Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
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CRITIC REVIEWS
69
The record's violent, revolution-themed artwork is misleading. Viva is more like a bloodless coup-- shrewd and inconspicuous in its progressive impulses.
11y
★★★★★
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
So I listened to this for the first time in October 2019, and I remember not wanting to rate it because I thought that it would grow on me if I did another listen someday.
So I did today. This album is great, there's not a single song that I even dislike in the slightest. It's filled with really blissful songs like Strawberry Swing and Violet Hill, which never fails to make me smile. Viva la Vida is still the best song from my childhood, I'll probably never get tired of it. This is a certified ... read more
This album introduced the legendary producer Brian Eno, who requested for every track to sound dissimilar. The band surely accomplished this goal, crafting the most musically diverse and consistently high-quality album of their career. The concept of this project depicts harsh imagery from the Renaissance-era, exploring themes of revolutions and war, inspired by the book "Les Misérables". Similar to The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", the band ... read more
How is this not considered a must-hear album, literally one of the best albums of all time.
Once again, there are a lot of great ideas. The sound is something new and it's clear that they're stepping away from their roots. However, I just find a lot of these tracks to be pretty boring. It's still a decent album, just not one that I'm obliged to return to.
Favorites: Lost!, Yes, Viva La Vida, Death and All His Friends
Least Favorite: Strawberry Swing
Viva La Vida is a really good album that flows excellently and has a great number of really great songs. Brian Eno really brings a level of brilliance with the production making it feel very expansive and grand. I love the themes the album explores and it makes for a really great listening experience. My favorite tracks are Life In Technicolor, Lovers In Japan, Yes, Viva La Vida, Violet Hill and Death and All His Friends
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patton, royalflush, BonoLightier, philthy, Alejandro González, erik, Leo Aguilar, MarkyC, domvicBecome a Donor
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Track List
| 1 | Life In Technicolor 2:29 | 87 |
| 2 | Cemeteries of London 3:21 | 89 |
| 3 | Lost! 3:55 | 88 |
| 4 | 42 3:57 | 89 |
| 5 | Lovers In Japan / Reign of Love 6:50 | 90 |
| 6 | Yes 7:06 | 90 |
| 7 | Viva la Vida 4:01 | 97 |
| 8 | Violet Hill 3:42 | 93 |
| 9 | Strawberry Swing 4:09 | 89 |
| 10 | Death and All His Friends 6:18 | 91 |
Total Length: 45 minutes
Year End Lists
| #3 | / | Q Magazine |
| #7 | / | Rolling Stone |
| #9 | / | Spin |
| #15 | / | Beats Per Minute |
| #25 | / | The Guardian |
| #31 | / | NME |
| #50 | / | Consequence of Sound |
| #58 | / | PopMatters |
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