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List Price: $27.98 | | Label: EMI Japan
Salesrank: 262517
Released: June 11, 2008 |
| Our Price: $21.26 |
| Used Price: $21.49 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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X&Y Track Listing:
1. Square One
2. What If
3. White Shadows
4. Fix You
5. Talk
6. X&Y
7. Speed of Sound
8. Message
9. Low
10. Hardest Part
11. Swallowed in the Sea
12. Twisted Logic
13. Til Kingdom Come [Hidden Track]
Editorial Review:
Coldplay Photos
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Description of X&Y:
Things have gone ridiculously well for Coldplay since 2002's A Rush of Blood to the Head. The group's global album sales have soared past the 10-million mark, putting it in the same stratosphere as megabands U2 and the Dave Matthews Band. People have offered up their bank accounts, cars, and even bodies for tickets to its shows. And, in a interesting twist, frontman Chris Martin married Gwyneth Paltrow and set the tabloid world aflame. Funny thing, then, that the British quartet's much-anticipated third album, X&Y, is all about staying grounded. In the powerful opener, "Square One," the singer insists people are fundamentally the same no matter what their stature: "You just want... Somebody listening to what you say," he sings. On "Fix You," Martin grapples with imperfection and missed opportunity: "When you love someone but it goes to waste... Could it be worse?" Meanwhile, the vibrant single, "Speed of Sound," is all about reconnecting with the spirit and soul in the face of the paparazzi's flashbulbs. Musically, the band has never sounded more adventurous, referencing everyone from Kraftwerk ("Talk") to the Pogues ("Swallowed in the Sea"), all the while sweeping aside those Radiohead-lite comparisons to embrace a massive, moving sound that makes simplicity seem sublime. --Aidin Vaziri
X&Y Reviews:
good overall buy 
2009-11-17 - The disc came in excellent condition and played well. The only downfall was the broken case, which wasn't a big deal to me.
Some excellent songs 
2009-11-05 - I recently saw an independent movie called Young At Heart. One of the songs in that movie really touched me, and, of course, it was written by Coldplay. I'm a real fan of this group and have been for quite some time. The album was an older one that I didn't have, but I have enjoyed many of the songs.
Bigger? Yes. Bolder? Yes. Better? Hmm... 
2009-09-12 - 'X&Y' is the sound of Coldplay graduating from clubs to stadiums. The songs, arrangements, and production here are all cranked up several notches to create a huge arena-rock sound. It could be seen as a blatant grab for American glory, or is it a middle finger to those critics who claimed they didn't really "rock"? Or maybe it's a bit of both. It's much bigger and bolder than anything Coldplay have done before, but is it better?
Sort of.
The best thing about such a huge sound is that the rock tracks are given a real kick. The fantastic opener 'Square One' and the Radiohead-influenced closer 'Twisted Logic' are the two best songs here, and also the two biggest departures from the typical Coldplay sound. The other rockers; 'Low', the retro 'White Shadows' and the Kraftwerk rewrite 'Talk' also have strong riffs and memorable choruses. Another plus is that the instrumentalists are given greater exposure, and for the first time Coldplay sound like a proper band and not Chris Martin's backup group.
On the negative side, the ballads are now blown up to epic arena-rock proportions. Gone is the simple beauty of 'Sparks' or 'Amsterdam'. Here, everything follows the rock ballad cliche to a fault, starting with a simple piano/guitar passage and building up to the Wall of Sound conclusion. Another minus is Chris Martin's weak lyrics; Coldplay's early songs had plenty of raw emotion to make up for the clumsy lyrics, but here the stadium gloss just makes everything seem banal and cliched. It's ironic that such a self-consciously 'big' album doesn't actually have anything important or interesting to say.
The good mostly outweighs the bad, I suppose, although some fans of Coldplay's early work might find this a bit pompous and overblown. Still, six pretty strong songs (the five rock songs mentioned above, plus 'What If', the best of the ballads) make the album worthwhile. It's just hard not to wish the rest of the album, and the lyrics, reached a similar level.
Cold streak
2009-08-26 - 3 1/2
Frighteningly accessible equal-chromasone-entertainer delivers the goods, if not to the soul-stirring levels of their previously praised release, at a memorable consistency that only suffers a brief flabby section.
Loving ever minute of it!
2009-08-09 - Definitely a must buy for anyone interested in Coldplay or a Coldplay fan. It is also very different from their newest album, Viva La Vida, so don't expect the same type of feelings with this album. However, still a great buy!
