Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends

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Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/EMI
Category: Music

List Price: ~~£16.99~~
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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

182 reviews
Sales Rank: 10

Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5

EAN: 5099921211409
ASIN: B0017NCVWY

Release Date: June 12, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: unwanted

Tracks:

•	Life In Technicolor
•	Cemeteries Of London
•	Lost
•	42
•	Lovers In Japan/Reign Of Love
•	Yes
•	Viva La Vida
•	Violet Hill
•	Strawberry Swing
•	Death And All His Friends

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•	Perfect Symmetry

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.co.uk review
To say there has been a lot of anticipation for Coldplay's fourth album, Viva La Vida, is an understatement. Having enlisted legendary leftfield producer Brian Eno, borrowed their album title from a painting by renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and made tantalising remarks about sonic reinvention, the world has been curious (to say the least) to hear what the `new' Coldplay might sound like. Viva La Vida definitely makes some departures from the band's usual formula, which happens to be one of the most commercially successful rock-pop blueprints of recent years. The plangent chords, emotive melodies, stadium-rock rhythms and universal lyrical concerns remain, but Martin and co. have gone out on several limbs here, incorporating instrumental tracks ("Life In Technicolour"), using subtle North African and Latin elements ("Yes", "Strawberry Swing"), and overhauling previously strict verse-chorus-verse structures in favour of slightly more avant arrangements. The old Coldplay still shine through (see tracks like "Violet Hill" and the title song) but even their classic sound feels more muscular and confident. The band's new flourishes, cosmetic and self-conscious as they may be, are enough to make Viva La Vida a welcome break from the old routine--Danny McKenna

Customer Reviews: Read 177 more reviews...

3 out of 5 stars

Good but over-rated October 13, 2008
Johnny Salmons (UK)
A little disappointing after the commercial and audience friendly X & Y. Yes this is meant to be far more clever and experimental musically but many of the lyrics make little sense but over-reach themselves in scope. Similarly musically this album does the same, at times at the expense of melody. It's all just a little too Bruce Hornsby meets Joshua Tree in places -- both fine in themselves but a dated stab at reinvention now. Coldplay stick to the good melodies and heartfelt lyrics that you do best - Fix You, Trouble, Clocks etc and keep the experimentation to the electro meets indie pop aka Square One, that put anything on Kid A to shame, and that I was hoping would be the direction this venture would take. Alas no.

Good but definitely disappointing and the critics way off base - melody wins over clever everytime - people don't remember clever!!!

2 out of 5 stars

Lukewarm Coldplay October 12, 2008
J. A. Harvey (Lincolnshire, UK)
Forget Dave Lister, Chris Martin is the ultimate egg chilli-chutney sandwich guy. He sings through his nose, his albums contain more filler than a B&Q superstore, and he looks like he'd be more at home with a back-pack than a microphone, yet put it all together and it works; Coldplay are one of the biggest rock bands in the world, and he's married to Princess Gwen. Who cares if he makes the odd duff album?

Don't get me wrong, I loved Parachutes and A Rush of Blood was okay, so following universal aclaim for this album, I ignored the ultra pretentious title and sleeve and gave it a go. At first it sounded rather tedious, but I hoped things would improve after a few plays. In fairness they did, it went from tedious to so-so. Nothing to add to that really, in fact I'm bored thinking about it.

3 out of 5 stars

Very dissapointing... September 29, 2008
Greg Quinn (South Africa)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I loved Cold Play's two first albums, I feel like I could get absorbed in them and never skip a track.

I have listened to this new album about 10 times and I just don't feel the same way about this album. When listening to this album I honestly say I enjoy about 3 of the songs, the rest well I really don't.

3 out of 5 stars

Yes, it's fashionable to slag them off... September 26, 2008
Nick Lawrance (West Yorkshire, UK)
... but that shouldn't be a deterrent. Let's be honest, they're good at what they do. No doubts about that. Talented - absolutely. They have carved a niche, actually more of a corner, in the market for plaintive songwriting and it's a time-tested and A&R trusted fact that this stuff sells by the truckload.

Frankly, if you've bought a Coldplay album before and liked it, you're probably going to like this one. If you already hate Coldplay, you're going to hate it. The fact is it's not going to make many new fans or new enemies - the band appear to have become the "through the looking glass" skewed mirror image of Radiohead. Whether that's a good thing or not depends on where your head's at.

Bringing in Eno is an interesting one - the guy's flirted with genius at the helm before (Remain in Light etc), but it doesn't work here. Doesn't exactly aid the U2 references either.

3 out of 5 as it's perfectly fine if you like this sort of stuff, but it ain't gonna convert ya if you don't.

3 out of 5 stars

Good but not great September 22, 2008
Jd Nobbs
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

I quite like Coldplay and I enjoyed this album. But it's quite obvious that the band did not try that hard with Viva la Vida. Chris Martin once described creating the album as 'just jamming' and that is an accurate description. Most songs are catchy but lack substance and often you expect the song to build but nothing happens then it ends.

I think Coldplay are getting lazy and it's going to cost them fans.

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