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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Coldplay: Ghost Stories – a fan's first-listen review | Coldplay: Ghost Stories – a fan's first-listen review |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| It's impossible to prevent a landslide of snarky comments when discussing the lives of Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, whose existence appeared to be held together with a thick glue of global success, vegan | It's impossible to prevent a landslide of snarky comments when discussing the lives of Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, whose existence appeared to be held together with a thick glue of global success, vegan |
| snacks and Aryan beauty. Prior to news of their | snacks and Aryan beauty. Prior to news of their |
| conscious uncoupling, Paltrow and Martin's world seemed to be | conscious uncoupling, Paltrow and Martin's world seemed to be |
| one long red carpet ride through Hollywood premieres and sell-out | one long red carpet ride through Hollywood premieres and sell-out |
| stadiums, with one eye on the hottest nut-based recipes and the other | stadiums, with one eye on the hottest nut-based recipes and the other |
| on their children. | on their children. |
| It's no surprise that the | It's no surprise that the |
| early feedback on Ghost Stories, Coldplay's sixth album which is written exclusively, unequivocally about a couple's breakdown, has | early feedback on Ghost Stories, Coldplay's sixth album which is written exclusively, unequivocally about a couple's breakdown, has |
| been dismissive. For some, the album is too transparently | been dismissive. For some, the album is too transparently |
| autobiographical, too gaudy in its tales of lonesome nights and | autobiographical, too gaudy in its tales of lonesome nights and |
| longing. My reaction, however, is to simply rejoice: there is still a bruised and beating heart within that Chris Martin-shaped body suit. | longing. My reaction, however, is to simply rejoice: there is still a bruised and beating heart within that Chris Martin-shaped body suit. |
| Perhaps it is important to point out here that I am an unconditional | Perhaps it is important to point out here that I am an unconditional |
| fan of the band: I was one of the few subscribers to Coldplay's early, print-only fanzine Coldplayground. I own an ultra-rare and | fan of the band: I was one of the few subscribers to Coldplay's early, print-only fanzine Coldplayground. I own an ultra-rare and |
| completely worn-to-the-core Christmas version of their track Spies | completely worn-to-the-core Christmas version of their track Spies |
| entitled Mince Spies. I have a shoebox full of pixellated A4 photos of the band that I printed out at school in 2000 and | entitled Mince Spies. I have a shoebox full of pixellated A4 photos of the band that I printed out at school in 2000 and |
| used to look at between lessons, and I once spent my pocket money on | used to look at between lessons, and I once spent my pocket money on |
| hiring a mini bus to take me from Essex to Earls Court to see them play. In fact, it was at that very Earls Court gig that I recall Coldplay first slipping away from my grasp: they stopped playing Shiver, a song | hiring a mini bus to take me from Essex to Earls Court to see them play. In fact, it was at that very Earls Court gig that I recall Coldplay first slipping away from my grasp: they stopped playing Shiver, a song |
| heavy with the weight of an adolescent hurt and yearning. So to hear a whiny-voiced Chris Martin begging “tell me you love me” in 2014, comes as a quite a relief. | heavy with the weight of an adolescent hurt and yearning. So to hear a whiny-voiced Chris Martin begging “tell me you love me” in 2014, comes as a quite a relief. |
| While the early stages of Chris and Gwyneth's blossoming relationship may have | While the early stages of Chris and Gwyneth's blossoming relationship may have |
| prompted songs seeping with sentiment – Fix You, What If and Moses | prompted songs seeping with sentiment – Fix You, What If and Moses |
| (a track they soon named their son after) – beyond | (a track they soon named their son after) – beyond |
| the five year mark, Martin's lyrics became oddly detached and bizarrely existential, keeping | the five year mark, Martin's lyrics became oddly detached and bizarrely existential, keeping |
| the listeners either at arm's length for privacy's sake, or to simply | the listeners either at arm's length for privacy's sake, or to simply |
| to sidestep the tricky lack of romance that comes from long-term relationship qualms such as “I really resent the way you keep me awake with your | to sidestep the tricky lack of romance that comes from long-term relationship qualms such as “I really resent the way you keep me awake with your |
| snoring” and “Could you try just a little bit harder with my sister?” | snoring” and “Could you try just a little bit harder with my sister?” |
| From the very start, Ghost Stories is album unashamed of its | From the very start, Ghost Stories is album unashamed of its |
| sorrow and love – “I think of you, I haven't slept” is the opening line of the opening song, Always In My Head. Then there's Oceans – perhaps the album's most | sorrow and love – “I think of you, I haven't slept” is the opening line of the opening song, Always In My Head. Then there's Oceans – perhaps the album's most |
| subtly stirring moment, recalling Shiver's B-side Careful Where You | subtly stirring moment, recalling Shiver's B-side Careful Where You |
| Stand, or the touching Ink –"Got a tattoo and the pain's alright, | Stand, or the touching Ink –"Got a tattoo and the pain's alright, |
| just want a way of keeping you in sight.” The way | just want a way of keeping you in sight.” The way |
| Martin paints his emotions on Ghost Stories is clearly different | Martin paints his emotions on Ghost Stories is clearly different |
| from that of the band's first two albums, however – there's a sad serenity | from that of the band's first two albums, however – there's a sad serenity |
| to his voice – notably in the Jon Hopkins-produced Midnight | to his voice – notably in the Jon Hopkins-produced Midnight |
| – which appears glassy-eyed and dosed up to the eyeballs on | – which appears glassy-eyed and dosed up to the eyeballs on |
| mood-stabilising pills. There are, of course, moments where the lyrics | mood-stabilising pills. There are, of course, moments where the lyrics |
| are too jarringly simplistic –such as Another's Arms' “late night watching | are too jarringly simplistic –such as Another's Arms' “late night watching |
| TV/ Used to be you here beside me/ Used to be your arms around me/ Your body on my body” –but let's not forget, | TV/ Used to be you here beside me/ Used to be your arms around me/ Your body on my body” –but let's not forget, |
| this is the same band who rose to prominence with a song based around the phrase "it was all yellow". | this is the same band who rose to prominence with a song based around the phrase "it was all yellow". |
| Given that the band started work on this album in | Given that the band started work on this album in |
| 2012, perhaps this isn't Martin quickly capitalising on his breakup but | 2012, perhaps this isn't Martin quickly capitalising on his breakup but |
| merely an account of his emotions over the last few years, charting | merely an account of his emotions over the last few years, charting |
| the gradual breakdown of his marriage. And for | the gradual breakdown of his marriage. And for |
| many fans, Martin's Hulk-like mutation from bruised-hearted sixth-former | many fans, Martin's Hulk-like mutation from bruised-hearted sixth-former |
| into the muscular, best friend of Jay Z and Beyonce, a man who aimlessly | into the muscular, best friend of Jay Z and Beyonce, a man who aimlessly |
| “dreamed | “dreamed |
| of para- para- paradise”, back into the kind of songwriter intent on describing the loneliness of watching The Great British Bake Off on his own is a welcome plummet back | of para- para- paradise”, back into the kind of songwriter intent on describing the loneliness of watching The Great British Bake Off on his own is a welcome plummet back |
| to Earth. | to Earth. |
| • Alexis Petridis's review of this album will appear online on Thursday and in G2 Film&Music on Friday. | |
| • This copy was amended on 14 May . An earlier version inaccurately referred to Moses as their firstborn. | • This copy was amended on 14 May . An earlier version inaccurately referred to Moses as their firstborn. |