Coldplay | ||
| Allmusic Biography : After surfacing in 2000 with the breakthrough single "Yellow," Coldplay quickly became one of the biggest bands of the early 21st century, honing a mix of introspective Brit-pop and anthemic rock that helped push the British quartet to the top of album charts worldwide. The groups emergence was perfectly timed: with Radiohead embracing cerebral electronic soundscapes and Oasis further exploring psychedelic experimentation, audiences were hungry for a fresh-faced rock band with big aspirations and an even bigger sound. After first full-length Parachutes went multi-platinum in several countries and earned the band its first Grammy, Coldplay continued to mature into the 2000s, topping their debut albums success with higher record sales, an ever-evolving sound that would absorb from multiple genres, and record-breaking global stadium tours. Band members Chris Martin (vocals/piano), Jonny Buckland (guitar), Will Champion (drums), and Guy Berryman (bass) were all born into musical households. Martin, the eldest of five, began playing the piano as a young child and later took solace in the work of Tom Waits. Buckland, on the other hand, grew up with the heavy guitar sounds of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Scotland native Berryman preferred funk to indie rock, thereby leaving him to play bass, while multi-instrumentalist Champion didnt plan to be a drummer until he joined Coldplays lineup. The bandmates came together in 1996 while attending the University College of London, and the Safety EP was issued shortly after their first gig at a Manchester festival for unsigned bands. The release only saw 500 pressings, as did the subsequent Brothers & Sisters EP. Nevertheless, it was enough to win the band a U.K. deal with Parlophone Records in April 1999, and the five-track Blue Room EP arrived that fall. With nods from the media, Coldplay were hailed as the next Travis, thanks to their simple acoustics and charming personas. Parlophone ushered Coldplay into Parr St. Studios in Liverpool, where they recorded the bulk of their debut album. Parachutes was released in July 2000 and became a swift hit on the strength of four U.K. singles, several of which enjoyed popularity in America as well. With "Yellow" climbing the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, Parachutes was released in the U.S. in November, where its sales soon rivaled -- and eventually surpassed -- those in the U.K. Riding on the strength of their universally popular debut, Coldplay headed back into the studio in fall 2001 to work on a sophomore album. They emerged with the darker and more aggressive A Rush of Blood to the Head, releasing the album worldwide in August 2002 and embarking on a global concert tour soon after. Piano ballad "The Scientist" enjoyed regular radio rotation, while both "Clocks" and "In My Place" won Grammy Awards. Riding the success of Rush of Blood, Coldplay pushed those ideas even further and began recording material for a third album in early 2004. Previously recorded material with longtime producer Ken Nelson was scrapped early on, while Danton Supple (Morrissey, the Cure) joined Coldplay to complete the recording of what would become their third album, X&Y. "Speed of Sound" marked the bands first single from the effort in spring 2005; the album followed in June, topping charts around the world and selling more than eight million copies during its first year. They embarked on another global tour, scoring additional hits with the Kraftwerk-inspired "Talk" and the multi-platinum "Fix You." Such success put Coldplay on the same commercial level as U2, but with increased popularity and exposure came negative criticism over their earnestness and formulaic sound. Regrouping, the quartet retreated to the studio in late 2006 to work with famed producer Brian Eno (U2, David Bowie). Recording sessions with Eno were completed within one year, followed by several months of mixing and growing anticipation from the bands audience. Viva la Vida -- also known by its extended name, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends -- ultimately arrived in June 2008. With its refreshed sound and expanded sound palette, the album became an instant hit, especially upon the strength of the chart-topping "Viva la Vida." Worldwide sales approached six million by November, when Coldplay released several new recordings (including a collaboration with rapper Jay-Z) as part of the Prospekts March EP. A massive global tour was later commemorated on the limited edition live compilation LeftRightLeftRightLeft, which the band gave away for free during the final stops of their Viva la Vida trek. Continuing their experimentation with non-rock genres, the