AHFOD - YOUR reviews

[Rickulus]

This review is like my thoughts on the album exactly!

 

Nice to know someone shares the same opinion as me :)

[grids]

Here goes my review:

 

A Head Full Of Dreams - I will give this 8/10 although this song always remembers me about U2. But overall, it's the best song opener so far for AHFOD era.

Birds - This is my favorite song above all. It's very indie I would say so I will give it a 10/10

 

Hymn For The Weekend - Very poppish but still fun and enjoyable song. I respect with Coldplay's decisions to be very opened with all kinds of genres like this one. So far I'm enjoying it and its been on repeat. 8/10

 

Everglow - This song feels like going back to the Old Coldplay and has that 'let me go back to the start' composition. It's a nice song and the piano melody is simply beautiful. After watching the Facebook live stream this morning and one person asked about what Everglow really means, and there was only Chris could answer to that question. So I guess it's a personal song for him that could actually meant to so many things for all of us. 7/10.

Adventure Of A Lifetime - At first, I dont know how to react about this song. It was super terrible and thought that Coldplay would let me down. But this song has just grown on me day by day and realizing they have changed to new stuff in this new era. And now I'm beginning to like it. That 'woohoo' part just feels like 'Yeay Coldplay, you made it!' kind of thing. 9/10.

Fun - Not really sure how to say about this one. I don't really listen to this song but so far it's okay. 6/10

 

Kaleidoscope - I have always liked this title track since the beginning Coldplay announced it! I wonder how it would sound at first and I'm surprised how it sounds like now! It's very unique of how Coldplay put it into the poem on a piano tune, and it seems like everything makes sense to me with the words thats been saying, it's simply beautiful especially this part: "Be grateful for whoever comes because each has been sent as a guide from beyond." A great message to be uttered, indeed. 10/10

 

Army Of One - My second favorite song in the album after Birds! And again, I always love Indie genre and this song feels like it again. Love it, loooove it. 10/10!

X Marks The Spot - Hahaha this song is a joke at first. I was like, 'damn, is this Chris for real?'. It's very Justin Bieber-ish to be honest lol :P 6/10

 

Amazing Day - Here goes the hate but this song is the least one I listen to on AHFOD. I didnt like the song at first when they played at the Global Citizen Festival. Until now, still -- not the song I would say it's amazing. The title is amazing but the song is terrible :( (Personal opinion and it's just music of course!) 4/10

 

Colour Spectrum - Like this transition before and after the songs. It's great. Can't say more because it's only a minute. Oh, it has a magical sound! Yep, that's it! 8/10

 

Up&Up - This song is seriously nailed it and made me cry at the end. It means so much to me now with the simple line Chris says, 'Don't ever give up.' It's very common to everyone says that every single day, but it is so well put into a song that's just mean a lot to me. I love it. I love it. I love it. It's a great song for a closer after Fix You. 10/10

Overall, Coldplay have changed a lot and they're getting a lot better. Although I would still rate AHFOD is my third favorite album so far after Parachutes and X&Y. Great job, Coldplay. Thank you for the awesome music you have given to all of us.

[Jedi Leo]

Oh god it will take me some time to read all these lovely detailed reviews, but I will! :)

 

And later I´ll post mine :D So nice to share all this together...just saying... *happy vibes*

[Jedi Leo]

total: 8/10

Lyrics are better than their last 2 albums, chris done it well :p :p

 

Whether one likes Chris lyric style or not, its undeniable he has put more effort in ahfod than ever. It´s evident he tried to craft nearly each sentence and pack a lot of meaning in it. Ghost lyrics were far more sparse I agree.

[Jedi Leo]

I don't know how my father would approve of CM being 'drunk and high' but oh well.

