The music is very great. the songs do make you feel like life and everything is over your head. take this cd and play it on the road and you'll see how music flows right through you. amazon does comes through with shipping and packaging. thank you for the care and service to customer.

Coldplay's release of Parachutes a couple of years prior was one of the most acclaimed yet criticized albums of 2000, which broke the band into the mainstream with the hit "Yellow". Now the band has come out with "A Rush of Blood To The Head" and simply does not disappoint their fans. The album is a more rounded and polished release being compared by many to Jeff Buckley, Radiohead and Nick Drake.

The album starts on a high with "Politik" which is more on a political side and also features single "In My Place" which is in the same vein of style as their previous album Parachutes with great guitar melody from Jon Buckland and amazing vocals from Chris Martin. "The Scientist" is a great piano style ballad that caused m any people to become familiar with the band. This is a powerful and adventurous album causing many people to apologize who thought they were a "One hit wonder".

A Rush of Blood to the Head by Coldplay isn't a perfect album but they are some beautiful tracks like The Scientist, In My Place, Warning Sign, Clocks, and God Put a Smile Upon Your Face. The rest of the songs are kinda boring. Frontman Chris Martin's vocals can get annoying after awhile but the music this band creates is quite stunning, the piano and the guitars on Clocks still gives me chills! This album is a hit and miss with me, so decide for yourself and check it out!

Strangely ineffectual take on the soulful pop rock sound on the British band's sophomore album. Chris Martin has the pretty falsetto to wail his heart out, but for the most part, the music lacks weight and edge, his performance gives bombast a new meaning, and the risks taken are few and far between. Those looking for safe, comfortable music with an emotional pull will probably love this but those looking for a little more will feel left in the cold (forgive the pun).

"Clocks" has guilty pleasure written all over it, but ends up succeeding thanks to the drive of the melody; "Politik" is moody and does the quiet/loud thing quite well; and "The Scientist" has a very strong sense of sweeping melancholy. But over eleven tracks, the spirit is drained and Martin's appeals strain very thin. Certainly listenable, and those few songs are definitely worth a spin or two, but little more.

Best cuts: "The Scientist," "Politik," "Clocks," "A Rush of Blood to the Head," "Amsterdam," "Green Eyes"

"A Rush of blood to the head" is destined to be a favorite among thousands because of its first rate lyrics. Admittedly it is sometimes hard to understand what the Chris Martin is talking about, but the lyrics are easy to memorize. For instance in the song "Green Eyes" he says, "Honey, you are the rock upon which I stand and I come here to talk. I hope you understand." Martin, Coldplay's main vocalist and piano player, sings that verse with a very clear and soft voice which makes you feel like you are drinking the purest and sweetest water.
In addition to how easy it is to memorize, the lyrics are also relatable and they tap into your emotions. In the song "A Rush of Blood to the Head" Martin sings, "I said I'm gonna buy this place and burn it down, yeah, I'm gonna put it six feet underground, I'm gonna buy this place and see it burn, to do back the things it did to you in return." What he is saying is that he wants to get back at something, for someone he loves because it hurt them.
Most importantly, Coldplay's lyrics never fail to create a clever picture. In the song "A Warning Sign" Martin says, "You came back to haunt me, and I realized you were an island and I passed you by, you were an island to discover." The way he says that gives you a clear picture of what he feels and of what he did wrong.
Not only are the lyrics fantastic, but Chris Martin is a phenomenal pianist. Who doesn't instantly recognize the intro to "Clocks"? Martin's talent effectively showcases the relatable, emotional and memorable lyrics on the popular album. Coldplay's album "A Rush of Blood to the Head" is basically what triggered most people's affection for Coldplay. Because of Coldplay, alternative may become many people's favorite genre.