band dipped into synth-forward electronic and hip-hop beats for their fifth studio set, 2011s concept album Mylo Xyloto, which was produced by Markus Dravs, Daniel Green, and Rik Simpson (the official press release added "with enoxification and additional composition by Brian Eno"). Topping charts across the globe, Mylo Xyloto also yielded a handful of hit singles, including "Princess of China" with Rihanna and their second number one, "Paradise." As with past eras, Mylo was memorialized with Live 2012, which followed a hugely successful world tour that included a special performance at the London Paralympics closing ceremony. Work began on their sixth album in late 2012 at their Bakery and Beehive studios in North London, where longtime producers Paul Epworth, Daniel Green, and Rik Simpson joined them for sessions. Seeking to scale back from the sensory explosions of Viva and Mylo, the band explored indie electronic and synth-pop textures. While working on the effort, Martin and his wife Gwyneth Paltrow announced their split, which turned the resulting effort into an introspective and cathartic breakup album. The Grammy-nominated Ghost Stories arrived in May 2014 and topped charts once again. Platinum singles "Magic" and the Avicii-assisted electronic anthem "A Sky Full of Stars" became top ten hits in the U.K. while climbing into the top 15 on the U.S. charts. Coldplay briefly promoted the effort on a six-date tour that found the band playing intimate shows in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, and London. Recordings from that jaunt landed on Ghost Stories: Live 2014, an audio/video package that contained live versions of every song from the album. Soon after finishing their promotional duties for Ghost Stories, Coldplay returned to the studio to work on their seventh LP. Recording in Los Angeles and London, the band collaborated with Noel Gallagher, Beyoncé, Tove Lo, and Merry Clayton (best known for her vocals on the Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter) as well as producers Rik Simpson and Stargate. The joyous, disco-tinged lead single, "Adventure of a Lifetime," arrived in November 2015, just a few weeks before the full-length A Head Full of Dreams was released. Their seventh straight U.K. number one, the album included multi-platinum, international hits "Hymn for the Weekend" (which peaked at number six in the U.K. and number 25 in the U.S.), "Up & Up," and "Everglow." The band embarked on the 144-date A Head Full of Dreams tour in support of the album, selling out stadiums across the globe. While on the road, Coldplay released "Something Just Like This," a collaboration with the EDM-pop group the Chainsmokers that appeared on the Chainsmokers album Memories: Do Not Open as well as on Coldplays EP Kaleidoscope. On November 15, 2017 in Buenos Aires, the band played the final show of their trek, which became the third all-time highest-grossing concert tour to date. A year later, they capped the Head Full of Dreams era with the release of CD/DVD set Live in Buenos Aires/Live in São Paulo, as well as the career-spanning documentary A Head Full of Dreams, directed by Mat Whitecross (Supersonic). That same week, Coldplay had one more surprise for fans. After a series of crafty social media announcements hinted at new Parlophone signees Los Unidades, it was revealed that this "new" band was simply Coldplay in disguise. Assuming a new identity to benefit the Global Citizen organization -- which aims to end extreme poverty around the world by 2030 -- Coldplay recruited a diverse cast of collaborators for the Global Citizen, EP 1, including Stormzy, David Guetta, and Nigerian artists Wizkid and Tiwa Savage. The effort was promoted with the single "E-Lo," featuring Pharrell Williams and Jozzy. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 15 Title: Parachutes Released: 2000-07-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Panic (02:16) 2 Shiver (04:59) 3 Spies (05:18) 4 Sparks (03:47) 5 Yellow (04:29) 6 Trouble (04:30) 7 Parachutes (00:46) 8 High Speed (04:14) 9 We Never Change (04:09) 10 Everything’s Not Lost / Life Is for Living (07:16) |
