I love this Coldplay album. Love it to the 10th degree. Sure, I may not be as "up" with new music as I used to be. I'm busy and my itunes doesn't work. But I don't need new music when I have this album. It is brilliant, mate, just brilliant. And it's not exactly old since it was released earlier this year. How brilliant?
Brilliant enough for me, Graham and Annie to listen to it from Texas to Arkansas to Minnesota, then from Minnesota to Missouri (through Okalahoma/Hades) and back to Texas. And we loved it. We. All three of us.
Graham's favorite was Number 1 ("Life in Technicolor"). Annie liked Number 5, a twofer ("Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love"). I liked all of it, but especially Number 10, "Death and All of His Friends", the song I've embedded here. I like it because it provides closure thematically and musically, because the concept of the whole album ("Viva La Vida", life to death) really gels, because it has three beautifully different motifs, because it reminds me of World Party, a different British band, because Chris Martin's voice is ... yeah, brilliant.It easily joins the ranks of some of my favorite all-time albums: Prince's Sign O' The Times; Jane Siberry's "When I Was a Boy"; Sarah McLachlan's "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy"; The Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"; The Sundays' "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic" ...
After I got the album this summer, I looked into seeing them in concert. They had a show scheduled in Houston and tix were around $125. Steep!
Still, I was sad last week when I happened to hear a local radio D.J. raving about the Coldplay show he had just attended - he said he would pay any price to see them since it was easily the best show he had ever attended.
Oh, $125 seemed like such a trifle in light of that praise. I'll have to content myself with another listen.
9 comments:
I haven't listened yet, but am always so impressed by your writing (about this and all sorts of things). I think that I wish, somehow, that my brain did this.......thought like this. I do not think about music in this way, really.
I would enjoy a discussion with Hill Sisters about this, because I think Jon's mind works somewhat this way, I think Ellie's is starting out this way, and C's does I surmise.......
I am a kinesthetic listener, and not able to verbalize such. I venture to new music only when recommended, or come upon it by accident. I like music if it moves me, or I can move to it. That's about it......... Hmmmm.
Ooh, goody. We only have their album "Parachutes," but your glowing reviews have given me a good Christmas present idea for Allen. I have loved Coldplay ever since some guy showed the music video to "the scientist" in my psychology of religion class. Unfortunately for him, I don't know how it had anything to do with his presentation--it was obviously used as a time-filler. But fortunately for the rest of the class, it was the best part of the presentation :). Beautiful, haunting, and technically superior.
Have you tried out Pandora, yet? It's a free radio website with no commercials and only music you like . . . and totally free. It's my favorite thing since my iPod was STOLEN. I think I am going to go create a Coldplay station right now . . .
did you see them on SNL earlier this year? That was like a free mini-concert... :)
I'll try to watch to see when it might be re-run so you can catch it if you didn't the first time.
Did I mention Pandora was free? Yes, one too many times . . .
I also wholeheartedly agree with your Oklahoma/Hades observation.
I love the song "Viva La Vida." I will have to check out the rest of the album now.
Cory - I love that song too. In fact, hearing that song on an itunes commercial is what got me interested in the album!
Sara - I am definitely going to see if those performances are on youtube. Goody, goody!
And Becca, I LOVE Pandora. I have a Coldplay channel. Isn't it fun? I listen in my office all the time. :)
I agree with Marni ... I still listen to music you introduced me to in college, Erin, and am sadly lacking in any new music in the last 10 years. I like it when I hear it, but I rarely put it on and/or seek it out. I wish we had had this recommendation BEFORE our 10 hour drive to Hilton Head for Thanksgiving with Jason's family. We just had the soundtrack of poor Oliver wailing ...
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