I like to call myself a late bloomer when it comes to Coldplay. This was the first album of theirs I purchased, after hearing the band perform "Clocks" on The Tonight Show. Before that, amazingly, I had never heard "Yellow". Regardless, I now own all their work and I've come to love their music entirely. Their debut was much more subdued and warmer, but "A Rush of Blood to the Head" is by far their most innovative album. It seems more precise and calculated, but also more cohesive. The general rhythm of the album is superb and it flows very nicely from one song to the next. Though not as soft as "Parachutes", it has a quality more immediately appealing and catchy.

Chris Martin's vocals were never anything to scream about when it comes to technical accuracy. Still, there's a great deal of heart and emotion in his lyrics. The entire band seems to mesh together into one. This is very evident throughout each song and especially during live performances.

Easy standouts on "A Rush of Blood..." are the opener "Politik" and the hit single "In My Place", both utilizing catchy guitar riffs and a sense of urgency to grab the listener. The former is sprinkled with delicate piano and sudden instrumental surprises, while the latter relies on grand sweeping melodies and rich string arrangements: Both are extraordinarily intense. "The Scientist" is one of the biggest tear-jerkers in melodic rock history with its sensitive piano and gut-wrenching vocal performance by Chris Martin. "Daylight" makes great use of glissandos and crescendos, and is one of the more experimental-sounding tracks on the album. "Green Eyes" is a charming love song that sounds more like old school classic rock than anything else on the album. "Warning Sign" also sounds like a comfortably familiar tune, and the end is pure glitter and emotion with soft piano and vocals. The title track includes interesting sounds of echoes and possibly feedback that add an element of mystery to the progressive and assertive tune. The most recognized and celebrated song though is "Clocks", which in its timelessness will continue to hold strong as one of the most beautiful and likable piano laden pieces ever to be released in the music world. While "X&Y" featured many songs with such a formula, "Clocks" was the featured piece on "A Rush of Blood...", and that makes it all the more special. It almost sounds like there are angels singing along to it. Simply put, it's a perfect song.

The tracks here are all wonderfully written and executed with awesome transitions from soft to hard and back again. Indeed, it is easy to relax to Coldplay's work, and this album is no exception.

Very relaxing and mesmerizing tunes to get lost in. Chris' unique falsetto only draws you in all the more. If you've been stressed out all day, put ANY Coldplay album in your stereo/boom box and prepare to just zone out and chill for 40 minutes!

1. "Politik" - 5:18 ***(***)
2. "In My Place" - 3:48 ****
3. "God Put a Smile upon Your Face" - 4:57 ***(*)
4. "The Scientist" - 5:09 *****
5. "Clocks" - 5:07 ******
6. "Daylight" - 5:27 ****
7. "Green Eyes" - 3:43 *(**)
8. "Warning Sign" - 5:31 ***
9. "A Whisper" - 3:58 ***
10. "A Rush of Blood to the Head" - 5:51 ****
11. "Amsterdam" - 5:19 ****

Cover Art: B (Inventive, I suppose)
Inside Art: D+ (Not much to work with, no lyrics)
Songwriting: B-
Vocals: B-
Vocal Emotion: B+
Vocal Acrobatics: D-
Production: B
Length: A+
Overall: B+

49/11 = 4.454545454545
4.454545454545 = 4.45

4.45 stars.

end note: previous score was 3.9 but the songs where some of the stars are (*) <--- as so, mean that I like them more now, Politik being my favorite and Clocks, my second.

Coldplay's follow up to the successful Parachutes is this album. Although skeptical at first, this album really grows on you. It's wonderful. Coldplay put out a grand album with this one.

My favorite tracks are: In My Place, God Put a Smile Upon Your Face, The Scientist, Clocks, Daylight, Warning Sign, Amsterdam.

Highly recommended.