| Parachutes : Allmusic album Review : The London foursome Coldplay were early critics darlings in their native U.K., showcasing melodic pop on a slew of EP releases and constant live shows just after the spark of the new millennium. Not as heavy as Radiohead or snobbish as Oasis, Coldplay were revealed on Parachutes as a band of young musicians still honing their sweet harmonies. Combining bits of distorted guitar riffs and swishing percussion, Parachutes was a delightful introduction and also quickly indicated the reason why this album earned Coldplay a Mercury Music Prize nomination in fall 2000. Frontman Chris Martins lyrical wordplay is feminist in the manner of Genevas Andrew Montgomery, but far more withered. The imagery captured on Parachutes is exquisitely dark and artistically abrasive, and the entire composition is tractable thanks to gauzy acoustics and airy percussion. Coldplays indie rock inclinations are also obvious, especially on songs such as "Dont Panic" and "Shiver," but its the dream pop soundscapes captured on "High Speed" and "We Never Change" that illustrate the bands dynamic passion. This basic pop was surely a refreshing effort in the face of big productions like the Spice Girls and Westlife. Parachutes deserved the accolades it received because it followed the general rule when introducing decent pop songs: keep the emotion genuine and real. And Coldplay did that without hesitation. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 15 Title: A Rush of Blood to the Head Released: 2002-08-12 Tracks: 11 Duration: 54:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Politik (05:18) 2 In My Place (03:48) 3 God Put a Smile Upon Your Face (04:57) 4 The Scientist (05:09) 5 Clocks (05:07) 6 Daylight (05:27) 7 Green Eyes (03:43) 8 Warning Sign (05:31) 9 A Whisper (03:58) 10 A Rush of Blood to the Head (05:51) 11 Amsterdam (05:19) |
| A Rush of Blood to the Head : Allmusic album Review : After touring in support of their debut album, Parachutes, Coldplay was personally and professionally exhausted. Frontman Chris Martin insisted he was dry; by the time they closed their European tour in summer 2001, he hadnt written a song in months. The U.K. music press immediately pounced on the idea of Coldplay calling it quits, but somewhere lurked the beauty of "In My Place." The spirit and soul of this ballad allowed Coldplay to pull it together to make a second album. What came from such anguish and inquisition was A Rush of Blood to the Head. Coldplay has surely let it all go on this record. Acoustics are drowned out by Jon Bucklands riveting guitar work, and vocally, Martin has sharpened his falsetto, refining his haunting delivery. Its a strong album; you can feel, hear, and touch the blood, sweat, and tears behind each song, and thats exactly what Coldplay was going for. Co-producer Ken Nelson and mixer Mark Pythain (the team behind the blissful beauty of Parachutes) allowed Coldplay to make an album thats initially inaccessible, but thats what makes it intriguing. Lush melodies and a heartbreak behind the songs are there, but also a newfound confidence. From the delicate, shimmery classic "In My Place" to the piano surge of "The Scientist," Coldplay exudes an honest passion. The disco haze of "Daylight" and the love-drunk ballad "Green Eyes" are divine examples of solid lyrical arrangements, but "Politik" and the stunning guitar-driven "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" project a nervy edge to the band. Echoes of early post-punk showcase Coldplays ballsy musicianship. Dont fret -- its not exactly rock & roll, but Radiohead, Echo & the Bunnymen, and the Smiths arent exactly rock & roll either, and theyre well loved. "Yellow" didnt follow the rock formula, but it sold well, and similarly A Rush of Blood to the Head might not instantly grab listeners, but its not tailored that way. It pushes you to look beyond dreamy vocals for a musical inner core. Regardless of the band still being in their mid-twenties, theyve made an amazing record, and if it ends up being their last, A Rush of Blood to the Head didnt sugarcoat anything. Its a bittersweet design no matter what. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 15 Title: Live 2003 Released: 2003-11-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:07:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Politik (06:35) 2 God Put a Smile Upon Your Face (04:57) 3 A Rush of Blood to the Head (06:48) 4 One I Love (05:09) 5 See You Soon (03:30) 6 Shiver (05:25) 7 Everything’s Not Lost (08:48) 8 Moses (05:30) 9 Yellow (05:36) 10 Clocks (05:32) 11 In My Place (04:14) 12 Amsterdam (05:21) |
