Customer Reviews

Coldplay - Live 2003 - IMPORT

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

(CD 3 Stars; DVD 4 Stars).

Only 2 proper albums into their career, and already we receive a (sorta) greatest hits live album from Coldplay. The CD (12 tracks, 67 min.) covers familiar ground for anyone that saw Coldplay on the "Rush of Blood" 2002-2003 world tour, opening of course with the high energy "Politik". "See You Soon" (originally on "The Blue Room EP", the outstanding 1999 EP--still available, including from Amazon) is one of the highlights. "Shiver" is another, and reminds me why I like "Parachutes" so much better than "Rush of Blood". "Moses" is the only true new song on here, quite good actually. And of course the "hits" "In My Place", "Yellow" and "Clocks" are here.

In all, not a bad collection, but nothing that made me sit up and take notice. Unlike, say, the other live Coldplay collection "Trouble: Norwegian Live", a 5 song EP from a December 2000 show (still available, including here on Amazon), where Chris Martin works the Oslo crowd into a frenzy. Compare "Everything's Not Lost" on this EP against the "Live 2003" version and you'll see what I mean.

The DVD is quite nice, though. For one, it adds 5 more songs including three "hits" ("Don't Panic", "Trouble" and "The Scientist"), inexplicably left off of the CD version (which at 67 min. could have easily added them), and the show closer "Life is for Living". The tour diary is goofy fun but inconsequential. For Coldplay completists only.

This CD/DVD bundle works well in many ways: it is a nice compilation (though not comprehensive, containing ALL the band's hits, but which compilation does this, for God's sake?!) of Coldplay's two albums so far. In doing so, the music album serves as a great intro item for those that are new to their work, one that touches on Radiohead, Travis, U2, and a host of other influences (and similar sounds), yet retaining a very particular identity that makes Coldplay unmistakeable.

On the flip side, "longtime" fans of the band are up for a nice couple of treats: live versions of their best songs, most of which work very well in concert and remind me more of their likeness to U2, than their similarities with Radiohead that come out so strong in the studio. In addition to this, there's the concert DVD, which conveys all their live energy and, when combined with the CD, makes a very good deal!

I guess the only "negative" thing I see about this bundle is the smell of record label claws all over it. Considering the short span of the band's life, such an offering after only two studio albums (as successful as they've both been) can only mean one thing: greed. I can only hope that this is the label's greed and not the band's, because one the best things about them has been their simplicity all the way, having been taken by surprise by world acclaim.

If you like Coldplay, this DVD/CD is completely worth your money. Buying a CD nowadays is around say, $15? Well imagine getting a live CD AND a 17 track live DVD for less than double that. The DVD is really good; as you should know, Coldplay is amazing when it comes to live performances. The CD is basically the DVD without the visuals, but it is missing a few songs; (nothing to get worried about). Just trust me, this is an awesome deal. They have great transitions, the sound is rich, and the visuals make you feel like you were there. Its an awesome set and any Coldplay fan should really get it. Also, there is a nice set of pictures from the concert in the booklet you might like. Again, GET IT.

After I hearing this cd for the first time, I went out and bought tickets for the next Coldplay concert in Buffalo. Quite frankly, there isn't one Coldplay that is below average. Some people say this music is too mellow, but the way I describe is with an oxymoron: "intense-mellow" music....you will agree with me if you really enjoy this music as much as I do. If you're new to coldplay, go out and buy Parachutes or A Rush Of Blood To The Head before getting this cd.

The CD/DVD combination is a great idea. Their live performance is right up there with their studio efforts. Several aspects come through in their performance and accompanying documentary:

1. They are an extremely TIGHT band. The cohesiveness of their sound is due to the fact that they are always "on the same page" with each other because they've known one another for so long.

2. I don't think of them as great musicians necessarily; but they are pretty darned good.

3. They are overly conscious of their sudden success and are not all that comfortable with it. They seem nearly embarrassed and apologetic about it, almost to the point of ridicule. The documentary points that out repeatedly.