 

But it´s drunk and high in love, the love the angel gives him :P So see? Your father will approve I am sure hehe :)

[Jaytheblue]

But it´s drunk and high in love, the love the angel gives him :P So see? Your father will approve I am sure hehe :)

Yeah he's not a metaphorical kinda guy lol. But he's probably a bigger Coldplay fan than me so he won't say anything lol . If he knew how to work a computer then he would probably be on here lol

[Jedi Leo]

Yeah he's not a metaphorical kinda guy lol. But he's probably a bigger Coldplay fan than me so he won't say anything lol . If he knew how to work a computer then he would probably be on here lol

 

Haha he sounds great! :) Maybe you should give him a tablet and the forum app haha If he´s not metaphorical, keep him away from "up and up" *LOL*

[Jaytheblue]

Haha he sounds great! :) Maybe you should give him a tablet and the forum app haha If he´s not metaphorical, keep him away from "up and up" *LOL*

Can you imagine how weird that would be! Just me and my dad having casual Coldplay convos on the forums like no big deal ahaha

[Jedi Leo]

Before you hate on my low ratings, bear in mind that I absolutely love Coldplay's earlier work and can't help comparing their new output to their earlier output.

 

No hate here for sure! And I understand the ratings if you only like or most exclusively like the first two albums. My only comment would be...I am kinda sad you´re disappointed so in their latest works? :/ Kudos for still sticking around I guess :)

 

Considering how they like changing it up all the time, they might make quieter songs in the future, however I have a feeling a second Parachutes or Rush will not come back, simply because they enjoy their live performances and seeing people happy, jumping and yuhuuing so much, so they are not likely to write an album full of "Spies" imo. Just my two cents, but as always who knows what the future brings :)

[Jedi Leo]

Can you imagine how weird that would be! Just me and my dad having casual Coldplay convos on the forums like no big deal ahaha

 

Yeah ok.....I hear ya. I would not want my mum on the forum either LOL Though she is a MASSIVE Coldplay fan and wants to learn how to use Twitter, she is the best hehe :)

[I ran away]

I actually love the early EPs and the first three albums. AROBTTH and X&Y are my favorites.

 

And I agree with you that I have a feeling this atmosphere is never gonna come back, they are far too secure and happy with their lifes :)

[AMDB9]

Oh god it will take me some time to read all these lovely detailed reviews, but I will! :)

Haha go read my review from about 20 hours ago. You will find it's far from "detailed" :p

[Jedi Leo]

And I agree with you that I have a feeling this atmosphere is never gonna come back, they are far too secure and happy with their lifes :)

 

You know what? thats probably why I am enjoying all their latest works so much, because I am also happier in my life than I was back in 2000 haha :) I used to love tracks like Green Eyes, Warning Sign, Crest of Waves, but I am just never in the melancholy mood to listen to them anymore, which I guess is good from a life point of view hehe Not so good musically cuz I rarely revisit them hehe

 

Though Ghost Stories was far from a happy affair...you surely must have enjoyed some of the quieter tracks there? :)

[I ran away]

GS was too electronic for my liking. My fav track from GS was Ghost Story because it sounded like it could have come from the Parachutes Era.

It's not necessarily about quiet tracks - for isntance, I love Crests of Waves and VLV which are both upbeat songs but somehow I feel something is missing from their later work.

[Jedi Leo]

It's not necessarily about quiet tracks - for isntance, I love Crests of Waves and VLV which are both upbeat songs but somehow I feel something is missing from their later work.

 

A ha I hear ya...you like the organic sound of live instruments :) Being a guitar, drum and a bit of a piano player myself I cant but agree with such sentiment haha

 

However I do like beats and stuff in songs like Adventure, makes me dance and I love dancing (I dance like Chris, which means I cant dance but I am enthusiastic LOL). Ultimately the songs I guess are too good for me not to like them, despite whatever production they put on, but yeah a few of GS tracks I preferred live because the sound was more organic.

[Jedi Leo]

It does seem there's far too many songs without Jonny on them...???

 

Uh? You really need to listen to this with proper headphones haha There is so much Jonny in Ahfod imo! :) He is scintillating everywhere :)

[I ran away]

A ha I hear ya...you like the organic sound of live instruments :) Being a guitar, drum and a bit of a piano player myself I cant but agree with such sentiment haha

 

However I do like beats and stuff in songs like Adventure, makes me dance and I love dancing (I dance like Chris, which means I cant dance but I am enthusiastic LOL). Ultimately the songs I guess are too good for me not to like them, despite whatever production they put on, but yeah a few of GS tracks I preferred live because the sound was more organic.

