Coldplay : Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (ticket, members)

[enzo]

I voted average because while this record is often melodically or sonically engaging, the overall effect is pretty bland.
This is the sort of un-threatening, adult-oriented pop that will be played in department stores all over the world this year.
Lyrically, there isn't much being said, and musically there is very little grit.
Much better than X&Y, but nothing they have done has paralleled Parachutes in humanity and content.
Also, whats with the obvious allusion to My Bloody Valentine in the secret song at the center of the album? It was both jarring and confusingly out of place on the album.

[ArtyHomes]

I voted poor. I consider myself a pretty open and unbiased person when it comes to music. Ive never reallly been a fan of Coldplay and what they do. They're pretty unoriginal if you ask me. All of their albums are attempts to capture someone else's sounds.....does anyone else notice this? parachutes sounds uncannily like a Dave Matthews tribute band, with new original music and lyrics. The same applies to Viva la Vida, only the artist they're trying to mimic this time is U2. For what's its worth, they're good at what they do, but what they do is get rich on other people's sound. I go for artists who strive for originality, not for picking up where other bands left off. That's just bad form.

[adidasss]

Originally Posted by ArtyHomes

parachutes sounds uncannily like a Dave Matthews tribute band, with new original music and lyrics.

Funniest shit I've heard all day...

[Rainard Jalen]

Originally Posted by ArtyHomes

I voted poor. I consider myself a pretty open and unbiased person when it comes to music. Ive never reallly been a fan of Coldplay and what they do. They're pretty unoriginal if you ask me. All of their albums are attempts to capture someone else's sounds.....does anyone else notice this? parachutes sounds uncannily like a Dave Matthews tribute band, with new original music and lyrics. The same applies to Viva la Vida, only the artist they're trying to mimic this time is U2. For what's its worth, they're good at what they do, but what they do is get rich on other people's sound. I go for artists who strive for originality, not for picking up where other bands left off. That's just bad form.

Most important bands in pop music history have thrived on taking sounds from previous acts and reworking it into something of their own. Coldplay have largely done the same thing. Like them or not, they don't really sound that much like either Matthews or U2 (depending on which album you're referring to).

VlV probably sounds a bit U2-ish because of the production rather than the actual songwriting.

Actually this is a crucial thing to remember. Coldplay are only responsible for the songwriting. It's PARAMOUNT that this is borne in mind, not only in the case of Coldplay but in the case of all other production-heavy products. The sound you get from bands like Coldplay, Keane and so forth, is really the dominion of the producers. Without the heavy production aesthetics, it'd sound a lot different. Perhaps for the better, or for the worse.

[Akira]

Originally Posted by ArtyHomes

I go for artists who strive for originality, not for picking up where other bands left off. That's just bad form.

Wow, sucks to be you. If you truly did that, which I doubt, then you wouldn't have much music and you would not be listening to much variety.

The majority of music out there is not original. There aren't many amazing artists or albums that are original. Neither does original mean that it's going to be half decent.

Given the choice between just listening to a few artists that are good and original, listening to a lot who are bad and original or listening to thousands who are great but not original....I'd go with the latter.

[FaSho]

Average. Wasn't that impressive, and wasn't nearly as good as previous releases.

[ProggyMan]

Originally Posted by ArtyHomes

I voted poor. I consider myself a pretty open and unbiased person when it comes to music. Ive never reallly been a fan of Coldplay and what they do. They're pretty unoriginal if you ask me. All of their albums are attempts to capture someone else's sounds.....does anyone else notice this? parachutes sounds uncannily like a Dave Matthews tribute band, with new original music and lyrics. The same applies to Viva la Vida, only the artist they're trying to mimic this time is U2. For what's its worth, they're good at what they do, but what they do is get rich on other people's sound. I go for artists who strive for originality, not for picking up where other bands left off. That's just bad form.

Isn't saying Coldplay ripped of U2 a bit like saying Daniel Craig ripped off Roger Moore?

[ArtyHomes]

i'm not saying that bands don't borrow sounds from other bands. what IM saying is that if someone threw a song off of parachutes on the stereo and then put a Dave Matthews song on, I wouldnt be able to tell the difference. (if i didn't know better) the same can be said of viva la vida and U2. It's common frickin knowledge that musicians borrow sounds. If it weren't for chuck berry, there would be no Jimi Hendrix, but i dont think they sound anything alike. originality is harder and harder to come by these days ill admit....but it still happens, and its still out there. I dont listen to just a couple bands. and if you DO think there are not that many bands out there that are original to an extent, then you're OBVIOUSLY not looking hard enough, and you're just an elitist ******* who thinks they know everything about music and originality, but CLEARLY know nothing. (and apparently felt an overwhelming urge to defend coldplay, of all bands. It's not like I was attacking a GOOD band or anything.)


oh and P.S.

its frickin AWESOME being me.

[ProggyMan]

Originally Posted by ArtyHomes

i'm not saying that bands don't borrow sounds from other bands. what IM saying is that if someone threw a song off of parachutes on the stereo and then put a Dave Matthews song on, I wouldnt be able to tell the difference. (if i didn't know better) the same can be said of viva la vida and U2. It's common frickin knowledge that musicians borrow sounds. If it weren't for chuck berry, there would be no Jimi Hendrix, but i dont think they sound anything alike. originality is harder and harder to come by these days ill admit....but it still happens, and its still out there. I dont listen to just a couple bands. and if you DO think there are not that many bands out there that are original to an extent, then you're OBVIOUSLY not looking hard enough, and you're just an elitist ******* who thinks they know everything about music and originality, but CLEARLY know nothing. (and apparently felt an overwhelming urge to defend coldplay, of all bands. It's not like I was attacking a GOOD band or anything.)

That's not what I meant at all...

[Akira]

I wasn't defending Coldplay either, just responding to a post in the Coldplay thread.

I like Coldplay, but don't like this album. But the reasons for my disliking it aren't as shallow as saying that it's because it isn't original nor that it sounds like someone else. It's purely because the majority of the tracks do nothing for me and the good tracks wear thin after a few listens.

I'm very aware of the fact that there are original acts, but once again, originality doesn't equal being good. I said there are very few acts that are both, especially these days.

Side note: The whole 'you clearly know nothing about music' arguement, not just from you but from anyone, is ludicrous. There's always someone who knows more than you, who owns more than you and who is more open than you. The fact that a lot of people use this generic line shows that they do not understand this. You never go onto a forum thinking you know more than anyone else or that they are lacking in knowledge, especially when you don't know the members, for that very reason.

But that's not to you, that's to everyone who uses that 'imdb-forum' way of thinking.