24/08/2022 - Coldplay @ Hampden park, Glasgow

This was my 5th time seeing Coldplay. But first time I had seen them with tonight’s gig buddies - Craig, Lewis and Hugh.  Something Craig and I discovered was that the first time we both saw Coldplay, unbeknown to us at the time that we were both there, was at the X and Y tour back in 2005 at Bellahouston Park.  Since then, I saw them twice during the Viva la Vida tour - one at SECC and one at Hampden.  Then in 2012, which is the last time I saw them was at T in the park.  Amazingly between then and now they have only played one Scottish date which was at Hampden supporting A Head full of Dreams tour.  An album I wasn't really into at the time, hence did not go to that gig.  But a few years later I bought the live DVD from that tour and realised that Coldplay had seriously upped their game with their live performance so when tickets went on sale for this gig I was determined to get in on the action. And thankfully Craig managed to snap up some tickets for us.

Due to the other guys living on the north side of the central belt it took a bit of time after work to get across to Hampden. So, we ended up missing the first Nina Nesbit.  I think her first album "Peroxide" came out about 10 years ago and I quite liked it. But to be honest I didn't know what happened to her after that. Hope she got a good audience though.  We did, however get to see all of London Grammar’s set. They reminded me a bit of Florence and the Machines but a bit more chilled out.   I thought they were quite good, although I can't imagine investigating them further.  

Before Coldplay came on, 2 young Scots came on to introduce the video about how environmentally friendly the gig was.  For example, the reusable cups, where the energy came from to power everything. Particularly the small side stage where there were static push bikes to generate the power.  Coldplay came on shortly after that. They started as they meant to go on with "Higher Power" off the newest album "Music of the spheres", before going back through their catalogue with "Adventure of a lifetime", "Paradise", "Charlie Brown" and "The Scientist".  So, as you can see already it was all the big songs.  They then moved down from the main stage to the B stage which we weren't far from.  And the hits continued with "Viva la Vida", "Hymn for the Weekend" and "Let somebody go".  Where Nina Nesbit came on to sing the parts that Selena Gomez sang on the album.

Back to the main stage and they went back to the start with "Polotik", "In My place" and "Yellow".  To be honest I loved every song up until this point, but I must admit I have never been an "In my place" fan.  It just feels so basic, and I realise it’s a good singalong and popular amongst fans, but I don't get it.  Anyway, it was back on top again when they played "Yellow". Then they went with a couple from the new album "Human Heart" and "People of the pride" before returning to "Rush of Blood to the head" again with "Clocks".  "Something just like this" was absolutely brilliant not only was the whole place jumping but also the lightshow was fantastic. You just didn't know where to look.  To finish the main set yet more big hitters with "My Universe" and "Sky full of stars".  The latter was quite funny as they decided to have a band meeting halfway through just at the bit before the song really kicks off.  To get people to put their phones away and really enjoy the moment.  All part of the act.

In the encore, they went to the C stage which was at one side of the stadium.  Even though we were on that stage we could hardly see it and they were facing the seating area anyway.  Hard to please everyone anyway but would be interesting to get thoughts of people way over on the other side of the stadium.  Here they played “Sparks” and then Edwin Colins sang "Never met a girl like you before" with Coldplay.  Then they went back to the main stage and finished the set with "Humankind", "Fix You" and to finish off the worst song they have ever recorded "Biutyful".  lol.  I don't think I'm the only one that thought that either as people were leaving in their droves during it.  I must admit even with "Fix you" the encore did feel like a bit of a come down after "Sky full of stars".  

In terms of the songs in the set, you can't really argue with it as they played a lot of the most popular ones.  But maybe in the wrong order so you are finishing on the highest of the highs rather than wanting to leave lol.  Which was just the last song.  But when I look back at this gig overall it was an absolute belter of a night.  Coldplay were on fire.  They did loads of stuff to make things interesting and always something to look at whether it was fireworks, light show or watching everyone’s wristbands light up different colours.  Then there was the song the band wore glowing astronaut helmets and had this strange puppet singing the high pitch parts of the new album.  What a night and great banter all the way too with the guys.

Coldplay albums ranked

This a countdown of every Coldplay studio album starting from the worst, progressing to the best.

9.  At 9 "Everyday Life".  Released in 2019 this was Coldplay doing something a bit different, bringing in different musicians and singers over the course of this double album.  Don't get me wrong there were some highlights like the magnificent "Arabesque" which is one of my favourite Coldplay songs ever.  But so many songs on this release fall short of the mark, making for quite a forgettable album.

8. "Music of the Spheres".  This was released just last year, and I really liked it when it came out.  Don't get me wrong there is a load of good songs on here which will fit well into their live set.  "Coloratura" I believe is their longest song ever sitting around 10 minutes.  But the thing is it's a 40-minute album so that’s 9 tracks taking up the other 30 minutes.  So overall it feels like you are getting short-changed a bit and the album feels a bit of a mess and songs just thrown in without giving thought to the overall listening experience.  But as I say there are good songs on here.

7. "Head full of Dreams" when I reviewed this album, I did call it the poor mans "Mylo Xylto".  This was a more commercial release than the other 2 albums I mentioned and still a good album. It's just not a great album.  Album closer "Up & Up" I would say is the highlight.

6. "Mylo Xylto" From now on in the list this is where Coldplay were doing their best work.  Great tunes, upbeat. "Paradise" and "Every teardrop is a waterfall" absolutely fantastic tracks.