| Live 2003 : Allmusic album Review : Live 2003 celebrates Coldplays worldwide tour in support of their stunning second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. The band impressed the masses this time out, and once again it delivers a resilient, bright package of glorious rock & roll. Capturing an evening at Sydneys Horden Pavillion, the momentum and passion behind such songs as "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" and "Politik" confirm Coldplays place in music while also illustrating their power as a live act. Live 2003 is clean-cut and solid from start to finish. The meticulous production of the dozen-song set list itself is exemplary of the bands first two efforts; therefore doing a live album such as this proves Coldplays brilliance. From the sonic richness of B-side "One I Love" to the bands more merry singles like "Yellow" and "Clocks," Live 2003 is a delightful listening experience. Coldplay treat fans to a new song, "Moses." Chiming guitars and Chris Martins hushed vocals give this song a classic feeling circa Echo & the Bunnymens 1988 self-titled release, and fans will be impressed by Coldplays progression in style and sound. Like the U.K. and domestic releases, the Japanese DVD portion includes the show in Sydney as well as behind-the-scenes footage of the tour and a tour-diary documentary. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 15 Title: X&Y Released: 2005-06-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:02:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Square One (04:47) 2 What If (04:57) 3 White Shadows (05:28) 4 Fix You (04:54) 5 Talk (05:11) 6 X&Y (04:34) 7 Speed of Sound (04:48) 8 A Message (04:45) 9 Low (05:32) 10 The Hardest Part (04:25) 11 Swallowed in the Sea (03:58) 12 Twisted Logic (05:01) 13 Til Kingdom Come (04:11) |
| X&Y : Allmusic album Review : After Radiohead stubbornly refused to accept the mantle of worlds biggest and most important rock band by releasing the willfully strange rocktronica fusion Kid A in 2000, Coldplay stepped up to the plate with their debut, Parachutes. Tasteful, earnest, introspective, anthemic, and grounded in guitars, the British quartet was everything Radiohead werent but what the public wanted them to be, and benefited from the Oxford quintets decision to abandon rock stardom for arcane art rock. Parachutes became a transatlantic hit and 2002s sequel, A Rush of Blood to the Head, consolidated their success by being bigger and better than Parachutes, positioning Coldplay to not be just the new Radiohead, but the new U2: a band that belongs to the world but whose fans believe that the music is for them alone. To that end, Coldplays third album, X&Y -- slightly delayed so it follows Rush of Blood by nearly three years, but thats no longer than the time separating OK Computer and Kid A, or The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree -- is designed to be the record that elevates Coldplay to the major leagues, where they are at once the biggest and most important band in the world. Its deliberate and sleek, cinematic and pristine, hip enough to sample Kraftwerk and blend in fashionable retro-80s post-punk allusions without altering the bands core. Indeed, X&Y is hardly a bold step forward but rather a consolidation of Coldplays strengths, particularly their skill at crafting surging, widescreen epics. But if X&Y highlights their attributes it also brings Coldplays weaknesses into sharp relief. Forget the fact that they, by any stretch of the imagination, do not rock -- rocking is simply against their nature. They are a meditative band, reflecting on their emotions instead of letting them go in a cathartic blast of noise and rhythm. This isnt a problem -- after all, there have been plenty of great bands that do not rock & roll -- but their terminal politeness does cripple their music, preventing it from being as majestic as its aspirations. Coldplay is well scrubbed and well behaved, possessing a textbook education in classic rock and the good sense to never stretch any farther than needed. They are the perfect middlebrow rock band -- clean, pristine, and rational, seemingly smart since they never succumb to pounding, primal riffs, but also not weird enough to be genuine art rock. Its ambitious, yet its ambitions are modest, not risky, so their ambitions can be fulfilled without breaking a sweat. And since their sweeping yet subdued theatricality does recall the more majestic moments of Radiohead and U2, they have won millions of fans, but another crucial reason that Coldplay have a broad appeal is that lead singer/songwriter Chris Martin never tackles any large issues, preferring to endlessly examine his feelings. Like on Parachutes and Rush of Blood, all the songs on X&Y are ruminations on Martins doubts, fears, hopes, and loves. His words are earnest and vague, so listeners can identify with the underlying themes in the songs, and his plain, everyman voice, sighing as sweet as a schoolboy, is unthreatening and unassuming, so its all the easier for listeners to project their own emotions into the song. But for as impeccable as X&Y is -- and, make no mistake, its a good record, crisp, professional, and assured, a sonically satisfying sequel to A Rush of Blood to the Head -- it does reveal that Martins solipsism is a dead-end, diminishing the stature of the band. Where U2 is big in sound, scope, ambition, and intent, Coldplay is ultimately big music about small things, and even if X&Y is a strong, accomplished album, its limited, narcissistic point of view is what prevents the quartet from inheriting the title of the biggest and most important band in the world. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 15 Title: Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends Released: 2008-05-26 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Life in Technicolor (02:29) 2 Cemeteries of London (03:21) 3 Lost! (03:55) 4 42 (03:57) 5 Lovers in Japan / Reign of Love (06:51) 6 Yes / Chinese Sleep Chant (07:06) 7 Viva la Vida (04:01) 8 Violet Hill (03:42) 9 Strawberry Swing (04:09) 10 Death and All His Friends / The Escapist (06:18) |
| Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends : Allmusic album Review : When Coldplay sampled Kraftwerk on their third album, X&Y, it was a signifier for the British band, telegraphing their classicist good taste while signaling how they prefer the eternally hip to the truly adventurous; it was stylish window dressing for soft arena rock. Hiring Brian Eno to produce the bulk of their fourth album, Viva la Vida, is another matter entirely. Eno pushes them, not necessarily to experiment but rather to focus and refine, to not leave their comfort zone but to find some tremulous discomfort within it. In his hands, this most staid of bands looks to shake things up, albeit politely, but such good manners are so inherent to Coldplays DNA that they remain courteous even when they experiment. With his big-budget production, Eno has a knack for amplifying an artists personality, as he allows bands to be just as risky as they want to be -- which is quite a lot in the case of U2 and James and even Paul Simon, but not quite so much with Coldplay. And yet this gentle encouragement -- hes almost a kindly uncle giving his nephews permission to rummage through his study -- pays great dividends for Coldplay, as it winds up changing the specifics without altering the core. They wind up with the same self-styled grandiosity; theyve just found a more interesting way to get to the same point. Gone are Chris Martins piano recitals and gone are the washes of meticulously majestic guitar, replaced by orchestrations of sound, sometimes literally consisting of strings but usually a tapestry of synthesizers, percussion, organs, electronics, and guitars that avoid playing riffs. Gone too are simpering schoolboy ballads like "Fix You," and along with them the soaring melodies designed to fill arenas. In fact, there are no insistent hooks to be found anywhere on Viva la Vida, and there are no clear singles in this collection of insinuatingly ingratiating songs. This reliance on elliptical melodies isnt off-putting -- alienation is alien to Coldplay -- and this is where Enos guidance pays off, as he helps sculpt Viva la Vida to work as a musical whole, where there are long stretches of instrumentals and where only "Strawberry Swing," with its light, gently infectious melody and insistent rhythmic pulse, breaks from the albums appealingly meditative murk. Whatever iciness there is to the sound of Viva la Vida is warmed by Martins voice, but the music is by design an heir to the earnest British art rock of 80s Peter Gabriel and U2 -- arty enough to convey sober intelligence without seeming snobby, the kind of album that deserves to take its title from Frida Kahlo and album art from Eugene Delacroix. That Delacroix painting depicts the French Revolution, so it does fit that Martin tones down his relentless self-obsession -- the songs arent heavy on lyrics and some are shockingly written in character -- which is a development as welcome as the expanded sonic palette. Martins refined writing topics may be outpaced by the bands guided adventure, but theyre both indicative that Coldplay are desperate to not just strive for the title of great band -- a title they seem to believe that theyre to the manor born -- but to actually burrow into the explorative work of creating music. And so the greatest thing Coldplay may have learned from Eno is his work ethic, as they demonstrate a focused concentration throughout this tight album -- its only 47 minutes yet covers more ground than X&Y and arguably A Rush of Blood to the Head -- that turns Viva la Vida into something quietly satisfying. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 15 Title: LeftRightLeftRightLeft Released: 2009-05-15 Tracks: 9 Duration: 39:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Glass of Water (04:43) 2 42 (04:52) 3 Clocks (04:40) 4 Strawberry Swing (04:16) 5 The Hardest Part / Postcards From Far Away (04:15) 6 Viva la Vida (05:24) 7 Death Will Never Conquer (01:39) 8 Fix You (05:38) 9 Death and All His Friends (04:22) |
