HowCouldIForget

"Martin also spoke of working with Avicii on the new album, and about how he felt like he was cheating on the band when he asked Avicii to play piano on 'A Sky Full Of Stars'. 'Ghost Stories' is Coldplay's sixth album and will be released on May 19." Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/coldplay/76980#Jm7pH7M7VsqDQKKK.99 I really just..., I mean I'm not about to..., who thought that this was a..., how can they honestly go and... ugh. WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILL!!!! :angry:

Precisely my thinking :( Once you go awesome you can't just go back, there's no logic to that. MX does the stripped-down thing better and that's not even its focus, just listen to the lyrics in Us Against the World, U.F.O. or Up with the Birds.

That's true, I am partial to A Rush and I agree, Viva deserves a very high percentage, up there around 90% as well. And of course, I am very grateful to hear something like Oceans or Always in My Head after fearing for awhile that the rest of the songs would be like Magic. Still, I miss Chris's songwriting talent and the imaginative, abstract lyrics from the previous two albums. :/ This is a very good point, I suppose we can't say much for sure until then. I'm not thrilled how the drums on AiMH sound stripped down compared to the live version, let my man Will play! :will:

I'd say it's more like AROBTTH: 97/110 88% Clocks: 10/10 The Scientist: 10/10 Politik: 9.5/10 Amsterdam: 9.5/10 AROBTTH: 9/10 In My Place: 9/10 GPASUYF: 8.5/10 Warning Sign: 9.5/10 Daylight: 6/10 Green Eyes: 9/10 A Whisper: 7/10 Ghost Stories: 43.5/60 73% AIMH: 8.5/10 Midnight: 9/10 Oceans: 8.5/10 ASFOS: 6.5/10 Magic: 3/10 Another's Arms: 8/10 The problem is that it's completely subjective. :( In my scale we'd need a whole lot more than relatively solid songs to even come short of ARoBttH

I highly doubt it but I'm not sure that it matters whether or not it is, to be honest. The quality of it is what I care about and I believe many others feel the same way. It could miss charting altogether and sell 300,000 copies but if it's an amazing album than what's the relevance? In terms of Ghost Stories, I do get the feeling it will be ranked sixth in my eyes when I've taken it in, at least from the six songs we've heard so far.

It'll be nice to hear the old songs but not sure what the point is, they'll probably just cut the stream for any new songs we haven't heard. :rolleyes:

Same here :/ I'm extremely perplexed

YESSS! !) MX technically had FOURTEEN songs but I'd take Parachutes (eleven if you include the bonus track) and A Rush of Blood to the Head (eleven as well) over it any day. Have you heard the Linkin Park album A Thousand Suns? It had FIFTEEN songs and is clear evidence that the number of songs has NOTHING to do with quality. I'd take 9 (8 excluding Magic) beautiful, deep, talent-showcasing songs over 15 unfinished, bumbling, displeasing ones. 2) That's what happens when you're owned by Universal unfortunately. Thankfully I'm sure they will still be on Youtube on other sites to at least listen to. I believe it's a means of promotion since Coldplay isn't super-hyping up this album like they did MX for example. (Besides, the UK and Japan often get bonus tracks and we never have here in the U.S., just saying...) 3a) If you think Paradise is better than Always in My Head, there are more concerns than just being ripped off here. 3b) I don't know why you listed only the singles and I do hope you listen to the whole albums, if not, you're missing out on gems like UwtB and UAtW which blow the songs you listed out of the water. 4) You only made 2 points and then started kind of rambling which kills the flow of what you were saying. Besides, we've only heard 4 out of 12 songs and many of the best songs on MX were the ones we didn't hear before the album came out- stay hopeful.