5. "Parachutes".  Their debut album and although it has the sparkle of "Yellow" it's one of their more downbeat releases.  Still very good songs though and you can see how they got their reputation so quickly in their careers.

4. "X & Y" I really do feel this is an underrated album.  And apart from "Fix you" the rest of this album seems to have been long forgotten about especially when you see them live.  But this is a great album which deserves more recognition. "The Message" and "Low" are some deep cuts that are brilliant.  

3. "Ghost Stories" Such a different vibe for Coldplay and it totally worked.  Only 9 tracks which means it didn't quite make the top 2. Also, as good as "Sky full of Stars" is. It does not fit on this album and was clearly put on to make the album more marketable.  The irony is "Magic" won Radio 1 song of the year when this came out which fits onto the album perfectly.

2.  This is where it gets difficult as I rank the top 2 albums incredibly highly.  But for number 2 I'll say, "Rush of Blood to the head".  It's hard because I would call this a perfect album. Absolutely no bad tracks.  Album closer "Amsterdam" was my favourite track for ages, and I used to listen to this album every day doing the washing up.

1.  So number 1 must be "Viva la Vida".  Again, a perfect album.  The instrumental which starts this album "Life in technicolour" is killer.  The title track is one of their best upbeat tracks.  It felt more like a concept album and the tracks were all purposely placed in a way I used to have it on repeat and never get bored.  It wasn't just this album though that came from this era. They also released "Prospect March EP" just after this album which was just as good.

Coldplay - Everyday life

"Everyday life" is the 8th album by UK rock pop outfit Coldplay.  Released in 2019 this saw a pattern forming in their album releases. "Mylo Xylto" was their commercial rock pop record, then "Ghost stories" was more ambitious and experimental. Then "Head full of dreams" was back to being the commercial rock and pop record. Now with "Everyday life" it's arguably their most ambitious album to date.  And it was quite unique the way they released it. It is dubbed a double album, one side being "Sunrise" and the other being "Sunset".

On the day of release, they played the first half of the album live on you tube at sunrise in Jordan. Then did the second half at sunset at the same venue. This live set is now combined and can still be seen on You tube.  And the setting and performance is quite incredible, and I must admit I much prefer watching the live experience than listening to this on CD.  Mainly because you can fully appreciate exactly what has gone into this record.  There are many session musicians and backing vocals dotted throughout the album that maybe you would miss on CD but really come to the forefront on the live performance as you can see them.

But that's the thing, the live performance they did in Jordan was the only time they would perform "Everyday life" as they chose not to tour the album. At the time they cited that the next time they tour they wanted to do it in the most environmentally friendly way as possible.  They then listed ways they were going to do it but maybe at this stage the research was still in early stages.  Or the cynic in me thinks that they didn't tour it because the album isn't really built for stadiums and doesn't have the same commercial appeal as say "Mylo Xylto" or "Head full of Dreams".

The singles they released off the album were excellent, "Orphans", "Champion of the world" and "Everyday life".  But the absolute standout track for me was "Arabesque".  This song stands as one of my favourite Coldplay songs ever.  It is just so different and has such a great swagger about it.  The saxophone totally dominates this track which is the main reason it stands out so much and this was actually my track of the year in 2019.  

Overall, I think that although there is some diamonds here, it's' not their best album and I think if they believed in it themselves they would have toured it regardless of their morals.  But I think the Jordan performance is magical and is definitely the way I would recommend listening to this album.  

 

Coldplay - Music of the Spheres

"Music of the Spheres" is the 9th studio album by UK rock/pop outfit Coldplay.  They have been going since the late 90s and propelled themselves pretty much from the off into an arena sized band and it wasn't long till they were filling stadiums and headlining major festivals.  "Music of the Sphere" is the follow up to 2019 "Everyday life" which was arguably their most ambitious album to date.  It's a double album which I have mixed views on. On one hand I do think it's Coldplay's weakest album in their discography. But on the other it features my favourite song Coldplay have ever done in the form of "Arabesque".

I always had a theory since "Everyday life" came out as to what their next album would be like.  This stretches back to "Mylo Xylto" which came out in 2011.  This was a pop rock record which was born for mainstream success. Then in 2014, they released "Ghost Stories", sure it had the anthemic, sing along of "A sky full of stars" but in general it was almost like a chillout album and was a bold and experimental move for the band.  Then in 2015 you have "A Head full of Dreams" which sees them return to the all-out pop rock record.  Then in 2019 you have "Everyday life" which was more experimental record.  See a pattern emerging? - Pop/rock record, more creative record, pop rock record, more creative record.  So, on paper I expected "Music of the Spheres" to be a pop rock record.

Well, is it? Well, when the first single came out, "Higher Power", which is an all-out singalong anthem. Then yes its going as planned.  This has got monster hit written all over it.  But then they threw a curve ball and released "Colourtura".  They made the point that this wasn't a single.  And the reason for that is that it's 10 miniutes long!  So radio wouldn't play it but this did intrigue me as to what the record would sound like as having a 10 minute track on it really does scream, this is not your conventional pop rock record.  Then they released "My Universe" featuring BTS who are a Korean boy band.  Now this is another banger.  The lyrics do feel a bit cheesy "You, you are my universe, I just want to put you first", but once you get past that it is actually a very good song.   And having BTS on the track is a masterful move, engaging with the Asian music market.  It works for Coldplay and it works for BTS.  And having them both singing in Korean in some of the versus also shows how they are embracing Korean culture too as well as doing something which is out with the norm of UK rock music.

