[Article] Sunday Herald Sun: Coldplay is playing the field

busybeeburns · 15-10-2011, 10:00 AM

Nothing is off limits as a confident Coldplay soars into new territory on their latest album.

Sunday Herald Sun: Coldplay is playing the field

WORLD-conquering quartet Coldplay has made peace with the haters and embraced experimentation on their latest album, as JAMES WIGNEY reports

He is a rock star millionaire, fronts arguably the biggest band of his generation and is married to an Oscar-winning actor, but a beautiful woman can still turn Chris Martin to jelly. On its fifth album, Mylo Xyloto, which is released on Friday, Coldplay has brought in a guest singer for the first time and front man Martin says that the prospect of asking R&B goddess Rihanna to do the honours reduced him to an awkward, bumbling mess.

Martin had originally written the song in question, Princess of China, with the Barbadian beauty in mind, thinking he would offer a song to her as he had done for artists such as Jamelia and his former girlfriend, Natalie Imbruglia. But after showing it to his band mate Guy Berryman, they decided it would be better done as a duo for the album they were working on.

So at a star-studded New Year's Eve bash in Las Vegas last year, Martin plucked up the courage, which was, as the self-deprecating Englishman acknowledges, not unlike asking the hot girl to the school dance. "That was exactly how it felt," Martin says with a chuckle, sharing a couch with guitarist Jonny Buckland in a New York studio. It was like in Four Weddings and a Funeral when Hugh Grant chases after the girl and goes 'do you think, um possibly if I didn't say, er, how would you feel about not not singing on this?' I was like a bumbling mess."

It might have taken him a while to get there but Martin says the inclusion of the duet, the embracing of new sounds from dance to hip-hop to R&B, and the decision to make Mylo Xyloto a concept album are all good indicators of where Coldplay is as a band in 2011. Having arrived with a bang more than a decade ago with the album Parachutes - and its monster hit Yellow - and following it up with the even bigger, multiple Grammy-winning A Rush Of Blood To the Head in 2002, Coldplay was having something of an identity crisis after the release of 2005 album X&Y.

It was around that time The New York Times labelled the British foursome "the most insufferable band of the decade" and as a band whose ascent coincided with that of social media and the blogosphere, the level of vitriol seemed far out of proportion to their achievements or perceived crimes. But from that baptism of fire came a revelation. "I think once you accept that hatred then you can focus on entertaining the people who like you or want to like you," says Martin. "But definitely for a period, probably around X&Y, when we hadn't yet learned how to switch off Google and you could put in Coldplay and see all the results. But I think everybody for a while was a bit overwhelmed by the mass of opinion."

The band emerged stronger from the experience, enlisting the help of sonic guru Brian Eno for Viva La Vida Or Death and All His Friends, which became the world's highest-selling album of 2008, with more than nine million copies sold. Buckland says the new album is very much a development from its predecessor and builds on the confidence and focus that Eno brought to bear. The band coined a term for the input of the man who first found fame with 1970s act Roxy Music and went on to produce seven albums for U2: "Enoxification."

"It's a description of how he fits into the process," says Martin. "It isn't producing - it's his own weird thing. He plays in the room as a band member - but it's so hard to explain what he does."

Buckland has a stab: "He allows us to feel free and to feel like it's OK to look stupid and to do things that maybe don't work. The main thing he brings is just an enjoyment of discovering new things."

Indeed, the seeds for Mylo Xyloto were sown just a week after the release of Viva La Vida, when Eno wrote the band a letter telling them they were on the right track - but could do even better. "I think if it was from anyone else you would tell them to f--- off," says Martin. "But because it's him - and he has done his body of work ... If he says 'I'd like to keep working with you because I think you can improve' then you would be a fool not to take him up on that."

Such was the band's ambition that the initial plan was to make two albums - one a more subdued, mostly acoustic affair, possibly as a soundtrack to an animated film, and the other a more upbeat, dance-influenced effort. The problem was that one kept intruding on the other and the band realised that creating some kind of false distinction between the projects was in fact holding them back.

"We have a song called Charlie Brown, which was the centrepiece of this other record we started first," says Martin. "We were playing the riff on an accordion and Guy came in one morning and said 'I'm afraid I have to put my foot down. I don't want to speak out of turn, but I will not allow this song to be played on an accordion - that has to go in with the Mylo bunch'. So then we thought - let's just make one album."

