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πŸͺ Coldplay: Music of the Spheres πŸͺ | Out Now! | Discussion


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9 hours ago, gustavothehuman said:

hot take but a Max Martin X Brian Eno produced album would easily become their best

Oh it could be!

If (as I suppose) they have more materials than the demos we already know left from VLV sessions with Eno, I think we are going to get some good songs in a few years. Maybe they will keep the old basic ideaΒ but with something newΒ (see People of the pride, Max Martin helped them to shape something they already had).

However Imho they will carefully reuse these oltre demos in different albums; in MOTS we have alreadyΒ one, and so probably we won't get a second track of that group (at least not a track developed from the demos we know).

I may be completely wrong of course, it's just a personal thought, we will see?

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51 minutes ago, 42JTR said:

Unfortunately, yes. EL came close though.Β 

El is their best produced album without the help of Eno and Hopkins, but MOTS could be a close second if the rest of the songs are good.

But that period of Eno, Dravs, and Hopkins was truly the best - the band truly shone in a live setting, let their experimental side show through, had great ambience and atmosphere in their songs, they pursued different song structures, their most anthemic songs were from this era, they had arguably the weirdest influences during Viva and Mylo, made so many songs in a period of such creativity that the songs are still being used today (Arabesque, ALIENS, POTP) and the rest are found on Youtube.

The Eno era IS peak Coldplay.

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2 hours ago, TheBigBadBono said:

El is their best produced album without the help of Eno and Hopkins, but MOTS could be a close second if the rest of the songs are good.

But that period of Eno, Dravs, and Hopkins was truly the best - the band truly shone in a live setting, let their experimental side show through, had great ambience and atmosphere in their songs, they pursued different song structures, their most anthemic songs were from this era, they had arguably the weirdest influences during Viva and Mylo, made so many songs in a period of such creativity that the songs are still being used today (Arabesque, ALIENS, POTP) and the rest are found on Youtube.

The Eno era IS peak Coldplay.

and that era only happened because... they changed their sound!

Edited by gustavothehuman
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2 hours ago, TheBigBadBono said:

El is their best produced album without the help of Eno and Hopkins, but MOTS could be a close second if the rest of the songs are good.

But that period of Eno, Dravs, and Hopkins was truly the best - the band truly shone in a live setting, let their experimental side show through, had great ambience and atmosphere in their songs, they pursued different song structures, their most anthemic songs were from this era, they had arguably the weirdest influences during Viva and Mylo, made so many songs in a period of such creativity that the songs are still being used today (Arabesque, ALIENS, POTP) and the rest are found on Youtube.

The Eno era IS peak Coldplay.

EL had their best production since AROBTTH. I'm still fucking bummed they didn't tour that album!

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It's hard to define what good production is &Β there's a conversation about subjectivity or whatever, but for me MOTS will likely go on to be Coldplay's best produced "pop album" based on what we've heard so far, so that is including it in league with Ghost Stories, AHFOD & MX. And before I get any hate, I wanna make it clear I love these albums/era overall.Β 

For me a pop album is about sounding "clean" to make the melodies and catchy choruses hit harder. MX is an oddball because it had some clean sounding momentsΒ that miss the mark for me (UFO, Up In Flames) but they still had Eno giving the album a lot of color, guitars, andΒ texture. Ghost Stories on the other hand feels somewhat sterile and mixed too quietly. It's almost too watery, if that makes sense. And AHFOD had some great produced moments, but some songs felt like they either needed a bit more or a bit less (AHFOD, Fun, Army of One). Perhaps we owe this to Stargate.Β 

Now with MOTS, it'sΒ sounding really clean but also punchy. The synths on HP & MU hit hard and Chris's vocals sound great. On top of that, Jonny's minimal pop guitar, the basslines, and drums sound better mixed than they have for a long time in my opinion. The layering on Human Heart is heavenly and huge, and Coloratura is just a masterpiece from start to finish with such incredible production value. And what we've heard from POTP seems like a good mix of clean & catchy presentation without giving up theΒ instruments. It seems like they're doing a good job carrying over some of the styles and lessons of Everyday Life but in a pop music/love song package. So I'm so far liking Max Martin. The songwriting? That's another story.

Edited by lennyrott1
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1 hour ago, lennyrott1 said:

It's hard to define what good production is &Β there's a conversation about subjectivity or whatever, but for me MOTS will likely go on to be Coldplay's best produced "pop album" based on what we've heard so far, so that is including it in league with Ghost Stories, AHFOD & MX. And before I get any hate, I wanna make it clear I love these albums/era overall.Β 

For me a pop album is about sounding "clean" to make the melodies and catchy choruses hit harder. MX is an oddball because it had some clean sounding momentsΒ that miss the mark for me (UFO, Up In Flames) but they still had Eno giving the album a lot of color, guitars, andΒ texture. Ghost Stories on the other hand feels somewhat sterile and mixed too quietly. It's almost too watery, if that makes sense. And AHFOD had some great produced moments, but some songs felt like they either needed a bit more or a bit less (AHFOD, Fun, Army of One). Perhaps we owe this to Stargate.Β 

Now with MOTS, it'sΒ sounding really clean but also punchy. The synths on HP & MU hit hard and Chris's vocals sound great. On top of that, Jonny's minimal pop guitar, the basslines, and drums sound better mixed than they have for a long time in my opinion. The layering on Human Heart is heavenly and huge, and Coloratura is just a masterpiece from start to finish with such incredible production value. And what we've heard from POTP seems like a good mix of clean & catchy presentation without giving up theΒ instruments. It seems like they're doing a good job carrying over some of the styles and lessons of Everyday Life but in a pop music/love song package. So I'm so far liking Max Martin. The songwriting? That's another story.