So, what about the rest of the record.  It's clear Martin and Co have put a lot of thought into this album.  It is a spaced themed concept album where it is set in a fictional planetary system inspired by Star Wars.  It's 12 tracks with 5 tracks not having proper names but are emoji's instead.  Which I see as a creative and very imagnative move by the band.  I certainly can't recall anyone else doing this.  I would be interested to see if at concerts they announce tracks as "Now this one is the planet emoji" etc.  I would find that quite amusing.  Though it does make sense that most of these are emoji tracks are instrumentals. Three of the emoji tracks, including the intro are just 20-50 seconds long and act as nice bridges between tracks. The heart emoji track is the opposite, instead of being an instrumental.  It's purely vocals with no instruments and has some lush harmonies between Martin, We are King and Jacob Colier.

I think that's thing about the album, if you are looking for the standard hit from Coldplay all the way through, you aren't going to get it here.  There is something different around every corner of this album and I think for me is really the appeal of it.  For example, after heart emoji track you have "People of the pride".  This is like Coldplay do angst for a fair bit of it and has this bass line which runs through some of it in the way Royal Blood would rock out.  For me it's an infectious song and feels a bit different from them.

"Byuitful" is probably my least favourite track on the album.  The backing track is nice and as always Martin's vocals are spot on. But it features this processed sounding female voice which does my head in.  But I would say this is the only track on the album I would skip.  Coming back to the final track on the album "Colourtura" I was slightly annoyed they released it before the album came out in hindsight because it is the album closer.  I think you listen to a song completely differently when listening to it as a final track on an album than a track by itself.  But don't get me wrong it is a great track and ambitious for a band like Coldplay to do this.  I have heard big bands try doing longer tracks and trust me they don't always work. But Coldplay have something special here.  I like that it's a piano based track and I think the only one on the album.  I like the way it climaxes and is like a theatrical ending before having a nice fade out.

Other tracks "Humankind" is a track I would be surprised if it doesn't come out as a single. "Let somebody go" is quite a moving slow track featuring Selena Gomez.  They seem to be good at getting the A listers out with Rhianna, Beyonce and Jay Z featuring in Coldplay tracks in the past.  Now they have both Selena Gomez and BTS on this album as well as some others.   I must mention the infinity emoji track too.  It's a bit longer than the other instrumental emoji tracks and is one of my favourite tracks on the album. The drumming is superb on this track as it creates a fantastically fast rhythm.  And you can hear the chant of "Ole, ole, ole ole ole" running through it making it born for the stadium tour they are going to be embarking on next year.

Overall, I think this record which will divide people. I can see a camp of people complaining that there are not enough "mainstream" songs on here, too many instrumentals, not enough substance.  Then the other camp of people who appreciate the balance of the album between mainstream and experimentation.  Personally, I am in the latter camp. I think this is an absolutely amazing album.  It's like a proper adventure, “Higher Power" and "My Universe" reach the peaks of the likes of "Yellow" and "Viva la Vida".  "Colourtura” finishes off the album as good as they finished off "Parachutes", "A rush of blood to the head" and "A head full of dreams". And just the general creativity and imagination they have put into this album, mixed with the artists they have brought along for the ride, shows a band who are still totally relevant and deserve their place as one of the biggest bands on the planet. And long may it continue.

 

Coldplay - A Head Full of Dreams

"A Head Full of Dreams" is the 7th album by UK rock band Coldplay. Released in 2015, "A Head full of Dreams" was the follow up to 2014's "Ghost stories".  That's right due Coldplay choosing to do a 5-date world tour for "Ghost Stories", they pressed ahead and took just a year to record and release their next record.  This was mainly due to "Ghost Stories" being such a different record for Coldplay and although it was successful and had big hits on it such as "Magic" and "A sky full of stars".  The songs didn't really fit the bigger stage.

Whereas many of the songs on "A Head full of Dreams" really were born for the bigger stage.  This album is the much more natural follow up to their 5th album "Mylo Xylto".  And due to the similarities between them I would even call them sister albums.  For me I would say "Mylo Xylto" is the slightly better album.  I think the singles are stronger and as a whole it shines brighter.  But "A Head full of Dreams still has highlights and the singles still fit into their live set nicely.  The title track kicks off the album and sets the bar high.  "Hymn for the weekend" and "Adventure of a lifetime" are the other great singles.

Going deeper into the album "Everglow" is a superb piano led track.  It has an early Colplay vibe about it and would have fit well on "Parachutes" or "Rush of Blood to the head".  It's slower but has a great impact on the listener.  The album does take a bit of a nosedive in the middle with "Fun" and "Kaliedescope" being some of Coldplay's more forgettable tracks.  It gets slightly better with "Army of one".  Then a bit better again with "Amazing day".  But you get the feeling they are a bit on cruise control at this point. Not really trying anything out of the ordinary and creating songs that are just good enough and not ambitious enough to really push themselves any on the creative side.

