Review:

on 2011-06-12 CharlesMartel Said:

The second output from Coldplay was eagerly anticipated. The new poster boys of the wet mainstream-independent music press got themselves all hot under the collar about this long before it came out. It should hardly come as a surprise then that it was a huge hit on its release. Whatever one may think of Coldplay, they had not succumbed to the dreaded second-album-syndrome. This may well be better than its predecessor.

The truth is, I like this. It is not the great act of inspirational genius which some people make it out to be, but it is good. If it were not for the hype, this band could even live up to expectations. The main problem with it, of course, is that it does not excite. Don't get me wrong, it is easy to sit back and listen to while you are doing something else but it rarely, if ever, has the power to shake you out of whatever you are doing and force you to take notice of it.

Some of the tracks, "Scientist" and "Clocks" are excellent and have deserved the airplay they get. Most of the rest are listenable without being inspiring, but they are listenable, which is more than can be said for a lot of mainstream pap these days. The style police cottoned onto this early and by the time of its release Coldplay were out there at the forefront of British popular music, or so we are told. Yet in truth, they were nothing of the sort.

The so-called arbiters of taste may feel this is a sop thrown to thinking people (as opposed to the fodder they feed the ignorant masses on), but Coldplay were just too middle-class university educated ever to become the heroes of British music outside the same circles from which they originated. The champagne socialists in Hampstead Heath no doubt all have this on their 4X4 multi-CD changers, but that does not signify true greatness.

At least with Coldplay you know what you are getting. Mellow defines Coldplay as much as they define the term itself. And because the music could be neatly packaged into instantly recognisable chunks, when this album came out the BBC used the piano music of "Clocks" as a musical background to half a dozen TV programmes contemporaneous to it. In the end, you could not switch on the TV and watch a trailer without hearing this. You can truly be said to have arrived once your music has achieved that accolade, second only to featuring on a Vodafone commercial.

However, there is one drawback, one nagging doubt about their music which eventually overpowers the listener. Coldplay have become huge because their music does not offend, and for me that is their biggest problem. The music just lacks that emotional edge which is what makes a good, competent band turn into a great one in my view. If music does not challenge you in some way, challenge you to think, challenge you to emote, challenge you to feel, even if you feel sad, angry or dejected, then it lacks something. And that just about sums my attitude to Coldplay up. "Parachutes" was okay; this is good. I do not think I will go out and buy their third. As far as I am concerned, Coldplay have pretty much reached the end of the line with me.
Rating: 7/10

Review:

on 2009-07-06 fortunecookie Said:

Most of my sentiments on this album aren't new: I'd agree that there's a lot of filler with a few rather good spots. "Green Eyes" is my personal favorite, with "The Scientist" in second. Coldplay is best when they're mellow, but not too mellow. "In My Place" could've been good had it not be so goshdarn slow. I'd have to say that it falls into the same category as "Parachutes" and "X&Y" for me, none of their first three albums really disappointed or amazed me. I would say that this album contains their worst song ever ("Clocks"...end of story).
Rating: 7/10

on 2008-03-26 big brekfest Said:

Rush of Blood had some good tracks and "In My Place" still gets rotation in my iPod, but Coldplay really lost me when they moved into their U2-Sized sound on this album. Parachutes was a spotty album, sure, but i desperately missed the intimacy of those songs. Coldplay is a good band, but has grown to big for their sound.
Rating: 5/10

Review:

on 2008-03-26 hstisgod Said:

Its long I know... whatever!!!! I wrote it years ago...



Just as its predecessor, Parachutes , Rush Of Blood To The Head is a fully self-explanatory album title. It's melodies so vividly relayed, and portrayed as what’s commonly known as an adrenaline rush. The opening track “Politik” shows a newly flavored twist to the world of pianos, guitars, drums, vocals and bass. All contribute equal parts to the future of music as Coldplay presents.

Bolstered by the confidence of Parachutes, Coldplay not only enjoyed the creative freedom, but ran with it like a track star on a sunny day. Fitting up to its radio expectations was “In My Place”. A sappy apologetic type not far from the similarities of their chart topper “Trouble”. “In my place, in my place, Were lines that I couldn't change, I was lost, oh yeah, And I was lost, I was lost, Crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed, I was lost, oh yeah”. Not holding back a bar of humility lead singer Chris Martin further pleads. “(Sing it) Please, please, please, Come back and sing to me, to me, me ”

I know what you’re saying, ‘Certainly this formula changed a bit on their sophomore effort’. Gladly I report progression in a subtle manner. Catchy, contagious and outright universal, track three “God Put A Smile On Your Face,” exemplifies such writing. “Where do we go to draw the line? I’ve gotta say I wasted all your time, honey honey, Where do I go to fall from grace? God put a smile upon your face”.