The solution to reconciling all of the disparate styles and sounds they had been working on came slowly. Elements of the soundtrack idea lent themselves to a concept album, which Martin initially described as "a love story with a happy ending". He is, however, quick to point out that it's a loose term without the "dragons and mountains" that can turn a concept into caricature and have given the format such a bad name over the years.

"It's a concept in as much as it is trying to make a small, tangible story out of the mass of confusion that is everyone's daily life," says Martin. "On the surface it is supposed to be two characters in a big, oppressive, urban atmosphere who are both a bit lost and find each other and take on the enemy so to speak. But really it's just a collection of personal feelings presented in that shell."

THE added bonus was to write something that was to be listened to in its entirety, a rarity in the age of digital downloads and custom-made playlists. Despite having had a string of hit singles from Yellow to Clocks to Viva La Vida, Martin is adamant Coldplay is best suited to the longer album format and arguing he could never write a single as good at Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. "People barely listen to whole songs any more, never mind whole albums, so we thought let's go the other way and make the best album we possibly can," observes Buckland. "We wanted to make the most meaningful and coherent 45 minutes of music that we could."

Five albums in, Coldplay remains a strange mix of self-assuredness and insecurity. During this interview, which took place weeks after the band had delivered the finished album to the label but a month before its release, both Martin and Buckland admit to being nervous about how it will be received. "If you really care about something and you put everything into it - whether it's an album or a cake - you are a bit nervous when people are about to taste it," says Martin. "It actually gets harder because you hope things will be assessed for themselves and not too much because of your history or the way you are perceived."

That said, Martin and his band mates also seem more comfortable with where they fit into the music pantheon. Just a few years ago, as the band was entering its second decade, Martin said he felt acutely the pressure of producing something truly great and hinted the band could split sooner rather than later. The band to which they are most often compared, U2, was viewed as a yardstick both internally and externally, with Martin mostly admitting that Coldplay came up short. But their newfound sense of experimentation - and their enduring success - has also brought liberation and acceptance.

"I think if there is one thing that we have tried to avoid on our fifth record it's that feeling of trying to be somebody else," Martin says. "There are a couple of moments on the new record where you can't really hear what the influences are, which is possibly a good thing. I think that once you accept that you can never outdo The Beatles then you can relax a bit. No matter what happens you can never be the biggest band ever."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/sun...-1226167380659

nancyk58 · 15-10-2011, 10:01 AM

Thanks for posting this, Ian. And now I'll read it.

Have a nice Saturday.

tauiwi · 15-10-2011, 10:08 AM

Eugh, Herald sun is the shittest paper here

Connor!42! · 15-10-2011, 12:49 PM

Really good article. thanks for posting

norrish · 15-10-2011, 01:27 PM

I enjoyed giving this a read...thanks for posting!

The Red Army · 15-10-2011, 05:58 PM

Interesting article

- talks about the initial plan of two albums
- CB was initially suppposed to be on the acoustic album, but one band member didn't see it that way

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/sun...-1226167380659

taameen**sparks** · 15-10-2011, 06:01 PM

Former girlfriend Natalie Imbruglia? XD

The Red Army · 15-10-2011, 06:04 PM

haha yeah...I wasn't quite sure of that...had to google her

Yeshe · 15-10-2011, 06:12 PM

Their humility is so endearing.

JillyBlue · 15-10-2011, 06:22 PM

Thanks for posting! And after reading it, all I can say is THREE CHEERS FOR GUY!!!

howyousawtheworld · 15-10-2011, 07:09 PM

Maybe not for Charlie Brown, but please Coldplay bring out that accordian for future use! We'd love to hear it!

aschall · 16-10-2011, 01:37 AM

I wish there were more track-by-track reviews...
But thanks for posting

Yu-tong · 16-10-2011, 02:57 AM

i like this article, especially including of the last lines sentences. it's very modest.

miss_g · 18-10-2011, 03:18 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by JillyBlue;5023202
Thanks for posting! And after reading it, all I can say is THREE CHEERS FOR GUY!!!

Haha yeah honestly! He kinda went Apparatjik on him, didn't he?

