... I hope the review provides accurate information on the impact and effectiveness of their third album X and Y.
1. Square One
One of the most important tracks on an album is of course the opener. This rule couldn't be more important for Coldplay, after a three year wait this is the first ... Read review
X&Y - Coldplay
Coldplay were faced with a difficult choice as they set to work on X&Y. They could ... more
either follow Radioheads lead and use their enormous success and financial security as a springboard to a brave experimental future--or they could play it safe, repe...
X&Y - CD
Square One @@us/euwm2/726/6588726_1_01.asx?obj=v50610@@ What If ... more
@@us/euwm2/726/6588726_1_02.asx?obj=v50608@@ White Shadows @@us/euwm2/726/6588726_1_03.asx?obj=v50607@@ Fix You @@us/euwm2/726/6588726_1_04.asx?obj=v50607@@ Talk @@us/euwm2/726/658872...
X&Y - Coldplay
Coldplay were faced with a difficult choice as they set to work onX&Y. They could either ... more
follow Radioheads lead and use their enormous success and financial security as a springboard to a brave experimental future--or they could play it safe, repeat the tricks used on the 16 million-sellingA Rush Of Blood To The Head, and consolidate their position as one of the biggest bands in the world.In truth, despite theTetris-inspired artwork and presence of teaser track "Talk"--which steals its melody line from electro-futurists Kraftwerks gorgeous "Computer Love"--X&Yis more the latter than the former. Fans will be delighted by "What If?", a piano elegy that takes flight on strings, and slowly builds towards a Beatles' "A Day In The Life"-style climax, while the likes of "Fix You" and hidden track "'Til Kingdom Come"--originally written for country hero Johnny Cash--proves Martins skill for simple, affecting songwriting remains intact. One development, however, comes through the judicious inclusion of some rather pleasant synthesiser work--see "White Shadows", where Martin gently beseeches "Come on love, stay with me" over a gentle Eno-esque keyboard wash. Fair enough: the experimental albums can come later. --Louis Pattison More ColdplayA Rush of Blood to the Head(CD)Parachutes(CD)Coldplay: Live 2003(Limited Edition DVD with Live CD)Coldplay: Look at the Stars(Paperback)Find more from Coldplay
A review by chrismoll on X And Y - Coldplay June 5th, 2005
Author's product rating:
Originality
Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics
Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks
Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
Value for Money
Excellent
Advantages:
great, lengthy and not a dissapointment to past releases .
Disadvantages:
if you dont like Coldplays previous songs/albus you wont be a fan of this
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I was a very lucky boy and managed to get my paws on a Coldplay album a little early. I wanted to provide a review that didn't just describe the obvious but to see if the album lives up to the hopes that everyone has of this third album. I will try and assess all the songs so that you can try and make your mind up if it is worth putting your money into the album or a Make trade fair collection box. One thing I will say is if you are a Coldplay fan and you liked previous songs/albums you will not be disappointed by this one. I hope the review provides accurate information on the impact and effectiveness of their third album X and Y.
1. Square One
One of the most important tracks on an album is of course the opener. This rule couldn't be more important for Coldplay, after a three year wait this is the first taste the fans will get of the new Coldplay album (minus the single). The song starts off with a nice mellow synth and kicks in as only Coldplay can with a solid beat and catchy guitar licks. The song has a lot of atmosphere to it and Chris Martins vocals are as good and as varied as ever. Nice opener leaving the listener wanting to hear more - you never get a second chance to make a first impression and Coldplay have made sure they have made the most out of theirs.
2. What If
With high hopes the next slows down from the previous and provides merely a piano and vocal intro making the lyrics stand out as much as ever. This provides a nice contrast from the previous tracks and shows the two best elements of Coldplay - the ability to play slow, melodic ballads and also the upbeat tunes that everyone knows and loves. The song kicks in, keeping the same speed but creating a fantastic atmospheric feel with simple yet effective guitar and easily reached high pitched vocals. This is another great song but ready for something a little more upbeat.
3. White Shadows
White Shadows provides this great uplift and another steady tune that is so familiar with Coldplay's previous albums. Already any of these songs could be released and do fantastically well and not just because of the instantly recognizable name. The song provides a standard drum beat and staccato guitar, working to great extent. The chorus provides almost has a modernized 80's feel to its vocal line and the drum beat that featured so heavily throughout the era.