 

Yeah, thats true. Also, whether or not I like a song depends A LOT on the melody for me (I know other people for whom it is not as important, but for me it is) and it's one of the reasons I love Coldplay and not another band - they have come up with so many timeless and great melodies ! I feel their melodies have been on the decline though in the past few years.

[Jedi Leo]

That is a superb album and a great comparison. Unfortunately most people's counter argument here is that Coldplay just want to make happy dumb music for the masses. But why has that become the case?!

 

I dont know the album in question, but the way I always perceived Coldplay they always always made hits i.e. songs which are immediate melodies, not so intricate, right from Yellow up to now. Anyone who says Coldplay make music for anyone but themselves has in my opinion misunderstood them completely. Imo they make music they like and music that plays well live and create a very exciting experience for the audience (and for themselves).

 

As for what constitutes dumb music, I kinda used to be so sure once. After all I am a musician, so I used to scorn modern pop and the likes of Selena Gomez (ok maybe I still do LOL), but only a few days ago Chris was recommending a song by her "Good for you" and I went like: oh no...one of those mindless pop songs, but then I listened to it and I was like hey this is actually good! Kinda reminded me how there is truly at the end of the day only songs you like and songs you dont, no matter how intricate or simple they are, it all boils down to a subjective experience, so I kinda gave up thinking too much about it now :)

[Jedi Leo]

2. Birds ( 9.5 / 10 )

This song has to be my favourite from the MX/GS/AHFOD trilogy.

 

Their voices fit together to create a song that is more touching than most songs in the MX/GS/AHFOD trilogy.

 

I kinda like how you refer to them as a trilogy. Thats how I see it as well :) Though the revolution began with Viva, which kinda opened up to all the rest, I also see MX/GS/AHFOD as one big work all connected to one another :)

[Jedi Leo]

HYMN FOR THE WEEKEND - and wtf about this cheesy bird chirping in the beginning!? 4/10

AMAZING DAY - Why did they have to bring again this cheesy bird chirping in the beginning that we already heard in the beginning of "Hymn For The Weekend"..?

 

*LOL* I so chuckled at this! You see thats the flock of birds (love) from GS, the ones who passed on and Chris hoped they´d come back one day. And so they have on ahfod, hence all the chirping *lol*

 

Silver lining for you: no chirping where chirping could have been expected, on "Birds" hehe ;)

[Rickulus]

I kinda like how you refer to them as a trilogy. Thats how I see it as well :) Though the revolution began with Viva, which kinda opened up to all the rest, I also see MX/GS/AHFOD as one big work all connected to one another :)

 

I divide them like this:

 

Parachutes, AROBTTH, X&Y

- The "Oldplay" stage

 

VLVODAAHF, MX

- The dawn of Newplay and more poppier sounds

 

GS, AHFOD

- Both albums have almost opposite themes, night & day

[Jedi Leo]

I divide them like this:

 

Parachutes, AROBTTH, X&Y

- The "Oldplay" stage

 

VLVODAAHF, MX

- The dawn of Newplay and more poppier sounds

 

GS, AHFOD

- Both albums have almost opposite themes, night & day

 

I like how nerdy this is haha And I like your division. I´ll have a go at how I see them:

 

Parachutes, AROBTTH, X&Y

- Coldplay starting tentatively and quiet towards more and "louder more confident" self expression, kinda hitting a dead end with X&Y, unsure where to go next...

 

VLVODAAHF

Here they find out they dont really have to subscribe to the same formula or be forever casted in the same genre, so they rebel and start breaking the rules here and there. The revolution has started ! :)

 

MX, GS, AHFOD

Coldplay on fire ! Now they dont care what people think, they will be unabashedly happy and hippy come what may! hehe I see the 3 as a curve with MX as exuberant but in descent (it has many conflicting themes, the album ending pretty much with a break-up) GS reaching bottom for then rising again in Ahfod.

