I never liked Coldplay that much. I’ve never been a fan of semi-depressed-looking gloomy fellows and music to match (Travis, Manic Street Preachers, and so on). Which is a big part in why I was stunned when a particular iTunes ad got my attention this May. That song was Viva la Vida, the title track from the album “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends“.
In a way, Viva la Vida is my kind of music. It is a powerful song that’s got a solid beat and rhythm, sounds like real music and sends shivers down your spine. I’ve heard enough Coldplay to know that it is in many ways an un-Coldplay kind of song; yet it’s something that Coldplay would be the most likely candidate out of their genre to rush out to make. “Fix You” is perhaps the closest to this that they’ve come before and even that’s miles away. The sad thing was that nothing else on the album sounded like this; in fact, Violet Hill was more or less made the flagship single and got airplay, and it’s about as genuinely Coldplay as you can get. I don’t hate it, but I don’t care much at all for it. The whole album was in fact defined by the band themselves as more dark than their previous albums, and Viva la Vida started looking like a fluke.
Which is why Prospekt’s March was such a pleasant surprise. A “B-side EP” of Viva (the album), it contains some short tracks that are generally more Viva la Vida (the song) than the rest of the tracks on the album. Not as dark. Sounds like real music. (And yes, I’ll keep using this as an argument. If you want to find out what I mean, you could try listening.)
It turns out that if they keep heading in this direction, I might actually snag their next album. And I sure didn’t think so this time last year.
Moreover, I advise that the iPhone software platform must be opened.
Curious as to your thoughts on this: http://www.mamapop.com/mamapop/2008/12/joe-satriani-su.html
This is somewhat more convincing: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1ofFw9DKu_I
shrug. That they took the hook wholesale seems evident but the two songs seem different in terms of expression of the “idea.”
By Shawn Medero · 2008.12.06 06:51
I’m amazed that your first link considers U2 “great”. I’ve certainly never met any such people. Their output seems to consistently conform to Sturgeon’s law.
And yes, I’d be surprised if there hadn’t been at least one song before that went almost like that. It’s a good formula, never mind there having been made millions of songs before. The statistical odds of any given song not being an “obvious ripoff” of some other song are slim.
And if it was an “obvious ripoff”? (Meaning similarity wasn’t accidental.) So what? I don’t subscribe to this concept that once you get an idea, you’re entitled to a monopoly to it and a state-sponsored club with which to hit anyone who comes close. If you can’t riff off of other’s ideas, what else can you do? Should every possible improvement or reimagination of that idea die out with you?
By Jesper · 2008.12.06 11:13