lennyrott2

^ This is true. They did make it as close to Rihanna as they could :) And it is Coldplay, even if I don't like it, I will reluctantly like it. I am sure the studio version will have enough going on to make me happy. Still think this album will be great!

Okay, so I know the audio recording was low quality, and that the song was performed live but from what I heard....no. Just no. I am sure I will like it better once they release the single, but it sounds like an all out rave, as in pure electronics and Chris hooting cheesy lyrics. Oh good heavens :( I was really hoping that Coldplay wouldn't move closer towards Rihanna but they did.

I am getting more and more nervous for this song after reading all these reviews!! Comparisons to ETIAW and Viva La Vida make me a bit hopeful, but it is clear the lyrics, like on most of the album, are, erm.... as simple as simple can get? Plus the comparisons to 30 Seconds to Mars, Rihanna? I like both artists to some degree but not when compared to Coldplay. I feel like both are at the center of teeny-bopper pop music today and that is somewhere I want Coldplay to mature away from. Plus, Rihanna ruined PoC for me, her lovely voice is just way too dramatic to take seriously with those lyrics. Undoubtedly ASFOS will be a radio explosion like Paradise or Clocks which still seem to get some regular airtime, and that is too bad, IMO. I was hoping Magic was going to be the most pop oriented track on this album which would leave the rest of the songs uncharacteristically alternative when looking at MX in the rearview. But I suppose two radio friendly tracks is far less than 4 (Paradise, Charlie Brown, PoC, ETIAW)

So so so so hard. 1.Politik 2.Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall 3.Fix You 4.Trouble 5.Don't Panic 6.Strawberry Swing 7.Death And All Of His Friends 8.Chinese Sleep Chant (viva streak!) 9.Shiver 10.42!! 11.The Goldrush 12.Low 13.A Rush Of Blood Through The Head 14.Speed of Sound 15. Til Kingdom Come Scores: Parachutes--3 AROBTTH--2 X&Y--4 Wow! Goes to show that X&Y has some of my favourite tracks despite Viva--5 being one of my less played albums! MX--1

I agree with you. Coldplay's accessibility is what makes them such a popular band and that is not a bad thing. People who discriminate against popular music are only missing out on what other people are enjoying and so I feel sorry for them. Personally I love every Radiohead album to death, doesn't mean I have to compare! Coldplay are a quality outfit that has evolved and successfully adapted multiple sounds to their own musical style, they are a quality rock/alternative/pop band and it is foolish to deny it. I think Ghost Stories, from what we have heard so far, is going to be a culmination of this fact. So far we have heard electronics, acoustics, emotive atmospheres, simple but appealing and sincere lyrics, and from what the rumours say, ASFOS could be that explosive sing-a-long that they do so well. Perhaps Ghost Stories could have been a self titled album in some respects. Especially after hearing Oceans, it really feels to me like this album, more than MX, will be a honed, definitive LP that can maybe silence some of the hater's by solidifying Coldplay as a master of popular hits as well as a critically respected outfit on the "quality" alternative scene.

^ Its always a bummer when the rest of the band awkwardly stands there and half heartedly pitches in a few noises here and there. Too many Coldplay songs are like this. But then again, that is partially why they are so gorgeous and simple. Just Chris on his guitar or piano with some atmosphere thrown in and you got a great Coldplay song! Oceans is no exception! I have to say I love the sonar sound though... I think it speaks more powerfully about the theme throughout the song than the lyrics do. I would wager that the studio version will find ways to tweak and make all of sonar elements more palatable, plus two extra minutes of instrumentation!?!? Welcome back Parachutes/AROBTTH!

Totally agree with you, they do such an amazing job establishing the tone of an album with their intro songs. Always In My Head therefore has to be a large signifier. Well said.

^^^ SPLENDID :)

^ I would actually love that.

