When “Parachutes” came out in July 2000, Coldplay were no longer a blank slate. The band, which formed in 1996, had previously made a name for themselves with several brilliant EPs (“Safety”, “Brothers And Sisters”, “Blue Room”) and tested their wistful, melancholic songs on large audiences.
Already in 1999 there was an acclaimed performance at Glastonbury. The result: “Parachutes” took off straight away, conquered number one in the UK charts and is even considered by some to be one of the most convincing debut albums of the past few decades. And it marked the beginning of a global career that has since taken Coldplay to the world’s major stadiums.
Coldplay have changed
Coldplay are now (also) writing anthems for the weekend, for partying, to be heard in shopping malls and at fashion shows. Since their record “A Head Full Of Dreams”, the multi-purpose halls have been replaced by stadiums. Balloons and confetti fly here – bright colors rule. All of this fits less and less with intimate ballads and sensitive rock songs – even if Chris Martin and Co. recently dared to take a step in a different, less commercial direction with the surprisingly ambitious “Everyday Life” (which now seems to have been blown away by “Music Of The Spheres”).
There are quite a few listeners from the very beginning who follow this obvious step in the direction of party and pop music with stomach ache. It’s probably all those who believe that Coldplay didn’t record any more relevant records after “X&Y” at the latest (some also accept “Viva La Vida”).
The best songs from Coldplay (that hardly anyone knows)
You can and must soothe yourself with lullabies of the past inspired by Jeff Buckley, Echo And The Bunnymen and Travis. But maybe they don’t know the fantastic pieces that Coldplay recorded almost on the side in their early years and that are distributed on EPs, hidden in the world as B-sides and rarities.
A treasure trove of great songs that alone could fill an entire album. One that could look like this one! One that could possibly be called “Lost Weekend”.
The introductory “I Ran Away” easily shows why Will Champion might not be such a bad drummer after all. “For You” is the most tender declaration of love Chris Martin has ever sung. “Animals” contains the wonderfully gruff lines “Animals we are/Disposable/Collapsible And Raw”. “Brothers And Sisters”, released in 1999 as Coldplay’s first official single, already contains all the musical ingredients of this band, which are based on audibly simple structures. And it shows: The secret of Coldplay is in the end Chris Martin’s singing, his desperate-looking howling and pleading and cheering. “See You Soon” worked beautifully live – as often heard on the tour to “A Rush Of Blood To The Head”. And then there’s “Gravity”: Chris Martin abandoned by all ghosts alone at the piano…
Coldplay: Lost Weekend
1. I Ran Away
2. Crest Of Waves
3. I Bloom Blaum
4. For You
5. 1.36
6. Only superstition
7. Animals
8. Brothers and Sisters
9. No More Keeping My Feet On The Ground
10. Such A Rush
11. Help Is Round The Corner
12. See You Soon
13. Gravity
Bonus 1: One I Love
Bonus 2: Ladder To The Sun
Bonus 3: Bigger Stronger
Bonus 4: A Ghost
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