Coldplay - Rush Of Blood To The Head Posted by Jacob Ziegler on 09.22.2002
The boys that were all “yellow” are back with another album, and have improved much on an already great sound.
Over the last two years, Coldplay has become one of the most critically acclaimed bands, and not just in their native UK, but the entire world over. Formed in 1998, the quartet of Chris Martin (vocals/piano), Will Champion (drums), Guy Berryman (bass), and Jon Buckland (guitar) began releasing EP’s almost right away. Safety was released in 1998, and 1999 saw them produce Brothers and Sisters and Blue Rooms. On July 10, 2000, the band finally released their first full album, Parachutes, on the label Parlophone (the same label The Beatles recorded for), and it was an immense hit. The first single, “Yellow,” was selected as a theme song for promo spots on the ABC network, and a slew of British awards came the band’s way. In the spring of 2001, the group made a name for themselves in America, on the strength of “Yellow.” They toured America, but Chris Martin’s health (he battled nasty colds and voice exhaustion) led to the cancellation of several dates, but the band battled back, and scored another hit with their second single, “Trouble.” Later that fall, the band headed into the studio to record another album, which started the rumor mill turning, saying that it could be their last. The band apparently felt that they could never again capture that kind of brilliance. But with all the rumors and BS aside, the album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, was released in August 27, 2002.
The opening track, “Politik,” captures the band at their edgiest. The chorus features lighter verses, but the music in the background leads the listener to believe it could break out at any moment. And it does, as the piano and drums become louder, as Martin pleads “open up your eyes.” The vocals (as most of Coldplay’s songs) are absolutely beautiful, and Martin treats us to some falsetto in addition to his stirring piano work. The song never drags at five minutes and eighteen seconds, and features solid work from the whole band. It’s a perfect opening track to set the mood for this album.
The second track, “In My Place,” was the reason that this album was released at all. It was the one song that convinced the band they had enough for another album. It is a moving, powerful ballad, begging “how long must you wait for it?” It is a truly beautiful, emotional song, and the musical arrangement would have made for a good listen on its own, though one can hardly imagine it without Martin’s introspective lyrics.
“God Put a Smile Upon Your Face” comes next, and it sounds more like the first track than the second. It appears to have some religious undertones (obviously) but Martin does not hit you over the head with them. The guitar work is much more emphasized, and Coldplay almost sound like a rock and roll band here, but much more sophisticated than the average rock song, with lyrics like “God gave you style and gave you grace,
And put a smile upon your face.”
Fourthly, “The Scientist” is another moving ballad, as Martin asks for forgiveness from a woman, about going back to the beginning. Martin’s piano playing is really brought to the forefront, and it builds and builds throughout the song. Martin’s words and delivery are enough to break anyone’s heart, with lyrics like “Nobody said it was easy It's such a shame for us to part Nobody said it was easy No one ever said it would be this hard.” The difference between a song like this and a song like Linkin Park’s “In the End,” is that a listener can really feel Martin’s anguish, and one knows that he really feels it too.
“Clocks” is just a really cool name for a song, and it once again prominently features Martin on piano. It is another song seemingly aimed at a woman, perhaps a former lover. It is a plea to get things more out in the open, to say all the things one means to say. “Come out upon my seas, Cursed missed opportunities. Am I a part of the cure Or am I part of the disease” Martin wonders. It is filled with regret and sorrow, and one again call feel Martin’s pain through his voice.
The sixth track is “Daylight,” which lightens the mood of the albums and seems to find Martin in higher spirits. It’s a fairly simple song, just about sunlight breaking through, and how wonderful it really is. “To my surprise And my delight I saw a sunrise I saw a sunlight.” The track is well placed in the middle of the album.
“Green Eyes” is next, and it keeps up with the spirit of the previous track. The lyrical arrangement is perfect, and the song is a jaunty little tune about being in love with a girl. The lyrics are just divine, featuring lines like “anyone who tried to deny you, must be out of their mind,” and “it feels so much lighter since I met you.” It is sung with just an acoustic guitar and Martin’s voice, and the stripped-down arrangement is a nice change of pace from the rest of the album.
“Warning Sign” brings the mood of the album back down again. It is another heart-wrenching ballad, beautifully arranged with the piano and strings. “The truth is I miss you,” aches Martin through the chorus. It is not whiny, but heartfelt. Everyone has felt the way Martin feels in this song, solidifying a connection to the audience.
The ninth track, “A Whisper,” is about being remembered after you are gone. The instrumentation is faster on this than most Coldplay songs, but the lyrics are unmistakably melancholy. “Who remember your face, Who remembers you when you are gone” Martin asks. It is a very sophisticated arrangement both lyrically and musically.
The title track, “A Rush of Blood to the Head” is the tenth track, is another sad song, examining things that happen due to “a rush of blood to the head,” as Martin calls it. Things like “I’m gonna buy a gun and start a war, if you can tell me something worth fighting for,” permeate the song and paint a vivid picture of what is going on in Martin’s mind.
The closer, “Amsterdam,” tells the story of Chris Martin no longer wanting to be famous. “Come on, oh my star is fading And I see no chance of release I know I'm dead on the surface But I'm screaming underneath” clearly show his inner struggle, but the song is not without hope. It ends (and therefore so does the album) with the line “You came along And you cut me loose,” a fitting end to a great album.
