Coldplay “Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends” on Capitol/EMI Records

By Susie Salva

The most highly anticipated album of the year, Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends,” on Capitol/EMI records stands up to all of its hype. The 10-song 42-minute, or 46 minute hidden song can be listened to in the time it takes to watch your favorite episode of CSI. In that spirit, the band decided at the very beginning of the recording process that “Viva…” would be the shortest album yet. “We realized we hadn’t really listened to any albums all the way through for quite a long time,” says guitarist Jonny Buckland, “the simple reason being that people put too many songs on them.” “So, although it meant leaving off some of the tracks that we love,” says Chris Martin, “this album had to finish before an episode of CSI is over.”

Like U2, Coldplay’s fans expect their music to measure up and even exceed what they have produced in the past. That’s a lot of pressure on the band but certainly something Coldplay can meet with those expectations. In a clever move, Coldplay used an Apple iTunes commercial to promote their new album definitely catering to their loyal fan base.

However you might describe it, there’s no mistaking the artistic leap which, “Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends’” represents for the four friends collectively known as Coldplay. “I think it’s our boldest and most confident record,” says bassist Gary Berryman. “We were much more open to new ideas and influences and much less afraid to experiment.” “It can be easy to stop yourself from trying things because you’re scared of what people might say,” says lead singer Chris Martin, “but we forced ourselves not to do that.”

The result is a record where groovesome programmed beats jostle with the sounds of a church organ on “Lost,” where the space between verse and chorus is filled with deliciously propulsive stabs of North- African-styled strings are evident on “Yes,” where breezy Flamenco handclaps drive a tale of gloom and despair on “Cemeteries of London,” or where four-to-the-floor rhythms meld with weeping strings for an ode to lost glories on “Viva La Vida”. It all sounds like Coldplay, only different.

 

“Viva La Vida” takes it title from the extremes of emotions that fuel it. This is an album characterized by loss and uncertainty, travel and time, happiness and regrets. “I’m not sure it it’s bi-polar syndrome, but we definitely have something going on in our heads which is as much down as up,” says Martin. “ Unfortunately, it’s uncontrollable. I wrote these songs in both states; they’re up and down and all over the place. There was no lyrical plan, they just come out like that. But they’re rallying cries too. There’s always love, joy and excitement in our music.”

That much is obvious from the giddy rush of  “Love In Japan,” or the sweet carnal bliss of  “Strawberry Swing.” But it’s clear, too, from the insistent hope of a track like “42” (“There must be something more”) or the spine-tingling group-sung climax to “Death And All His Friends.” “We’re never going to lose the desire to be optimistic,” says Martin.

“I’m driven by two things,” Martin explains. “One is trying to make sense of existence. The other is when I hear something brilliant, trying to write something as good as that. With this album, we were inspired by so much amazing music. We’d listen to Rammstein and Tinariwen next to each other and the result would be something like the middle bit of “42”. For another track, we’d listen to Marvin Gaye and Radiohead. Or Jay-Z and the Golden Gate trio. Or My Bloody Valentine and Gerschwin. Or Delakota and Blonde Redhead. There were no limitations.”

“We’ve definitely stretched ourselves,” says Buckland. But those sonic stretches don’t come at the expense of the diamond-tipped melodies, which have helped make Coldplay one of the favorite bands since they released their debut album, “Parachutes,” in 2000. “Viva…” might find Coldplay in an experimental mood, but its 10-songs still burst with big, life-affirming hooks and choruses. “I hope so,” says Buckland, “We’ve never been ashamed of tunes and we never will be.” We’re still obsessed with making songs that can be sung to the rafters,” agrees Martin. “We just want to present them differently.”

 

Coldplay’s latest album, “Viva La Vida,” debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with over 720,000 copies sold in its first week of release in the U.S. “Viva…” has topped the U.K. chart for the second week in a row, where it is the fastest-selling album of the year, and No. 1 rankings continue to come in from around the globe including Japan, Australia, Canada, France and Germany. Already the biggest album pre-order in iTunes history, “Viva La Vida,” also set the record for the highest first-week album ever on iTunes store worldwide.

Produced by Brian Eno and Markus Dravs, “Viva…” is the follow-up to 2005’s “X & Y,” which also debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the U.K. album chart and in numerous other countries, going on to sell 10 million copies worldwide to date.

What then, of Coldplay’s ambitions for “Viva….”? “I wanted this record to prove us worthy of the position we’ve been given,” says Martin. “And there’s no question that we’ve come out of this process a better band; whatever anyone makes of the record, when we play live, we’re gonna be on fire. But, ultimately, however cerebral you try to get about it, the album is there to entertain people; to provide 42 minutes of enjoyment, with ten great songs that will be somebody’s favorite. I’m really hopeful that we’ve achieved that.”

For more information on Coldplay and their tour schedule please go to www.coldplay.com for all details.