[I ran away]

My division would look similar to valypan's:

 

Parachutes, AROBTTH, X&Y - Oldplay/classic Coldplay

VLVODAAHF - Transition

MS, GS, AHFOD - Newplay

 

:D

[Jedi Leo]

These are not very first impressions, but third/fourth notes I wrote as I listened to it now with a clear head hehe .

The very first impression was pure ecstatic joy and I was so moved. Coldplay has this effect on me every time!

 

A head full of dreams : Coldplay have always been good at openers! So infectious and what a bass line :) And can Jonny ever run out of amazing licks? Love when its just him and the choir. Bit too U2 perhaps, but a helluva introduction to the album. Also loving the lyrics "Into life I've just been woken/spoken for"

 

Birds: Jonny again right from the start, telling u this is gonna be an amazing track and it is. And another funky bass line! "someone had put a flare up, got me in the rays", just again loving the lyrics! The "rage with me" part with Jonny chiming in is just a sublime Coldplay moment...And then it grows and grows into epic territory before stopping on the cheeky "cool" :)

 

Hymn for the weekend: Coldplay doing R&B. I dont even like R&B and I love this. The glass sound totally reminded me of Low *lol* If you dont like Beyonce you will probably not like this one. I appreciate some of her songs, so I am digging this musically and she has a fantastic voice no denying that! The lyrics are totally resonating with me, makes it automatically one of my favourites. Jonny exploding out of nowhere at 3:33 is just....ahhhhh! Heavenly ending too.

 

Everglow: The intimacy of this nicely contrasting with Hymn. Its mostly Chris and his piano magic here, the others just sparsely intervening here and there. Melody gives me such a serene feeling, really a serene everglow, most fitting :) It has a "Scientist" part two vibe to me, just here he´s not trying to go back to the beginning to get what was lost, he has accepted the loss and lives for the everglow.

Grows nicely and Jonny as always gives us his magic towards the end.

 

Adventure of a Lifetime: Everglow nested between this and Hymn. Haha lovely contrast :) Jonny lick commands the song completely. My favourite Coldplay single ever actually! They are just so all together and all four so present in this song, so cohesive. The background choir is infectious as hell! Some of my favourite lyrics here "under this pressure, under this weight we are diamonds taking shape" : fantastic stuff. It just all works and ends wonderfully with the most joyous yuuuhuuu to date with the beautiful acoustic guitar chiming in.

 

Fun: I am tired of saying it...but again Jonny magic straight from the beginning (he is so good he is annoying hehe). A wonderful melody here, which just flows along like smooth velvet you cant help but nodding along happily. The duet works too, though I dont find her voice memorable.

 

Kaleidoscope: This is almost at the mid center of the album and its no coincidence I think. The theme of the whole album is built around the sentiment of this poem so its fitting it should be placed here at the core of it. A sweet interlude :) Strange jazzy ending though haha

 

Army of One: A bit of a sparse song in the vein of GS production imo. I like the "wu bi doo" background throughout (more Stargate here I think and it works without being overwhelming :) Again I love the lyrics. "My heart is my gun" = "'Cause you use your heart as a weapon and it hurts like heaven". I like how they tie together lyrically :) Another memorable track.

 

X marks the spot: OK here we go...I am ready to be lynched by you guys but I love this. It´s hypnotising and very experimental, reminds me a bit of Chinese Sleep Chant, carrying on the tradition of small bits of experimental music nestled between tracks. "wherever you are I find a treasure so I race for it" I like the lyrics again. I love hypnotising mantra-like music like this so I am digging it :)

 

Amazing Day: Great bass once again :) This reminds me of some classic snoozer from the 50s/60s hehe But the Coldplay magic kicks in in the chorus and makes it magical once again. The lyrics are poignant, but then again I am totally biased here. It still moving to me as when I heard it live at Global Citizen. It teeters on cheesy every 3 seconds, but its always saved by either Jonny or a great melodic turn, so ultimately it works and it actually becomes epic towards the end :)

 

Colour Spectrum: Appropriately gathering all the "colours" in the album, hints of the various songs hovering here and there, the ending of the poem repeats here. Maybe a forgettable interlude but still a nice little collage.

