ciaA26

Hi guys, I have a lot of thoughts about the album which I'd like to share- apologies if this is in the wrong place. I thought an individual thread would make sense because this is going to be pretty lengthy! 'Sunrise' is undoubtedly a beautiful opener to the album, and sets the tone really well for what is it to come. However, I've always found the opening tracks of Coldplay albums to be amongst my favourite (especially Politik- one of the best things they've ever done in my opinion), and perhaps the most crucial track of every album. I'm completely aware that this album was intentionally made in a different way with a theme that suits an instrumental start, I just feel it loses a bit of the kick that has started previous albums. -6/10 I'm a really big fan of 'Church'. A really well-executed combination of styles that we've seen from the band previously. The more EDM-esque drum sound/rhythm with the exploration of chords and melody being reminiscent of the Viva era. It also has hints of Ghost Stories with the relaxed vibe, which I'm a big fan of. 7/10 'Trouble in Town' is the best track on the album for me. It seems that everyone is using samples of speech in songs these days, but this is done incredibly effectively- providing explicit context for a song which is understandably extremely implicit towards the subject lyrically. In some ways I'd compare this song to Politik, as I wouldn't find myself too keen on the song if it were just for the first half of the track, but you understand that the opening couple of minutes paves the way incredible for an insane pay-off. I often fixate on small, potentially insignificant parts of songs, but the synthy-strings in the second half of the song are mesmerising, and add so much. Also my favourite guitar work from Jonny in a long time. 9/10 'Broken' is an obvious step away from what we'd usually expect on a Coldplay album, and it achieves what it sets out to be- a feel-good break on this side of the album. However, I can't seem to shake the feeling that it's such a deliberate attempt to do something 'different' that it comes across as slightly insincere. Musically I have absolutely no problem with the song, it's just its purpose that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. 5/10 God, 'Daddy' frustrates me so much. I maintain the opinion that I had from my first listen- this is the most beautiful song Coldplay have ever written. But as I've listened to it more and more, the lyrics really grate on me. I completely understand where Chris was coming from with this- a sense of innocence and written from the perspective of a child. But it just feels so lazy at times. Like he wrote the word Daddy 10 times on a piece of paper and then came up with ten completely individual lines, with no real correlation, and put them together. The chorus is simple but beautiful lyrically and melodically, and the subtle crescendo throughout the song is incredibly well executed. The lack of lyric quality is something I'll come back to, though. 6/10 Another big frustration for me is 'WOTW/POTP'. Again, I think the thing that niggles me is that it's such an obvious attempt to provide something 'different' to break the album up a little bit and add some colour. But if it was a promising enough idea (which it obviously was as Chris finished the song AND deemed the melody/chords strong enough to put on the album in some capacity) then why not just finish it and record it properly? The version performed on the Jordan broadcast was really lovely, and was powerful even for such a short song. Seeing it done live just made me feel a bit short-changed- that finished song is good enough for me to listen to a lot, yet all I'm left with is a 'nice idea' that probably won't get a re-listen at any point. 3/10 (But for the finished version in Jordan, 7/10) 'Arabesque' is the absolute business. This is 'attempting to do something different' but done so, so well. I wasn't completely sold on first lesson because it was just SO FAR removed from what I've come to expect from Coldplay. But I've come to realise that that is an amazing thing. Making genuinely incredible-quality music in a completely new way. I can't have any complaints about that. The sax solo is stunning, but even more powerful is the huge climax, which just feels like a massive release. Really well executed, and also a brilliant (yet short) feature from Stromae. His voice really suits the whole vibe of the song. 9/10 'When I Need a Friend' is something I absolutely adore. As a musician myself, I find nothing more stimulating than harmony. Sure, I'm not completely on board with the religious vibe on a Coldplay album, but it's done so beautifully. Nothing beats a really lovely choir piece, and it must be incredibly hard to write and arrange something that fits this style so well. Bloody great. 8/10 'Guns'. Eugh. I think the best phrase I've seen to describe this track is 'ham-fisted'. It's lyrically clumsy, and I find the swearing in the chorus completely undermines the message. I have no problem with swearing in music, but for Coldplay to do it, it really needs to work and add something. For me, it just turns the whole song into a faux-preachy folk song which just doesn't sit well with me. 3/10 'Orphans' is really great. An example of a contemporary Pop song at its best. It's pretty much the sort of song that we've come to expect from Coldplay, which there's nothing wrong, but it's undoubtedly what they do best these days. Memorable chorus, catchy melody, and a chant of some sort. I'd also say that this is (surprisingly) some of the best lyric writing on the album. Usually the simpler lyrics would go towards this kind of Radio 1-friendly song and the more complex words would be on the quieter tracks, however this album seems to be flipped around in that respect. This song is a banger. 7/10 I just can't get on with 'Eko'. I don't hate it by any means, it just doesn't really make me feel anything. It's a nice enough melody, and the chord sequence is interesting, but this is a song that won't be getting many listens from me. Which I'm sure will stop Chris from sleeping. 5/10 'Cry Cry Cry', again, doesn't really make me feel positive or negative. I wouldn't skip it on a listen through the album, I guess I just find it a tiny bit sickly with the octaved-voice, and the extra vocal parts in the chorus. Not really for me. 5/10 'Old Friend' is yet another example of Chris' lyric-writing that I find difficult to take. Something I've always criticised Ed Sheeran for is how literal he is in his writing- I prefer more metaphors and poetry-like lyrics. It feels like Chris falls further into this literal category with every album Coldplay make now. If you compare the lyrics on Everyday Life to VLV, for example, I'd argue that the quality of lyrics has gone downhill significantly. This for me is summed up by the fact that, in an interview explaining the story behind the song, Chris essentially only had to use the lyrics to talk about it as they are so on the nose. Really do like the guitar work on the track though, it's a lovely sound. 5/10 The instrumental is nice, but it feels like filler, as that's what it is. Again, I don't really have much to say about it. 5/10 I really love 'Champion of the World'. I'm a massive fan of Frightened Rabbit and Owl John, so to hear Scott's influence really is beautiful. A really strong guitar riff, and really brilliant harmonies makes this exactly the sort of song that I love. I won't go on about lyrics anymore, but I do feel that the same problem is present on this track, however the rest of it makes up for that. A really exciting and uplifting climax makes this a really powerful and stand-out track on the album 8/10 'Everyday Life' is a really strong closing track. I feel that tracks where Chris plays piano often provide the more interesting moments musically- maybe that's to do with a different way of looking at chord structures when he's playing piano. That's the case with this track. It's really beautifully put together, and the ambience created behind the melody is stunning. Really strong. 7/10 I don't think there are any real misses on this album, but if there were, the highlights would absolutely make up for them. It's perhaps the most interesting album the band have ever released, and although 'interesting' doesn't translate to 'good', in this case, they've released their best album since MX. The whole Sunrise/Sunset concept did provide us with an absolutely stunning broadcast on Youtube, but I can't help but feel like making this a standard album as opposed to a 'double' (in the loosest possible terms) album would have removed a fair bit of filler and left an album that could really have been up there with Viva and AROBTTH. Overall- 7/10 Let me know what you think with a similar ratings system!