I might say that as far as album flow goes, MX is Coldplay's most cohesive release, every big bang on that album is complemented by a a softer sound to follow, and overall it does feel like some sort of sonic story. I significantly prefer Viva however, because every track for me is solid, diverse and I just like how that era incorporated some artpop/shoegaze/folk elements. Plus it is flows amazingly well from start to finish. I agree with your assessment of MX though, all the tracks you mentioned are awesome, and I would even add Paradise, ETIAW, and Major Minus. However, I hardly even touch the other tracks, especially Up In Flames.

Will you succeed? I tried for MX, and even started trying for Ghost Stories....but my anticipation got the better of me. We may end up having 5 out of the 9 tracks, similar to MX where a few weeks before the whole album we had 7 of the 14!!

The nice part about having favourite bands is that they can almost do no wrong. While this is entirely a subjective question, it does seem most Coldplay fans, at least those who have been fans since the Parachutes/AROBTTH era, tend to not like MX and X&Y as much out of the entire discography. I myself fall in this category and I bet that Ghost Stories will certainly be a more well received album than MX, perhaps not commercially, but definitely critically and amongst older fans. Of course, I could be entirely wrong and it could be their best album or their worst, we really haven't heard enough yet I think to be able to tell. I look forward to finding out and hearing new tracks as they trickle in. After some of these early reviews I can't help but have high expetations myself!

Honestly I don't much care either. Either way it will be on repeat:D

Now that we have the official lengths of four tracks on Ghost Stories, it seems that the album has the potential for being Coldplay's shortest. If we take Magic, Midnight, Another's Arms, A Sky Full of Stars and Always In My Head (assuming it is about 3:30 like the live version) that only adds up to around 21 minutes 30 seconds for over half of the album. Coldplay has never gone under 40 minutes for an album (the closest being Parachutes) and if we were to divide those nineteen remaining minutes between the four songs, that is about 4:45 per remaining track. Does this seem possible given the more restrained nature of some of these Ghost Stories songs we have already heard? Will the album be under or just above 40 minutes, or will it surprise us with some longer tracks making it more normal? My hope is that songs like O and Oceans reveal some hidden jewels like we have heard in Lovers In Japan/Reign of Love, Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant, or Everything's Not Lost/Life is For Living, which would stretch them out a bit. Or perhaps a more concise album at this point would make sense if the band does indeed plan on releasing another in 2015. Thoughts?

Blue Room--Where Is My Boy Parachutes-- Spies or High Speed A Rush Of Blood--Politik X&Y--White Shadows Viva La Vida--42 Prospekt's March-- Postcards From Far Away Mylo Xyloto-- MX/Hurt's Like Heaven Ghost Stories-- Midnight (so far)

"They put the world in a tin can black market, contraband, and it hurt just a little bit, when they sliced and packaged it. In a long black trench coat two hands around the throat" "We don't wanna be man trapped, we don't wanna be shrink wrapped,"-- How You See The World No.2 "When the future's architectured by a carnival of idiots on show, you better lie low." -- Violet Hill "As far as I can see, all time and circuitry is wrong... All I want in this world, All I want in this world is for you to come home..." -- A Spell A Rebel Yell "If you hear 'em coming won't you sing for me, that I just don't want to go." --Death Will Never Conquer "Swim out on a sea of faces, the tide of the human races, oh an answer now is what I need, see it in a new sun rising, see it break on your horizon, Oh, come on love, stay with me..." --White Shadows (shivers) Anything from Politik, and the climax. You said I'm gonna buy this place and see it go, and stand here beside me baby, watch the orange glow. Some'll laugh and some just sit and cry, but you just sit down there and you wonder why." --A Rush Of Blood Through The Head "Then there was rain, the sky wore a veil of gold and green, night is the bride of a lonely day, time just floated."-- Rainy Day Bones, sinking like stones, all that we fought for, homes, places we've grown, all of us are done for." --Don't Panic " Look at all the people, going after money. Far too many people looking for their money. Everybody's out there trying to get money. Why can't you just tell me? Trying to get money, rush" -- Such A Rush (Sounding just like Thom Yorke, but I love it) "Come up to meet ya, tell ya I'm sorry, you don't know how lovely you are.... Oh let's go back to the start" --The Scientist

