U2start.com | Coldplay

some local and digital radio stations in the uk are broadcasting 60 minutes of the sunderland gig this thursday at 9pm (uk) it's definitely on Q radio but anything else you will have to find out for yourselves.

LikeASong

12 years

Thanks for the heads up

I will listen to it via proxy, because I'm pretty sure they'll cut off the broadcast for all non-UK visitors.

KieranU2

12 years

Yay, the gig I went to! I'll listen to it. It will give me some memories of that rain-filled night.

LikeASong

12 years

I really wonder where CP are heading to. They surely are bound to be the biggest band in the world when/if U2 retire (and if Muse keep giving erratic creative steps), but I can't see them being the biggest band without doing their "Joshua Tree". I honestly can't say Viva La Vida was their Joshua Tree precisely, and I think we all agree that Mylo Xyloto isn't either. That leaves them in a weird position. Having released 5 albums already, their 2nd one -which is a decade old- is widely regarded as their best, and they haven't been able to become fully mainstream and loved by all audiences, nor fully praised by all the critics. I can't foresee their next step.

Anyone cares to enlighten me?

ahn1991

12 years

I actually think Mylo Xyloto is their Achtung Baby. It was a totally radical new direction when compared to all of their previous albums. Additionally, I feel MX is Coldplay's first "complete" album. They're going to go far if they keep up the pace.

And Muse is another interesting case. Without talking about their hypothetical musical direction, you can only talk about chaos and rebellion for so long before it gets old.... I think they've got tons of musical styles to experiment, but only one message to say. Until Muse learns to expand their horizons from a thematic standpoint, I don't know how far they can go...

LikeASong

12 years

I can't agree with MX being their Achtung Baby... mainly because the "achtung baby" concept means not only a radical new direction, but also a "fuck what everybody expects of us" concept. U2 were at their peak back then, and they could have released another Joshua/Rattle to keep up with their popularity... Instead, they decided to take the Rattle-bashing personally and gave a radical wheel turn not only to their musical style, but also to their attitude towards their audience and the showbiz.

Coldplay haven't done that (yet?) - as far as I'm aware of.

ahn1991

12 years

Joshua and Rattle can't really be placed on the same playing field because while Joshua Tree was considered a great success, many fans (ie, Americans) felt that Rattle and Hum was somewhat of an insult. If anything, releasing another Rattle and Hum would be an act symbolic of them not caring about what others expect of them and I'm willing to bet that if they released another album similar to Rattle and Hum, we would not be having this conversation today because U2 would've been long forgotten.

I actually think Coldplay does have their "Joshua Tree," but not in the sense of what we may think of it. As I said, I feel that MX is their first truly complete album. All their previous albums have a lot of great hits, but none of them actually feel like a complete album. That's why I believe the works that they've carried with them from the past represent their "Joshua Tree." For them, it's songs like Yellow, The Scientist, In My Place, etc.

If you look at Coldplay's past history, MX is a huge radical step. Even though we see it as "mainstream" (which it isn't, by the way), there are quite a few Coldplay fans that are resistant to the change, just as there were U2 fans resistant to Achtung Baby. And from this album alone, they've got a few hits that will carry on. Every Tear Drop Is A Waterfall is their "rebel song," a Sunday Bloody Sunday equivalent on many levels. Paradise and Charlie Brown are two other songs that they'll carry with them. They're both superb musically and lyrically.

But I honestly think the only thing keeping Coldplay from going far is themselves. They need to expand their setlist now that they have the material to do it!

LikeASong

12 years

Maybe you're right. But I can't see MX being the trascendental album that Achtung Baby was, not only in a global sense but neither on CP career. That's all I said at the start. I can't foresee their next step. They would need to do a real groundbreaking album (which I refuse to label MX as) next.

Ali709

12 years

Originally posted by LikeASong:Maybe you're right. But I can't see MX being the trascendental album that Achtung Baby was, not only in a global sense but neither on CP career. That's all I said at the start. I can't foresee their next step. They would need to do a real groundbreaking album (which I refuse to label MX as) next.

