Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › Music › Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends - Coldplay
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends - Coldplay

post #1 of 36
7/2/08 at 8:13pm
Thread Starter 
I checked the last few pages and didn't see a topic on this, and used the search function quickly too, which is amazing because I know there are a fair few people in here who like Coldplay. Maybe I just missed it.

Anyway, I've listened to it a few times through and I'm fairly impressed. I can relate some of it to Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To The Head, but there is definitely something a lot different about it too. It seems quite diverse to me, which is definitely good because I found X&Y a little similar styled throughout. The pace and energy is a little higher than I expected, but I like it that, plus the sound in general is quite open which also suits me.

As for sound quality, it's fairly compressed and there can be some distortion, but I'd say it's comparable to their previous albums (unless I have been far too engaged in the music to notice).

Definitely worth checking out if you like any of Coldplay's other material or similar music.
Reply
post #2 of 36
7/2/08 at 8:16pm
This is their best album, I'd say. Most of their other stuff is sleep inducing, but this album is somewhat engaging. For pop music, it's way up there.
Reply
post #3 of 36
7/2/08 at 8:49pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah this has more energy, pace and punchiness compared to most of their stuff. Many of the songs start off as you'd expect from the average Coldplay song, but then they pick up and sound that much different from the usual.

It's great to have an instrumental as the opener, and I love the way it builds up. The whole album makes use of bass guitar in a way other Coldplay stuff often doesn't. Drums are often fast and punchy, which is to my liking as well.

I have to say my favourites so far are Yes from 4:04 onwards (I believe some of the tracks like that are meant to be split, and this particular part is called "Chinese Sleep Chant"), Life In Technicolor and Viva La Vida.

I can't believe how well this album turned out, especially as I didn't really rate X&Y over the previous albums.
Reply
post #4 of 36
7/2/08 at 9:00pm
I am loving this album. i didnt really like any of there stuff, cept parachute, but even thats fails to compare to it. my favourate song is Lost!. best song EVER by them.
Reply
post #5 of 36
7/2/08 at 11:02pm
Pretty mediocre stuff, but that's par for the Coldplay course.

To paraphrase a review I read, it's funny that they'd put such revolutionary artwork on the cover of such a starkly unadventurous album.
Reply
post #6 of 36
7/2/08 at 11:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by monolith View Post
Pretty mediocre stuff, but that's par for the Coldplay course.

To paraphrase a review I read, it's funny that they'd put such revolutionary artwork on the cover of such a starkly unadventurous album.
They are certainly not the musical visionaries that many people make them out to be. X&Y was a disjointed mess of an album, and A Rush... was monochromatic and dull in parts. Their best song is "Don't Panic," and that was the first track off their first album. But I'd agree with the poster a few posts above that this album is punchier. It keeps me awake, and that counts for something.
Reply
post #7 of 36
7/2/08 at 11:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaron313 View Post
They are certainly not the musical visionaries that many people make them out to be. X&Y was a disjointed mess of an album, and A Rush... was monochromatic and dull in parts. Their best song is "Don't Panic," and that was the first track off their first album. But I'd agree with the poster a few posts above that this album is punchier. It keeps me awake, and that counts for something.
I would argue that their best song is pretty clearly Politik.

Chris Martin also seems to agree.

And I suppose that does count for something, though that still places them below thousands of artists who both keep you awake and are good. I'm baffled why they're so famous and loved though.
Reply
post #8 of 36
7/2/08 at 11:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by monolith View Post
I would argue that their best song is pretty clearly Politik.

Chris Martin also seems to agree.

And I suppose that does count for something, though that still places them below thousands of artists who both keep you awake and are good. I'm baffled why they're so famous and loved though.
Politik is a very good track, and also an album opener. In fact, I used that as my alarm clock for two solid years. Can't stand it now because of that.

Meh, arguing best songs is pointless, as you listed a good track and so did I. The reason I picked "Don't Panic" is that it is short and to the point, as opposed to most of their other work. You can't disagree that almost all their tracks have a ponderous quality. It's just this dead space that craps up otherwise admirable efforts.
Reply
post #9 of 36
7/3/08 at 12:45am
I personally found the album pretty bland.
Reply
post #10 of 36
7/3/08 at 12:49am
Well, I am a Coldplay fan, and I've been enjoying this album for the past few weeks... it is definitely different from their other works, but it is good to my ears, although not perfect sound quality...
Reply
post #11 of 36
7/3/08 at 1:09am
i thought the album was pretty mediocre but having brian eno at the helm is by far the best thing this album has going for it. it still displays the bland, filtered effect all their songs have; that is, filtered through what i call the "adult alternative" lens. worth one listen but honestly i cannot see why anyone with a broad musical repertoire would go out of their way to listen to coldplay.
Reply
post #12 of 36
7/3/08 at 2:01am
Their newest album is a little bit better than their last, but I still think this band is waaay overrated.
Reply
post #13 of 36
7/3/08 at 3:50am
They went downhill after a rush of blood to the head. And this is no exception.
Reply
post #14 of 36
7/3/08 at 10:40am
Quote:
i thought the album was pretty mediocre but having brian eno at the helm is by far the best thing this album has going for it.
That and being mastered by Bob Ludwig.
Reply
post #15 of 36
7/3/08 at 11:09am
Suffers from loudness war, and there's no dynamic range.

A quick listen to "Viva La Vida" is evidence of this.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Music
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › Music › Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends - Coldplay