Music : Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends (Gatefold Digipack)

Rating: - I think this is Coldplay's Masterpiece.
It's funny that people have given mixed reviews of this album. I think this is probably the first time that Coldplay have really flexed their muscles. I have no doubt that Chris Martin and Co could have churned out another X&Y, but instead they have removed themselves from the comfort zone of piano ballad/anthems and the result is nothing short of impressive.

I love albums as a whole - and that's why I don't think I'll ever end up buying into downloading music instead of CDs - and this is an album for that. It's made to be listened to from beginning to end, with the songs linking together, sometimes two tracks in one, sometimes echoes of previous tracks returning. That doesn't stop the album containing some fabulous songs - notably the two singles, the Oasis-esque Violet Hill and the magical, sweeping Viva La Vida, which I think could be argued is Coldplay's finest ever track for its complete lyrics, interesting arrangement, catchy chorus and sweeping verses.

The album starts and finishes in style, with a beautiful and bouncy instrumental opener, and, in Death And All His Friends, the album's closer, we have Coldplay's answer to I Am The Resurrection.

People will criticise Coldplay for this album - it won't be to everyone's taste - but it is an album they wanted to make. It is enjoyable, full of good songs, and a great listen as a whole. And it is Coldplay earning their pay - thinking about their music, developing it, developing their live shows and their back-catalogue. Their real problem is that so many people like them, and for many different reasons.

We all, in some ways, think that Coldplay are a bit like us. I've missed them, and I'm really, really glad they're back.

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Rating: - Maybe the best album of the year ???
I got Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends the day it is released here in amazon.co.uk.I got the vinyl version then i got the cd version from my own country.Viva La Vida is released 3 days ago here.What can i say ? Brian Eno made a mature,fresh,growing sound with Coldplay.I can easily say that i liked this album much more than X&Y.It was also a good album this new sound is much more fresh and uplifting.Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To Head still stands on their own with their original sound for me so i can't compare Viva La Vida with them. Go on Coldplay here is the world and now it is yours to conquer.

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Rating: - Almost Viva La Coldplay
I was hesitant about whether I'd like this album after the lukewarm feeling I got from X/Y, but Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
is actually a big step forward for Coldplay.

With this sound, a mix of the old mellow but thoughtful lyrics and sounds with a new brassy style, I think we'll see a lot of new fans joining the Coldplay ranks and some older fans being disappointed, but such is the path of progress. Every band has a change which will leave some cold and make others grin from ear to ear, just look at REM.

However, this is about my opinion (why else would you be reading my review?!) and I say that on the whole this surpasses all their previous albums in terms of sound and ambition. That's not to say it's better than Parachutes, which I love, but it's an advancement for the band and it certainly sounds great.

Starting with an acoustic numner (albeit short) seems to be a growing trend, but in this case Coldplay have used it wisely to lead in to the album and let the music breathe before Chris Martin's wonderful vocals are introduced in the creepy sounding start to Cemeteries Of London. The deep and wonderful lyrics are back too, after an absence throughout most of X/Y, no more so in Lost and Lovers in Japan.

It's not perfect, though. I had to hear their first single, Violet Hill, a few times before I really `got it' and `Yes!' still leaves me a bit cold, but that's balanced by the wonderful title track, Viva La Vida and the amazing Lovers in Japan, which makes a warm blanket of sound to wrap you in and hands you a cup of cocoa.

So all in all, I fell in love with this album, despite it's (few) faults. I'm pleased to say that Coldplay are back and better than ever.

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Rating: - 'Viva La Vida' has restored my faith in Coldplay
It must be tough to be a band as successful as Coldplay where so many reviews of a new album focus on the personality of the band's singer rather than on the music itself. Although their fame will guarantee lots of sales and interest in their work, I'm sure that Coldplay, as a band, would probably welcome the same quietly-respected stature of the magnificent Elbow but at least Chris Martin has attempted to make the most of his fame by highlighting and supporting worthy causes close to his heart - something he is, bizarrely, derided for more often than praised. What a strange world we live in.

Having said that, I have to admit that I wasn't particularly chomping at the bit to hear this album, primarily because of how disappointed I was with the almost offensively average 'X & Y', especially lyrically. However, some of the pre-release information and interviews gave me the impression that Coldplay, with the assistance of Brian Eno, were making a conscious effort to evolve which, I decided, could only be a good thing. It was with this knowledge that I bought and tentatively listened to 'Viva La Vida', whilst trying to clear my mind of any previous knowledge of their music. If ever there was a time to try to objectively listen to a Coldplay album, it is now.