I agree with Sergio here.
MX wasn't an AB for me. Yes, it was a turn in their style, but it was a turn to a more popy sound, a more mainstream sound.

Yes, some fans oppose it, like some fans opposed AB, but the reasons are much different. It's because they are making it more like mainstream music. When U2 moved from JT to AB it was moving away from the mainstream. The JT songs were not something new, they were not hard on ears, but AB songs...they took some getting used to for the people at that time.

CP's move with MX wasn't that radical either IMHO. I say this, because as a person who had listened to all their previous songs, when I heard MX, I actually felt like I had heard some of the songs before, they sounded so similar to their old work.

But, I still remember when I heard AB for the first time, when Zoo Station started playing I actually picked up my mp3 player and checked to see if I mistakenly skipped to some other artist! That is radical change.

KieranU2

12 years

Originally posted by ahn1991:Joshua and Rattle can't really be placed on the same playing field because while Joshua Tree was considered a great success, many fans (ie, Americans) felt that Rattle and Hum was somewhat of an insult. If anything, releasing another Rattle and Hum would be an act symbolic of them not caring about what others expect of them and I'm willing to bet that if they released another album similar to Rattle and Hum, we would not be having this conversation today because U2 would've been long forgotten.

I actually think Coldplay does have their "Joshua Tree," but not in the sense of what we may think of it. As I said, I feel that MX is their first truly complete album. All their previous albums have a lot of great hits, but none of them actually feel like a complete album. That's why I believe the works that they've carried with them from the past represent their "Joshua Tree." For them, it's songs like Yellow, The Scientist, In My Place, etc.

If you look at Coldplay's past history, MX is a huge radical step. Even though we see it as "mainstream" (which it isn't, by the way), there are quite a few Coldplay fans that are resistant to the change, just as there were U2 fans resistant to Achtung Baby. And from this album alone, they've got a few hits that will carry on. Every Tear Drop Is A Waterfall is their "rebel song," a Sunday Bloody Sunday equivalent on many levels. Paradise and Charlie Brown are two other songs that they'll carry with them. They're both superb musically and lyrically.

But I honestly think the only thing keeping Coldplay from going far is themselves. They need to expand their setlist now that they have the material to do it!

Mylo Xyloto isn't the first complete record in my opinion. A Rush of Blood To The Head is a masterpiece and every song connects to another one giving it this favourable flow. Every song is palatable — lyrically and musically.

Mylo Xyloto as an album isn't mainstream, but the singles (bar Every Teardrop) are. 'Paradise' is extremely mainstream because of all the Bieber fans saying it was a good song — a lot better than his shit — which made it a chart-topper and then get constantly played on the radio.

Hold on, Every Teardrop isn't a "rebel song equivalent to Sunday Bloody Sunday"! I really do not know what you mean by that actually. One song is about war and conflict, the other being about, well, nothing like a crisis at all. Nothing rebelious.

Also, I wouldn't say 'Paradise' is superb lyrically. It's catchy, I'll give you that.

They could expand their setlist, although they currently have that fine setlist which doesn't really need adapting. We'll complain that they aren't changing it up later on, but it's excellent at the moment. If longer sets are required, then I think they should leave it to next tour. They have only dedicated this set to the stage design.

And I very much agree with Sergio. Mylo Xyloto wasn't 'groundbreaking' at all, compared to what Achtung Baby was. One was a masterpiece, one was very much not a masterpiece. I suppose it can only be compared to how much a sound change there was within albums.

LikeASong

12 years

I agree with all Kieran (and Ali) said except on the setlist issue.

To give a step forward and proudly claim their title as one of the (if not the) best bands around at the moment, they NEED to start performing for more than 90 minutes, whether the stage suits a longer setlist or not. 90 minutes is alright for an arena leg or tour, but absolutely not enough to fill up stadiums all around the globe with tickets at an average of 60 bucks or more. I was happy with my concert last month, it was superb and as of today I'm glad I attended it and wouldn't exchange my money back - BUT that doesn't keep me from saying that 90 minutes are, whatever the perspective you look at it from, absolutely insufficient.

KieranU2

12 years

I suppose it's good to ask: what would you change / additionally include in the current setlist?

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