AmbroseCadwell

I like it as much as I liked the live version. The 'light a fire' part would be much better if it was louder, and it loses some energy on the record; but this is made up for by how fantastic the 'all the boys, all the girls' chorus is and the end- AAAAAAAAAH!

Sure it's overproduced. Sure it's bombastic. Sure the vocals could be better. But it sounds like something from another world- one where it's still the 1980s! Just listen to that explosive guitar in the verse!

Bloody hell, that's brilliant. Don't worry people, the 'church organs' are in the background and not dissimilar to the piano live... and Will Champion is echoey but clearly audible. :D

I'd say DLIBYH is like the final battle between Major Minus and the Car Kids (with Mylo and Xyloto as their leaders) where they blow everything up and then run away in some big aircraft (U.F.O) at the end, hence Up With The Birds. :P

Agreed. Whatever, I like MX for being itself, not in relation to any other album. But read up; Eno is not a producer on this album. He helped with ideas and work ethics and the keyboards and that's it. He was not involved in the mixing, the mastering or most of the making of these songs. :p

I would listen to the leak except I've got a little charity performance with some people from my Sixth Form college soon and I'm worried that these songs will get stuck in my head when I'm meant to be singing Pulp! :/

DOOON'T SAYYY THAT! Yeah, I'm not listening to it either. But that's mostly because I'm singing Common People at a charity event on Wednesday and I want my head free from other catchy songs! Otherwise I'll mess up the lyrics.

1. Up With The Birds 2. Don't Let It Break Your Heart (really interested to hear what it sounds like- I reckon it'll be along the lines of the last part of Death And All His Friends more than ETIAW) 3. Us Against The World 4. Princess Of China 5. Hurts Like Heaven 6. Charlie Brown

8| What did I just watch?!

It's the antagonist person/government in the concept album story.

As far as I've seen, Car Kids is as much of a song as 'Ballad of 1000-1' and all of those other songs from the 60 minutes interviews. I reckon they were mostly just unfinished pieces, like 'Loveless' on the Viva demos; just bits and pieces.

NOT A SONG. ¦:-|

In case people didn't know, they seem to be only letting reviewers listen to the first half of the album so far, mostly. Hence them stopping at UATW. Otherwise, why wouldn't they talk about Major Minus? Also, amazing to see the place where all this magic is made.

I don't think it stops with UATW. Doesn't the outro to Charlie Brown end on a low C? (That's not rhetorical, I actually can't tell)

Epic! This is a great surprise, really. Didn't think they'd do anything like this. I'd love to have heard the synopsis for the would-be-film, though. And the last few songs are going to be great. I think DLIBYH will be the big closer (like Twisted Logic) and UWTB will be a little outro sorta song (Like 'Til Kingdom Come). That's what I'm thinking.

I'd love it, but I can't imagine it happening. Even the band have left the story ambiguous, it's more themes and characters than an actual plot. How would it end?

I think it'll be the outro to UATW, leading into ambience (maybe the same as the live intro, maybe a little different) then into ETIAW's intro.

Patrick Wolf's The Magic Position has about 4, Parklife has 3, though it's quite older now. Same with Writer's Block and Falling Out by Peter Bjorn and John. Bryn by Vampire Weekend on their debut is only 2 minutes long, and Shorter Shorter and Kingston are both songs by Field Music, both under two minutes and both near the middle of the album. 'Chinese Bombs', 'We've Got A File On You', 'Ernold Same', 'Intermission' and 'Interlude' are all on Blur albums. And then there's 'Parachutes', by a band called Coldplay. All of them are great albums!

I think Paradise could be compared to The Hardest Part. Great as part of an album, but maybe not the best choice for a single.

I love the part about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way through with the big rumbling bass and the crowd noises and vocals! Big angry mob sound.

I agree entirely, but I do see why these songs aren't released on the albums, especially the earlier ones. A lot of the best, like I Ran Away, just don't sound like Coldplay. Nothing to do with the quality- they sound good enough to be album tracks from an equally big band, but they're just in a different style to the albums.

Look, from what I can see, the LEAST BEST Coldplay albums all have odd numbers. Parachutes X&Y Mylo Xyloto, maybe, but I think I'll like it. Albums two and four? AROBTTH and VLVODAAHF. Like they're almost taking a break between absolute classic 5/5 albums. And I say... let them. X&Y may not be AS GOOD as the other albums, for example, but it's certainly not bad. It has flaws like any album does. And personally, I think that the new style will come together just fine once we hear the whole album all the way through. And also, Eno is a fantastic producer. Look at all the work he's done in the past for other bands. I wouldn't be surprised if half the best moments on this album weren't his idea or choice.

I sure dig the guitar solos. The rumbling part about 1/3 of the way through is almost 1990s. This will be fantastic live. Love the new era! <3

I'm sure if I love it as a Coldplay song, but I certainly love it placed along with all the other bands I like. Love the rumbling guitar solos, definitely. Seems like they're giving both Jonny and Guy more of the limelight with this album. Summary: If any haters don't enjoy this as a Coldplay song, enjoy it as just a song in general!

I think the haters will vanish once the album actually comes out. It's all going to come together when we hear the album as a whole project, rather than bits of the new style. Can't wait for tomorrow morning!