This review has been long overdue. But with 'Politik' playing in the background now, I have been kind of driven to write this. This album is Coldplay's best work so far and definitely in a different league compared to most other music in the same genre (rock). Even with the kind of following Coldplay has, I think they are quite underrated. For example, this album itself is ranked 473th on Rolling Stone's list of greatest albums. Are you kidding me?! I find that hard to believe. It's true that this music is not for all moods or for everyone. But it's musical creation at its finest with amazing melodies and brilliant lyrics. The songs are beautiful, melancholic, moody, introspective and profound. The beauty of Coldplay is that even the saddest song will end with a ray of hope (this is very unlike Radiohead with whom they are compared so often). All the tracks are exceptional, there isn't a filler in the whole album. But if I have to choose, my favorites tracks will be 'Politik', 'A Rush of Blood to the Head', 'The Scientist', 'Clocks', 'Green Eyes' and 'In My Place'. I mentioned about the lyrics earlier. I will just say that these are some of the most wonderful lyrics I have ever heard. Poetic and sublime, the lyrics will keep haunting you. Chris Martin is an exceptionally talented song writer, perhaps the best of today's breed.

This is definitely a must-buy album. Twenty years from now, it will be considered as a landmark in the history of music.

I have been listening to music since 1955. This is one of the best albums ever recorded.

The Rush of blood to the head is propably one of my favourite albums in my stack of 900+ albums, I have to date.I have been a music lover from the age of 6,I'm now 39 closing in on 40.I have seen Coldplay live in Concert in Auckland,New Zealand back in 2003,they where fantastic.To me ,Warning Sign should have been number 1,maybe it's because of the Lyrics or the mere melody and strings in the backround that are so relavent to our lives I'm not sure,but it's a masterpiece the Commercial world has overlooked.A gem in it's own right,listen to it with open ears and enjoy.

A true appreciation for Chris Martin and his band.

Not only is the music absolutely fabulous, but the lyrics are also amazing. I listen to this CD so much that my five year old daughter is singing along with the lyrics. Coldplay is fantastic, and this is their best CD (I own them all).

They've got a great sound and the occasional evocative lyric, but as Coldplay's surface appeal wears off, time seems to be revealing there's not much depth here. The minimalism of their arrangements and, especially, writing can really be a snooze if you listen to Coldplay as anything more than background music.

To any and everyone who is sick of generic rock bands, I enthusiastically encourage you to purchase this and everyone of Coldplay's Albums. I started with a "Rush of Blood to the Head," then moved to "X&Y" and only recently purchased "Parachutes." I can sum up the whole Coldplay experience with one word...Amazing! As a singer song writer myself, I find myself listening to the music and absorbing the lyrics almost in awe. For instance read the lyrics while paying close attention to the vivid imagery in the song "Spies," soak in the melody, and ask yourself one question...who write's like that? Noone. You cannot listen to that song and not visualize your own mental music video.

The four stages of Brit-Pop:
1) Oasis / Blur
2) Radiohead / The Verve
3) The genre takes several years off.
4) Coldplay.
For the past seven years, no Easy Listening artist has been able to touch Coldplay. And 2002's A Rush of Blood to the Head is Chris Martin's masterwork. A Rush of Blood to the Head makes pretty much all other modern Ballad-bands look silly in their efforts (The Fray's How to Save a Life, for example, is a low quality copycat of A Rush/Head). This and Arctic Monkey's Whatever People Say I Am are the best two British albums of the new millennium. But where Whatever People Say I Am follows the Definitely Maybe / Parklife / Rocking-out formula, A Rush/Head follows the Morning Glory? / OK Computer formula of Ballad-based, intelligent musical progression. Giant anthems `The Scientist' and `Clocks' are the new decade's `Wonderwall' and `Champagne Supernova.' `God Put a Smile on Your Face' might be the best song of Coldplay's career - a near perfect blend of high energetic percussion, memorable acoustic melodies and soaring, powerful vocals on the part of Chris Martin. `Daylight' is a Dark Side of The Moon / OK Computer influenced gem, and the staple alternative of `In My Place' is a better version of Oasis's `Stand By Me.' One hidden song is the closing `Amsterdam,' a truly awesome display of progressive, `Bohemian Rhapsody'-style Easy Listening. All the songs are damn good, even if the likes of `Green Eyes' sounds a little too much like a County song for comfort. Given the popularity that Coldplay has already amassed, A Rush of Blood to the Head will go down inn history as a classic of the post-Rock era.