15-10-2011, 10:00 AM	#1
busybeeburns mr coldplaying himself Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 46,342 My Mood: Location: test Gender: Country: Seen CP: 20 times Fav. CP album: X&Y Fav. CP song: GPASUYF Fav. CP member: Chat posts: 4 Thanks given: 1,553 Thanked 937 Times in 421 Posts	[Article] Sunday Herald Sun: Coldplay is playing the field Nothing is off limits as a confident Coldplay soars into new territory on their latest album. Sunday Herald Sun: Coldplay is playing the field WORLD-conquering quartet Coldplay has made peace with the haters and embraced experimentation on their latest album, as JAMES WIGNEY reports He is a rock star millionaire, fronts arguably the biggest band of his generation and is married to an Oscar-winning actor, but a beautiful woman can still turn Chris Martin to jelly. On its fifth album, Mylo Xyloto, which is released on Friday, Coldplay has brought in a guest singer for the first time and front man Martin says that the prospect of asking R&B goddess Rihanna to do the honours reduced him to an awkward, bumbling mess. Martin had originally written the song in question, Princess of China, with the Barbadian beauty in mind, thinking he would offer a song to her as he had done for artists such as Jamelia and his former girlfriend, Natalie Imbruglia. But after showing it to his band mate Guy Berryman, they decided it would be better done as a duo for the album they were working on. So at a star-studded New Year's Eve bash in Las Vegas last year, Martin plucked up the courage, which was, as the self-deprecating Englishman acknowledges, not unlike asking the hot girl to the school dance. "That was exactly how it felt," Martin says with a chuckle, sharing a couch with guitarist Jonny Buckland in a New York studio. It was like in Four Weddings and a Funeral when Hugh Grant chases after the girl and goes 'do you think, um possibly if I didn't say, er, how would you feel about not not singing on this?' I was like a bumbling mess." It might have taken him a while to get there but Martin says the inclusion of the duet, the embracing of new sounds from dance to hip-hop to R&B, and the decision to make Mylo Xyloto a concept album are all good indicators of where Coldplay is as a band in 2011. Having arrived with a bang more than a decade ago with the album Parachutes - and its monster hit Yellow - and following it up with the even bigger, multiple Grammy-winning A Rush Of Blood To the Head in 2002, Coldplay was having something of an identity crisis after the release of 2005 album X&Y. It was around that time The New York Times labelled the British foursome "the most insufferable band of the decade" and as a band whose ascent coincided with that of social media and the blogosphere, the level of vitriol seemed far out of proportion to their achievements or perceived crimes. But from that baptism of fire came a revelation. "I think once you accept that hatred then you can focus on entertaining the people who like you or want to like you," says Martin. "But definitely for a period, probably around X&Y, when we hadn't yet learned how to switch off Google and you could put in Coldplay and see all the results. But I think everybody for a while was a bit overwhelmed by the mass of opinion." The band emerged stronger from the experience, enlisting the help of sonic guru Brian Eno for Viva La Vida Or Death and All His Friends, which became the world's highest-selling album of 2008, with more than nine million copies sold. Buckland says the new album is very much a development from its predecessor and builds on the confidence and focus that Eno brought to bear. The band coined a term for the input of the man who first found fame with 1970s act Roxy Music and went on to produce seven albums for U2: "Enoxification." "It's a description of how he fits into the process," says Martin. "It isn't producing - it's his own weird thing. He plays in the room as a band member - but it's so hard to explain what he does." Buckland has a stab: "He allows us to feel free and to feel like it's OK to look stupid and to do things that maybe don't work. The main thing he brings is just an enjoyment of discovering new things." Indeed, the seeds for Mylo Xyloto were sown just a week after the release of Viva La Vida, when Eno wrote the band a letter telling them they were on the right track - but could do even better. "I think