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| Viva La Vida | 
 enlarge | Artist: Coldplay
Label: Capitol
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $7.85
You Save: $11.13 (59%)
New (48) Used (22) Collectible (2) from $7.85
Avg. Customer Rating:  423 reviews
Sales Rank: 16
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 5 x 0.2
EAN: 5099921688607
ASIN: B000RPTQ1C
Release Date: June 17, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Huge disappointment... June 26, 2008
13 out of 35 found this review helpful
Pre-ordered this one with great expectation. But it turned out to be such a huge disappointment like a third-grade, street rockers' works. Loud, clueless, and souless.
The usual self-obsessed, whiny derivative mush July 18, 2008
13 out of 29 found this review helpful
Even by Coldplay's standards, this is a bad album. I can see why they released the song Viva la Vida first because it's the only one that's half decent, even though it sounds like something from slick Norwegian popsters A-ha. Other riffs could have come from U2 and OMD and if they thought they were being clever by starting the album with the same tune that finishes off the last track, let me remind you -- Pink Floyd did that on The Wall. The idea isn't original and neither is anything else on this shallow work.
Mesmerizing Concept C.D. for Hungry Ears and Minds June 18, 2008
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
Coldplay's music comes off like it's another sequel soundtrack of Arthur C. Clarke's `2001: A Space Odyssey'. Mesmerizing, the echo effect of Chris Martin's guitar is second-cousin twice removed from U2's The Edge with lead singer Jonny Buckland's voice sounding like a homely, but likable, version of Bono. Far be it from me to complain or make a claim of plagiarism; they remain sustaining with their songs, much like The Cure did in their day.
Their new release `Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends' is a concept album, one that encapsulates the dichotomies of the broader subjects of life with clever--if not contradictory--phrasing to match the mysteries they try to reflect. While the quality is consistent for the entire album, there are no songs as great as "Clocks" or "Green Eyes," yet the album is greater than the sum of its parts.
Featuring some sublime and substantive piano work and some exotic and excellent violin, there's enough variety to make this work a must have for fans and newcomers alike.
The subject matter is twofold, often like the structure of their songs--just like the C.D. title. Most of the tracks are really two songs fused together, segues if you will, like the Beatles did on `Sgt. Pepper' and `Abbey Road,' except they do it within a song instead of between songs (reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson's "Irvine," off of 'My December,' which is really two songs, except she did it with a break). Like `...Pepper,' they even reprise the first song at the end. "Life [is indeed] in Technicolor".
Musically, they change notes and tempos to reflect the theme. The best songs in the middle do this, including "Lost!" (the folly of winning and losing); "Lovers in Japan" and "Yes," (yearning, 'Lust/Caution' and attainment); (The first part of "Lovers..." sounds like U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name;" the second part like something off of 'October'.) "Viva La Vida" (those who reign on heaven and earth, "St. Peter won't call my name/...When I ruled the world.") and "The Violent Hill," (the secular and spiritual realms, "...Long and dark December/When the banks became cathedrals.")
Exceptions include "42," which may be in four parts--I keep losing count--and invokes the memory of the dead, reconciling the divide between the living and the departed. "Strawberry Swing" is a country fusion and properly remains one solid song. The lyrics celebrate the wonders and pleasures of life, and, call me all wet, but I believe recently deceased Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman, is invoked here. After all, Bergman revered the fruit, and depicted it in exuberant community partaking in `The Seventh Seal' and `Wild Strawberries'. Similarly, "Cemeteries of London," is celestial, and while the words are elusive to me so far, it is one of the best tracks on the C.D.
I love this album despite its alleged flaws. I am hypnotized by its reverberating rhythms, and get lost in its everyman lyrics. "Lost!" is an encouraging reminder that winning is tentative and limiting; not everyone can win at once after all. If the nearly subliminal wisdom doesn't get you, then some of the last lines will: "No, I don't want battlefronts from beginning to end./No, I don't want to recycle revenge."
What better way to travel through life than with in your car with this Coldplay C.D.? It provides food for thought, but, ah, what exquisite food for the ears and mind.
