Elly Roberts reviews
Parlophone
- Released: June 2008
- Rating: 4/10
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For some of us, Coldplay have turned into the band we love to hate.
Popularity and success maybe? No, I think its a lot more than that. Somethingto do with blandness I believe.
Some three years ago, after a bashing from the US press, principally, they decidedto take a long break, with a view to re-inventing their music. So now we getViva La Vida, subtitled Death And All His Friends. Grand eh?
Just like the CD artwork of Eugene Delacroixs masterpiece Liberty Leading ThePeople (1830). Pity the album doesnt have all the same trappings. Ultimately,Viva La Vida is a tad pretentious. Its as if theyve gone out of their wayto make a change, for changes sake, and a drastic one at that.
Much was expected of their fourth, and for, me their difficult album. In truth,this is a transitional period for Coldplay, and we knew it would be afterX&Ys panning.
There was never any doubt that it would zoom to the top of the UK charts in thefirst week, with Play.com getting its biggest pre-orders ever, with copiesbeing sold at one per minute. Viva La Vida (to us Long Live Life) is arather confusing sort of album. The LP artwork is a starting point. The paintingby French artist Eugene Delacroix is called People Leading The People.
The LP title is from another painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Confused?Me too. Then we get word that the starting point for the music is from anearly Blur song Sing. Ok, we get the picture running out of ideas? Thereare also musical reference points such as Radiohead, Arcade Fire, My BloodyValentine, Tinariwen, and yes, even Pink Floyd. On the latter, theyre surelydeluded.
So keen to impress, they elected to experiment with different sounds, such astaking acoustic guitars into churches in Spain and Latin America, trying toassimilate a Hispanic feel, but not sound. Confused again? Me too. So, we canassume that this isnt Coldplay actually being, well, Coldplay. A bit of asteal maybe?
There is a very grand and opulent beginning Life In Technicolour, whichthe credits tell us uses a large sample of Light Through The Veinsby Jon Hopkins, who provides additional production. To their credit though,they have brought a new sense of adventure, even if its sort of indirectly forcedupon them. We dont get anything as direct as the superb Clocks or Fix You, as this is far more expansive, if in a contrived way.
One thing hasnt changed, well only a little, is Chris Martins register, even if he tries to hide his often nauseating falsetto. So the reinvention is almostcomplete, almost. Instead of Martins piano as a feature weve got new percussivestylings characterised on Life In and Cemeteries, all of coursegeared (brilliantly) for their forthcoming arena world tour. If fact, thesetwo could be a U2 track with Buckland doing sterling Edge-like jangly riffs.It may also be something to do with Brian Enos association with, er, U2.
Snippets of the past emerged right at the end where Martin cant resist someivory tinkles. Lost! (appropriate me thinks at this point) is equallybig on handclaps and organ, chugging along at a cool pace. Maybe those churcheshad some influence too. Messy 42 could have been left out as its that percussiveformula returning on a drab track, and oh, the pianos back, whereas Lover In Japanhas, (here we go again), U2 arena riffs and soaring chorus.
Of all the tracks, Yes has something near Coldplay originality with sweepingEastern flavours, though it never builds into anything significant or awesomelike Led Zeppelins Kashmir. The title track is a whopper, soundinglike Coldplay of old, with new bits, surely the work of Eno. Single Violet Hill(which is near Abbey Road) lends itself to a Beatles rhythm, and the band’sfirst anti-war protest song, hasnt done much in the UK charts either, peakingat #8, not going to #1 in any of the significant world charts.
The albums serious low point is the disastrously muddled, and appropriately titledcloser Death And All His Friends.
Despite all the apparent adventure, and expectation, Viva La Vida doesnot totally deliver the goods. Shame.
File under: Good in bits. Not enough of them.
Weblink:coldplay.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Life In Technicolour
2. Cemeteries Of London
3. Lost!
4. 42
5. Lovers In Japan / Reign Of Love
6. Yes
7. Viva La Vida
8. Violet Hill
9. Strawberry Swing
10. Death And All His Friends
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.