if it was from anyone else you would tell them to f--- off," says Martin. "But because it's him - and he has done his body of work ... If he says 'I'd like to keep working with you because I think you can improve' then you would be a fool not to take him up on that." Such was the band's ambition that the initial plan was to make two albums - one a more subdued, mostly acoustic affair, possibly as a soundtrack to an animated film, and the other a more upbeat, dance-influenced effort. The problem was that one kept intruding on the other and the band realised that creating some kind of false distinction between the projects was in fact holding them back. "We have a song called Charlie Brown, which was the centrepiece of this other record we started first," says Martin. "We were playing the riff on an accordion and Guy came in one morning and said 'I'm afraid I have to put my foot down. I don't want to speak out of turn, but I will not allow this song to be played on an accordion - that has to go in with the Mylo bunch'. So then we thought - let's just make one album." The solution to reconciling all of the disparate styles and sounds they had been working on came slowly. Elements of the soundtrack idea lent themselves to a concept album, which Martin initially described as "a love story with a happy ending". He is, however, quick to point out that it's a loose term without the "dragons and mountains" that can turn a concept into caricature and have given the format such a bad name over the years. "It's a concept in as much as it is trying to make a small, tangible story out of the mass of confusion that is everyone's daily life," says Martin. "On the surface it is supposed to be two characters in a big, oppressive, urban atmosphere who are both a bit lost and find each other and take on the enemy so to speak. But really it's just a collection of personal feelings presented in that shell." THE added bonus was to write something that was to be listened to in its entirety, a rarity in the age of digital downloads and custom-made playlists. Despite having had a string of hit singles from Yellow to Clocks to Viva La Vida, Martin is adamant Coldplay is best suited to the longer album format and arguing he could never write a single as good at Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. "People barely listen to whole songs any more, never mind whole albums, so we thought let's go the other way and make the best album we possibly can," observes Buckland. "We wanted to make the most meaningful and coherent 45 minutes of music that we could." Five albums in, Coldplay remains a strange mix of self-assuredness and insecurity. During this interview, which took place weeks after the band had delivered the finished album to the label but a month before its release, both Martin and Buckland admit to being nervous about how it will be received. "If you really care about something and you put everything into it - whether it's an album or a cake - you are a bit nervous when people are about to taste it," says Martin. "It actually gets harder because you hope things will be assessed for themselves and not too much because of your history or the way you are perceived." That said, Martin and his band mates also seem more comfortable with where they fit into the music pantheon. Just a few years ago, as the band was entering its second decade, Martin said he felt acutely the pressure of producing something truly great and hinted the band could split sooner rather than later. The band to which they are most often compared, U2, was viewed as a yardstick both internally and externally, with Martin mostly admitting that Coldplay came up short. But their newfound sense of experimentation - and their enduring success - has also brought liberation and acceptance. "I think if there is one thing that we have tried to avoid on our fifth record it's that feeling of trying to be somebody else," Martin says. "There are a couple of moments on the new record where you can't really hear what the influences are, which is possibly a good thing. I think that once you accept that you can never outdo The Beatles then you can relax a bit. No matter what happens you can never be the biggest band ever." http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/sun...-1226167380659 __________________ The early bird catches the worm. The second mouse gets the cheese!

