep cycle. Getting the energy from approaching to everything with love. It's possible to go through anything when you feel total togetherness with your friends and loved ones.

At the end of song feeling the dream fading away, while "believe in love" is echoing in your head when you open you eyes.

 

You must be a master at interpreting albums. I would have never done it as concisely as you did, or even had the same interpretation. Your interpretation is concise, and is actually make sense! Wonderful interpretation. 5 stars. :D

I also am glad that I'm not the only person who thinks this has a great flow.

[MidnightSpies]

Head full of dreams: 8/10

Whoaa, such excitement here! Feelyfeelgoodness. It's not a genius track or anything and the whoooaahs sound a bit like a trick here. But ok, the song apparently needed it. Also good news: it's sounds great live, CM's vocals sounding strong and powerful.

Birds: 9/10

Agree with many: the best track. Interesting and it's the least pop/mainstream etc. Unlike many other songs, not predictable. Immediately wanted to hear it again. Fine with the production/instrumentation.

Hymn FTW.: 1/10

OMG. Done with it, like POC. Feeling drunk and high? Popular type of 'cool' music that I just can't stand. Too sensational/I'm a hit!/in your face music.

Everglow 6/10:

Gives me an Up in flames feel, but find it a bit better. Especially at the end. To be honest, do not feel excited to listen to it again. CM can make much better ballads and if it would only sound more raw/organic..

Adventure of a lifetime: 8/10

Happy happy. Like it more than I thought I would. The type of popular radio song that I do enjoy. It has this funky groove and guitar riff which is just so infectious.

Fun: 5/10

Oh such nice relaxing guitar sounds.. I thought at first, but can that heartbeat boom boom just go away? What a simple pretictable melody line. If I was 10 years younger I would've loved it. Can be a guilty pleasure, but ehm no sorry too sweet and sugary!

Army of one 4/10:

ZZZZ, predictable. I could write this, have melody's like this in my head. I don't get it, how they can find this album material.

x marks: 0/10!

This is exactly Mat Kearneys voice! For the rest: is this a joke? :shocked2:Thought POC was the worst. Boom boom boom? Vengaboys? Maybe CM really feels he's getting younger. Midlife? First singing about feeling drunk and high and now this. The tracks makes me feel like: Is this really coldplay and do I really want to spend me money on this?

Amazing day 7/10: Better ballad than Everglow. Loved the version from the band 'the Racer'. Made me realise Chris Martin still writes a proper ballad. The production makes it this very feelyvibegoody song. Where did Guy's bass go to?

Up&Up 6/10:

Dissapointment here. Live it was sounding good with the piano instrumentation and now its so empty until the guitar solos. And if they would just lose that low beat that's giving me headaches by now.. Song is not exactly original, so I cant say it's great anyway, but it could be a good finale song if recorded completely in a traditional way that fits the song.

 

Nothing wrong with the in between tracks, but they are just in between things. Not going to pay much attention to it. I like Kaleidoscope.

Wish this album would be full with Birds, a few head full of dreams and adventures. I've accepted that Coldplay doesnt make top quality albums anymore. The band now mostly about this very feelgood vibe which comes alive even more in their concerts.

I will forever be hoping for something more raw/alternative/experimental etc, but I understand the idea of this album. The problem is that many songs could've been better, same story with ghost stories. Songs like Fun, army of one, everglow and up&up give me boyband vibes. I'm not 18 anymore, and I'm listening to so many great bands and songwriters. Come on CM, these songs are far too simple. And then for the 3rd time (MX/GS same story) we have the production: most of the songs would benefit so much if they would just be recorded with pure instruments without all the polish.

Sorry, but I find MX and GS better than this album. Won't buy a physical copy, just the tracks that I like in itunes. Too many simple songs, and 2 NOjustNO songs. After 3 albums with too much glossy/polished production: it really is time for something new! An album that doesnt have this temporary 'popular producers from now' sound. And will they ever write another real classic?

 

Message for member from the band 'The Racer': please cover the whole album! That would be amazing.

[EasySuperstition99]

For LP8, they should go back and work with Brian Eno. And Chris should get some help for the lyrics.

 

He better not get a ghostwriter. But definetely they need to switch producers, maybe not Brian Eno since they've used him so much but maybe Danger Mouse (he's producing new RHCP record), or something cause Stargate was not such a good choice. But I think lyrics suffer from a lack of focus, and sometimes I call BS on that "the best songs arrive from the sky". Hymn For the Weekend arrived from the sky with "drinks on me" and definetely not their best work. Yellow arrived from the sky in a way; Guy was like look at the stars but it took them forever to work the song out and they beat it to death. Sometimes you need to reivent your mantras and ideals.