I really think it is. There have been a couple of cases of an instrument being noticeably loud and then turned down straight away. They would have fixed that in the mix if this wasn't live. The screen thing was just one song recorded yesterday (I'd imagine), I'm pretty sure the rest is live

It blows me away that this is live. Music-video-quality production/visuals on every track. So SO good.

Still haven't had my link- should I be worried?

DADGAD is an alternative guitar tuning, with the strings tuned to DADGAD instead of EADGBE :)

The fact that Champion of the World is inspired by Scott Hutchison (Owl John/Frightened Rabbit) fills me with so many emotions. A beautiful track and so nice to see a nod to one of the best songwriters the UK has produced. Rest easy, Scott.

Anyone else noticed the frequency with which the confetti on Chris' face disappears/reappears in Yellow/ETIAW? It's driving me crazy...

I personally absolutely love the new clip. Sure, the editing is a tiny bit jarring at times, but I feel like it really captures the pure elation of that part of the set. As a side note- A Head Full of Dreams has possibly become one of my favourite Coldplay songs, and I never used to be that much of a fan. Love it!

So an object seen in the music video for All Your Friends is used in the actual song's music video? Or is it in the lyrics of All Your Friends?

Could someone help me out and (using spoilers, obviously) tell me what happened in the post-credit scene? It’s a long story but basically someone in front of me in the cinema threw up near the end and I had to get out! Seems like I missed something important!

I know we're all allowed to have our own opinions but seeing AROBTTH, Amsterdam and Swallowed in the Sea on your list makes my heart cry. I need to go and lie down in a dark room now. Thanks Jordanator :oops:;)

Oh boy this is a controversial thread! I'm now going to stoke the fire a little bit... I'll go album by album. Parachutes- There's nothing I dislike strongly enough to mention, but it isn't my favourite album. AROBTTH- Absolutely perfect, and I'll hear no different. X and Y- Speed of Sound has always bugged me. Far too similar to Clocks and just feels lazy (apart from Jonny's guitar- I have a soft spot for that) The Hardest Part- I honestly can't give a reason for disliking it, it just doesn't sit well with me melodically. Maybe it's a bit jarring at times? That said, I really don't understand why this is the album the guys can't stand considering some of the stuff that is now described by Chris as 'the best stuff they've ever written' more recently... Viva- Like Parachutes, there's nothing I feel strongly negative about on this one. Maybe 'Yes' is a bit weaker than the rest of the album but it's still very listenable! MX- So this is the era where I first got into Coldplay (which led me back to the older stuff which I now prefer!) so I'm not as negative about it as I see some people are! That said, Princess of China always gets a skip when I'm listening to the album. Just a bit too synth-y for my liking! (Saw somebody earlier in the thread call UFO 'pointless'- what an absolutely disgraceful opinion ;) A beautiful song!) Ghost Stories- Initially thought I didn't like the album at all, and really didn't enjoy Midnight and Another's Arms. Listening back, however, the whole album has grown on me massively. True Love, however, is pretty dreadful. AHFOD- I bloody love this album. There, I said it. I could listen through it again and again and have no problems (as long as I skip to the next track as soon as Army of One has finished- X Marks the Spot can remain secret. Awful.) My main problem with this album, though, is the lyrics and Chris' diction. Most of the time I have no idea what he's actually singing (see- Birds), and a lot of the time the lyrics seem a lot more childish compared to some of the amazing stuff that came before, mainly on VLV (lyrically, I mean). Others- Miracles (Someone Special) is absolutely horrendous. I love it musically, and the chorus chords/melody are absolutely brilliant, but the lyrics are the worst that Chris has written by a long way. Awful grammar, random references to famous 'good guys' and just cheese to the max. I wish the words were better, because it could so easily be one of my favourites. Aliens- I just can't agree with the track at all. I can see why some people would love it but I just can't make sense of it. Gravity- This is the worst Coldplay song because of how it was treated. Should have been on an album. I bloody love it.

So this could be a system glitch or something but I've just managed to book tickets for a Manchester showing on the Vue website. I recommend anyone who lives near a Vue Cinema to try getting tickets now!

Hi, yes they are! Drop me a private message!

I have 2 in orange