15-10-2011, 10:01 AM	#2
nancyk58 Coldplayer Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 31,286 My Mood: Location: Near Copenhagen Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 849 Thanked 183 Times in 133 Posts	Thanks for posting this, Ian. And now I'll read it. Have a nice Saturday. __________________ Roskilde 5 July 2009 Herning 16 August 2009 *HELP CHILE* AND HAITI by making DONATIONS to ONE OF THESE RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS:** BritishRedCross's CHILE Earthquake Appeal: http://www.redcross.org.uk/donatesection.asp?id=77029 www.oxfam.org.uk - www.redcross.org - www.unicef.org - www.icrc.org or Disasters Emergency Committee receiving donations made on phone 0370 60 60 900 + through website www.dec.org.uk. Go to www.oxfamamerica.org, or text OXFAM to 25383 to make a one-time $10 donation to Oxfam’s Haiti Earthquake Response Fund. Donations possible via text, phone or the "Hope for Haiti" Web site until July 2010 VIVA LA VIDA / VIVA COLDPLAYING.COM MAKE PEACE - NOT WAR !!

15-10-2011, 10:08 AM	#3
tauiwi Hotplayer Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 4,264 My Mood: Location: Melbz Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Eugh, Herald sun is the shittest paper here __________________ Quote: Originally Posted by deaths_friend;4632818 compared to her competition, gaga is basically the next radiohead. Last.fm The Fox Party (my band)

15-10-2011, 01:27 PM	#5
norrish Coldplayer Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 34 My Mood: Location: ...in my place... Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I enjoyed giving this a read...thanks for posting! __________________ June 11, 2003 Toronto - Molson Ampitheatre August 2, 2005 Toronto - A.C.C. March 19, 2006 Toronto - A.C.C. July 30, 2008 Toronto - A.C.C. July 31, 2009 Toronto - Rogers Centre

15-10-2011, 05:58 PM	#6
The Red Army Congress Tart Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 592 Location: Toronto, ON Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 14 Thanked 49 Times in 22 Posts	Coldplay Playing the Field Interesting article - talks about the initial plan of two albums - CB was initially suppposed to be on the acoustic album, but one band member didn't see it that way http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/sun...-1226167380659

15-10-2011, 12:49 PM	#4
Connor!42! Coldplayer Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,966 Location: In a Strawberry Swing (Sydney) Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Really good article. thanks for posting

15-10-2011, 06:01 PM	#7
taameensparks CPING I MISSED U Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 17,343 My Mood: Location: The crossfire of heaven and hell. Gender: Country: Seen CP: 1 times Fav. CP album: VLVODAAHF Fav. CP member: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 184 Thanked 130 Times in 106 Posts	Former girlfriend Natalie Imbruglia? XD __________________ July 8, 2012 Verizon Center June 14, 2012 Keane @ Strathmore <3 Quote: Originally Posted by MaxRide;5470669 jesus now I'm just picturing myself as a turtle Quote: Originally Posted by Alien Radio;5481835 I also ship ChrisxChris'pianobench

15-10-2011, 06:04 PM	#8
The Red Army Congress Tart Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 592 Location: Toronto, ON Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 14 Thanked 49 Times in 22 Posts	haha yeah...I wasn't quite sure of that...had to google her

15-10-2011, 06:12 PM	#9
Yeshe Coldplayer Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 144 My Mood: Location: in my head Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Their humility is so endearing.

15-10-2011, 06:22 PM	#10
JillyBlue Performer, Coldplay Choir Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 619 My Mood: Location: Western New York State Gender: Country: Seen CP: 11 times Fav. CP album: X&Y Fav. CP song: All of them Fav. CP member: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 126 Thanked 101 Times in 48 Posts	Thanks for posting! And after reading it, all I can say is THREE CHEERS FOR GUY!!! __________________ Proud keeper of "Little Chap," the kitten rescued by Chris in the 2003 Tour Diary, "Phil," the dog who appears at the end of the Strawberry Swing video, and the beautiful song "Gravity". Now watching over Chris's jacket from the "Talk " video and his "Extras" perfomance. I am busy. What would CAJM do? Probably swear.

15-10-2011, 07:09 PM	#11
howyousawtheworld Coldplayer Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 6,753 Location: Scotland Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 13 Thanked 52 Times in 31 Posts	Maybe not for Charlie Brown, but please Coldplay bring out that accordian for future use! We'd love to hear it!

16-10-2011, 01:37 AM	#12
aschall Eat, Sleep, Coldplay Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,327 My Mood: Location: San Diego, California Gender: Country: Seen CP: 2 times Fav. CP album: VLVODAAHF Fav. CP song: The Scientist Fav. CP member: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 49 Thanked 73 Times in 54 Posts	I wish there were more track-by-track reviews... But thanks for posting

16-10-2011, 02:57 AM	#13
Yu-tong Coldplayer Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 2,115 Location: Taichung City Gender: Country: Chat posts: 1 Thanks given: 19 Thanked 93 Times in 74 Posts	i like this article, especially including of the last lines sentences. it's very modest. __________________ if you never try you'll never know Spoiler Recently, I'm really addicted to Ben Whishaw, Tom Hiddleston, Andrew Scott and David Tennant. Shows I'm watching are Doctor Who, House MD and UK series. Twitter My channel Blog Facebook Asian Ambassador 2012 1st place

18-10-2011, 03:18 AM	#14
miss_g Coldplayer...OHH YEAHH! Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,292 My Mood: Location: Moved to Mars Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Quote: Originally Posted by JillyBlue;5023202 Thanks for posting! And after reading it, all I can say is THREE CHEERS FOR GUY!!! Haha yeah honestly! He kinda went Apparatjik on him, didn't he? __________________ "I don't know what else I'm equipped to do. Whatever happens, I'd still like to be playing music with my three friends." -Will Champion