Awesome. Music great. Lyrics great, Sound great. One of those classics that join the ranks of Pink Floyd, Santana, Rick wakeman, for sheer good vibrations and good thoughts. There is hope for mankind yet.

This album is a must-have. Very emotional and evocative. IMO, Coldplay's finest album as of yet.

A 2 year old could play the Clocks piano riff. And let's face it... we are all sick to death of it. U2 thinks they are giving the Beatles a run for their money which is a huge joke. But Coldplay thinks they are giving U2 a run for their money and that is just as funny. Chris Martin might as well give up and move to LA and write commercials for life insurance companies.

I recently re-acquainted myself with Coldplay's sophomore LP. I remember whenever it was first out, I felt it was one of the better things around, especially because I hated most of what was coming out when this was big. And while not on par with classic Radiohead, it is a wonderful record. Elitists generally like to laugh at people who listen to this band, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of them secretly are humming to their songs at times. Yes, the music's simple and so are the lyrics, it's not edgy and not particularly innovative. But does that mean it's never good?

Nope, it's got enough highlights to keep you interested. "The Scientist" and "Clocks" are classic Coldplay tracks; the former with sincerity in its execution and the other one with an awesome piano hook. The title track is a melodic track about modern events, and an underrated track is the beautiful "Green Eyes," and it makes you wonder why there weren't more acoustic type songs on the record.

There are a couple of kind of low-light tracks. "Daylight" is too much musically like the track before it to be interesting enough and "Warning Sign" doesn't particularly do anything for me.

However, the good outweighs the bad on this record. I actually like the other two albums a little bit more, but I still recommend "Rush." You could get sick of it after awhile, I may warn you however.

How do you know an album is REALLY good? When it changes the life of the person listening to it. That's what Coldplay's "A Rush of Blood to the Head" did: not only did it open my ears to a new genre of music, it made me appreciate it on a whole new level. I had vaguely heard of Coldplay before, mostly from their single "Yellow" off of their first album. After reading one great review after another about "Rush", I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did!!! From the hard-driving first notes of "Politik" to the hypnotic piano chords on "The Scientist" and "Clocks", I was mesmerized. The album changes pace smoothly, from the melodic "In My Place" to the inspired "God Put a Smile on Your Face", all the way back to the exotically enthralling "Sunlight". There are few CDs in my collection that I can pop into my stereo and enjoy each AND every track, and this is the first from this decade to make that "elite" list. I've since had to buy another copy of this CD due to simply wearing out the first copy from over-play. They may have been influenced by Radiohead, but this album proves they've created a sound, vibe, and feel all their own.

I can't believe it took me 5 years to finally buy this album but it's definitely a good album. Coldplay has lots of talent and the lyrics are amazing. My favorite tracks are #1-6.

Coldplay is one of those bands that seem to spark endless "is this progressive rock?" discussions on many internet prog rock forums. Is it prog? Is it commercialized pop? Is it just drivel? To me none of that matters, this is a damn good album no matter how you categorize it. I know some of these songs have been played to death on radio, but since I rarely listen to radio these days I never had the chance to get burned out on them. Both the music and songwriting are strong throughout this disc and I personally do not think there is a weak song on it. "Politik", "The Scientist", "Green Eyes", "In My Place", "Clocks", the title track "Rush Of Blood To The Head", these are all great songs. This band sometimes gets compared to Radiohead and while I hear some similarities I think Coldplay is more melodic and in some ways better songwriters. Over the course of their 3 albums the band has become media darlings with their faces having become teenage pin ups. Don't let this throw you off. Although this band has become very successful, and continually resides in top 40 radio, the music is still very good and in no way has this band "sold out" in my opinion.

