Miggy D

It's a purebred pony from Zimbabwe.

Hehe! :happy2: I hate that green little gnome-wannabe.. but hilarious, that is! :happy2: I usually don't have a problem with him. He grew a little annoying in Episode 3, however. Tragic, that was.

Wouldn't 'Coldplay by the numbers' be a repetition of AROBTTH or Parachutes? Say what you want about the album, good or bad, but I don't believe it's Coldplay by the numbers. Their success or failure in this album is based on their willingness to expand beyond their comfort zone. -Miggy

I wasn't. I never for a second thought anyone would believe it. I was just playing off that old grade-school stereotype. The two couldn'thave gone to grade school together, anyway - they're 10 years apart in age. :) -Miggy

I heard that one time, in history class, Thom Yorke passed Chris Martin a note that said, "Do you like me?" It had 3 boxes underneath the question, one marked 'Yes', one marked 'No', and one marked 'Maybe.' Chris, in typical, indecisive fashion, checked 'Maybe' and Thom was offended. And so it all began. -Miggy

Right now, I'm obsessed with White Shadows, Square One, Swallowed in the Sea, and Talk. But also the entire rest of the album ;)

Right, you are. Writer, I am. English, Yoda taught me. ;) -Miggy

The world of music is incredibly diverse, housing many different sounds, textures, melodies, and rhythms. But it can be broken down into two basic categories: The "Showers" (not that place with water where you get clean) and The "Growers" Every album can be categorized into one of these two categories. Here is my thesis: "Growers" far outpace "Showers" in the long run. "Showers" are those albums that are surprisingly immediate - nearly every song is hummable and catchy and you like it from the very start. They're like candy for your ears. They're sweet, delectable, delicious and after one run-through you're blasting them out your car windows with the volume turned up to 11. You're all smiles and you're feeling great. But the problem with candy is that it's a 'sometimes food.' It tastes great the first few times you eat it, but if you keep eating it consistently, over and over again, soon you start to grow sick of it. It's too one dimensional. Too flat. Too sugary and predictable. There's nothing behind the facade of chocolate and sugar. You begin to feel empty, and strangely, hungry. "Growers" are the albums that take some time. I'll compare them to sushi. The first time I had sushi, I really disliked it. Raw fish - what the hell is this? It tasted rubbery and fishy and I was not pleased with it. It was not what I usually ate, and that disturbed me. I wanted something familiar and safe - like candy, for example. But I went back and I gave sushi another try, and as I continued to eat it, I began to discover new textures I hadn't before. New spices, flavors, and aromas - features I had been ignoring because I was so focused on what I was used to that I was blind to all of the great things about this new, exciting food. Obviously, not everyone will like sushi, but surely everyone has eaten something they didn't immediately like, but over time have grown to love. That's the magic of "growers" - they grow on you. The difference between showers and growers is that showers may be sweet and sugary and addictive, but growers are more rewarding over time. There are only so many ways to taste a Snickers. There are a million ways to appreciate all of the different kinds of sushi, or a well-prepared steak, or a well-made burrito. Grower albums are complicated, dense, and mysterious. They keep you listening far after you've thrown the showers in the dustbin. Examine your record collection. Consider your favorite albums. Are your all-time favorites the ones you liked immediately out of the wrapper? Or are they the ones that made you work a little bit in order to appreciate them, to stretch and expand musically in order to understand their depths, textures and melodies? Just something to think about. -Miggy D

I really like the new album, but it's too early to rank it. I think those of us who like X & Y are just a bit giddy because it's new Coldplay material. It's impossible to be objective the first couple of weeks. I definitely think we should ask this question again in a month or so. Right now, I'm just enjoying all this new material! :cool: -Miggy

There are similarities...especially noticeable is Chris's new, stronger singing style. But I think this album actually places Coldplay further away from U2 musically. Both bands are inspirational, in different ways. U2 inspires me to storm the brigades, conquer evil, and find true love. Coldplay inspires me to think, reflect, and explore. These are obviously stereotypes, but I'm speaking in generalizations, of course. :cool: -Miggy

That makes two of us! U2 and Coldplay are my two favorite bands. I was too young to enjoy U2 at their peak. I'm glad I am of age now, and able to enjoy this other fantastic band. :cool: -Miggy

Songs/albums that 'retread' over the same material. Stuff that repeats what came before it. :) -Miggy