 | Album: 7 of 15 Title: Viva La Vida / X & Y Released: 2010-09-09 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:48:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Life in Technicolor (02:29) 2 Cemeteries of London (03:21) 3 Lost! (03:55) 4 42 (03:57) 5 Lovers in Japan / Reign of Love (06:51) 6 Yes / Chinese Sleep Chant (07:06) 7 Viva la Vida (04:01) 8 Violet Hill (03:42) 9 Strawberry Swing (04:09) 10 Death and All His Friends / The Escapist (06:18) 1 Square One (04:47) 2 What If (04:57) 3 White Shadows (05:28) 4 Fix You (04:54) 5 Talk (05:11) 6 X&Y (04:34) 7 Speed of Sound (04:48) 8 A Message (04:45) 9 Low (05:32) 10 The Hardest Part (04:25) 11 Swallowed in the Sea (03:58) 12 Twisted Logic (05:01) 13 Til Kingdom Come (04:11) |
 | Album: 8 of 15 Title: Mylo Xyloto Released: 2011-10-19 Tracks: 14 Duration: 44:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mylo Xyloto (00:43) 2 Hurts Like Heaven (04:02) 3 Paradise (04:38) 4 Charlie Brown (04:45) 5 Us Against the World (03:59) 6 M.M.I.X. (00:48) 7 Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall (04:00) 8 Major Minus (03:30) 9 U.F.O. (02:17) 10 Princess of China (03:59) 11 Up in Flames (03:13) 12 A Hopeful Transmission (00:33) 13 Don’t Let It Break Your Heart (03:53) 14 Up With the Birds (03:47) |
| Mylo Xyloto : Allmusic album Review : Coldplay finally surrender to their essential good nature on Mylo Xyloto, their fifth album and first to ditch all pretense of brooding melancholia. Which isn’t to say the band doesn’t drift along on some pleasingly spacy atmospheres conjured by longtime producer Brian Eno: there’s still a veneer of classy disaffection that inevitably dissipates due to the relentless sunniness of Chris Martin and company. Enos echoes and ambience -- the only things that still mark Coldplay as anything resembling progressive -- positively sparkle when they meet the band’s bright, chipper melodies, yet Coldplays innate good manners restrain the album, keeping it just this side of a rush of candied pop. Such politeness can verge on the dull -- criminally so when they bring Rihanna in for “Princess of China,” a duet so toothless she may as well have stayed home -- but Mylo Xyloto has a leg up on other Coldplay records for this simple reason: they’re no longer attempting to mimic U2s portentous piety. They’ve embraced their schoolboy selves and are simply singing songs of love and good cheer, albeit on a grand scale that somehow seems smaller due to the group’s insuppressible niceness. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 15 Title: Live 2012 Released: 2012-11-19 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:06:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mylo Xyloto (00:56) 2 Hurts Like Heaven (04:16) 3 In My Place (03:54) 4 Major Minus (03:39) 5 Yellow (06:51) 6 God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (05:21) 7 Princess of China (03:48) 8 Up In Flames (03:17) 9 Viva La Vida (04:58) 10 Charlie Brown (05:00) 11 Paradise (05:32) 12 Us Against The World (03:52) 13 Clocks (04:44) 14 Fix You (05:00) 15 Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (05:25) |
| Live 2012 : Allmusic album Review : Released nine years after the groups first live outing, the elaborately titled Live 2003, Live 2012, Coldplays second foray into the concert film/album arena, offers up an inside peek at the bands Mylo Xyloto world tour. As one would expect, the set list favors their fifth studio album, with nine of the fifteen tracks representing, but the band leaves room for past hits like "In My Place," "Viva la Vida," "Yellow," and "Clocks" ("The Scientist" and "Politik" are relegated to the film version). Culled from recordings taken from concerts in Paris, France, Montreal, Canada, and Glastonbury, England, all of which took place (oddly enough) in 2011, the tour featured a 90-minute set and included a dizzying array of visuals, including the usual assortment of stadium-appropriate-sized explosions and video screens, as well as fan-adorned LED wrist bands that pulsed in time with the music, all of which can be experienced by consumers in the comfort of their own homes with the deluxe CD/DVD version of Live 2012. The parental advisory/explicit content sticker that adorns the package is there to protect children and the elderly from being caught off guard by Chris Martins superfluous, between-song F-bombs. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 15 Title: Coldplay 4 CD Catalogue Set Released: 2012-11-26 Tracks: 44 Duration: 3:24:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Panic (02:16) 2 Shiver (04:59) 3 Spies (05:18) 4 Sparks (03:47) 5 Yellow (04:29) 6 Trouble (04:30) 7 Parachutes (00:46) 8 High Speed (04:14) 9 We Never Change (04:09) 10 Everything’s Not Lost / Life Is for Living (07:16) 1 Politik (05:18) 2 In My Place (03:48) 3 God Put a Smile Upon Your Face (04:57) 4 The Scientist (05:09) 5 Clocks (05:07) 6 Daylight (05:27) 7 Green Eyes (03:43) 8 Warning Sign (05:31) 9 A Whisper (03:58) 10 A Rush of Blood to the Head (05:51) 11 Amsterdam (05:19) 1 Square One (04:47) 2 What If (04:57) 3 White Shadows (05:28) 4 Fix You (04:54) 5 Talk (05:11) 6 X&Y (04:34) 7 Speed of Sound (04:48) 8 A Message (04:45) 9 Low (05:32) 10 The Hardest Part (04:25) 11 Swallowed in the Sea (03:58) 12 Twisted Logic (05:01) 13 Til Kingdom Come (04:11) 1 Life in Technicolor (02:29) 2 Cemeteries of London (03:21) 3 Lost! (03:55) 4 42 (03:57) 5 Lovers in Japan / Reign of Love (06:51) 6 Yes / Chinese Sleep Chant (07:06) 7 Viva la Vida (04:01) 8 Violet Hill (03:42) 9 Strawberry Swing (04:09) 10 Death and All His Friends / The Escapist (06:18) |
 | Album: 11 of 15 Title: Ghost Stories Released: 2014-05-16 Tracks: 10 Duration: 50:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Always in My Head (03:36) 2 Magic (04:45) 3 Ink (03:48) 4 True Love (04:06) 5 Midnight (04:54) 6 Another’s Arms (03:54) 7 Oceans (05:21) 8 A Sky Full of Stars (04:28) 9 O (05:23) 10 Midnight (Jon Hopkins remix) (10:07) |
| Ghost Stories : Allmusic album Review : Around the time Coldplays sixth album, Ghost Stories, was scheduled for release, lead singer Chris Martin announced he was divorcing his wife, the actress Gwyneth Paltrow. In light of this news, its hard not to see Ghost Stories as a breakup record, a romantic confessional written in the wake of a painful separation. Certainly, the album bristles with references to broken hearts and regrets, ruminations on how the past informs the present, its every song infused with an inescapable melancholy, but the album doesnt play like a deep wallow in sorrow. It is soft, even alluring, a soundtrack to a seduction, not a separation. Much of that feel comes from the records smooth crawl forward, how its never hurried and always accentuating its good side, but theres also a sense that Martin, or the band in general, is anxious to a hit a reset button, to slowly recede from the artiness of the Eno-encouraged excursions of the late 2000s and reconnect with the sweet, simple band responsible for Parachutes. Like any attempt to revive the past, its hard to reconcile that those were indeed different times. As majestic as they sounded in 2000, there was no denying Coldplay were a basic rock band, anchored on six strings and rarely finding textures outside of the confines of an amplifier. Fourteen years later, keyboards are at the groups foundation, a significant shift accentuated by their succumbing to a hallmark of modern production: they have a producer for every track. Coldplay may not be forceful, but within their incessant politeness they do have a distinctive personality, one that shines through whatever tricks individual producers bring to the table. Stars that they are, they can afford to enlist EDM sensation Avicii and R&B stalwart Timbaland to color individual tracks (theyre responsible for "A Sky Full of Stars" and "True Love," respectively), giving Ghost Stories a fleet electronic facility that undercuts Coldplays reputation as a dogmatic rock band without ever suggesting the group is adventurous. Its a nifty trick, a record that skirts any accusation of stodginess yet still feels as comforting as a warm bath, which is why Ghost Stories never feels heartbroken. Often, it feels like the lament of the sensitive soul who just had his heart broken but wont let his pain detract him from picking up that pretty girl at the end of the bar. This may seem a contradiction but it also suits a band like Coldplay, who at this stage of their career quite clearly want to be everything to everybody. If your heart is shattered and you want to slide into self-pity, turn here. If you are feeling free and want to woo a new love, turn here. If you want to just enjoy every soft, supple turn a rock band could do, turn here. Coldplay are here for comfort, as Ghost Stories proves time and time again. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 15 Title: Ghost Stories Live 2014 Released: 2014-11-24 Tracks: 9 Duration: 40:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Always in My Head (03:57) 2 Magic (04:52) 3 Ink (04:09) 4 True Love (04:20) 5 Midnight (04:48) 6 Another’s Arms (03:55) 7 Oceans (04:28) 8 A Sky Full of Stars [Live at the Royal Albert Hall, London] (04:38) 9 O (05:36) |
