pegasaurus

Man I really want to see them start to bust out the 24 song set!

But will it work in a live gig setting? I know they played it during the Hope For Haiti telethon and it was AMAZING there, but that was a totally different setting. Actually, that sort of setting is the only setting I see "A Message" working well.

^ That would be an example of a festival type gig. If I recall, this was before they actually started touring. The HWB gigs may end up looking like this because of the space constraints. But a Coldplay gig while they are on tour looking like the above would be the equivalent of U2 performing a 360 gig without the Claw. I can't imagine Coldplay stripping back so much.

I love it how people always assume that the song title must be in the lyrics somewhere. "Never an honest word, But that was when I ruled the world" - Ok, the song must be called "When I ruled the world"

"It wasn’t as extravagant as, say, U2’s ill-starred and expensive Pop show, which is an example of the “more money than brains” tour that often strikes popular acts. Coldplay is too sensible for that." I know some U2 fans that are such diehard Pop fans that they would kill anybody who said this in public lololol. But I honestly think Coldplay is selling itself short by remaining in arenas when it's more than capable of selling out stadiums. But in terms of extravagance, I think Coldplay is probably being just as extravagant as U2 was during their 360 Tour, but both bands have a different flavor of extravagance. U2 had their impressively massive Claw. Coldplay has those Xylo Bands distributed to every attendee, tons upon tons of confetti butterflies, inflatable balls, lasers, etc. In any case, Coldplay is big enough to go big.

This is exactly why I was surprised when I heard that Coldplay chose the HWB as their venue while in LA. Just knowing how the HWB is designed, it's a great natural amphitheater for things like orchestra concert, or Bono and the Edge playing an acoustic set as was the case with the Clinton concert. But for a rock band to bring their own stage? I'm not sure how it's going to work from a technical and acoustic standpoint. When I heard Coldplay was coming to LA, I thought they would hit up the Rose Bowl to kick of their stadium tour. Obviously, they are neither playing at the Rose Bowl nor are they playing in stadiums. However, I believe the HWB is a predominantly outdoor venue, so in the end those concerts may have more festival-like feel.

DLIBYH looks great! I'm sure they will get better as they continue to perform it. But from a technical standpoint, I don't think they need the intense flashes. They've already got lasers and spotlights going on for this one and I feel like the flashes don't really add much to the visual experience.

I'm with Wintergreen here. I don't really focus on what goes into making an album regarding the production/musical concepts behind it. I only ask one question: does it work? Exploring the musical inspirations behind the album is not a valid way to judge an album. It is a great way to explore the dynamics of the band and see how they work. If you ask me about Mylo Xyloto, it works. And regarding Coldplay's challenging U2, I don't think there are many other acts that challenge U2, to be honest (from an admittedly slightly biased opinion). After their 360 Tour swept the world, any attempt to outclass them is futile (stick with me here). I think Coldplay shouldn't change their style just because they want to try and be like another band. Mylo Xyloto, while sharing some aspects of U2, still has Coldplay written all over it. That's another reason why it works so well. When people go to a Coldplay concert, they don't expect to see Chris giving political speeches about Africa. They expect to see Chris run around the stage during every song, showering the crowd with his sweat. That's what makes Coldplay so unique and I'm sure nobody wants that to change. However, I do give them major props for the Xylo bands, which essentially turn the audience into a part of the lightshow. I think it's ingenious and something that Coldplay would definitely do. I'm excited to see it deployed in the stadium setting!

I personally am in love with MX. Every aspect that people note as a disappointment I see as another reason to love the album (with regards to the production). Lyrically, it's not bad. Then again, I'm also a hardcore U2 fan, so maybe I like Coldplay's new direction because it shares some qualities of U2's style as well.

Thanks for the welcome guys! But yeah I honestly love that live video! It's great for that bit of encouragement we all need during the day.

Hey guys! I know people seem to be a bit divided over the two Charlie Brown videos. I personally love the live version much more than I like the album version for a couple reasons. Coldplay is a live act and Charlie Brown is a live hit. It's only appropriate that the video for the song be a live recording with well-pieced video footage from their live performances. Also, does anybody know where the live recording came from?