Mark

Music is about two things; expression and connection. Seriously, think of any band, and you can trace one of those two things to why they started. To get girls? Connection. To look cool? Connection. Because they were inspired by another artist? Bit of both. They can say something with music they can't say otherwise? Expression. Some artists are all about the expression: MGMT, Mars Volta, Bjork and Foals are some that spring to mind. They're bands that revel in their technical abilities and they enjoy a good mindfuck as much as they enjoy a statement of intent from a song. There are also artists like Nicki Minaj, One Direction and will.i.am, who don't care what they release as long as people buy it, and people like them. They only care about the connection. Coldplay are one of those bands in the middle who care as much about how their song connects, as they do what it says. That's why the simple lyrics work so well, but yet they're considered "a proper band"; they try to express themselves in different ways but still want to be one of the biggest bands on the planet. And that's why Radiohead are so loved, because they're the perfect medium between the two.

There's nothing wrong with simple lyrics. Just looking at the top ten songs of the last decade, according to Pitchfork; Daft Punk's One More Time, Radiohead's Idioteque and Beyonce's Crazy in Love are all there. All three either mean nothing, are cheesy, or don't really explore any sort of deep emotion for anything, they're just good songs. You can't put your finger on what makes a song great, but it's different for different songs. Paradise might not be deep or meaningful, but it's not meant to be. Hell, how many Coldplay songs are?

I'd take Muse out of that, personally. You get the feeling that most of their music could be on any of their albums (The 2nd Law, maybe exempt). Survival, Stockholm Syndrome, New Born, Knights of Cydonia, Supermassive Black Hole, Cave, Hysteria, Supremacy, Starlight, Uprising, Resistance, Plug In Baby Sunburn... there's not a lot of difference. Compare that with Viva La Vida, Yellow, Fix You, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, The Scientist... you get the idea. There's nothing wrong with remaining in the same style. Arcade Fire don't change much each album, but the songwriting's always brilliant. What I like about Coldplay is that every song is about as good as the next; the ambition's great, but what's ambition if you don't have the raw talent behind it?

The only reason the last three albums have disappointed people - I wasn't aware Viva was a disappointment to anyone, but whatever - is because there is more expectation to produce something better than the last record. Who's disappointed if a band release a bad debut? No one. Who would've been all that bothered if Coldplay had become a one-hit wonder known for Yellow? A few people, not that many. Now who's bothered if LP6 is shite? A global fanbase of millions that have helped this band ascend from nothing to the biggest band on the planet in half the time U2 took. Coldplay's past is utterly irrelevant, we should be looking at the future; we should look at what the band have expressed an interest in doing, what influences they've mentioned before that they haven't explored yet, and what worked well on the last record, and the last record only. I'm sorry, but pre-Viva Coldplay is dead and buried. And given that the last three influences I heard Chris mention were Madness by Muse, Pass Out by Tinie Tempah and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye, I wouldn't hold out much hope for this "rock album". Whatever that means: MX was an alternative rock album. Rant over.

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A friend of mine once claimed "Any pub with Revolution 9 on their jukebox should have to endure the track three times in a row as punishment."

I once wrote a reflective commentary in the form of a 3,000 word rap and would've failed if it hadn't have been for the sheer effort. I was deemed to be "taking the piss" though.

For the third and final time, THEY WILL ALWAYS "DO ROCK" BECAUSE THEY ARE AN ALTERNATIVE ROCK BAND. THEY WILL TRY AND INCORPORATE OTHER STYLES INTO THEIR MUSIC THOUGH, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT PROGRESSION IS ABOUT. THEY WILL NOT GO BACK TO A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD BECAUSE THAT IS NOT PROGRESSION. Okay?

Pretty sure it's not a xylophone, sounds more like a glockenspiel for me. These are available on Amazon for cheap.

There are not two styles of music. There is plenty of direction for Coldplay to head in, that isn't "rock" or "pop".

I'll try my best :)

Can we move away from these Coldplay/Green Day comparisons please? It's making me feel uneasy.

No one's mentioned Revolution 9... probably for the better. Masterpieces are albums that don't have one duff track across the album, but Rev9 is undefendably shite. We're talking of album-worth tracks, that track is a waste of recording space.

I don't think we will get a Coldplay masterpiece.

Whichever :lol: Do you want a backing track or will you do your own?

I'll do another rap battle soon, I've got two assignments on at the moment. I'll probably do one when I'm so bored of writing about the elitism of modern poetry. :sleeping:

I hope the band take more psychedelic influences on board. Not that they'll go all Primal Scream and start taking E, but I could see them doing something like Sgt Pepper, because they're interested in the pop side of rock music, but also in colourful sounds. I think they'll think it's time for a big reinvention, and if Chris is smart, he's listened to Tame Impala's Lonerism and realised that he has it in him to write a song like Feels Like We Only Go Backward. I just want more of the colour from Coldplay to be honest. Not that I don't like the grey soundscapes of A Rush of Blood, but I love the vibrancy of songs like Strawberry Swing, Viva La Vida, Hurts Like Heaven and Every Teardrop is a Waterfall. If they can get the balance between that and the darker side of psychedelica, then we'll have us a decent record. And hey, we need to close this trilogy with something good, right?

I'm sorry, but the White Album isn't as good as everyone says. Mostly filler with a few good songs. Not a patch on Revolver or Sgt Pepper, for me.

Haha, pm me if you want anything :)

If Coldplay are as intent on staying in the charts as much as some people on here think, we can see a return for Davide Rossi, surely? He's performed on two songs - Viva and Paradise - and they've both been global hits that went number one in the UK, weeks after they'd been out but ineligible. Not saying he's the reason those songs were popular, but he's bound to get a "recall", as it were, for his good work.

I'll do a backing track if somebody from the Instrument Room fancies rapping…

Go on, then. Liam: It’s Liam Gallagher, motherfucker, the original rockstar, better than my brother; I could sing the phonebook and make it a hit, which is just as well, cause your songs are shit. And while you’re doing alright with your High Flying Birds, you haven’t got me to polish those turds; where are you while I’m getting high? Oh yeah, wishing you were in Beady Eye. Noel: BDI? Are they the only letters you know? Have you not moved onto words? Are you a little bit slow? And why d’you stretch to the mic like you’re deranged? It’s nearly as sad as your clothing range. Liam: I’ve got stage presence and a sense of fashion, you could be on stage, stood there flashin’ your tiny dick, and no one would notice, Noelly, without me you’re hopeless. Noel: Hopeless and my album hit number one? Liam: Oh fuck off; you know I’m the favourite son. Noel: You’ve got hair like Dora the fucking Explorer. Liam: Well your songs are worse than Rita Ora’s. Noel: Liam, listen carefully, everything you are, you owe to me, you’ve got as much talent as the cast of Glee, and you’ve got fuck all personality, it’s been 15 years since you were on MTV, your band’s a shit stain on society, you’re an embarrassment to the family: this is more than a sibling rivalry; consider this, the death of you and me.

I got the album last week, after my mate got stoned with some music journos and sent me a copy :P So, so good. Late Night, Providence and Moon are the highlights for me. Other than Inhaler, obviously... probably the best song I've heard in the past year.

Tell me what you wanna say, I'll do it on the program and send it to you. That might be easier to copy than doing it from hand :P

If Coldplay channelled Green Day, I'd feel like sticking rusty nails in my eyes. Sorry, I know they're popular on here, but they're just terrible.