4. Fix You
I'm still waiting to be disappointed and get to the bad bit of the album but I keep getting pleasantly surprised! This next track is no exception opening with something I wasn't expecting, a church organ! The vocals are simple yet effective opening with "when you try your best but you don't succeed, when you get what you want but not what you need." A fantastic opener which is filled clearly with emotion and wouldn't be out of place on a sad part of most movies! The song maintains quite a simplistic feel but to a great result. The song is simple but it makes it that much easier to listen to and appreciate. About half way through a great yet simple guitar phase enters matched later on with drums and the impact is amazing. This is a very powerful song providing a chorus of vocals towards the end and everything fits together so well and just how you wanted it to. Finishing as it started, simple, stripped down and effective.
5. Talk
After being left quite taken back by the last song, this next track provides a great follow up. The song builds up slowly to a great intro featuring the whole band to a great extent. The song then comes down to a stripped down verse and then again back up for the chorus. The rollercoaster effect that feature in a lot of Coldplay does not get boring or repetitive, one minute you are calm and listening to the great vocals provided and then you are tapping your foot to the simple yet catchy choruses. Another great song - still waiting for the let down!!
6. X&Y
So another important track - the title track. Again the synth features again which seems to be something used more than on any of the other previous albums. The synth provides great atmosphere and when it is matched with piercing vocals and slide guitar the effect is better than ever! Something that came to mind during this track is how great this album has been produced and recorded; it provides much more impact and a fantastic line-up of songs in a very effective order. The song is another atmospheric one and does not disappoint, again simple yet effective.
7. Speed Of Sound
Now its time for the song that everyone has probably heard at least twice by now! Somehow beaten to the top by that damned annoying frog, this song could never have enough credit. I enjoy this song more every time I hear it and do not get bored of it easily. If you like this song then you will enjoy the album without doubt. The great thing about the album is its style that is kept throughout yet it doesn't ever get boring. Anyway…the song! The song is a fantastically atmospheric tune with a great, catchy, foot tapping melody throughout. The instruments are all used to great effect and Chris Martins have never been used to better extent. This song is going to be an anthem of the year I think. It marks Coldplay's comeback clearly and distinctly and lets everyone know they haven't lost it!
8. A Message
You have to have a pretty impressive follow up to this song and you guessed, they provide it! This song seems to be a song that would definitely not be out of place on parachutes. The nice little acoustic/vocal songs that featured throughout that album has been used on this album to great extent also. The song does kick in with the other instruments and we get to see the Coldplay rollercoaster again! The lead guitar used brilliantly again providing simple and fantastic licks that creates more atmosphere and depth to each song.
9. Low
This is a very 'summery' anthem. It just features that upbeat feel and catchy guitar. A little faster than some previous tracks and again there seem to be some influence from tracks a few decades ago rather than just modern new comers. The bass is the main feature of the verses and this is a great thing as it does not feature so strongly on other tracks. Another typical Coldplay song, that doesn't get boring easily for the Coldplay fans!
10. The Hardest Part
This track again has some feel to it that wouldn't be out of place a few years ago. Coldplay have managed to provide a brilliantly varied yet similar track listing. I understand those two words shouldn't feature in the same sentence but this song highlights it more than others. The way that you know a Coldplay song the second you hear it, despite there being some similar bands around. However at the same time they provide slight variations that make a big difference without loosing there sound. A nice song that provides everything you would expect. The albums maintained a steady caliber without dropping as the second half of albums so often do.
11. Swallowed In The Sea
The title of this song lets you know you are in for a mellow, slow moving and somber tune. Again the synth is used with only the vocals and this works brilliantly and is it not yet over used throughout the album. When the rest of the band come in the slow moving tempo remains but it does provide variety and more impact. Coldplay seem to have no trouble creating atmosphere with a simple four piece band and this song is no exception. Another moving and emotional song.
12. Twisted Logic
Opening with "The sun light opened my eyes…" this track again starts quite slow and stripped down and it may now be becoming 0.1% boring! It may only be because I am writing it so often that it is clearer this time. This is a very slow moving song, but not boring as you would expect from a simple description. Very basic and slow drums giving a better impact when everything finally kicks in to maintain the tempo but create the atmosphere that features throughout the album.
13. Till Kingdom Come
This final track seems to be a style of track that has closed all albums to precede this one. It provides an acoustic, piano and vocals. With vocals such as "I feel my time has come" it isn't the most uplifting of tunes but did you expect that from a Coldplay! The song is one of the best on the album in my opinion that has a certain upbeat Dylan feel about it and is again simple yet effective. It has a feel of Irish folk songs also. This is a fantastic track to finish the album and now I can take a deep breath, put of thoughts of disappointment and give Coldplay a fantastic, deserved round of applause.