4. As a result, they try to avoid being pretentious at any cost. As a result, Chris Martin realizes the futility of such a pursuit since they are playing to 20,000 people at a time, not a drunk 100 in a stinky pub in London. Rock n' Roll by definition is a pretentious pursuit. Always has been, always will be. Nature of the beast.

5. The electronic keyboard parts on their studio CD's are piped in during their live performances, which sort of sucks. Eventually I am sure they will hire ancillary musicians to make their shows more authentic.

However you describe it, they come off as a unique quartet.

Yeah, yeah, I know that, coming from a discerning, proto-punk loving hipster, liking Coldplay is an impeachable offense. But I do. I like them a lot. That said, do we really need this live disc? After all, Coldplay are not a band especially known for their live innovation. So what Live 2003 comes off as is highlights from the two records with added reverb, worse mixing and slightly off vocals. That's not to say that the songs here aren't great, because they are, but this stands as one of the least essential live documents in recent memory. New song "Moses" is one of the most average songs in their catalogue and is nowhere near enough of a reason to give this a purchase. So, Live 2003 is barely recommended, but only for the completist.

It's always fun watching concert DVD's. For one thing, being a musician, I can actually watch not only how they play the songs but see the musicianship of the band without the benefit of redoing takes and overdubbing certain parts. It's still a bit too early for a Coldplay DVD but still it's quite a good one regardless, it's just marred by the MTV-style editing that I'm very much despising at the moment.

The show combines some tracks from first release Parachutes to 2nd release A Rush of Blood to the Head, as well as 3 non-album tracks. There's of course crowd favorites such as Trouble(with a huge end sing along), the Scientist, Clocks, Don't Panic, Yellow with a beautifully sung intro to album tracks such as Amsterdam, Daylight and Shiver. As for the 3 non-album tracks, I love 2: The One I Love, a big rocker with a catchy ending("sing it to me, oh oh") and See You Soon, a beautiful/melancholy acoustic ballad.

The editing problems are first evident in the Politik intro. While the track itself has that pounding beat, so does the editing and it's incredibly jarring. It reminds me of an old guy trying to get in the mindset of a young person by acting and talking fast so the hyperactive camera is a result of a "this is what the kids want" mentality. Like most DVD's, the lead singer Chris Martin tends to get the most attention. A talent yes but other band members get very quick shots before going back to Chris. At one point I almost thought I saw band member to Chris to band member to Chris rather than switching between the 4 of them.

It would've been nicer if they waited till X&Y came out so we can get Square One, Speed of Sound and Fix You live but that's alright. Knowing the record company, we'll get another one soon.

Overall, this is pretty good, but the sound quality comes and goes. 5.1 dts locks in but sure does not sound it some times. Camera work is sometimes handheld and jittery, quite amatuerish..

I will admit, I have yet to be at a concert for over a decade. Coldplay is one of my favorite bands and when I saw this DVD come out, I was thrilled. From the beginning, I was on my feet in front of my television for a good two hours experiencing the phenemonal energy flow through my blood while watching Coldplay Live and browsing its features. This concert was energetic and lucid. Though it was basically the band playing their music within a huge light show, the atmosphere just seemed so much alive. I was impressed more so when they got deeper into their show as it seemed the band itself became more alive and the energy reflected off of them onto the fans. This is truly a remarkable collection to own, especially if you are a Coldplay fan. It also includes 2 new songs, which are not too bad, but I'll leave that for you to judge. I would strongly recommend purchasing this DVD/CD. The energy produced will flow into your stream of blood quickly and will add vivid colors into your imagination! If money is an issue, try getting this burned. If you are not a huge fan of Coldplay, but still enjoy their music from time to time, try borrowing this DVD and check it out. (My favorite performance was when they did the song "Yellow" :> )

This is Coldplay at its best, live! I was a bit hesitant in buying another Coldplay CD with the the same songs that I have on several other CDs, but the boys don't dissappoint here. The fact that the CD was recorded live just adds another layer of depth and emotion to what I thought were already terrific tracks. The DVD is probably one of the best produced music DVD's that I've seen to date. Way to go Coldplay!