I think that this is one of Coldplay's better albums along with their Parachutes album which I believe is their best album to date.

"A rush of blood to the head" is one of my favorite CD's ever. Spectacular music, great lyrics and Chris Martin's soothing unparalleled voice: a combination that will never cease to amaze me. "In my place" is such a moving song, and the beautiful "Green Eyes" is probably one of the most heatfelt love songs ever written. Though studio versions are great, I prefer Coldplay's plain acoustic versions 'cause they really showcase all of their assets as a band and simply put, the truly great music these guys make. Genious.

This is Ernie singing ballads with Bert and the other guys from Sesame Street again. I don't know but I can't help it. It does sound like Ernie singing. Close your eyes and imagine.. Maybe Guy Smiley? Help me here. Ernie has always been my favorite. But still good ballads, nice mix and production suited for guys who can't play technically. I like it. I can listen to 4-5 songs on it and then maybe 4-5 songs again next year. For Parachutes I said 2-3 songs. Now it's 4-5 songs. Getting better.

I am not going to rate this particular album as compared to the other two Coldplay releases as they are all essentually the same quality. I really find that I enjoy listening to Coldplay, however it took a while to figure out why. I have decided that Coldplay represents to me what I miss from yesteryear on the radio, however, there is nothing groundbreaking or unique about Coldplay's music. For those younger people who believe Coldplay is the next this or that, well, they aren't. I think my biggest problem with Coldplay is they lack an identity of their own, which is why there is so much debate on who they sound like. Throughout their collection, I hear U2, Dave Matthews, Depeche Mode, the softer Smashing Pumpkins, and even Soundgarden (Daylight). Maybe it is commendable that they remind me of so many other bands, as it suggests they are not one dimensional.

My other complaint is that the singer is like so many of today's weak sounding leads. You can barely hear him over the music and rarely can I make out his lyrics.

That being said, they are an enjoyable band that is worthy of listening to and are certainly a breath of fresh air as compared to the one-hit wonders and hip-hop garbage that flood our airwaves today.

This is a quietly brilliant album by Coldplay. There's something for everyone here, from the rocking "Politik" to the celestial, beautiful "Clocks". I highly recommend it.

First, quit with the comparisons. "They're just Radiohead!" If they were just Radiohead then they'd be Radiohead wouldn't they? Radiohead is Radiohead and Coldplay is Coldplay. Same goes for U2. And I don't like it when people tell others to listen to Radiohead instead of Coldplay. Radiohead are a tad overrated. I like them but somtimes it seems like Thom Yorke has gone "Hmmm... I'll just write some random chords and they'll sound good... C#m7add11#5 sounds good... I like complicated chords." an example of this is Just on The Bends, that guitar chord progression is just random and stupid.
Now to A Rush of Blood to the Head. I'm a new Coldplay fan. I used to dispise them. I don't know why but I think it had something to with Clocks being used for the Peter Pan trailers and I hated the kid who played Peter Pan... That was probably it. But then, just last year I was looking for music that was... Beautiful, shimmering. I reluctantly put this album on iTunes but I didn't listen to it. Then one day whilst listening on shuffle In My Place came on... It was the one that got me... It was just so pretty. The chord progression, the riff, it just works. After that I got all their albums and I think I like almost every single one of their songs.
People also tend to say that this album (and Coldplay in general) are depressing but I think that they, inside, are depressed and are trying to find something easy to blame their problems on. This music isn't depressing, I haven't ever felt the need to kill myself whilst listening to Coldplay. Also I think that people always mistake melancholy for depression.
This album will be a favourite for mine for a long time I think, and I just feel sorry for the people that hate Coldplay but instead like to hear a guitar being shredded and distorted and people singing about drugs, death and sex, because they're missing out.

This is an amazing CD. Along with it's follow-up, X&Y, it's literally all that I've listened to for about a year. I'm not exaggerating, THESE TWO CDs ARE ALL I'VE LISTENED TO FOR A YEAR. It never gets old, which is a true sign of a classic in the making.

While I own all of Coldplay's albums, "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" remains my personal favorite. A mix of lush melodies, driving rock beats and Chris Martin's heavenly vocals propelled the British band to fame and notoriety worlwide, and for once, the group deserves their hype.

There are almost too many outstanding tracks to go into detail here, and one must hear the music for themselves to gain an appreciate for it; however wordy I may be, even I cannot do them justice by merely seeking to describe their work.

My personal favorites off the album include "Politik," "In My Place," "The Scientist," and the stunning "Clocks," one of the best songs in the history of music as far as I'm concerned. Listening to these tracks, and the album as a whole, transport me to another world entirely, one that I get to visit whenever I need to.

Not that the band needs any help in terms of album sales, but I do hope that you will give them a try if you haven't discovered them already. You will not be disappointed!

...and I still go back to it, along with the other Coldplay cds, which I've bought, I think, all of by now.

I tend to fall in love with specific songs more than with specific bands, but not in this case. I find that the more I listen (to this cd in particular), then go back to other cds, then return, the more Impressed I am with their child-prodigy-like brilliance. Coldplay's music is sweet and yet profound...out of its time in a way.

Inspire is just too tame a word for what it does.

Using a mixture of styles to infuse life into pop, Coldplay trounced the album competition with the second entry into their album discography. This album managed to garner three top Grammy awards: the Best Alternative Music Album of 2002; the Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal of 2002 for the song "In My Place;" and Record of the Year of 2003 for the single "Clocks." In 2003 "Rolling Stone" magazine listed this album as #473 of the 500 greatest albums of all time. If Coldplay can translate the success of their first three albums into future albums, their place as icons of rock will be assured.

Though the music is fundamentally pop, the topics are often not. Written shortly after the events of 11 September 2001, "Politik" calls for understanding and love and asks us to view the reality that we are all one race. The style of this song is marvelous, mixing elements of grunge and alternative with mellow backing to create an unusual song with tragic undertones.

After the relatively heavy opening, "In My Place" is a soothing pop song. This song was recognized critically by its Grammy Award. However, the song fared less well on the charts, reaching only #17 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart. The song did much better on both the U.K. and Canadian charts, where it reached #2 on both. The song is mellow and pretty, and easy on the ears; all attributes of a solid pop song.

The third song provides a third style in as many songs. This alternative pop song has a blues flavor to it and a faster beat than the previous two songs. The lyrics are simple, but the refrain is excellent and worth listening to multiple times.

Pop albums have to have a love song on them, usually more than one. I think there must be a rule about that somewhere. "The Scientist" is one of the most interesting love songs I can recall on a pop album. The lyrics are unusual in that the words try to describe love and relationships analytically rather than emotionally. These lyrics are great for geeks like me. This song was a single that reached #18 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart, and did reasonably well in the U.K. and Canada.

The fifth song on this album is "Clocks," which is a remarkable song that I never tire of hearing. The song does have elements that seem drawn from the Verve. However, this song is all Coldplay's, with elements of grunge and pop and rock all nicely executed with lyrics that beg to back an excellent movie about life and futures and pasts and missed opportunities and opportunities yet to be. Try not to read the lyrics too many times or you may find your life in them. This song reached #9 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart, making it the most successful single from this album in the U.S. The people at the Grammy Awards were smarter, bestowing Record of the Year on this song. It is fortunate that all the music on this album was less than this song, or I might never listen to any other album ever again.

I was delighted and surprised by "Daylight." This song has several retro elements that reminded me of the Doors and the Beatles with Verve to pull it all together. The clever music for this song makes this song my second favorite on this CD. The words are deliciously surreal and evocative. Oh, silly me, this is a psychedelic song, a rarity in this era.

"Green Eyes" is another bluesy song that almost has a country flavor. This song adds a little to this album, but is one of the weaker songs here. Even though I describe this song as being weaker, it is weak only in comparison to the rest of the music on this CD.

The strength of the music comes back with "Warning Sign," which I think should have been a single. This pop ballad is about love and regret. The song is mellow and melancholy, with excellent string music at just the right points.

I am much less enthused about "A Whisper," which I believe is the weakest song on this CD. I think portions of the song are too repetitive and sometimes downright annoying. There are portions of this song that are strongly reminiscent of Sting and the Police, and I like those portions, but three quarters of the "whispers" could have been eliminated to make a better song.

The title track is quite nice. The song begins with as an acoustic blues song. The song powers up in two steps to become solidly alternative. When the reverberation adds in this song becomes very powerful and excellent. The lyrics are complex and the most challenging of any on this CD. This song is one of the best executed songs on this CD and one of my favorites.

The closing song is "Amsterdam." The song has a Pink Floyd opening, an Elton John transition, and an acoustic alternative body. The harmony at the halfway point is nicely done, and helps carry the song into the piano bridge, where an organ is the leading edge of a bevy of electric instruments that finally kick in to finish off the album. This song was a good selection to finish out this album.

Coldplay is building a significant track record. If they can continue with the kind of musical quality they have had thus far, they will be on the edge of being rock superstars, and icon status will follow shortly behind.

Some great music here. I don't think it is as good as Parachutes, but how many bands ever make a second album as good as the first. That said this is still a very good album. Coldplay are always a step ahead of the rest of the bands of their ilk. Chris Martin sounds excellent on this CD as do the rest of the band. "Politik" - "In My Place" - "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" are pretty darn near perfect pop songs that really show the bands ability to shine. Coldplay have created a large bag of beautiful and engaging songs, and this is only their second album. I think the lyrics are more interesting on this one than the other two albums, but "Parachutes", musically, was better. I find my self listening to this album a lot lately, a real great CD.

If you want to give these guys credit for anything, they certainly deserve credit for taking soft rock all the way to the top again. They should be called Radioplay because they take basic elements of the Radiohead sound (not the experimentation) and set it to easy-on-the-ears melodies, beats, and lyrics. "Lost in Love" has nothing on this one. I'm actually eagerly anticipating the Coldplay covers album of Air Supply. "All Out of Love" with a brittle beat--that will really be something!

Coldplay's second album deserved all the commercial and critical success it achieved, it managed to strike the right balance between their stripped down intimate debut album 'Parachutes' and the anthemic melancholy of the follow up album 'X & Y'. 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' is dominated by piano-based ballad's which the band excel at and is preferable to the layer's of keyboard's and synths that feature heavily on 'X & Y' (a strong album but definitely over-produced!).
I've never been particularly impressed by Chris Martin's lyrics but he get's away with it as he sings with a genuine humanity and passion that is gripping and heartwarming and he's on his best form here. Johnny Buckland play's a subtle role on this album, the guitar's are almost non-existent compared to his playing on 'Parachutes' but they are there when the song's demand them and they serve their role well.
'Clocks' is one of those rare songs that has been played to death on radio and television but has never grated on me- in fact, I love 'Clocks' just that little bit more everytime I hear it. The piano riff, Will Champion's drums and Guy Berryman's pulsating bassline help to drive along a song which ranks as my absolute favourite Coldplay tune.
'Amsterdam' is a very close second to 'Clocks', it's my favourite closing track to any album I've ever heard and I hope Coldplay don't abandon songs like this in future, whatever direction they choose to take because they are master's of the slow-building piano ballad and 'Amsterdam' is their best effort in that style. 'The Scientist' almost matches it.
'In My Place' has a gorgeous tune and is one of their best singles, I've always preferred it over 'Yellow'. 'Daylight' and 'A Whisper' are a couple of my other favourite's from this album.
A lot of similar band's have since tried to make an album as consistently strong and emotional as 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' but none have matched it.