lostsides

They first played IMP on some Parachutes tour shows and it was a lot slower and, therefore, longer. So the 'new version' is the one on AROBTTH I presume.

ASARY sounds like just my kind of Coldplay. I love the synthy stuff, that's why I'll always have a soft spot for X&Y.

For me (best to worst)... 1. Speed of Sound 2. Violet Hill 3. In My Place 4. Shiver

Doesn't it sound a bit like My Bloody Valentine too? I bloody love synthy Coldplay!

Yeah! This sounds ace.

Should be the first new pictures of them next week too. Not that I care of course.

I get the impression that Viva la Vida, on the album, runs into VH. I don't think that VLV ends, then there's a gap, then that long intro starts for VH. I think the intro is the end of VLV.

What do mean? The praised Kid A to the moon and back and gave it 10.0! I think the fact that the give ratings to one decimal place tells us how sad they are... Even though I got on there daily.

"A man builds a city With banks and cathedrals" Lemon by U2

I'm listening to The Hardest Part at the moment and I really can't see why Chris didn't bother writing lyrics as good as VHs for X&Y.

Pitchfork Media seem to have disliked CP from the start. But their reviewers are the type of people that think Radiohead can do no wrong so of course they're not going to really get CP.

I'm not sure. I mean it was shot in Sicily in spring and so it'd be a shame to make it a black and white video. Black and white's a bit too serious for their 'new' direction I think.

Two things that I noticed as soon as I heard them (apologies if this has already been posted, it probably has)... 1) When Chris and Simon Pegg stood in for Zane Lowe back in Jan 2007 Chris said he had a great name for a band: Carnival of Idiots. Obviously that's a lyric from VH now so he can't've finished Violet Hill before then. 2) Also, the line "captain of some sinking ship" is probably taken from Bucket for a Crown ("I don't want to be the captain of a sinking ship") which was written on 26.11.06 (well, the night before the Mencap Union Chaple gig). So, basically I think Coldplay wrote Violet Hill during that period - winter 2006/7. It also links in with all the winter/snow references in the song. That is all.

I agree. I think one of the reasons this was the first single is because its barely over 3 minutes long (not including the synth intro). It's not very often a CP song comes along and it's under 4 minutes.

The bit at the ("I took my love down to Violet Hill...") is lush. I've played the song 18 times today!

I see what you mean. I remember reading in Q (I think) a few months back that the album was build around the idea of playing it live.

I really love it. By far their best album art. It's the first album cover I've seen in a while that actually makes me feel something before I listen to the music. All the others are pretty regimented and organised (one central image on a plain background, pretty normal font) but this is really different. There's a lot of 'movement' (for want of a less pretentious word) in it. Obviously revolution is, usually, a time of change, optimism and possibility. The "VIVA LA VIDA" bit is ace too. It's not neat but it has been painted passionately (does this make sense?), like it looks like the person who painted was overcome with emotion. Also, "live the life" is a really optimistic quote as well.

The new record is going to have nine tracks on it (or so we've been led to believe) and the title (VLVODAAHF) has nine words. Coincidence? Er, maybe.

I just realised... Phil'd better not go AWOL in Australia or wherever again. Coldplay obviously need him!

Yes. With X&Y we knew pretty much nothing until Coldplay started playing live again. A studio diary (or whatever you want to call it) is a good thing but I don't think Prospekt has a duty to post an entry every week or whatever. Maybe that's what some people want, they get angry and feel that Prospekt should do that just because they're fans but...meh, he doesn't have to do anything. I think we should be grateful that they even bothered to redo the whole website to keep us entertained during this period. As for the album title stuff, it's only officially been announced once, by Prospekt. Maybe Chris talking to Rolling Stone about the title was a bad idea but the media can say what they want, Coldplay have been pretty smooth about it and I'm sure any change to the title was down to them not based on what anyone outside of the Coldplay camp thought. These 'deadlines' are self-imposed. He doesn't have to meet them. Maybe it's taking longer than they'd expected to finalise the tracklisting.

It's supposed to?

Well said! Personally, I want them to change, do different stuff, weird stuff, stuff we haven't heard from a rock band before. That doesn't mean it can't be tuneful and melodic. It might sound weird but even if I didn't like it I think I'd like them as a band more because it would be so easy to just knock out another album of Clocks's and Fix You's but they're not. I thought Viva la Diva was good. Loved the fact that it wasn't Coldplay 'cause if they'd released another same old CP record I'd start to worry that they didn't appear to be able to make any other kind of music (most truly great acts change their style at least once (U2, Beatles, Madonna, Bowie, etc.)). I love the fact they're doing what they want with this album. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends is a great album title, unique but also quite like Bob Dylan in a way. It kind implies that both 'titles' are interchangable or that can both be applied to the same thing. I don't think the 'or' is there because they can't make up their minds. I also love the fact that they aren't trying to please fans who only like to soppy side of Coldplay (The Scientist, Fix You, etc.) 'cause there's always been more to them than that. I would hate it if they changed the album title because of some people on a fansite. I want to see the record entirely as THEY want it.

I think it's kind of cool. They know people are going to think of Ricky Martin when they hear but they obviously believe in it enough as an album title to go with it. It makes even more sense when you know why it's called that. Plus, it links in with all the Hispanic influences. I think it'll sound cooler when they start making videos, releasing singles, touring. Achtung Baby isn't a great title by itself but when you think about the Zoo TV imagery, MacPhisto and the Fly, and the tour it fits more.

Canada.

Maybe they're buzz gig venues. Wembley Arena for the buzz gig, Wembley Stadium for the full thing? Only joking.