----OVERALL---- Whilst writing the review I noticed that I had repeated many phrases a lot. I kept these in on purpose because it is an important factor of the Coldplay albums and sound. The songs are always simple yet effective and this is the only way to describe them. If you were to write out the music of each instrument you wouldn't expect much but to hear it all together, it works to a great extent. Another repetitive phrase was the Coldplay rollercoaster. This does feature in most songs but yet again does not get boring; it provides the listener with great variation and up and down emotions throughout. Another fantastic feature of this album is that it is over an hour, which is a great change as albums seem to be getting shorter these days! I was expecting to be disappointed by this album and if not as a whole at least after a few songs but despite my expectations I was still left very impressed by the way that Coldplay have managed to produce three albums all filled with great songs. Not many bands manage this and those that gain a lot of respect from music lovers and are remembered for a long time - this rule makes no exception for Coldplay.
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The album is available for £9.99 from HMV from 06th June.
www.coldplay.com (clips of this album provided) www.makepovertyhistory.com
Advantages: fantastic songs, lengthy album, good lyrics Disadvantages: no thank you
...musicians who attach the letter X and the letter of Y and make that X become the Y it comes into their admirable ballads and melodies more than 13 times. This CD is very pleasant thing to hear and the cover is made well with small boxes in the middle which are formed of the colours black, grey, white, red, orange, purple, yellow, green, and blue. It appears like a strange picture and artwork, and after I play the music, the picture still makes no ... ...of rails manner like an X becoming anything that is a Y." I asked him what he meant and he says "you repair the white shades". But it is only one of his jokes he makes. The other difference on X&Y is the keyboards which are obviously playing more and more during the album. This music is for grown-ups, as it takes music on a grown-up level. I modified my understanding of Coldplay, when I heard their new songs it was on the radio and not by the stage ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Fix You Disadvantages: Could be Be Here Now Mark 2.
...Crazy Frog and now Coldplay's X & Y. Fans and critics alike noticed that the hype being built up around it surely meant that it was going to fall flat on it's face and die on it's backside. Well this is what Chris Martin and company have offered us...
Square One - A predictable album starter, the song fades in as if you have woken up in heaven. Martin loudly whispers that you are in control, is there anything you wanna know? What I want to know ... ...but still, tune. 8/10.
X & Y - Now this song is different, very different. It isn't a 'Talk', it isn't a 'Fix You'. I haven't a clue what it is other than a cracker. I can't really comment on the verses other than they hop along nicely, a lovely serenade for a Sunday afternoon, but the beautiful lyrics, the beautiful voice just make "You and me are floating on a tidal wave, togetherrrrr..." an unbeatable lyric. The song can't decide to be a guitar ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Excellent lengthy album, good guitar/drum work Disadvantages: A few of the tracks sound very similar
About five years ago, I watched a man walking on a beach singing a tune that reminded me of early 90's shoe-gazing. Fortunately, I heard the song again, and again, and soon, I bought "Parachutes", Coldplay's debut album. As an intimate success of acoustics and piano, I loved it then and it still stands up as one of the best records of the last 20 years in my opinion. Unfortunately, the "A Rush of Blood to the Head" was a disappointing follow up I ... ...a forced politcal undertone and some dopey sounding guitars ("In My Place" is the worst Coldplay song ever). So, after years in the studio and supposed "band almost breaking up rumours", Coldplay has returned with "X+Y", a phenomenal, guitar driven record that hints at Pink Floyd and is more reminiscent of the playful sexuality shown in "Parachutes". The album is cohesive and well balanced, featuring numerous surprises and Chris Martin's most impressive ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
X & Y is Coldplays third supposedly difficult album. Not difficult to listen to but difficult for an altogether different reason. 2000 was Coldplays year. Starting rockily with Shiver only charting at 35 in the UK charts, follow up single 'Yellow' changed all that. Peaking at 4 it became an anthem and stayed in the charts for months falling and rising again! Debut album 'Parachutes' reached number one before third single 'Trouble' (though only charting ... ...came their biggest hit 'In My Place' reaching number 2. 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' followed Parachutes to the number on spot in the album charts. The band had also broken America. Singles 'The Scientist' and (my fav) 'Clocks' also made the top ten, even though the album was selling by the bucket load. This is why 'X & Y' was a difficult album. It had all this to beat. First single 'Speed Of Sound' was a number one robbed. How Crazy Frog beat it ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Coldplay do Coldplay (via Johhny Cash and Kraftwerk) Disadvantages: Coldplay do Coldplay (via Johhny Cash and Kraftwerk)
"If it ain't broken don't fix it" is how the old adage goes. This is Coldplay's design for life. These environmentally friendly popsters have only gone and recycled themselves!
