The Adversary

This. You can rationalize all the reasons in the world why the band are putting out the musical output that they are: They're happier, They have families, They're older, They're trying to stay current blah blah blah it still doesn't excuse the fact that the music is terrible. You can still make "happy" music while maintaining your artistic integrity (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(What's_the_Story)_Morning_Glory?) You can still make a "pop" record without losing your artistic integrity (see MGMT, Foster the People, M83, Florence + The Machine, Coldplay (pre 2009) etc. etc.)

I just sit down here and wonder, why?

That article made me laugh to be honest. It basically boils down to "I don't like rock and have never listened to Coldplay. I like hip-hop, why don't we have that?" :D

It's the type of happiness though. At least for me, the "happiness" this album is trying to portray is not genuine, rather the "Buy Coke and you'll be happy" or "Buy the Beats Pill to be happy" kind of happiness. Except now it's "Buy Coldplay to be happy". This is corporate pop at it's finest, superficial at worst, specious at best. Happiness and joy are two very different things. Coldplay's melancholic music gives me more joy than this ever could as it's something I can actually relate to. It's a lot easier to relate to "Oh, no, what's this? A spider web, and I'm caught in the middle, So I turned to run,The thought of all the stupid things I've done" than "My heart goes ba boom ba boom"

If AHFOD has done anything it's given me a new found appreciation for MX! AHFOD makes MX look like VLVODAAHF.

^ I love the abrupt ending "Moses Martin plays the tambourine on this track!" I enjoyed the review Trey. Your opinions and insights are very interesting but I'll think you'll find from navigating this forum they're very unique and not ones many Coldplayer's share. Refreshing to hear a different perspective from the typical debates from fans of the early work vs the newer fans though!

Never really warmed to LiJ for some reason.