I would say one song which does stand out in comparison to "Mylo Xylto" is the closing track "Up & Up".  For me the only thing wrong with "Mylo" was the last track wasn't as strong or as appropriate for a closing track as other Coldplay albums have been.  But here on "A head full of Dreams", they have finished this album off spectacularly and as much as I love "Everything’s not lost" and particularly "Amsterdam".  They do go out on a slightly lower tone.  Whereas this is all about positive both in lyrics and music. It has this long, amazing bridge through first a piano section, then the guitar solo.  For me it is the best closer to an album they have done.

Overall, I would say this is a fairly good album.  I have compared it to "Mylo Xylto" a lot in this review and I stand by that.  In comparison to other albums, I would say it would appear quite far down my list.  But it is still a good album which shows how good Coldplay are.  It just feels like they are a bit on autopilot with this album when you compare it to the creative spark that was "Ghost Stories" I expected something a bit more creative but got something very safe.

 

Coldplay - Ghost Stories

 

"Ghost Stories" was released in 2014 and is the sixth album by UK rock outfit Coldplay. After releasing "Mylo Xylto" you would forgive them for using the same sort of formula of hit singles which transfer effortlessly to the stadiums and festivals which they have conquered multiple times at this stage.  But this album took a very different direction for the large part which was reportedly inspired by lead singer Chris Martin's break up with Gwyneth Paltrow.  The front cover of the album is the biggest clue behind this as it's a picture of a broken heart.  

Coldplay have had a habit of creating albums which sound tracked various stages and times in my life. "A rush blood to the head", their second album came out in 2002 when I was at university.  It was basically the music I washed dishes too for a very long time.  Fourth album "Viva la Vida or death and all his friends" came out in 2008 sound tracked an extremely difficult part of my life as I battled mental health problems.  "Ghost Stories" was one of three albums to soundtrack my time in Leeds where I worked for 6 months, and I will always associate this album with my time there.

As I say "Ghost Stories" took a different direction for Coldplay. It was bold and ambitious, and it did risk losing Coldplay fans.  To me it's Coldplay's chill out album for the most part and I really think the core of it is fantastic.  The album kicks off with "Always in my head", before winding its way into "Magic" which was song of the year for Radio 1 in 2014.  "True Love" and "Ink" follow that same vibe.  "Midnight" is probably my favourite on the album, Martin great vocally and the synth loop is mind blowing.  I say these tracks have such a chilled-out vibe to them and is such a contrast to their previous 5 albums.

There is one track off the album though that goes against the grain and that is "Sky full of stars".  This is probably still one of their biggest hits to date.  It is a huge sounding song with a singalong chorus. Really in stark contrast to the rest of the album.  Don't get me wrong I do like the song a lot.  But for me it does not fit onto this album at all.  Maybe they put it on it because they needed a hit to make people buy the album.  But for me it just doesn’t fit in with the flow of the album.  "Another's arms" and Oceans" which come before it, are very good tracks again.  But the last track which does go back to a more chill out vibe, it is called "O".  This track is a nice piano ballad to round off the album.

Overall, this was still a very brave album for Coldplay to release.  They could have gone for the tried and trusted formulas they have mastered by now. But for the most part they delivered a wonderful album which is such a nice album to relax too.  Besides "Sky full of stars" these songs were born for concert halls rather than stadiums.  Which is maybe why they only did 5 dates worldwide to support the album.  But there is no getting away from it, this is a real gem for Coldplay fans that is well worth your time.

 

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

 

"Mylo Xyloto" is the 5th album by UK indie rockers Coldplay and was released in 2011. At this point in their career, you could forgive Coldplay for making a bad album.  Maybe some may point that finger at third album "X & Y" but even the biggest haters of that album can't deny there are some real timeless gems on there.  

So how did "Mylo Xyloto" turnout?  Well, I cannot find a bad song on this.  I think they have managed to make an album where the singles sound even more massive than before.  To be honest at the time it was out I didn't really listen to it that much, but I think that was more that I was going through a period of not really listening to much music.  But going back to this it has charisma breathing out it at every turn.  When you look at bands like Oasis, many would struggle to even remember what their 5th album was called as they started to peter out and rely on their older material after "Be here now".  But even though Coldplay had those massive first two albums they seemed to keep climbing on that upward trajectory.

And when I say their songs sound more massive you just must look at songs like "Hurts like heaven", "Every teardrop is a waterfall", "Paradise" and one of my personal favourites "Charlie Brown".  These are songs which are born for the big stage, and I was lucky to see them headline T in the Park which is a huge festival which used to take place in Fife in Scotland.  And they were touring this album at the time.  They are just feel-good anthems which you want to bop up and down to and sing at the top of your lungs.  Sure, they have songs like this before, you just have to look at "Clocks", "Yellow" and "Viva la Vida".  But these songs just sound bigger.

They also continue with their collaborations on this album, as Jay Z appeared on the track "Lost!" last time round. Now this time you get Rhianna coming in to appear on "Princess of China" giving that extra dimension to the album while fitting in perfectly on dual vocals with Martin.  On the other side of the album, you get those acoustic tracks which Coldplay have mastered time and time again.  "Us and against the world" in my opinion the best example, with "Up in flames" which is a slow piano track not too far behind.  Perhaps the weakest points of the album are the opener "Mylo Xyloto" title track and closer "Up with the birds".  Now they are still good tracks but compared to previous albums where this has been Coldplay's strength.  They don't quite sit at the same level as the openers and closers of past Coldplay albums.