1. Midnight without a doubt, I miss the abstract lyrics of Viva la Vida that really made you think and it seems to have made a return here; they lyrics are also at their least cheesy as well. I'm so glad the swelling synths are more groovy and layered as opposed to the bombastic synth style in Princess of China for example. The eerie wailing in the middle of the song on Chris's part is perfect, really shocks the mood and makes you feel like this is a "ghost story." 2. Always in My Head I'd say is next, this song has grown on me far more than any of them and I really love Will's percussion in this song. I like how it breaks from the traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus-coda-outro formula most music is restricted to these days and, in addition to it being the best performance by Johnny of the four albums we've heard so far, it's lyrically behind only Midnight based on what we've heard so far from Ghost Stories. 3. Another's Arms is definitely a good song still, I wish the lyrics weren't so meh but the music, effects and vocals definitely make up for that. You can really feel Chris's emotion in this song, more so than say much of what we heard on Mylo Xyloto for example. The ending vocal where he's on the piano before the outro lyrics is fantastic and I'm rather fond of the backing opera-esque vocal. I don't know why so many people are put off by this, it's definitely an unusual style to embrace as such a commercial band, like the acapella at the end of Viva for example and it adds a lot to the song. The mysterious, brooding atmosphere rocks and Guy's baselines in addition to Johnny's haunting guitar lines really help make up for the repetitive, dragging lyrics. I get the feeling this song might be better without the lyrics, actually. I'd love to hear an instrumental version of this song actually. 4. Magic by a large disparity, it doesn't even come close to the others. The song is so simplistic and generically appealing that it borders on the insulting from a band like Coldplay. Not really much else to say. It made me see Paradise (previously my least favorite song by them) in a more positive light in comparison with this; I'm not sure if that's something I should appreciate or not.

Sounds like a piano cover of "Bring me to Life" by Evanescence if you ask me. :thinking:

I can't help but still wonder at the lyrics and their somewhat simplistic nature. I feel like maybe it's because 1. It fits with everything else being stripped down and not being "overdone" supposedly like on MX or 2. Chris is doing what he did after X&Y, he feels like he's getting all the attention and he wants the other members to shine so he made the lyrics purposely simple to draw attention away from them and towards the music.

Will's percussion in this song has really grown on me and Johnny's as talented as ever. :thumbsup:

According to Target http://www.target.com/p/coldplay-ghost-stories-deluxe-edition-only-at-target/-/A-15261659?ref=sr_shorturl_coldplay O (Part 2) is actually titled O (Reprise)

He's a respectable musical artist, but in terms of personal character and all the tommyrot he's said about Coldplay unnecessarily, I don't know. I mean Coldplay's been taking from Radiohead pretty clearly for a long time and even Thom treats the guys with much more respect than Noel. :thinking:

I think it's pretty great to be honest, it enhances the mood by giving it a kind of dark and brooding undertone. It sounds like a muddled heavy sigh or groan, definitely what someone in this situation would be prone to do out of pain and sorrow.

that is ironic isn't it? :( I swear Chris is just one of the most genuine people out there.

The fact that Radiohead will never change with the times is what makes them infinitely better, not worse. I couldn't possibly be more relieved that Thom Yorke would never do something like this... :sunny: I'd like to also point out that Viva la Vida didn't sound normal at all. It could not possibly have felt more different, more unique, more 'out of place' on pop and rock radio stations, and yet it was not only one of their best songs imo (behind Clocks and The Scientist) but was still a number one hit in both the U.S. and U.K. If that's not proof that Coldplay doesn't have to put out generic, commercially mainstream, 'normal' songs like Magic to succeed, I don't know what is.

Unfortunately, Coldplay's latest tune sounds more like a stripped-down, poorly-written Bruno Mars song as opposed to exemplifying the deep and inspiring nature the band has come to be known for. As soon as the song opens, the realization hits that the percussion could hardly be more basic and trite, incredibly exceeding even Mylo Xyloto's "Paradise" in this category. 'Lest this writer give the impression that simplicity is necessarily bad, this is not the case at all. Songs like The Scientist and Fix You, which highlight the alternative rock foursome's catalog, illustrate how simplicity can be equally heartfelt and powerful, but not so here. The bare, repetitive and monotonous lyrics are even more unlike them, quite starkly contrasted with, say, the complex and thoughtful likes of their fourth album's second single, "Viva la Vida." The word magic alone is said nearly ten times without even being in the chorus, and the assertion "no I don't" numbers in the several dozens; talk about commercialized belaboring. The uninspired stanza rhymes are no less disheartening, playing the entirety of the verses rhyming off the likes off "you" and "through", in a vein similar to the band's 2005 song "Swallowed in the Sea." However, said song offers much more in the way of music quality than "Magic" can fathom. Pianos and glittering synths are sparingly used, and even then only to pretty up the underwhelming premise of the song rather than flex the talent of lead singer Chris Martin. Martin's exaggerated and unbearably-sugary vocals serve only to alienate the listener further from the debacle that is at hand. Only guitarist Johnny Buckland's shimmery guitar near the three minute mark gives this critic any enjoyment out of the song and is a waning reflection of the talent the band has often exhibited since their debut in 2000 but seems in danger of foregoing for chart prowess instead. To experience such a disappointing and generic effort from one of the world's biggest (and dare I say, best) bands in the world can surely be seen as a testament to music's gradual shift from meaningful verse and melody to catchy chorus and synthetic pseudo-'talent' over the past few decades. On a positive note, the music of other Ghost Stories reveals suggests that maybe all hope isn't to be abandoned for the British quartet just yet. Rate: 3/10