Like an old-fashioned (and yet very contemporary-sounding) overture, the instrumental 'Life In Technicolor' opens the album and sets the scene, as the synth intro fades in and the sound gradually expands - the first of the Eno trademarks to feature on this album. When the drums kick in, it's a genuinely euphoric moment and it's a very good choice for a first track. It segues into 'Cemeteries Of London', an swirling, atmospheric song resplendent with stirring rhythmic handclaps and a memorable choral refrain. So far, a very solid and impressive start to the album. The third track, 'Lost!' provides - at first - the first slight lull in the album until towards the end of the song, during the "I'm just waiting 'til the shine wears off" refrain, when the sound suddenly gets bigger and, before you realise it, you've been hooked. A grower and a subtly brilliant track.

Next comes one of the album's highlights, '42' (surely a 'Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy' reference). It begins with Chris' sombre vocals backed by piano only and then, with a gentle, swelling string accompaniment, it builds into a melancholic, chills-down-the-back-of-the-neck piece of soul-massaging beauty as the lyrics vaguely contemplate the meaning of life ("Time is so short and I'm sure/there must be something more")... and that's just the start of the track. '42' is, in fact, a song of three sections, the second being an exciting instrumental bridge with a great synthesised string sound which Chris then effectively mimics with his voice, leading into the third section which boasts a storming musical motif and a genuinely-rousing use of the drums and percussion. The song then concludes with a one line signature from the first part of the composition - absolutely brilliant and one of Coldplay's finest moments to date.

'Lovers Of Japan/Reign Of Love' a two-part song (as the title suggests) is, unfortunately, less impressive and not a fraction as interesting as the song it follows - the first part, in particular, lacks musical direction and a discernible melody and is only redeemed, in part, by the mellow, tender 'Reign Of Love' section of the track. Fortunately, the album's quality control is then restored by the brilliant 'Yes', which has a middle-eastern flavoured musical feel as well as a couple of killer lines ("but night makes a fool of us in daylight" and "God knows I'm trying my best/but I'm just so tired of this loneliness"). For me, 'Yes' is an instant classic and it concludes with an up-tempo instrumental/choral jam which, although officially part of the track, sounds like a completely different piece of music.

The reverb-laden, staccato strings which announce the beginning of title-song, 'Viva La Vida' are a classy introduction to a classy, epic-sounding song written from the perspective of a once-great leader. The lyrics suggest, to me, as if Martin may be speaking about the hubris of some of our present or recent leaders - in an allegorical sense, of course. Like much of his lyrics, they are certainly open to interpretation, but one thing is for certain, this is a magnificent-sounding song, boosted by soaring strings and dramatic timpani. The next song and the choice for first single, 'Violet Hill', was a song I resisted hearing until I heard it in context, as a part of the album's whole and, being a very moody, brooding and yet foot-tappingly catchy song, it sounds wonderful - I'm glad I waited.

Until now, I have resisted the temptation to make reference or draw comparisons with any of Coldplay's previous work, but with 'Strawberry Swing', I can't not. Parts of it remind me heavily of a reworked, up-tempo 'The Scientist'. It's a rather lovely song, especially towards the end, but I have a feeling that I have heard it before in another form. The album draws to an end with 'Death And All His Friends', another decent song with the quiet start/big finish before we're then played out by an instrumental reprise of 'Life In Technicolor', concluding the album with a dignified whisper rather than a bang.

Forget the fact that this is Coldplay. This album stands alone as a great piece of work and needs no comparison or point of reference to shine. If you expect 'Viva La Vida' to be similar to any of Coldplay's other album then you are setting yourself up to be disappointed - it is an accomplished piece of work in its own right. Approach this collection of songs with an open mind, with little or no pre-conceptions of Coldplay's work, give it at least three or four listens (through good quality headphones, ideally), let some of the songs sink in and then appreciate the subtleties which raise this album from the ordinary listen it may appear to be at first to the largely extraordinary piece of work it really is.

Is this album a masterpiece? Well, to be honest, I think that may be going a step too far. I certainly believe that 'Viva La Vida' is a rival to 'Parachutes' and 'Rush Of Blood To The Head' as Coldplay's best album and, certainly, it contains a handful of songs which are amongst the best that the band have ever written, but there are a couple of tracks which fall short of being classics and they do, regrettably, lower the overall impact of the album overall. Still, I'm giving this album a five star review because, in accordance with amazon's criteria for five stars, I really do love it. It is a truly wonderful, atmospheric listen which gets better every time you play it and, although I'm not the biggest Coldplay fan, they have made an album which has greatly increased my admiration of their work and restored my faith in their obvious ability and creativity.

Highly recommended and a definite contender for album of the year.

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Rating: - Underwhelming
Listened it it several times now and my feeling is one of being underwhelmed. It's unoffensive background music but very few of the tracks are in any way memorable.