Lost+

Okay, I received my copy of AHFOD in the post today so I thought I'd give my thoughts (for what they're worth): So, I'll start here by giving you all full disclosure: I had an inherent bias towards this album before I even put it in my CD player. Having a clear preference for the bands early work, a dislike to unauthentic music (imo) and having heard a large portion of the songs live beforehand, my subconscious opinion has definitely been made up. However, I decided I owed Chris and co the benefit of the doubt. I put this album on and pretended I'd seen and heard nothing and approach with a completely open mind. I've so far listened to it twice, both in intimate settings (as I tend to do with CP albums) once alone in my house and the other in my car in a secluded and scenic location. So, these settings have also altered my perspective of the album. My thought process into listening to this album was one of liberation, I decided that I would completely forget that I had listened to a Coldplay album before. I'd completely forget that I listened to AROBTTH when I fell in love with a beautiful girl or that Parachutes/X&Y was my only outlet for grief when a loved one passed away. After all, people on here try to tell me all the time "It's unfair to compare albums" So this is me giving "pop" a second chance. People around here love "pop" music so they can't all be wrong! I've been told that AROBTTH is a boring, bland and dated album. This is the future I'm told so I better buckle up. Modern day Coldplayer's love this type of music because of it's artistic worth and couldn't possibly love it out of blind loyalty to the Coldplay brand! Here's the track by track. 1) AHFOD: I initially really enjoyed the live version of this song. However, the studio version is just awfully produced. I quite enjoyed the ambient intro, which is almost Joshua Tree in it's scope (Okay, not really) but unfortunately, that's where the U2 comparisons end. What the hell happened to Jonny's edgeism's?? His rhythm guitar is completely inaudible! Utter disappointment. We know the impact Stargate and their guitar-hating brand of pop are going to have from the word go. Before we know it Chris is belting out his "Woooaaahh Wooooahh's" to the benefit of all you non-english speaking fans and the track is over. 5/10 2) Birds: I remember thinking this song was pleasant enough. Like much of the lyrical genius on this album, it's Chris plagiarizing nursery rhymes (Birds, rain, thunder, waves, stars etc.) I don't really know what to say because even after two listens I can't for the life of me recall the melody. Listenable but forgettable.But hey, CM thinks I'm cool so I can't complain 4/10 3) HFTW: This is the much anticipated Beyonce track which I was assured "Wouldn't be so bad" To that I'd say this track makes POC look like Politik. This is engineered to be played in clubs and bars. I've never heard a CP song played in a club (For good reason) and this makes me never want to go to a club again for the fear of hearing it. With that said, I can't imagine any respectable DJ playing this so maybe I'd be okay. With some deeply inspired poetry from Chris "Drink from me, I'm thirsty" and lyrics about being drunk and high, I can safely say that all you "Newplayers" must be under the influence to try tell me this has any merit whatsoever. Listened to this twice and will (hopefully) never have to hear it again. 2/10 4) Everglow: A middling, paint by numbers Coldplay track that sounds lifted straight from the GS sessions, this track is again pleasant enough to listen to while buying groceries but the appeal just about ends there. This is what Coldplay haters imagine Coldplay sounding like. It's utter self-parody but is hardly the crime some of the tracks are on this album. The last Gwyneth inspired Coldplay track God willing. (Still can't hear Will's drums btw!) 4/10 5) AOAL: The lead single, you can get my full thoughts on that by visiting it's thread. The TL:DR is the riff is good, lyrics take a back seat again and "Too fly dry, magicka magicka" makes me want to kill someone (This message brought to you by the Beats Pill) 6/10 6) Fun: Again fairly non-descript. Jonny's guitar is finally heard here and Tuve Lo's vocals aren't too overbearing. 6/10 7) Kaleidoscope: This is the one flash of genius on the album for me and a suitable centerpiece. The poem really is life-changing if you can embrace it's message and the music accompanying it are both sinister and happy, bolstering the message of the poem. The one true "experimental moment" on the album that lives up to the Viva days and the one true piece of psychedelia. Obama's sample is drowned in production and resembles a drunk old fool singing songs in the corner of the local pub ("mmmmmhhhhhh amazzzzing ggracee mmmh") 7/10 8) Army of One: This track simply doesn't live up to it's Viva-esque title. It's Stargate's over indulgence moment and honestly a bit of a mess. It's insipid, superficial, meaningless noise that has no place on A Coldplay album. This one actually made me sad a bit. It comes to stand for everything wrong with present day Coldplay. Guy's bassline sounds like the bass effect on my old casio keyboard I had when I was 10. The "My hearts a gun" lyric saves it from a 0 rating 1/10 9) Amazing Day: I originally hated this song when we first heard it at Global Citizen. At the end of the day it is just a generic, paint by numbers, pop into the formula Coldplay track but it's a breath of fresh air. The intro with the muted guitar strings creates an ambient atmosphere that reminded me of Parachutes. The songs lyrics are happy but the music is melancholic. This is the only point on the album where I felt like I was listening to the Coldplay I grew up with. Unusual for Coldplay, but the studio version is a big improvement on their live performance. The Woooooooooah ooooh ohhhs ruin the intimacy and are a constant hindrance to enjoyment on this album. 7/10 10) CS/ Up&Up: So the track with Noel Gallagher, the track with two guitar solos that's over 6 minutes long. The track I loved on first hearing. This one is Coldplay's saving grace (pun intended) for this era. This can't possibly be bad can it? Wrong. Where the hell is the piano???? seriously? They decided to remove the piano and add those annoying clicking sounds in it's place? You can't be serious. Does this band do any quality control at all? Will must have been gone on an extended toilet break as I can't here him at all (neither here or the rest of the album to be frank) And how did Stargate think it was a good idea to compress Noel's guitar? You can tell these guys have neither interest or love for guitar driven music or musicians. Again everything is drowned in production. Why oh why....? Potential to be CP first britpop track since the days of In My Place and Yellow but falls short. Then the choir comes in, I assume this is the bands kids? To me it sounds like my kitten doing backing vocals. Cute and all to get the kids involved but a bit of a gimmick. possible 10/10 down to an actual of 6/10 11) X Marks the Spot: Lowest point in Coldplay's career. -42/10

That's hilarious. For me the best 1/2/3 punch has to be Politik, In My Place, GPASUYF. "Nothing else compares"

AROBTTH is their best selling album with 18 million sales worldwide whereas Viva only sold 10 million copies worldwide.

Unfortunately, that's the aberration of the band they've become.

I was very disappointed that AOAL only got to 31 here in Ireland.

Apparently Guy doesn't like the song.

Guy piped up from the corner "Did you know Starfish have neither brains nor blood?"

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Whoever sees the goat bust out the Microsoft paint and draw us an outline ;)

Really? but there's loads of pictures of Beyonce, Rihanna, Tove Lo and Gwnyeth Paltrow on the internet?

Every night they would get together in Jonny's flat and listen to albums by Radiohead, U2, Oasis and REM.

Funny, I had a friend who said this as well. I don't see it myself.

Yeah, I'm not any way effeminate on the surface but my way of thinking and viewing the world are very feminine I think!

Will decided to come back on the condition that every decision made would be a group decision and everything would be split between all members equally.

So Will did, but he was still struggling. Chris got very mad and kicked Will out of the band.

Will was frankly terrible, but the lads decided to give him a chance to improve.