I agree on a lot of these points and think your framing is a good direction to talk about these things!Β 

-I'll add that UATW is one of their best songs ever but the production is so-so, with the notable flaw that Will's voice is mixed quite low. I actually have less of a problem with UFO. I'd also add that HLH and Charlie Brown are a bit weird from a production perspective, for me the most noticeable thing being that on HLH, Jonny's 1st guitar solo gets all muddy and almost sounds incorrect when he does the big descent (as compared to the live version).Β 

-I actually disagree about GS in that I think it sounds watery on purpose. Most of that album is produced exactly as it's supposed to be because everything minus ASFOS is supposed to feel underwater. I think on Oceans on the first instance of "got to find yourself alone in this world" Chris is intentionally going in and out because it sounds like someone singing at the crests of waves. (see what I did there?!)

-I also agree about AHFOD though I find the title track pretty impeccable. Army of One and AOAL have the vocal samples a little bit too loud.

-MOTS *is* very clean and punchy. Same goes for Orphans by the way, where you can hear Guy's bassline really clearly even without headphones. I do dislike though on the mixing for MOTS how low Jonny's guitar lines are except for in Coloratura. But otherwise MOTS is quite nice. If you go back and listen to ETIAW or Paradise or HLH there are just SO MANY layers of synths and stuff and it's a bit much compared to what you get in HP.Β 

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I think that while many of the faults of MX and AHFOD aren't seen at first glimpse you see how flawed the production is in a life setting.Β 

Mylo Xyloto, while my second favorite album of their 2010s albums, is flawed on the production side. On the one hand, you have these excellent guitar-rockers like ETIAW or Hurts Like Heaven, then there are good tracks but a bit too loud - Major Minus and DLIBYH. There are odd songs that are quiet and acoustic, almost sounding like they came straight off of Prospekt's March, such as UWTB, UFO, and UATW. And then you have Paradise and Princess of China, which are great live, but the production just wants to make you tear your ears out, especially in POC. I adore the song live but I absolutely despise the studio track.

AHFOD lacks the thing that still made MX appealing, and that was the ambition and songwriting introduced by Eno. Even though the MX tracks would seem muddied or too loud the structures were different, lyrics were different, and the melodies were different and more interesting. AHFOD by comparison does have its bright spots, but even those are hard hit by the terrible production of Stargate.Β Up&Up, AOAL, HFTW, and Amazing Day are all vastly better live. Birds and AHFOD are pretty good in the studio version but are even better live, and theΒ flawed production especially shows when the stripped down Everglow is released as a single later on.Β 

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8 hours ago, nvdmm said:

EL had their best production since AROBTTH. I'm still fucking bummed they didn't tour that album!

It's always fun to see how music changes with each perspective, for me AROBTTH's production is one of their worst. I love the songs but the overall sound of the studio recording makes me feel strange, unlike Parachutes which is all warm and cozy.

Edited by gustavothehuman
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On 9/28/2021 at 6:51 AM, gustavothehuman said:

It's always fun to see how music changes with each perspective, for me AROBTTH's production is one of their worst. I love the songs but the overall sound of the studio recording makes me feel strange, unlike Parachutes which is all warm and cozy.

???

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I would argue that Ghost Stories production was utterly perfect for what it was trying to be. Maybe I would've swapped some of the electronic beats for Will's playing but other than that, I don't think it could've been improved.Β 

Β 

As far as the happy pop albums Coldplay have done, the production has not been so great. Mylo Xyloto was abrasive and loud, even in its quieter moments. AHFOD was an over-compressed EQ disaster which makes me wonder how the hell Stargate gets the work they do. So for MOTS is sounding excellent for what its trying to be. Max Martin is undoubtedly the best producer they could've gotten for this pop sound.Β 

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I really love the albums with Eno. He is not simply a producer, he is an artist and a genius. Yesterday I have been listening to some of his interviews and it's really eye-opening to hear him discussing art and music.

But to me it seems that he stopped producing big albums some time around 2013.Β Do you know whether it is for this reason that his collaboration with Coldplay ended? Maybe they could still work together on some songs in the future, fingers crossed!

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On 9/28/2021 at 4:51 AM, gustavothehuman said:

It's always fun to see how music changes with each perspective, for me AROBTTH's production is one of their worst. I love the songs but the overall sound of the studio recording makes me feel strange, unlike Parachutes which is all warm and cozy.