Pulling at the strings back and forth we all go, playing with your heartbeat like a yo-yo. Ultimately the best procedure to induce an adrenaline rush is to start from the bottom, and work your way up. Track four The Scientist.

Nobody said it was easy
Oh it’s such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said that it would be this hard
Oh take me back to the start
I was just guessing at numbers and figures
Pulling your puzzles apart
Questions of science, science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart
Tell me you love me, come back and haunt me
Oh and I rush to the start
Running in circles, chasing our tails
Coming back as we are



As the beat builds, and locks hands with your memory glands of personal experience, you’ll soon realize, it’s never to release. Inexplicable simplicity once again is the core method. Sound distortions for acoustic contributions bring this method to a head. It’s worth mentioning however, without the piano backbone, this entire album (much less this track) may have taken on a much more generic feel.

Next is what most might consider the larger of radio hits, track five “Clocks”. Originally fed as a live single release, this bang and bounce story-line never rests, pushing emotions back up. However, there’ll be no trend’s here as the alternating slowed down, sped up music environment continues on in track six “Daylight”. Featuring a spotlighted piano layering that plays an almost childish hide-n-go seek with an adjourning yet mesmerizing guitar tempo. The pleasantly positive outro repeatedly bounces off itself like a (supermarket vending machine) rubber ball on a concrete parking lot as Mr. Martin’s vocals take their own repetitive shape. “Slowly breaking through the daylight”

So back to gravity, track seven “Green Eyes,” which once again re-lays the ground rules of the album. This sweet surrender of vocal and lyrical content drops in like a valentine’s gift. “Honey you are the sea upon which I float. I came here to talk, I think you should know… That green eyes, You’re the one that I wanted to find, And anyone who tried to deny you must be out of their mind.”

Moving on to my personal favorite, track eight “Warning Sign” is yet another example of just how playfully simplistic the lyrical content can be.

A warning sign
You came back to haunt me and I realized
That you were an island and I passed you by
And you were an island to discover
Come on in, I’ve gotta tell you what a state I’m in
I’ve gotta tell you in my loudest tones
That I started looking for a warning sign

Ultimately, I challenge you to skip past this track. These are simply the kind of melodies to kidnap anyone’s valuable attention. Carefully blended with memories, and lyrics everyone who has known, and lost love can relate to.

Track nine “Whisper” is the go all out sound which may be a peek into future Coldplay efforts. Destined to re-create themselves, in each of the first two albums, one track stands out like a Sesame Street exercise. (“Which one of these doesn’t fit?”) While “Whisper” isn’t all that different, no one sticks around for culture shock unless it happens slowly, and carefully. Whisper may just be that…a gradual changing of the Coldplay culture.

The title track which sits at number 10 is a fair explanation of worldly frustrations that become inspiration. “He said oh I’m gonna buy a gun and start a war, If you can tell me something worth fighting for, Oh and I’m gonna buy this place, that’s what I said, Blame it upon a rush of blood to the head.” Not so much political, as prolifically personal, these awe inspiring lyrics repeatedly redefine honesty. Throw in some dramatic instrumental synchronization all packaged nicely with an energizing chorus, and you’re left wiped out.

Closing things out is track 11 “Amsterdam,” I’m left a bit disorientated but nonetheless drained. A slow starter as most Coldpay songs go, this one never does reach the elevation or climax as I’ve become accustomed to. Though more piano controlled than ever, Coldplay is certainly on their way to creating as legendary a status as their Parlophone labelmates, Radiohead.

With freight I sit waiting as word from both Capitol, and Coldplay camps leak that their next will be far from the path of its predecessors. While I’m the first to applaud diversity and change, as the aforementioned Radiohead proves with authority there’s a reason old sayings become old sayings. Surely you remember this one? “Don’t fix it if its not broken,” Diversity is sometimes more damaging than helpful. (Ie; Radiohead’s Kid A, Insomniac) The world is just not ready for some things.

The question is…Will these impending changes to Coldplay’s style pale in comparison to changes made between “Parachutes” and “Rush Of Blood…” Lets’ just hope its all slowed down enough so we can all understand.

Rating: 8/10

Review:

on 2008-03-25 dscanland Said:

I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. I could never get into Parachutes. Sure, I didn't mind Yellow but the album just didn't sit well with me. And then by the time Rush of Blood came out there was so much press/hype/praise for the band that I dismissed it. But I kept running across songs off of the album that I absolutely loved. Scientist, Clocks, In My Place... I eventually asked for it as a Christmas present (rarely do I ask for CDs) and then found that it was easily my most listened to CD that next year (or even two). I even went to their live show when they came around to Calgary and enjoyed the live experience with the strobe light effects. Fun stuff.

I do agree with your sentiments about X&Y. I was excited for some more Coldplay material but was ultimately let down. A couple songs are decent but the album as a whole let me down.
Rating: 9/10