My Coldplay.com

Coldplay hails from London, England, where the members met in the residence hall of University College London in the autumn of 1996. Since then, they have released three full-length albums on Parlophone/Capitol Records. Their debut album, Parachutes, gained rave reviews and even a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 2002 (“A Rush of Blood to the Head”). Coldplay was then launched into the spotlight and had to follow this record with anything to keep them afloat.

A Rush of Blood to the Head was recorded in London by producers Ken Nelson and Chris Allison. The band consisted of original members: Guy Berryman (Bass Guitar), John Buckland (Lead Guitar), Will Champion (Drums), and Chris Martin (Piano, Guitars, and Lead Vocals) (Coldplay: Official Site). Coldplay themselves helped produce this album as well. A Rush of Blood to the Head was released in August of 2002 to a larger fan base and more eager critics than before. Debuting at number one in the United Kingdom and number five in the United States, A Rush of Blood to the Head insured Coldplay’s place in music history as one of the best acts of their time (“A Rush of Blood to the Head”).

The differences between Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head are apparent with the first song, “Politik.” Known for soft ballads and acoustic songs, Coldplay comes barreling at the listener with a driving, straightforward rhythm of a rock band about to teach the world a lesson. Written only a few days after the September 11th attacks, Martin brings the piano back into his band’s music and sings out “Open up your eyes,” as the song moves in and out of the chorus (“A Rush of Blood to the Head”).

The first single off of this album is the melodic guitar driven “In My Place.” This despairing anthem is both bittersweet and empowering. The lyrics plead for a necessary love. Chris Martin’s words bleed out as he recites “… please, please, please/ Come back and sing to me.” Listeners acknowledge that this song could have fit into Parachutes, but its more mature tone assigns it a place on A Rush of Blood to the Head. “In My Place” won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 2003 (“A Rush of Blood to the Head”).

“God Put a Smile on Your Face” opens with a familiar acoustic guitar but quickly turns into a full-band jam session. Coupled with Buckland’s dreamy guitar licks and Burrymen’s smooth bass lines, Champion’s metronomic drums drive the song. The lyrics are simultaneously challenging, meaningful and dysfunctional (“A Rush of Blood to the Head”).

Inspired by George Harrison’s, “Isn’t it a Pity,” Coldplay’s, “The Scientist,” depicts love and the heartbreak that goes with it. Opening with Martin singing over his piano, the song drags through a breakup-inspired apology. The first chorus is still only Martin and the piano as he reaches for the high notes; “Nobody said this was easy/ Oh it’s such a shame for us to part.” The rest of the band comes in after the refrain and helps Chris get through the song. A wailing guitar solo from Buckland compliments Martin’s moaning at the end of the song. These lines stick in the audience’s head because they’re so easy to relate to—everyone wants “go back to the start” (“A Rush of Blood to the Head”).

Undoubtedly one of Coldplay’s best songs, “Clocks,” was the last song to be recorded for this album, but is placed at a turning point in the track listings. Martin’s lyrics are believed to be about his fascination with death with the slightest hint of ballad mixed in. The song is full of synthesizers that outlines the newest sound for Coldplay. “Clocks” won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 2004 and currently holds the iTunes record for the most downloaded song.
“Daylight” is a song that shows the maturity of the band. Starting with a moaning eastern guitar intro and molding into a synthesized orchestra during the chorus, this song is just another example of Coldplay’s growth from their first album.

Getting back to basics, “Green Eyes” is a country styled acoustic sing-along that is reminiscent of their earlier work. As a simple love song about a green-eyed girl, this song makes Coldplay’s female listeners melt with lines such as “Green Eyes/ You’re the one I wanted to find” (“A Rush of Blood to the Head”).

Another love song, “Warning Sign,” is a simple song about yearning for your lover after going through the steps of depression. Martin’s voice over such lines as, “When the truth is/ I miss you,” makes the song so much more convincing and meaningful (“A Rush of Blood to the Head”).
“A Whisper” highlights the classic rock influence in Coldplay. The whole song feels like a dream as the words are overtaken by the reverb of the instruments and the driving guitar seems to get louder. This song’s title essentially describes the whole feel of the song.

The Album’s title track, “A Rush of Blood to the Head,” starts off with Martin and an acoustic guitar painting a picture of destruction and war. The inclusion of the rest of the band brings a darker feel and outlines the meaning of Martin’s words. He gets to the line, “I’m going to buy a gun and start a war/ If you can tell me something worth fighting for,” which is a parallel to the war in Iraq and Martin’s ironic take on the situation (“A Rush of Blood to the Head”). This song is definitely the most political and shocking in the sense of its lyrics, but the music behind the song is very notable and complimentary to their changing style.

The album ends with “Amsterdam”– a piano and voice song that describes a man on his last leg about the fall. Martin’s vocals are joined by his band mates in the chorus as they sing, “But time is on your side…” The song continues piano-driven until the ending, when all of the instruments used on the album come in for one last jam session to end it right (“A Rush of Blood to the Head”).

A Rush of Blood to the Head is an album of heartbreak and love in which love always prevails. This album seems like a story of never giving in, even with the last song, “Amsterdam,” as a suicide note. Nevertheless, the outro of the full band leads me to believe that the singer makes it through. If I were deserted on and island, this album would help keep me motivated to fight for survival.

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