I agree with this to an extent. I don't particularly like Parachutes or A Rush of Blood to The Head (but there are individual songs I like on both) but I never 'clicked' with the album like I did for Viva La Vida, Prospekt's March and Ghost Stories. That is probably down to personal taste, but I argue that the first two albums sounded a bit generic. Please don't shoot me, but I felt like every song, particularly on AROBTTH, sounded too similar. There are great parts of each song, but nothing was different enough. In other words, I think most songs on AROBTTH could be amalgamated into one long track, like Coloratura. Compare it to Music Of The Spheres, where pretty much every track is distinct. When I showed my mother Overtura for the first time, she said that Coldplay were doing a lot of different things on the album.

I like songs because they appeal to me, not because of principle. I don't think I fit into 'Newplay' or 'Oldplay'. It just comes down to different albums having songs that I like and ones that I don't. I love Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, but hate Up In Flames. I love Don't Panic on The Blue Room, but dislike the album version. It's also why IΒ shouldΒ like Oceans, as an intimate and simple track, but I find the song a bit boring - it's not a good sign when my favourite bit of the track is the intro to A Sky Full Of Stars.

5 hours ago, Nature said:

I think Ghost Stories has the most solid production, it all just sounds right.

Β 

Still my favorite Coldplay album.

I agree, I really love Ghost Stories.Β 

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I also love Ghost Stories! It's such a beautiful and spiritual journey. I love its sounscapes, the sparse arrangements, the ambient sounds...

22 minutes ago, Doomotron said:

my favourite bit of the track is the intro to A Sky Full Of Stars

Ah!!! Me too, I always had the same feeling.Β ThatΒ sound of waves, of the ocean, is so ethereal and than there is thatΒ kind of symphony of bells, almost at the end. I think that part really represents the soul of the album. Anyway, in an interview Chris said that the song reminded him of the pier in Brighton's pebble peach and the end for him was like waking up on the shore with the feeling of "completely giving in to life".

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Again, entirely all subjective though I think occasionally as folks have pointed out some songs just straight up have mixing problems. What's exciting is that Taylor Swift and other artists are laying the groundwork for music re-releases, so basically re-recording songs and albums. So far, I've found the updated Taylor Swift albums to have better production and layers than the originals, and we can probably attribute that to modern technology & more expensive production value.Β 

I do hope Coldplay re-releases some old material, whether demos or revamped songs. X&Y has been talked about for a while and I actually love how that album sounds, but I'd be extremely interested in hearing them re-do it. Also, as Chris has mentioned songs like UFO 2 and UATW could make a comeback and it's my belief that with the Dream Team + folks like Max Martin and Jacob Collier, they could make some of their old songs truly spectacular and take them to the next level.Β 

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On 9/28/2021 at 4:51 PM, gustavothehuman said:

It's always fun to see how music changes with each perspective, for me AROBTTH's production is one of their worst. I love the songs but the overall sound of the studio recording makes me feel strange, unlike Parachutes which is all warm and cozy.

Which could be what they were going for?

AROBTTH is Coldplay's darkest album and if by listening to it made you feel strange then I think they've achieved their goal, making the production pretty good. Heh. ?

Β 

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1 minute ago, gustavothehuman said:

Taylor is re-recording her material to have creative ownership over it though, it's a very specific situation. I would love if Coldplay did so for AROBTTH and X&Y respective anniversaries though.

The band did mention in an interview they would like to re-record X&Y. I would love for that to happen!

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Just finished rewatching the Zane Lowe interview (GS era) for the 100th time. My heart stillΒ breaks everyΒ time when I see the look on Chris’ face whenΒ Zane plays O. I really feel like he is fighting back hisΒ tears.Β ToΒ me, thisΒ really shows he’s just a human being like the rest of us.Β 
Β 

(Sorry, IΒ realise this isΒ in no way related to this topic)

Edited by Bauk
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4 hours ago, lennyrott1 said:

I do hope Coldplay re-releases some old material, whether demos or revamped songs. X&Y has been talked about for a while and I actually love how that album sounds, but I'd be extremely interested in hearing them re-do it. Also, as Chris has mentioned songs like UFO 2 and UATW could make a comeback and it's my belief that with the Dream Team + folks like Max Martin and Jacob Collier, they could make some of their old songs truly spectacular and take them to the next level.Β 

I agree, it would be nice if they went through their old releases and updated them. For example, they could make a 2022 version of Viva La Vida which has Life In Technicolor ii, the Osaka Sun mix of Lovers In Japan, and a few songs from Prospekt's March dropped in. For AROBTTH, I Ran Away could be on it, and maybe they could finally get to releasing A Ghost. A Head Full of Dreams probably needs a complete remix. It also needs The Race. Sorry.

Β 

I'm very surprised nobody ahs got angry at me for saying I don't like Parachutes and AROBTTH.

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  • Captain Crieff changed the title to πŸͺ Coldplay: Music of the Spheres πŸͺ | Out Now! | Discussion

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