Coldplay...I guess I'm late to the party...

[jammindude]

I had not heard any Coldplay except for Yellow.   I liked it alot when it came out...but it wore out on me fairly quickly, and I never gave them another thought.


Fast forward to last week.

I'm geeking out talking old school music with a customer of mine.   I mention that I was once a HUGE Love and Rockets fan, but somehow had never heard Bauhaus (Love and Rockets was 3/4 of Bauhaus).   So she offered to burn me a copy of a Bauhaus singles CD.   

The first song on the album sounded like a MUCH newer sounding recording...so I figured it was a newer reunion single (as some bands do when they release a CD of old stuff).    The track had a big time, early"Love and Rockets" vibe to it, and I was *REALLY* getting addicted to it.   I loved the whole CD, but I was particularly blown away by this single that opened the CD.

After doing some research...Turns out that the opening track was NOT a Bauhaus song at all.   She had thrown in the Coldplay track "Yes/Chinese Sleep" as a bonus track to surprise me. 

Needless to say, not only am I pleasantly surprised, but I'm COMPLETELY FLOORED!   What a GREAT freakin song.   I can't get enough of it.   I swear I've listened to that one track about 15 times today alone.   

Is Viva La Vida a good place to start with Coldplay, or is there some other cool stuff with the same vibe as Yes?    In particular, I like his voice in the lower register...but I've heard rumor that it's not very common for him to do that...   Too bad.

[Zydar]

Coldplay are great, they get too much flak.

My favourite album with them is A Rush Of Blood To The Head, so check it out. Clocks is a marvellous song. But Viva La Vida is a great album as well.

[Bill Carson]

I would start at the beginning with their debut album Parachutes and go from there. You won' be disappointed.
Try not to listen to the hate, because this band definitely gets the most hate I've seen.
Btw "A Rush of Blood To The Head" is awesome but just be patient, its their second album & you will get to it soon.

[ReaperKK]

I agree with BC, start with Parachutes.

I need to check out the new album however I wasn't a big fan of Viva la Vida.

[antigoon]

Viva La Vida was a great album, and their new one is pretty good, too. Could probably start with either of those.

[robwebster]

Viva la Vida is the only Coldplay album I particularly like, but I like it really quite a lot. Every single song - bar, perhaps, Lovers in Japan - is a corker. And yes, Yes is one of my very favourites. So I'd say to go for that.

[Fluffy Lothario]

You are insanely lucky that she sent you that track in particular, that is probably one of my favourite five songs of theirs, and definitely my favourite from VLV.

You're right that he doesn't stay in the lower register to quite the degree he does in Yes on too much of their output. If that's an aspect of Coldplay you enjoy, if I could suggest one track, it'd probably be Politik, the opening track of Rush of Blood to the Head. Or the title track.

Or just check out that whole album. VLV was the album that brought the band far greater respect amongst more "discerning" rock fans, and thus there's a huge base of people who would tell you to just start listening there. But from what I've seen, in the eyes of many older Coldplay fans, Rush of Blood is still their magnum opus. You couldn't go wrong starting with either though.

I'd avoid X&Y like the plague. It's not without its merits, but its by far my least favourite album of theirs because he spends far too much time just riding on that broken falsetto. So I can imagine if you like his lower singing, it's not likely gonna tickle you the right way.

Their latest is also great. I personally probably prefer it to VLV.

[Nel]

While I love Viva La Vida the most, I say go in order. It's fun to see how their music evolved, and "Don't Panic" is one of the most beautiful openers ever. Also, see if you can find the Brothers And Sisters EP as well. Those three songs are awesome. As well as Prospekt's March. 

[Mladen]

I got into Coldplay this year, they're a great band. A Rush of blood to the heads is a classic, so you'll have to check that one out, and Parachutes has grown on me recently, a very enjoyable album as well.

For some reason, I don't remember Yes very well. I'll have to give that song another listen...

[skydivingninja]

Viva la Vida is the only Coldplay album I particularly like, but I like it really quite a lot. Every single song - bar, perhaps, Lovers in Japan - is a corker. And yes, Yes is one of my very favourites. So I'd say to go for that.

Lovers in Japan is one of the better songs off that album I think.

Anyways, Viva La Vida is the only Coldplay album I own, but its quite good.  Haven't really gone in depth with the others, and since the song you liked was "Yes," I'd go with the album its on. 

[KevShmev]

I only like a handful of songs from all of the albums prior to 2008, but all of Viva La Vida.. is great, and the last one is mostly good as well.

[Kotowboy]

Parachutes + Rush Of Blood = few good songs on each

X+Y = Not so much

Everything since = 

[Xanthul]

I like the first two, they have some great songs and the filler is not too bad. I didn't like X&Y and haven't listened to the rest, maybe I should give Viva la Vida a chance...

[Nel]

Even though I feel X&Y is their weakest, "White Shadows" is still a top 10 Coldplay song to me. Easily the strong point of that album.

[Dellers]

Coldplay is a depressive band IMO. Without dragging in lyrics (only thinking about the music) their music is so much *the opposite of uplifting* that I just cannot listen to them. I guess it works if you're a really happy person to begin with and need to be dragged down to earth a bit.

[Zydar]

Okay.

[LCArenas]

Coldplay is a depressive band IMO. Without dragging in lyrics (only thinking about the music) their music is so much *the opposite of uplifting* that I just cannot listen to them. I guess it works if you're a really happy person to begin with and need to be dragged down to earth a bit.

Radiohead and Embrace say hello.


Anyway I can't really understand the shit Coldplay gets. I suppose it's because Chris Martin voice or something (Like with Creed, except for the fact that Scott Stapp justifies the shit they get), but I think they're a pretty good band. Parachutes it's my favorite and VLV goes next: and yes, Viva La Vida is a great album to start with. A Rush of Blood is also good but with a little more filler. Mylo Xyloto has grown on me a lot but I think it doesn't live to their first two and Viva La Vida. And X&Y... It does nothing to me. Least favorite album IMO.

[LCArenas]

Listening to Coldplay tonight, sue me. Does anyone want to do their favorite songs from each album? I'm going to do it because... Well... Because.

Parachutes: Sparks
AROBTTH: Amsterdam
X&Y: Swallowed in the Sea
VLV: Death and All His Friends
Prospekt's: Glass of Water
MX: Up With the Birds

[Fluffy Lothario]

Parachutes: either Trouble or Spies (this song is banned in China, apparently)
Rush of Blood: either Politik or ROBTTH
X&Y: Fix You
VLV: Yes
Prospekt's: Life in Technicolor ii
MX: Princess of China

[Mladen]

Parachutes: Trouble
AROBTTH: Politik
X&Y: Speed of sound
VLV: Cemeteries of London
Prospekt's: wait, what's this again?
MX: Paradise

[FlyingBIZKIT]

About a week ago, I heard "Yes" for the first time. Fucking awesome.

[Kotowboy]

Pretty much the first 5 songs on Rush Of Blood....

Nothing else.

[Progmetty]

I'm still enjoying the new album, every time Coldplay releases an album I pretty much enjoy the relaxation vibe it gives me, I can't say that for any other band around right now.

[adace]

live DVD/Blu-ray trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB-NbV4JTjU&feature=youtu.be