Overall though this is another fantastic Coldplay album.  I say you could have forgiven them for having a bad album at this stage in their career, but it just shows the sheer talent and song writing ability they possess.  At this point, if it wasn't the case already, you got we hate Coldplay crowd appearing, but, in my opinion, this is the sign of a great band.  If your big enough that people must state they don't like you, it must mean your popular enough and a lot of people do like you.

Coldplay - X & Y

 

Released in 2005, "X &Y" is the third album by UK rock outfit Coldplay.  At the time of release this was Coldplay's most successful release reaching number 1 in both the US and the UK along with other countries.  It saw the transition between playing arenas during the "Rush of blood to the head tour" to large parks and stadiums during the "X and Y" tour.

Despite the acclaim though it feels like this album has not stood the test of time though and is almost a forgotten about album in Coldplay's discography.  I think now if you asked a passive Coldplay fan to name a track from the album, they would say "Fix you". But after that they may struggle to name another song.  I think one of the reasons for this is because they had 2 successful albums prior to this and to date they keep making hit after hit which means the set lists get harder and harder to write.  When a band tour their first album, they have that luxury that they can play every song from that album as at that time that's the best material they have.  When you are a successful band and reach that third album, fans want to hear the songs that got you to that point as well as songs from the album you’re touring. So, there is going to be songs that don't make the cut.

I compare this album to "Be here now" by Oasis which like "X & Y" was Oasis's third album.  I look back on as underrated albums which at the time propelled the bands further into stardom.  As previously stated, "Fix you" is the track which has been the only mainstay in their sets. I remember listening to Edith Bowman on radio 1 on the morning she spined this for the first time. Right then she called that Coldplay have created something very special here.  And in 2021 all I can say is that she called it absolutely spot on.  On Spotify it's in Coldplay's 5 most popular tracks and has been streamed over 800 million times. And the track was released when streaming services were at such an infancy that it would be probably 4 times more than that if it was released in the last 5 years.

Funnily enough I was in a lecture when my lecturer started talking about how "Speed of Sound" by Coldplay was the first track to be released on mp3.  Which was the lead single from "X and Y" and what a track it is.  In fact, there are many, many great songs on this album.  Leading off with "Square One" which seamlessly goes into "What if".  Then White shadows is another stormer.  "Talk" has this relaxed riff which sees Martin on fine form both lyrically and vocally.  "X and Y" the title track. A track which is totally underrated. Then track 7, 8 "A message" then "Low" are like the one two punches of "Green eyes" and "Warning sign" from their second album "Rush of blood to the head".

There is a moment in "Low" when the track climaxes and then you have the come down for the rest of the track.  But I also feel this is a turning point in the album. There is such great momentum and songs up until this point. But I feel after that point in "Low" there is a come down and it’s almost like the put it in cruise control for a while through "Hardest part", "Swallowed in the sea".  Don't get me wrong "Twisted Logic" is a great closer which a bit frustratingly is followed by "Till kingdom come" as a bonus track. I say a bit frustratingly as it is such a frenzied finish to "Twisted logic" that you feel it should just finish there. But at the same time, I don't think "Till Kingdom come" could fit in anywhere else.

Overall, this would probably fit in my top 5 Coldplay albums.  I do feel that although it was appreciated at the time that it is looked at unfairly now as one of Coldplay's weaker albums. Yes, it's not perfect, but there are so many great songs on here that deserve more attention and more live appearances outside of "Fix You".

Coldplay - Parachutes

"Parachutes" is the debut album by UK alternative rock band Coldplay and was released back in July 2000.  The album was the first step in making Coldplay one of the biggest bands of the 21st century.  This album won both a Grammy, a brit award and has gone 9 times platinum in the UK at time of writing.  

But what was the key ingredient that made this album such a success?  Well although this is a strong 10 track album.  There are always songs on albums which stand out and maybe one which is a trigger for amassing, in this case, fans in their millions.  That song was "Yellow".  A singalong anthem which an infectious riff.  This is a joyous song from start to finish.  To date Coldplay have released 8 studio albums and the only mainstay in their live setlist from "Parachutes" is "Yellow".  Sure the likes of "Trouble" and "Shiver" get played every now and then. But "Yellow" is the one which they just can't drop.

I think there are a few reasons for this and let me just say it is not because "Parachutes" is a bad album by any stretch.  It's just the venues that Coldplay play now are way bigger now and I don't think most songs on here are suited to headline festival slots or stadium gigs.  Half of "Parachutes" is like an acoustic album with the likes of "Sparks", "Don't Panic" and the short title track "Parachutes".  Another reason these songs have disappeared from the live set is that you just have to look at the standard of songs Coldplay have gone on to produce.  Not only that but I would say the songs on later albums sound bigger and are more feel-good songs. Whereas the songs on Parachutes can be quite understated and downbeat.

One song which has disappeared from their live set but perhaps didn't deserve to be is the closing track of the album "Everything’s not lost".  This is a hugely relatable song to pretty much anyone who has gone through a tough time at some point in their life.  It's a piano ballad with an absolutely mesmerising bridge, with a fine guitar section and another sing along chorus.  This is probably my favourite song on the album, followed closely by "Yellow" and then "Shiver".

Overall, while "Parachutes" is not my favourite Coldplay album.  It is still a great album and well and truly got the attention it deserved at the time as well as today. They could have easily become a one hit wonder with "Yellow". But in 2021 they have proven time and time again that this is not the case one bit.  