I wonder what Chris' favorite song of theirs is. I read in Look at the Stars that Politik and The Scientist were high up there but that was written all the way back in 2004. I'm curious as to what he'd say now. :thinking:

Thank you kindly, I didn't mean to spread any false information- just to reinforce an argument I had in mind. Clearly, you're more well read on the band than I am :) To be honest though, I think your explanation worries me even more. If it was just Brian and Markus not being there that'd be one thing, I don't want to try to imagine the rest of the band okaying Magic. :uneasy: And of course you're right, it's up to them and that's how it should be. But sometimes I wonder about their decisions on more recent albums. :inquisitive:

I feel that it's not 'meant to be that way' and here's why. Viva and MX were very strong lyrically, as contrasted with say Parachutes and X&Y which weren't (though they were still great albums). With this in mind, the lack of having Brian Eno and Markus Dravs on board is rather worrisome. I recall a story in the Viva era where Chris brought one of them lyrics for a song. Brian or Markus told him they definitely weren't good enough and to write something better, so later Chris came back with Cemeteries of London (rather good lyrically). Listening to the GS songs (especially Another's Arms and Magic) I get the feeling no one is willing to challenge/stand up to Chris the way Brian/Markus did or more importantly, push him to his full potential. Will is known for deciding on whether a song is good enough or not but I get the feeling that's almost strictly on a musical basis. After all, it's my understanding Chris alone writes the lyrics so what legitimate criticism could Will really offer if he's not a lyricist? This is my gripe with concept albums, you have to write 4/5 of the songs about the exact same subject, otherwise it doesn't 'work.' You lose so much quality that way. Atlas is much better than anything from GS so far, Moving to Mars and Christmas Lights were better than anything on MX (save maybe UATW) but incredible and amazing songs must be left off because they don't 'fit' and that's an honest tragedy. It's not about making the best songs and thinking outside the box anymore, it's about fencing in a concept and running a rail through 10 songs so that they line up nose-to-tail, regardless of if they're truly the best of what the band can make (as we saw with Paradise and PoC on MX for example). :disappointed:

Thanks :) Although, the more I hear the lyrics for this album, the more concerned I get :shame:

What was your favorite? :thinking:

"Come out upon my seas, curse missed opportunities. Am I apart of the cure or am I part of the disease?" "I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing, Roman cavalry choirs are singing. Be my mirror, my sword and shield, my missionaries in a foreign field. For some reason I can't explain, I know St. Peter won't call my name. Never an honest word- but that was when I ruled the world." "Smoke is rising from the houses, people burying their dead I ask somebody what the time is, but time doesn't matter to them yet. People talking without speaking, trying to take what they can get- I ask you if you remember, Prospekt, how could I forget?" "Oh morning come bursting, the clouds, amen. Lift off this blindfold let me see again. And bring back the water, let your ships roll in; in my heart she left a hole. The tightrope that I'm walking just sways and ties, the Devil as he's talking with those angels eyes. And I just wanna be there when the lightning strikes and the saints go marching in." Unfortunately, it sounds like there won't be this kind of quality on the new album, no-less based on what I saw from "A Sky Full of Stars." :sad2:

Square One vs. MX / Hurts Like Heaven Round 2: What If vs. Paradise Round 3: White Shadows vs. Charlie Brown Round 4: Fix You vs. Us Against the World Round 5: Talk vs. M.M.I.X. Round 6: X & Y vs. Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall Round 7: Speed of Sound vs. Major Minus Round 8: A Message vs. U.F.O. Round 9: Low vs. Princess of China Round 10: The Hardest Part vs. Up In Flames Round 11: Swallowed In the Sea vs. A Hopeful Transmission; Johnny's guitar in the second half wins this one :thumbsup: Honestly, the lyrics in SitS are pretty atrocious. :thumbsdown: Round 12: Twisted Logic vs. Don't Let It Break Your Heart Round 13: Till Kingdom Come vs. Up With the Birds XY - 8 MX - 5 Interesting comparison- imo, MX is at its strongest in the second half (excluding PoC) and X&Y is at its weakest, and vice versa. :nod: