Live 2003 (CD & DVD)

Coldplay

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 4, 2003)
• Original Release Date: November 4, 2003
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B0000DJZA0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,910 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Riding high on the phenomenal success of A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay is in peak form on Coldplay Live 2003. This CD/DVD two-pack was filmed (on Super-16mm film) and recorded in Sydney's Horden Pavilion on July 21 and 22, 2003, during an exhaustive year-long world tour, and the medium-sized arena provides a fitting stage for the London-based rock quartet, not so grand as to overwhelm the music, but large enough to indicate their large and loyal following, which includes enthusiastic fans of either gender. Especially when played in DTS 5.1 surround, this 90-minute concert is richer, thicker, and (of course) louder than Coldplay's studio recordings, lending a wall-of-sound expansiveness to the band's signature sound, which draws from such diverse influences as Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Verve, U2, and their own unique sonic landscape. "Politik" gets the gig off to a rousing start, and other impressive highlights include "Daylight," "Yellow," the as-yet-unreleased new song "Moses," and the popular hits "In My Place," "Clocks," and "The Scientist." And while the concert visuals are slick and professional (perhaps placing a bit too much emphasis on singer/frontman Chris Martin), this DVD and CD--the latter containing a truncated 70-minute version of the same performance--are best appreciated for their pristine audio quality. Culled from 400 hours of home video, the 40-minute "concert diary" represents a wasted opportunity, enjoyable for hardcore fans but offering no insight into the band or its individual members. Much better, then, to play the concert at healthy high volume, and appreciate Coldplay in the prime of their young career. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description
The two-disc set includes a 90-minute, nine-camera, super 16 live shoot taken from their July 21 and 22, 2003 performances at the Horden Pavilion in Sydney, Australia, as well as band commentary, a never before broadcast behind-the-scenes documentary, a special tour diary and the edited audio CD. The DVD and CD will also include two PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED live tracks- "The One I Love" and "Moses."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 Stars.... (Sorta) Greatest Hits Live, November 17, 2003

By	Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

(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.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good deal: musical, visual and financial, December 24, 2003

By	Manny Hernandez "Author of Ning For Dummies" (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Completists only, January 29, 2004

By	Oliver Ignatius (NY) - See all my reviews

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.