 

Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head

A Rush of Blood to the Head" is the second album by UK indie rock outfit Coldplay.  The album came out in 2002 meaning next year will be the albums 20th anniversary. Since bands these days seem to celebrate an album, they made every year you do wonder if Coldplay will follow suit with arguably one of the best albums in their catalogue. Which is saying a lot. They are still going strong in 2021 having released 8 studio albums and toured the world many, many times over. They are in the process of getting the new album ready for action with the single "Higher Power" already out in the world.

But "A Rush of Blood to the Head" will always be a special album for me. I would have been 18 when it came out and while I liked their debut album "Parachutes".  "Rush of the Blood" was the album that really made me appreciate Coldplay and started a journey which would be one of the few bands I would really follow from early 2000s right through to present day. This was for various reasons, several of the bands I was into back then split up after a few albums. Some I felt the quality of their material diminished over time.  Also, my music taste has changed quite a bit over the years. But Coldplay has always been a mainstay for me, and "Rush of Blood" was one of the reasons why.

The album starts off with "Polotik" with Chirs Martin on piano.  But this is far from a piano ballad. The intro will go right through you.  It’s hard hitting, upbeat and such a great way to start the album.  But there is a beautiful moment in this song as well where there is a softer section during the bridge where Martin sings "And give me love over, love over this". Such a tender moment where Martin hits the spot vocally, perfectly.  This is followed by "In my place" which was the lead single off the album.  I always thought, although it was an ok song. This was for me, the weakest song on the album. It just felt so ordinary and nothing special about it.  Hearing it live it is better as it is a good sing along song that everyone knows the words to.

Third track is the title track "God put a smile upon my face".  This is an unbelievably good feel-good track.  From the intro of the track with the acoustic guitar, then when Martin comes in with "Where do we go nobody knows".  Then Buckland comes in with the electric guitar.  It feels like the album is riding of a high wave really from the outset.  Until fourth track "The Scientist" comes along and slows things right down.  This is a track which still gets played live today.  The video for this is infamous as it starts off you see Martin and the girl he is with have been involved in a car crash and the video basically in rewind mode throughout showing you what happened in reverse.  A beautiful track.

Track 5 is "Clocks" which turns things up a notch again.  This is an absolute banger which I closely compared to "Polotik" as it’s a piano stomper too.  Both great tracks but I think "Clocks" edges it for me. The lights when you see "Clocks" live transform the song.  "Daylight" continues the upbeat trend, but I think is the first track up until this point you could really call an album track rather than a single.  As I think tracks 1-5 all had some sort of mainstay in either live sets or being released as singles. But "Daylight" does deserve a bit of love too because I think if another band wrote this song, they would have released it as a single. It's catchy and has a great chorus.

Tracks 7 and 8 I always feel go together so well and I did used to spend a lot of time focusing on these songs in the years after the album’s release.  These were "Green eyes" and "Warning sign".  These aren't your big anthems which will have people singing at the top of their lungs. They are almost like the modest, humble tracks on the album. "Green eyes" is an acoustic number which chirps away nicely.  "Warning Sign" has some amazing lyrics which are so powerful as Martin sings "That you were an island, and I passed you by, And you were an island to discover".  I find Martin's lyrics so imaginative and relatable and that is up there with my favourites of his.

9th track "A Whisper" I would pair off with "Daylight".  Back to the upbeat tracks and feel-good moments of the album.  The penultimate track is the title track, "A rush of blood to the head" is also the longest track on the album sitting at 5 minutes 51 seconds.   Surprisingly though there are 6 tracks on the album that are longer than 5 minutes which I never realised. "Rush of blood" though as Martin once again takes us through a lyrical masterclass where your taken along the journey in such a magical song. Lines like "I'm gonna buy a gun and start a war, if you can tell me something worth fighting for".  It's a slower moving song which has some nice building moments moving the song into epic status.

But how do you top the title track and close out an album? Well you write a song called "Amsterdam".  This is one of favourite Coldplay tracks of all time and would probably get in my top 10 tracks by any artist.  I always thought this track didn't get enough love. It's a track which has disappeared from Coldplay's setlists really from when they toured this album.  It wasn't until I was watching a Rick Beato video recently where he dissected this track where I found someone that appreciates this track as much as I do.  It is a slow piano ballad where the structure of the song and change in tempo during it makes it just so, so good.

The fact that I have only really criticised one track and I would say I did that lightly shows just how good I think this album is and I really feel it has stood the test of time and become an all-time classic album.  Not every album Coldplay has done has hit that mark since. They have certainly written individual songs which are on the same level but as an album it is hard to beat.

 Normallly I would link a coldplay you tube video but I have to link Rick Beato's video about "Amsterdam". Litrally couldn't have said it better myself!

My history with..........Coldplay

Coldplay are one of the few bands I have liked from my teenage years right through to present day.  Many bands have split up. Many bands album quality have seriously deteriorated. But Coldplay have remained one of my favourites throughout.

It all started with Coldplay really since their debut album Parachutes.  I think it was by watching Gonzo which was presented by Zane Lowe when I saw a video for "Yellow".  Such a basic video with Chris Martin walking up the beach in the rain. But such an epic song.  I bought Parachutes but I wasn't instantly blown away.  I remember they were part of the NME tour as opening band.  My brother actually went to that gig but he was there to see Lostprophets.