Why not? In their absence so may other bands have been eco-friendly enough to cut and paste their sound to inject flagging careers. Stand up Keane, Snow Patrol, Embrace. Coldplay has plagurised Coldplay and Mr Martin has every right to look smug about it. His band are fast ... ...to have found something they can talk about in trendy cafes and this humble reviewer.
Anyone who bought Coldplay's A Rush Of Blood To The Head will recognise new single Speed of Sound as the piano bit from Clocks with a new, inspired, chorus.
Ignore Chris Martin's luvvie anguish or sniping at the share holders who pay his inflated wages, this album could easily have been disappointing but also even better.
Since it's conception Martin has married ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
...After the relatively disappointing X & Y, there were a few question marks whether the Coldplay sound had run its course. It felt like the band needed a fresh injection of ideas and perhaps needed to believe that they belonged at the top of the charts. Whilst Viva la Vida is not revolutionary, compared to previous albums the overall feel is of a more upbeat, bigger sound.
The 1st song, Life in Technicolor is an instrumental piece which although takes a while to get going ends in an uplifting, positive mood. It an excellent start to the album and this is carried through songs, Lovers in Japan, Viva la Vida and Violet Hill. There is a lot more song diversity with this album compared to previous titles which avoids it becoming repetitive and whilst Parachutes may have been a better album it doesn?t have the longevity of this one.
It...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Accoustic harmonies and easy to listen to songs.Sincere and heartfelt lyrics. A really nice album. Disadvantages: I didnt like it as much as X&Y or A Sudden Rush of Blood to the Head.
...recognizeable and extremely catchy. Coldplay keep their songs simple and honest with resounding philosphies that stay in your head long after the cd is over. It is no surprise therefore that in the 2000, Parachutes achieved a Mercury Prize nomination.
When I first heard this album, I really didn't like it, although I still believe the above statements to be true. I still dont like this album nearly as much as the X&Y and A Rush of Blood to the Head albums. So in the whole reportoire of Coldplay's I wouldn't recommend this album above the others but I would definitely recommend it if you have never heard their music and would like to try them out.
Summary: Lovely album but not as great as the rest....
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Advantages: A great debut album Disadvantages: None
..., combined with the cello and strings which feature on this track. It is definitely one of the band's best songs which everyone who has been following the band enthuses about.
It does not fail to move you, as Richard sings of 'When all you want is a rainbow, and all you get is rain...'
The upbeat 'Tin Man' is another of my favourites on the album, with it's memorable chorus. I could not get this catchy track out of my head after seeing the band back in February, and am pleased to see it has been released as a single, currently gaining airplay on the radio and music TV channels, and featured as iTunes single of the week recently.
The title track, the upbeat 'Signs and Wonders' is another of my favourites and reminds me a little of Coldplay and the tracks from their 'X and Y' album. This track was featured quite a lot on Radio 2 recently.
The mood...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Album Notes: Contains the hidden track, + on track # 13. Recording information: 2005. Although Coldplay was already big before A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD's 2002 release, nothing could have prepared the British band for the album's Grammy-garnering runaway success. In addition to becoming a full-blown rock star, frontman Chris Martin remained in the media spotlight through his marriage to actress Gwyneth Paltrow and the subsequent birth of the couple's child. What followed for Coldplay was, reportedly, a difficult and lengthy recording process where the group tinkered extensively with their signature sound and eventually arrived back at square one. "Square One" is, in fact, where X&Y, the band's third album, begins, with a subtle, dreamy keyboard line giving way to a barrage of razor-sharp guitar riffs and Martin's plaintive vocals. In keeping with RUSH's overall theme, the songs of X&Y aren't simply catchy singles so much as engaging and meticulously crafted tracks that fit seamlessly together. Many of the record's songs clock in around the five-minute mark, revealing that the quartet feels no obligation to create short, snappy hits; instead they take their time establishing a resonant, anthemic atmosphere, most notably on the slowly building "Fix You." It's clear on X&Y that nothing about Coldplay needed to be fixed, since this album serves as a potent reminder of the band's charms and talents.
Album Reviews: Spin (pp.99-100) - "By ratcheting up their guitars and still singing about everyday themes, Coldplay are recasting their nerdy-student Britpop as Important Rock Music without sacrificing the homespun vibe..." - Grade: B+
Uncut (p.98) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Coldplay's third album finds this remarkable band cruising into their prime...X&Y is an exceptional pop record."
Titles on disc 1
1.: Square One
2.: What If
3.: White Shadows
4.: Fix You
5.: Talk
6.: X And Y
7.: Speed Of Sound
8.: Message
9.: Low
10.: Hardest Part
11.: Swallowed In The Sea
12.: Twisted Logic
13.: Kingdom Come (hidden track)
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