Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

Critic Score
Based on 33 reviews
2008 Ratings: #264 / 806
Year End Rank: #24
User Score
2008 Rank: #68
Liked by 401 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

91
Entertainment Weekly

The confident majesty of the music ... belies how he and his bandmates have invigorated their rock-lite reign.

90
AllMusic

The greatest thing Coldplay may have learned from Eno is his work ethic, as they demonstrate a focused concentration throughout this tight album ... that turns Viva la Vida into something quietly satisfying.

90
SPIN

For all of Coldplay’s experimentation, though, there’s no doubting that Viva La Vida, with its sturdy melodies and universal themes — think love, war, and peace — is an album meant to connect with the masses.

90
Sputnikmusic

Viva La Vida isn't impressive because of some detached value judgement as to how it's nice to see them be ambitious; it's impressive because their ambition manifests itself in these glorious, enormous and expansive songs of temptation, desire and fulfilment.

83
A.V. Club
The album finds frontman Chris Martin and the rest of the band ... experimenting with new sounds and zigzag song structures throughout. The result is an instantly familiar sound that avoids repeating itself.
80
Q Magazine

So some bad habits die hard, but on every other level Viva la Vida... is an emphatic sucess--radical in it's own measured way but easy to embrace.

80
The Observer

Viva La Vida is an assured return that should go some way to restoring Coldplay's wilted critical stock.

80
NME

With mainstream success guaranteed, by over-reaching themselves Coldplay are perfectly placed to decree the shape of the new rock order with album five. King Bono is dead; long live the kings.

80
Paste
The sonic deviations may challenge fans who prefer that all of the band’s releases be a shade of “Yellow.” But more daring listeners will be relieved that Martin & Co. are exploring new territory.
80
American Songwriter

Vida La Vida is the work of a band finding new confidence and settling into the studio.

80
Under the Radar
Even when the singer is being vague or issuing plaints, his words and voice, when coupled with the music, hold considerable sway.
75
The Line of Best Fit
It's a brave attempt at something new, and it's an album of undeniable intelligence and quality that reveals itself a little more with each subsequent listen.
74
Coke Machine Glow
Not bad, Coldplay. Congratulations on not fucking this one up.
70
Consequence of Sound
All around, it’s enjoyable to see Coldplay venturing forward, but it's at the sake of solid song writing.
70
musicOMH

While this doesn't quite hit the heady heights of A Rush Of Blood To The Heads, it's a huge improvement on the beiger than beige X&Y, and if their next album (apparently featuring a Kylie Minogue duet!) continues this trajectory, we could have something pretty special on our hands.

70
Rolling Stone

Coldplay's desire to unite fans around the world with an entertainment they can all relate to is the band's strength, and a worthy goal. But on Viva la Vida, a record that wants to make strong statements, it's also a weakness.

70
Slant Magazine
The album’s supposed revolutionary approach to Coldplay’s trademark sadrock has been greatly exaggerated.
70
PopMatters

No, Viva la Vida is not their masterpiece, but for now, it’s as close as they’re gonna get.

70
God Is in the TV

Vida la Viva is good, but could have been much better.

69
Pitchfork

The record's violent, revolution-themed artwork is misleading. Viva is more like a bloodless coup-- shrewd and inconspicuous in its progressive impulses.

60
Drowned in Sound
A Delacroix painting on the cover ... and a title cribbed from Frida Kahlo scream "culture" at you, but Coldplay remain resolutely no-brow, a rock band version of Jack Vettriano; art for people who don't like art; crowd-pleasers for people who don't like crowds; music for people who don't like music.
60
Record Collector
Martin’s vocals are so low in the mix that it’s not always easy to hear what he’s singing, but anything other than the usual cloying Hallmark platitudes would be a surprise.
60
NOW Magazine

Viva La Vida starts off with promise for fans who felt that X&Y was a far cry from A Rush Of Blood To The Head ... Unfortunately, the rest of the record fails to build on this.

60
Mojo

While they fight shy of radical Kid A-style reinvention, hats should be doffed to Coldplay for at least having artistic cojones to mess with a winning formula.

60
The Guardian

At its best, however, Viva la Vida poses an interesting question: do you need to be cool or experimental if you can write songs that carry the listener along regardless of their reservations - indeed, almost despite them?

60
The Skinny
By and large, this is very much like any other Coldplay record, though it contains assured traces of a certain daring that has often escaped them in the past.
60
No Ripcord
What they’ve given us is an exquisitely polished blur, enjoyable at times, mildly challenging at others, but nothing that you couldn’t feel comfortable piping in as background for the Sunday barbeque with the Petersons.
50
Tiny Mix Tapes
Don't get me wrong; to my ears, this is the group's strongest offering yet, but since this album is the same old naive romanticism theatrically propped on a pedestal, it's not really saying a lot.
Baylen
90

★★★★★

Oh lord, here comes a classic. ''Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends'' was a great album, I'd dare say a masterpiece. I can't praise enough the risky move that this whole record was, as it was a journey through the uncharted. Was it an enjoyable ride and a great piece of art? Oh yes. Under Eno's supervision, Coldplay had the playground to fulfill their highest potential, and god did they deliver.

If ''A Rush Of Blood To The Head'' is Coldplay's most ... read more

Chode
80

People often wonder what the best coldplay album is but they forget that only one has chris martin fucked up in the crib making shoegaze

ThePurpleIdiot
100

Thank you to @LonelyHipHopFan for the recommendation! 💜

Man, this album is underrated as all hell, I’d say Coldplay’s best work in their entire career. I’ve never been a huge fan of the band, I remember I used to dislike them quite a lot because of their giant fall off after this album, basically the group selling out, the put it more bluntly.

Growing up around my mom too, she constantly listens to Coldplay (as most white moms do) and I used to hate it, thinking it was ... read more

100

Let me just say this in one sentence; this is a masterpiece. You will never convince me otherwise!

85

A classic album. Vintage coldplay.

SeanStevens
76

Definitely a change of sound for them, but its very nice to listen to.

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Track List

1Life In Technicolor
2:29
86
2Cemeteries of London
3:21
86
3Lost!
3:55
84
442
3:57
88
5Lovers In Japan / Reign of Love
6:50
88
6Yes
7:06
Includes hidden track "Chinese Sleep Chant"
88
7Viva la Vida
4:01
96
8Violet Hill
3:42
93
9Strawberry Swing
4:09
88
10Death and All His Friends
6:18
Contains hidden track "The Escapist"
90
Total Length: 45 minutes
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