It wasn't until Rush of Blood to the head came out that I really got into Coldplay.  This maybe in contention for one of the albums I have listened the most to ever. The only weak track for me on this album is "In my place" which ironically was lead single so I may be in the minority of people that didn't like it. "Amsterdam" the last track on the album was my favourite track by anyone at the time. I used to listen to that all the time. From here I went back to listen to Parachutes and got a lot more into that album.  They toured that album at the SECC, Glasgow.  Its one of the few gigs I wanted to go to but didn't as at the time I had no one to go with.  Another factor of wanting to go was because Idlewild were supporting who had released 3 amazing albums by that time.

But I did buy the live DVD from that tour and have watched it so many times.  One thing which stands out with this DVD is that they play 2 songs which never got put onto a studio album - "One I love" and "Moses". To me these are two of the best songs they have written.  But such is the quality of Rush of Blood to the Head maybe they felt it didn't fit onto the album.

The third album X and Y actually got a mention in one of my uni classes at the time as the single "Speed of sound" was one of the first singles to be released in mp3 format.  I also remember listening to "Fix you" for the first time Radio 1. Where Edith Bowman built it up as an absolute classic.  This song has stood the test of time and I think really is the only song from this album that still appears in their live sets.  This was another belter of an album. With this album I did manage to recruit people to go see them live and I think those people were Gillian, Steven and Ken where they played at Bellahouston park.  Supergrass were the support and it was a great gig. I remember Gillian laughing at me because I literally knew every single word.

The fourth album "Viva la Vida" was another corker and the title track itself was probably their most famous joyous song ever.  I went to see them twice on this tour.  The first time at the SECC with Lianne, Liz and Kenny P. It was a bit weird because it was all seated but I seem to remember just standing in front of the seats for the whole gig.  This is where the "oh oh oh, oh oh oh" chants started from the crowd and would echo through the red tunnel as we made our way home.  The "Prospekt March" EP also came out of this era which also had some cracking tracks on it.  On the album it starts with "Life in Technicolour" which is a great wee instrumental. The EP has the second version of the track but this time with lyrics.  The title track and "Rainy days" were other highlights from this EP.   The second time I went to see them on tour was the year after at Hampden park with Lianne.  The support for this gig was Jay Z who then came on later with Coldplay to collaborate with them on "Lost" off Viva la vida.   I didn't really think much of Jay Z live but I think that's because I'm not that into rap.  The opening act for this gig was White lies, a band I would later really get into.  The one thing though which really frustrated me about this gig was that it was an identical set list to the SECC gig. I mean they could have at least done a few different songs!

Fifth album was "Mylo Xyloto".  Another album with absolute classics on it - "Charlie Brown", "Paradise" and "Every Teardrop is a waterfall".  I went to see them at T in the park with Lianne, this time where they headlined the Saturday night.  On the whole it was a great day but one thing which will stick out during Coldplay. And that was that this random women decided to talk in my ear for about half of Coldplay before she eventually got the message and disappeared.  Wish I just told her to go away to begin with!  I did enjoy the rest of the show though.

The sixth album "Ghost stories" was an interesting one. Generally apart from "Sky full of stars" it was quite a down beat album.  But I thought it was an absolutely wonderful album and at the time I was gutted that they didn't tour it more. In fact worldwide they only did 5 shows for this album.  "Magic" actually ended up being Radio 1's single of the year that year and "Sky full of stars" was a total tune.  But the rest of the album was such a refreshing change for them.

Seventh album "A head full of dreams" saw them return to more upbeat songs with the likes of the title track, "Hymm or the weekend" and "Adventure of a lifetime". But they also proved once again that they are kings of the album closer with "Up and up".  I didn't actually go and see them on this tour. And after buying the "Live at Sao Paulo" DVD I do regret it a bit.  They seemed to have really upped their game even more live with some songs being totally transformed live which is something not many bands do these days.

The eighth and most recent album released last year was "Everyday life". Probably their most ambitious album to date with a whole host of different instruments and singers appearing.  This is a double album with part 1 being sunrise and part 2 being sunset. They actually did two live sets outdoors in Jordan which they broadcasted on You tube on day of release. With Sunrise being played at sunrise and Sunset part being played at Sunset.  I think this is an album I don't fully appreciate yet. My first impressions was that maybe they could have been a great single album out of these songs but the double album reduced the quality of output a bit.  One track which stood out for me though was "Arabesque" which is right now my favourite Coldplay song of all time.  Such a different feel to the song compared to normal Coldplay tracks and such a great feeling about the track.

Top 5 Coldplay albums
1. Rush of Blood to the Head
2. Ghost Stories
3. Viva la Vida
4. Parachutes
5. X and Y

Top 5 Coldplay songs
1. Arabesque
2. Moses
3. One I love
4. Amsterdam
5. Charlie Brown

Coldplay - Viva la vida or Death and all his friends

After 3 highly successful albums, Coldplay have reached the stage where they can let go a bit in their music. `Viva la Vida or Death and all his friends' does exactly that, it is like their equivalent of Radiohead's `Kid A'. Despite the annoyingly long title, it seems now that it is widely accepted that the `Viva la Vida' is the much preferred shortening of the title. This is shown through the front cover of the album which doesn't even mention the latter part of the album title.