 

Up&Up: Coldplay´s champagne supernova, this has my favourite Coldplay lyrics ever. I was shocked in the beginning, having heard this only live up until now. Totally different production here, not sure I like it as much as the live version. I would have preferred fewer synths here, but lets give this a chance...the choir is very prominent which is nice. Jonny appears with his solos and does his magic, but I still think this track is much more powerful live and works better in that version. I remember thinking the exact same thing about Another´s Arms. Surprising how subdued this track was, compared to how we heard it live, especially the ending, but I like it this way too.

 

Verdict: Best early Christmas gift ever. Nuff said.

 

Note on the packaging: I bought this on vinyl and it´s just gorgeous! The handwritten colourful lyrics, the poster, the two super bright shiny pink and blue discs, the cut-out cover. I must say my favourite packaging of a Coldplay album to date, even better than MX, which was pretty lush :)

 

*clicks on the title track and starts listening all over again*

[ediskrad73]

Thoughts On “A Head Full of Dreams”

 

Well here we are, 18 months later and another Coldplay album is upon us. It really shouldn’t be that surprising though, given the personal nature of 2014’s Ghost Stories and the limited promotion surrounding the release, it was really a matter of time before the band got right back into the studio for another album. And did they ever. A Head Full of Dreams can be described as the colorfully neon yin to the grey and melancholy Ghost Stories yang, and is what I’d originally envisioned the band would follow Mylo Xyloxo (2011) with.

 

This new album also sees Coldplay open up to more collaborators and guest artists than ever before. Gone are the days of the shock and horror that was received when it was announced Rihanna was to guest on “Princess of China.” A Head Full of Dreams features no less than 14 listed artistic contributions from outside of the band, including Beyoncé, Avicii, Noel Gallagher, US President Barack Obama (seriously), Davide Rossi, Tove Lo, Chris Martin’s son Moses, his ex-wife Gwyenth Paltrow, and new girlfriend Annabelle Wallis. Each of these collaborator’s contributions ranges in scale, but it’s amazing to see how many people were featured in this album. And on top of all of them, there is a listed 28 member “chorus” comprised of family & friends that help sing the final track “Up&Up.”

 

For the new album, Coldplay enlisted the Norwegian production team of Stargate to help them work. Known for more pop acts like Beyoncé, Katy Perry, and Rhianna, I was initially apprehensive about this new direction. But I think they managed to produce a fantastic sounding album. It’s got all of the electronic pop elements I was expecting, while still keeping true to that signature Coldplay sound.

 

Some thoughts on a track by track analysis:

 

A Head Full of Dreams - Coldplay like to treat their intro song as a mission statement of the album, and by also making the first track the title track, they really want to emphasize what the listener is about to experience. I love the instrumentation collage (bells?) that open the album, the first 15 seconds feels a bit like “Life In Technicolour” on Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends. Bright, colorful, and upbeat, “A Head Full of Dreams” is a beautiful track complete with a signature “woahhhoohhhh” wordless vocal over the final chorus. A great stadium singalong, to be sure.

 

Birds - The second track in the album is another upbeat one, but a little quieter compared to the bombastic opening song. Jonny Buckland’s guitar parts over most of this song makes it feel like a reprise of “Hurts Like Heaven” from Mylo Xyloto. My only real complaint about this song is that it’s the third album in a row with a song concerning birds. I’m stuck between calling it lazy or chalking it up to the fact that Chris Martin is clearly influenced by birds. Regardless, another great track.

 

Hymn For The Weekend - Three songs in and Coldplay aren’t taking their feet off the gas. Another very upbeat and colorful track, but with a more R&B beat (compliments of Avicii). Featuring Beyoncé, I admittedly figured it would be a duet or mostly her, but it really is Coldplay featuring Beyoncé. She sings the background hook and duets the chorus with Martin, which is just enough of an element without overpowering the entire song. I didn’t much care for it on my first listen, but after a few repeats I found myself dancing and singing along with the chorus. It’s now one of my favorites on the album.