Weak! But a nice Christmas gift for Mom! July 2, 2008
11 out of 31 found this review helpful
Man...
These guys keep making weaker and weaker music.
This new album sounds like an uplifting Christian rock compilation.
I hereby declare Coldplay the new Air Supply.
Weak, boring, and not as catchy as previous efforts.
But your mom might like it.
 Not terrible, but not brilliant either June 17, 2008
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
3.5 Stars. I just want to to say to those who are giving this album one star is that you aren't listening to it enough. When I first heard the album I hated it. But I also can't agree with the rosy 5 star reviews that call this their best album yet. And that won't change over time either. Coldplay made this album in part because of some macho complex that kept telling them they are a girly band, Martin has a girly voice, and their music isn't all that serious. In other words, they made this album for critics. And the critics, to no surprise, love it.
I have liked every album Coldplay has put out and I will say that I don't think they have really made an atrocious song yet. That streak has come to an end. As I mentioned, I listened to this album straight through the first time and I did not care for it all. But being a fan and listening to other positive fan reviews I decided to keep listening. After this exercise, I have to say there are a few good songs on here, but this is not the complete album that Coldplay's previous efforts have produced. On those other albums I may occasionally skip one song. On this album, I find myself only listening frequently to a few. Here are my thoughts:
I want to say that I really like the first part of the album. Cemeteries of London is a good song. It has a great pace and catchy chorus in the refrain. I also absolutely love 42. It's probably the most familiar song Coldplay fans will find on this record. As for Lost! and Lovers in Japan, I like them, but I love! love! love! their acoustic versions better. It is kind of ironic that these acoustic versions sound much more like Coldplay than the regular tracks. With Lost!, perhaps it is that the piano, which I absolutely adore, lets this track shine and the lyrics and Martin's voice shine through. I don't think I have ever patently preferred an acoustic version of a song over the original until now. As for Lovers In Japan, I like both versions, but again, the acoustic brings out the lyrics better than the original.
The next part of the album is what I would call more experimental. Reign of Love is okay, but it lacks something that I can't quite pinpoint yet. Yes is very much experimental... sort of like A Whisper. What I don't like is Martin trying to change his voice. It sounds brooding and dark. I hate Chinese Sleep Chant.
Viva la Vida is one of the two singles getting air time. It is a great song. I think if it was placed earlier in the album it would probably play better. My head is still ringing from Chinese sleep chant. I think it could also use some piano. More Piano! More Cowbell!
Violet Hill, the main single, is okay. But again it feels out of place on the album. It also sounds like an 80's song I can't quite place. I think another reviewer referenced this. I like the song... but it just doesn't really sound like a Coldplay song.
Strawberry Swing... the concept and jingle is interesting, but is very poorly executed. Martin sounds like he is mumbling like a later Eddie Vedder. I also think it could use a more robust guitar. Something more akin to the guitar work in Green Eyes. It's a song worth listening to once to sample the band's experimentation, but I can easily see my self forgetting this song over time.
Death and all his friends... okay ending song. But again, you are kind of already asleep from Strawberry Swing to really get the effect of the intro. I would take it or leave it.
I get the sense that this album will most likely sound better live without all the extra layers of production Brian Eno felt the need to saddle this album with. The guy who produced Arcade Fire also worked on this album and it shows. I don't much care for Arcade Fire because while their music is interesting, it's also so layered and textured that it almost becomes an exercise in itself to listen to it. Many songs on this album require that similar exercise. I am glad Coldplay decided to break the mold a bit, even though I really liked X&Y. But I think they could have been experimental without abandoning their sound on much of the album. It seems almost like an imposter band is playing the music on some of this album because they were trying to make their sound more macho. I think they failed in this respect and also failed in staying true to their sound. The song Yes is the epitome of this effort. Coldplay needs to stop listening to producers and critics that are telling them to go this direction. It ignores the millions of fans that fell in love with their first three albums.
On a final note, I can't recommend to you enough to get the acoustic versions of Lost! and Lovers in Japan.
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