`Parachutes', `Rush of Blood to the Head' and `X &Y', for me was a progression as each album was better than the previous. Although the sound varied slightly from album to album, the song choice was always the same. For instance, the slow ballad which looks at the positives in a extremely negative situation; From `Parachutes', this was `Everything's not Lost', from `Rush of Blood to the Head', this was `Amsterdam' and then arguably one of the best songs they have ever done, `Fix You' from `X & Y'. When looking for this kind of track on `Viva la Vida'; none can be found. This is just one example of how this album has got a completely different feel to it than the previous 3. It feels more structured and there is a natural order to the songs which come together to tell a story. Whereas the other albums are more like albums created to make the best singles; this is more like an album created to make the best album and if any singles came out of it, it would be a bonus.

Coldplay's change in approach to this album can be heard instantly through the first track, `Life in Technicolor'. You expect the headlines in the music press to be `Coldplay in instrumental shocker'. As you don't expect Coldplay to do an instrumental, but that is just the start of how this album is a huge leap forward in the bands creativity. I cannot think of a more appropriate name for this track as it makes the album come to life right from the get go and it is so uplifting and refreshing. The track blends into the second track; `Cemeteries of London' nicely as Martin's soft vocals comes in with, `At night they would go walking till the breaking of the day'.

All of the tracks on this album are great. My personal favourites include `42', `Lovers in Japan' and `Strawberry Swing'. `42' starts off with just slow piano and Martin's vocals before Buckland, Berryman and Champion come in and set the song alight. As Martin explodes into the chorus `You thought you might be a ghost, you didn't get to heaven but you made it close' where he also gives up the piano to add to the vibe with the electric guitar. It feels like he is talking about someone who feels like he is invisible to everyone else even though he does all the right things, he is not fully appreciated. `Lovers in Japan' on the other hand starts off with an upbeat piano along with the rest of the crew and is just a joyous, energising song. `Strawberry Swing' is more of a kick back song as it is nice and relaxing. The melody is magical and Martin's vocals are of the same high standard as displayed on the rest of the album. The imagery which this song portrays is one of beauty and happiness, `It's such a perfect day'.

One of the only criticisms I have about this album which slightly annoy me is the dual tracks - `Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love' and `Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant'. The latter songs in both of I feel are better served as intermittent tracks in their own right. `Chinese sleep chant' especially is great as you feel like you are soaring through the air. The songs are all connected anyway so I don't really see the need to connect the tracks into the one. But although I disagree with it, I don't let it affect my enjoyment of listening to this class album.

Another gripe on paper I would usually have with this album is that elusive hidden track. Now normally it would irritate me but in this case the gap between last track `Death and all his friends' and the hidden track is minimal. Not only this but this time the hidden track makes sense in the context of the album and is definitely not just an afterthought. The track represents a chance for the couple to forget about all the problems they have experienced in their past and live a happy life as Martin sings `In the end, we lie awake, and we dream of making our escape'.

Overall `Viva la Vida' is an absolutely cracking album and for me it is their best to date. Martin and the boys have stepped slightly outside their comfort zone on more than one occasion on the album. Showing a band that is not afraid to progress their creativity and put passion into their music. If this is a sign of things to come, I'm already eagerly anticipating the fifth album which is expected to be out in December 2009.

Coldplay - Prospekt's March EP

With highly hit successful album `Viva la Vida or Death and all his friends' still on heavy rotation on my iPod. I, along with many other Coldplay fans must have wondered how long they would have to go without new material. Well the answer was within the same year! The album is clearly from the `Viva la Vida' sessions and is also shown through the similar cover art as well as the music. The question is, is it just the leftovers from `Viva la Vida' or have these songs narrowly missed out or just didn't fit.

Well the album can be split into two halves; you have the remixes then you have the new stuff. First of all I'll take you through the remixes. The album kicks off with `Life in Technicolor II' and it is exactly what it says on the tin. What I thought was great about `Life in Technicolor' off `Viva' was that it was an instrumental. Clearly though Martin couldn't keep quiet, making this basically `Life in Technicolor 1 plus vocals. While the instrumental works from the album. This opener works for this EP. It is clear during the `Viva' sessions Martin has changed his vocal style and it fits well with the songs especially laid on top of this track. Meanwhile `Lost +' sees Jay Z rap over the bridge section of the song. It is a small change to the song which works extremely well. Finally `Lovers in Japan (Osaka sun remix) is like playing a game of spot the difference with the original. It must be a really subtle change because it is very difficult to spot any sort of a difference with the original.

Now for the new stuff; you can see from `LIT2', Martin has a tough time staying quiet. So what was the compromise with this EP? That's right a 48 second instrumental, named `Postcards from far away'. When instrumentals are this short they act more as interludes rather than count as a song. It is a nice piano piece but it is far too short. After this comes `Glasses of Water' which in my opinion fit right into `Viva la Vida' and is by far the strongest track on the EP. It is Martin's singing with `Sun' in the chorus which is just fantastic.

The other tracks; `Rainy day', `Prospekt's March' and `Now my feet won't touch the ground' are your lower tempo Coldplay songs. They are good but the standards set through `Viva' were so high it is not quite the same level. In particular `Now my feet won't touch the ground' is an excellent closer to the album.

Overall this is a good solid EP. The remixes are often subtle but on the whole well executed while the new tracks are worth a listen and almost up to the standard of `Viva'. Of course exclude `Glasses of Water' from that list because it is definitely up there with the best of any Coldplay material. On the whole the Ep was more than worthwhile and acts as a bridge between `Viva' and the new album which is set for release late in 2009.