Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends

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Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, often referred to as simply Viva la Vida, is the fourth studio album by British alternative rock band Coldplay, released in 2008 on Parlophone Records. The album was named after a Spanish phrase that translates in English as "Live the life", although it can also be taken as "Long live life". Lyrically, the album contains references to love, life, death, and war. sessions for the album took place during June 2007 to April 2008 and featured production by Jon Hopkins, Rik Simpson, Markus Dravs, and Brian Eno. The album was their first to be produced by Eno as the band explored more experimental styles. The album cover of Viva la Vida is the painting Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix. Viva la Vida was both a critical and commercial success with fives songs released as singles to promote the album. "Viva la Vida" became the band's first song to reach number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It won Best Rock Album at the 2009 Grammy Awards and was also nominated for Album of the Year. It was the best selling album of 2008 and by 2011, the album had sold more than 10 million copies. This album is on black vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve with a 12 page booklet insert, pressed in Europe via Parlophone Records. .co.uk ------ To say there has been a lot of anticipation for Coldplay’s fourth album, Viva La Vida, is an understatement. Having enlisted legendary leftfield producer Brian Eno, borrowed their album title from a painting by renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and made tantalising remarks about sonic reinvention, the world has been curious (to say the least) to hear what the ‘new’ Coldplay might sound like. Viva La Vida definitely makes some departures from the band’s usual formula, which happens to be one of the most commercially successful rock-pop blueprints of recent years. The plangent chords, emotive melodies, stadium-rock rhythms and universal lyrical concerns remain, but Martin and co. have gone out on several limbs here, incorporating instrumental tracks ("Life In Technicolour"), using subtle North African and Latin elements ("Yes", "Strawberry Swing"), and overhauling previously strict verse-chorus-verse structures in favour of slightly more avant arrangements. The old Coldplay still shine through (see tracks like "Violet Hill" and the title song) but even their classic sound feels more muscular and confident. The band’s new flourishes, cosmetic and self-conscious as they may be, are enough to make Viva La Vida a welcome break from the old routine--Danny McKenna