 

Everglow - Classic Coldplay. They finally ease up on the tempo and allow the listener a chance to breathe. Lyrically, the song deals with the feeling of “joyful residue” thinking about someone after they leave your life. Looking back positively on an ending relationship, the track could easily serve as an epilogue to Ghost Stories. By no accident I’m sure, this track features vocals by Gwyneth Paltrow, Martin’s ex-wife. Like Beyoncé, I assumed she would be all over the track. However, she only features a minor “heyyyy” in the background that, if you didn’t know it was her, would just write it off as a sample or session musician. A great breath of air.

 

Adventure of A Lifetime - Break’s over, time to dance. Upon first listen, this disco-inspired track immediately felt like the band’s attempt to make a track like Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.” The song is built around a repeating 4 chord structure and guitar lick (go Jonny!), a great bassline (go Guy!), and another classic “woo-hoo” Coldplay chorus that we’ll all be singing along at stadiums soon enough. Martin says this track came out of a jam the other 3 members of the band were having, and I think it comes across as a great ensemble piece. Production-wise, I love the decision to run a high-pass filter on the line “feel my heartbeat” so that we’re essentially left with a kick drum and bass, the heartbeat of the track. Excellent stuff, great song.

 

Fun - Another post-breakup track, but like “Everglow”, this is about looking back positively on having fun with someone during your time together. Another featured artist, Tove Lo, sings along with Chris Martin but never takes a lead vocal. They blend well nicely, however. Maybe the weakest track on the album, but by no means a bad one. Just less good than others.

 

Kaleidoscope - The first of two interlude tracks, “Kaleidoscope” lives up to it’s name by incorporating the seemingly random collection of a spoken word poem, several piano riffs, and finishing with a sample of Barack Obama singing Amazing Grace. Again, after hearing Obama would be on this I was hesitant that it would be heavy-handed, but again I was proven wrong. If I didn’t know it would have thought it was just a mumbled sample. Cool track.

 

Army of One - Rhythmically, this feels kinda similar to “Fun”. I love the use of the organ and church bell in the background of this song, a very cool and powerful song. Not much to say other than it gets stuck in my head very frequently.

 

X Marks The Spot - A “hidden track” on this album that and maybe the only time that my worry about what I’d heard about this song was confirmed. Described as Chris Martin “spitting rhymes over a beat” sums it up nicely. I really want to not like this song, but it gets stuck in my head pretty frequently. The jury is still out.

 

Amazing Day - Easily one of my favorites on the album, and a perfect mirror to the opening track of “Always In My Head” on Ghost Stories, right down to the drum beat and tempo. But while “Always In My Head” was dark and melancholy about how life can just suck, this is a joyous and celebratory song about how life just couldn’t get any better. Another cliché wordless “wooooahhhahhahhh” vocal, but might be my favorite since “Viva La Vida.” This song makes me feel like I’m running through a field of wildflowers or something. Amazing indeed.

 

“Colour Spectrum” - Another interlude, and a reprise of the bells that make up the intro to “A Head Full of Dreams,” mixed with some other samples of vocals in the album. A great little track, I just wish it was longer. I use quotes for the title because, as it’s listed on the CD, it’s actually a bar with the color spectrum.

 

Up&Up - A great closing track, probably the second best album closer since “Death And All His Friends” on VLVODAAHF. The song slowly builds from a beat and piano with Martin singing to a grand crescendo with two guitar solos by Noel Gallagher from Oasis, a 28-member chorus, and every insrument you could possibly imagine. A great song about how things, no matter what, are always getting better and that it’s important to focus on those parts of your life. After the climax of the song comes to pass, we’re left with one final thought in the form of a piano coda: Believe In Love.

 

A Head Full of Dreams is a colorful and ambitious album. Period. It sounds like it was written by a band who couldn’t be more happy to be alive and doing what they are doing. It’s certainly a great juxtaposition with Ghost Stories in that it forms a happy ending and resolution to the darker work, both musically and lyrically. It’s a great addition to the Coldplay canon.