Mark

It's more than okay to love anything, and I read both their website and occasionally their magazine. They often cover great stories, compile stellar lists and I've found myself agreeing with every last letter of many a blog on their site. I simply do not agree with them on one thing. The whole mentality of the magazine seems to be that creating divisions in music is okay. Creating sub-genres and sections of the population who should all listen to different things is the way to stoke a scene; indie kids should stick to indie music, all Coldplay fans are middle-aged and that Blur and Oasis fans should hate each other. I take great offence to this; I believe all music should be unifying, and that there is no such thing as a guilty pleasure. I believe that people who don't listen to, shall we say, "artful" music should not be ostracised, but educated in the effort that goes into any genre of music. Every kid should be brought up to play an instrument. My sister used to have a terrible taste in music, to her own admission. I didn't disown her, I got her into Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and Muse. Our next gig together is Radiohead. If the NME agree with me, they don't show it. They have a "cool" list; if that's most superficial award in music, I don't know what is. It's the kind of thing you expect from Heat magazine. (Sorry, I'm rather passionate on this subject.)

How's that?

I find that really quite amazing. I had to absorb of a lot of life before I could understand bands like Radiohead.

I tried listening to Kid A at the age of sixteen, it wasn't so much that I didn't get it... it just didn't mean anything. I'm four years older now, with four years' more fear, resignation and hope inside me, and the album resonates properly. It's an icy, cautious, mournful friend that I know back to front, but still can't read its mind. Radiohead could've had the world after OK Computer, but they turned it down, in favour of the art. That is the greatest thing an artist can ever do. It's the most dramatic reinvention in the history of music, and it's near flawless. Every second is calculated to a tee like a rocket-launch, and it bleeds emotion without speaking words or having to explain itself. It's simply, the most ambitious record ever attempted, and in my opinion, it's the greatest. Only Radiohead could've done that, only Radiohead have ever done Kid A, and only they could pull it off with such flying colours. Go out at night, walk by a river, and play the album in its entirety. It's beautiful.

I feel absolutely livid at the fact the NME have published a "news piece" on Chris's opinion on Madness. I know we don't all like it, and we are all entitled to our opinions, but I mean... come on? We all got into music because it unites us, and makes us feel part of something bigger. It's an escape into a joint imagination with hundreds of others, and when Muse play Madness live, they'll connect the dots of everyone in the room, into one voice, one collective. So why are people like the NME so keen on dividing us up? Segregating those who listen to "good music" and those who listen to "bad music"? Their editor - yes, the guy in charge - posted a picture on Twitter of someone who didn't recognise a photo of Joe Strummer. Oh, let's all laugh the moron who listens to chart music and doesn't know their Guns of Brixton from their Brixton Academy. It's pathetic; if you're that bothered, send them an album to get into. I didn't know what he looks like, I'd say I'm a fairly big music fan. But I only get into new bands because they're shared with me, not because the fans insinuate it's an exclusive club that I have to be a part of. Maybe I'm taking this too far, maybe what I've just said is wrong or irrelevant. And I don't agree with Chris Martin. But that's wrong, posting Chris Martin's opinion on the UK's biggest music website.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWFcM_1ye8o]Blur - No Distance Left To Run (Jools Holland 1999) - YouTube[/ame] I'm very close to the belief that this song is simply the most indescribable piece of music ever recorded. He says everything in three verses, sums it up in a beautiful title, and delivers it with a beautiful melody. Right now I know how he felt, and it's just amazing that he put into words what I never can.

I don't think he is. He's just honest and straight-talking.

Kid A, I believe, to be the greatest album of all time. I think your problem here is that you don't like quiet/slow songs.

This. I don't want more loudmouthed rockstars. I want more Noels.

I want people who will be rockstars, but not for the sake of it. There are musicians like Noel Gallagher, who don't have to try to be funny, and will, 90% of the time, say what we're all thinking. There aren't many people like this. Look at Viva Brother. Be yourself. Chris Martin doesn't need to suck up to Muse. If he likes the song, he likes the song. So what? Matt Bellamy likes Paparazzi by Lady Gaga, Thom Yorke likes Girls and Boys by Blur, Jay-Z likes Be Here Now and U2. Doesn't make them bad people or bad musicians.

If it's Chris's favourite, it's not ridiculous at all. It does feel like a transition into something new, but everything has to start somewhere. I like to hear the transition songs/albums. Gives you more an insight into the workings of a band.

The final four songs on that album are pushing somewhere they'd never been. And Undisclosed Desires. The others were either rehashed or falling back on previous ideas for me. and thanks!

Yeah, I see your point. I do like Madness, I think, but more than anything, I respect that they're trying something new. This probably contributes to why I like it. I find it very hard to enjoy albums that show little ambition. My favourite records are Kid A, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 13, Origin of Symmetry, Since I Left You, Moon Safari, Viva La Vida, Humbug... albums that try and push the walls a little. And none of the ones listed are perfect, but they're moving something forward. I hope I'll like The 2nd Law as much. I doubt it, but at least they're not stuck on the spot, like they were with The Resistance.

That's exactly the opposite of what I'm saying. Both artists are trying to fuse their own sound with what's going on in the world at the moment, and both are creating music that's not only unique for their backcatalogue, we haven't seen anything similar since U2 in the 90s. Bands like Spector and Bloc Party however, are releasing indie that we've been hearing for ten years now, with little new or varied on the style. I quite enjoy both artists' new stuff, but it doesn't excite me as much as a completely new direction would.

People are giving Muse and Coldplay a lot of stick for going more electronic, but is that not better than pretending it's 2005 and churning out same-old, 00s rock? I'm just curious, because the songwriting's not got that much worse, it's just the production's shifted...

I disagree that they should make something by themselves. I think Coldplay's best work is when they've been pushed. If you take any fantastic Coldplay song; Politik, Clocks, Violet Hill, Death and all His Friends, Hurts Like Heaven... they're all made with the pressure to do something new and untried. Most of that pressure in the studio comes from a producer. They just need to pick the right producer who will push them into new territories. I would personally favour someone in the mould of Jamie XX, Nigel Godrich or Danger Mouse. Someone who knows their sonics, pushes boundaries, and questions what the artist should mean and represent.

Sir Snore? Lol, okay... Sweet Song's about Graham, surely. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQfL1Qnf5bw]blur sweet song (demo idea) - YouTube[/ame] I love this demo so much. One of my favourites on 21. Totally different take on the song.

Ahhh I'm terribly sorry, I thought you meant the album.

I'm not saying you're not supporting the musicians, I'm saying that a chart position doesn't matter. They'll get to number one anyway, but if you buy it from the Muse store, they'll get more of a cut. Additionally, If you buy it from your local independent record store, they'll get something for it, which will help keep them alive.

Buy it to support the musicians. Music's not a competition.

That attitude will get you far in life, young man.

The first three songs we've heard are nowhere near as bad as people are making out. They're just not as good as in the past; but how many lead singles have been that great? Uno's alright. Plug In Baby I'm truly alone in hating. Time Is Running Out is naff. Supermassive Black Hole's alright. Uprising is alright. Survival is alright. Unsustainable's alright. Madness is alright. It's all just average thus far.

It'll probably be a grower (like Survival), but I don't really care. The band are actually moving into the boldest new direction since Origin of Symmetry. I've heard enough Hysterias and Supermassive Black Holes to last me a lifetime, I'm ready for something, anything new.

I Want To Break Free, anyone?

Noel's a nice enough guy from what I've seen. He gets on with Damon now, too. Both can see that rock and roll behaviour should always come second to the music. It's Liam who can't see this. Liam is a child.