1. Midnight--- I can't get over how infectious the EDM elements are. The song itself is beautiful and Chris' lyrics, while still simple, are the best we have heard in a while. When that subtle bass drops and the strings kick in I can't help but sway and imagine a dark room with pulsating purples and blues like the itunes performance. So refreshing to hear Coldplay step out of their comfort zone. 2. Magic--- This song also makes me dance a bit, and while the lyrics are corny, they sound more sincere than ever and nobody can hate on that. I think it is a perfect pop song about love and I adore the simple theme of magic. Instrumentally I like the electronic flares and reverb that glitters in the background throughout the track which helps keep things interesting; otherwise the track would have been like Up In Flames. When the Acoustic guitar jam comes in, it sounds just like ETIAW to me. 3. Always In My Head---The studio version of this one may overtake Magic for me. Super calm and shows restraint from becoming too explosive. Really like simple lyrics that like Magic don't feel too cheesy. Like the guitar/bass lines and Will's drumming. Sets a nice groove. Also hope that intro is expanded upon on the album, when it opened the itunes festival I imagined staring out on a blue ocean at night just like the album cover. The intro's to their albums always look like the covers! 4. Another's Arms---Lyrically like some sappy R&B radio song, but love Johnny's guitar and can't help but sing a long with Chris' ahhhhh ahhhh near the end. Not a huge fan of the angelic looped sample at the beginning, but I like how it takes a dark turn and is morphed into a more muffled and minor sigh noise that plays with the piano and off the mini-guitar solo. Like Magic, if some of those more interesting noises take front seat in the studio version, I may really like this one and just accept the lyrics as they are.

Completely agree! Whenever I get flack for Coldplay being my favourite band I force the naysayer to check out tracks like Moving To Mars, A Spell A Rebel Yell, I Bloom Blaum, 1'36", I Ran Away, the list goes on! As if their albums weren't good enough, the B-Sides show so much more talent and exploration!

Death and all of His Friends (9) The Scientist (10) 42 (10) Moving To Mars (7) Lovers in Japan (9) Major Minus (8) Charlie Brown (8) Shiver (9) Politik (10) Fix You (10)

Sparks In My Place X&Y Lost? Up In Flames

I am extremely anxious for this album to drop, but a bit more nervous than I was with VLVODAAOHF and MX. I had huge expectations for those two and after the former I knew for certain Coldplay was my favourite band. Unfortunately, MX let me down somewhat, especially when half the tracks were provided to us early which led to the new ones first heard with the album's release being only ho-hum to me (DLIBYH, Up In Flames, PoC, MMIX) Similarly, I have really enjoyed the 4 tracks we have heard so far from Ghost Stories. In particular I like the mood and direction the band went with Midnight, lyrically and sonically. I think Magic is a stellar pop-tune and that Always In My Head's simplicity is super tranquil and befitting, but like so many others I am worried of more tracks like Another's Arms and Coldplay following that lyrically shallow and pop-rock sound. I truly want to see them embrace a more alternative and reaffirming sound that doesn't aim to please the masses. I only hope that they have left some even more experimental/fresh songs for us in May, and that the ones we haven't heard won't end up being like those MX tracks that are at the bottom of my Coldplay list. Mostly I am excited for the Target Bonus tracks because Coldplay B-Sides always tend to show some of their more creative and out of the ordinary musical styles.

I don't see them doing something conceptual again, at least not right after MX. But who knows? Some of those titles do lend themselves very well. My theory is that the title "Ghost Stories," is how the collection of songs feels to the band, like a collection that exemplifies old ideas and projects that never fully came to fruition, or perhaps died. Midnight has already given us something atmospheric, completely electronic and fresh, whilst Magic feels far more familiar, almost seeming to combine sounds from different eras (Parachutes, AROBTTH, MX). It seems to show they are going to push for a new flavour of music, but really go back to their atmospheric, darker/beautiful roots. Hopefully this means some old projects will come back to life that we never got to hear! Car Kids? Sounds from the many different styles of the Viva era? I always wanted to hear more like "A Spell A Rebel Yell," !!!!!! Anyone else think this could be meaning of the title?