| Ghost Stories Live 2014 : Allmusic album Review : Following the studio album by a matter of months instead of years, Ghost Stories: Live 2014 preserves Coldplays supporting tour for their 2014 album, Ghost Stories. Unlike many live albums, this record isnt a stroll through the bands back pages. Instead, this provides live versions of each of the nine songs from Ghost Stories, all cobbled together from performances given in London, Sydney, Paris, New York City, Cologne, and Los Angeles. Ghost Stories isnt an especially kinetic album and its original incarnation emphasizes studio textures, some of which are captured in concert; there are synths and perhaps hints of tapes as well. Overall, Coldplay resist the temptation to give these meditative songs muscle, nor do they rush the tempos, which means Ghost Stories: Live 2014 merely feels bright and open -- a nice distinction for the hardcore fans who are the real audience for this pleasant package. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 15 Title: A Head Full of Dreams Released: 2015-12-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 45:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 A Head Full of Dreams (03:43) 2 Birds (03:49) 3 Hymn for the Weekend (04:18) 4 Everglow (04:42) 5 Adventure of a Lifetime (04:23) 1 Fun (04:27) 2 Kaleidoscope (01:51) 3 Army of One (03:24) 4 X Marks the Spot (02:54) 5 Amazing Day (04:31) 6 Colour Spectrum (01:00) 7 Up&Up (06:45) |
| A Head Full of Dreams : Allmusic album Review : Released swiftly after Ghost Stories -- just a year and a half, all things considered -- A Head Full of Dreams plays like a riposte to that haunted 2014 album. Where Chris Martin spent Ghost Stories in a mournful mood -- his sorrow perhaps derived from his divorce to Gwyneth Paltrow or perhaps not; its best not to read too much into the tabloid headlines -- the Coldplay leader sees nothing but sunshine and stars on A Head Full of Dreams. Martin gives away the game with his song titles. Hes quite literally having "Fun" on an "Amazing Day," living for the weekend and viewing his impending middle age as nothing so much as the "Adventure of a Lifetime." Coldplay match his optimism by tempering their signature soft focus, pushing themselves toward the light and undergirding the newfound positivity via glittering disco beats and a gossamer electronic sheen. Arriving after the deliberately dour Ghost Stories, this infusion of backbeat and glitz does indeed feel welcome and bold but such determined levity also suggests the gusto of a greying divorcee boogying down on the deck of a cruise ship, determined to seize every bit of life headed his way. This carpe diem spirit courses throughout A Head Full of Dreams, turning it into a 21st century equivalent of Steve Winwoods Back in the High Life, a divorce record where every end seems like a fresh new beginning. Appropriately, Coldplay invite more than a few guests to help usher them into this brave new world, the showiest being Beyoncé, who overwhelms the bands innate politeness on "Hymn for the Weekend," but Tove Lo eases right into "Fun" and Noel Gallagher amiably allows himself to be swallowed by the gentle wash of guitars and synths. All these cameos suit the overarching theme of A Head Full of Dreams -- how theres a big, bright, beautiful world just waiting to be discovered if you just open your heart and live a little -- and if this message is unabashedly corny, under the stewardship of Chris Martin, Coldplay cheerfully embrace the cheese, ratcheting up both the sparkle and the sentiment so the album feels genuine in its embrace of eternal middle-aged clichés. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 15 Title: Live in Buenos Aires Released: 2018-12-07 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:54:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 A Head Full of Dreams (04:59) 2 Yellow (05:50) 3 Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall (04:04) 4 The Scientist (06:28) 5 God Put a Smile Upon Your Face (04:34) 6 Paradise (06:59) 7 Always in My Head (03:41) 8 Magic (04:45) 9 Everglow (04:55) 10 Clocks (04:20) 11 Midnight (01:45) 12 Charlie Brown (04:44) 1 Hymn for the Weekend (05:02) 2 Fix You (05:27) 3 Viva la vida (04:11) 4 Adventure of a Lifetime (05:06) 5 De música ligera (06:09) 6 Colour Spectrum (01:57) 7 In My Place (04:37) 8 Amor Argentina (05:16) 9 Something Just Like This (04:04) 10 A Sky Full of Stars (04:36) 11 Up&Up (08:45) 12 End Credits (02:03) |
 | Album: 15 of 15 Title: Love in Tokyo Released: 2018-12-07 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:17:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 A Head Full of Dreams (04:54) 2 Yellow (04:54) 3 The Scientist (05:53) 4 Paradise (06:51) 5 Everglow (04:25) 6 Midnight / Charlie Brown (07:27) 7 Hymn for the Weekend (03:42) 8 Fix You (05:52) 9 Viva La Vida (04:12) 10 Adventure of a Lifetime (04:51) 11 Us Against the World (06:21) 12 Something Just Like This (04:04) 13 A Sky Full of Stars (04:53) 14 Up&Up (09:30) |