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

Empty and vile, 24 Aug 2008
The absence of everything spontaneous, beautiful and courageous in music. Cod poetry mired down by turgid dirgery with all the wit and sophistication of a rotten cat dropping.

Some posh boy warbles unconvincingly over U2's sub-Bsides and expects the world to be saved while I boak heartily into a straw boater.

Music for people with no love for music and no clue about life.



Their best yet, 24 Aug 2008
I haven't always liked Coldplay. Parachutes I could take or leave (and generally left). 'Rush of Blood' was good in parts but only really 'The Scientist' and 'Warning Sign' have lasted for me. 'X and Y' attended to their main fault - a lack of variety in building a melody - and also gave us sound washes, instumental development and nearly sixty minutes of sound.
Viva La Vida (a much shorter work) has attended to most of their remaining weaknesses and come up with their first classic pop/rock album that can be enjoyed as a whole. The lyrics are less pretentious - the title track even manages to be witty - and the songs are tidier and organised; they all tell their own particular story in music and lyrics. Critically the instrumentation has real variety with the percussion particularly good. Meanwhile Chris Martin's vocals have matured allowing most melody lines to range well over one octave.
The conceit of 'Fix You' ie two competing musical ideas on one particular track is arguably done to death but there is really not a single weak contribution here.

Just give it time..., 22 Aug 2008
This is Coldplay, but with a bit of a twist. I doubt these guys want to create an album that sounds generically similar every time they decide to release a collection of tracks.

So what's the big fuss, and why is everyone having a go at them? Is it because it's Coldplay and it's 'cool' to criticise them? Or is it because they are boring and dull and unimaginative? Or is it because all of their stuff sounds similar?

On the last few counts, I can say that 'Viva La Vida' is NOT boring and NOT dull. Neither is it unimaginative. It is probably the most diverse record Coldplay have produced...but does that necessarily mean that it's their best?

Flip a coin.

On one side, you have the critics who hate it for not being Coldplay - too different, too experimental, too 'bits and pieces'.

On the other hand, you have the people who enjoy it for being a diverse record, with plenty of variety shown in the songs in structure and in how they sound.

I admit myself, it's the kind of record that grows on you. They do say that the best records tend to do so.

'Viva La Vida' is a great album. And it's great because Coldplay create wonderful music.

The standout tracks are: 'Lost!', '42', 'Lovers in Japan', 'Violet Hill', and the title-track, 'Viva La Vida'.

However, there isn't one bad track on it, despite many people dismissing the album. Other tracks, 'Life in Technicolor', 'Cemeteries of London', 'Yes', 'Strawberry Swing', and 'Death and All of His Friends' are good, but don't grab you by the scruff of the neck and beg for your listening attention.

Maybe we take Coldplay for granted. They create excellent music, but some people fail to recognize this. They perceive them as dull and unimaginative. But 'Viva La Vida' is anything but. It is the bravest Coldplay album yet. And quite possibly one of the best, if only because of that. 8/10.

Coldplay deliver once again - the best British band of the Noughties, 19 Aug 2008
How can you argue with this band and their success so far? And before people think I just happen to be a sheep, I found Coldplay's Trouble and Yellow abhorrent. I was not convinced at all. However, I just love Coldplay's work from Parachutes (the two singles excepted) through to this latest installment. This is not an X&Y and is different thanks to the very positive influence of Brian Eno, a magician in his own right. The first 3 tracks just glide you through the listening experience but I struggle with 'Yes'. It is quite different from a typical Coldplay melody and reminds me of the French ambient/rock band, M83. Maybe that's a good thing. Not for me though. However, the two chart hits are just fantastic and uplifting. Not convinced by Strawberry Swing either but I like the way the album finishes. So what have we got then? Just another Coldplay album or have they tried something a little different? Indeed they have and for that they should be applauded as they attempt to evolve. As an album it works very well and it holds CD 4 in my car and will do so for a while. I can't give it 5 stars, it's just not as good as Parachutes for me but it's still a very good album. Don't denigrate, just appreciate.

Best Coldplay Album By Far, 11 Aug 2008
I have taken time to listen to the new Coldplay album several times since its release. There is no denying that this album is far more experimental than the first three albums and moves away from the bands pop/rock songs based around basic chords. The meat of the album is vedged between a very catchy intro and outro which compliment the new style very well.

Initially i found the lyrics on the album a little simple in places but as i listened more, i realised that it may be a small price the band has paid for pushing the content of the songs into new subject areas. A good example of this is the title track 'Viva La Vida' which encapsulates the front cover and speaks of revolution and the trials and tribulations of being a king.

Standout tracks for me are 'Yes', 'Lost' and the very radiohead-esque '42' but to be honest there isn't a bad track on the album.

Overall, the album solidifies Coldplays status as one of the driving cogs in British music at the moment. While many bands continue to stumble along and produce continuous streams of 'safe' music, Coldplay have turned their music in a new direction and made a brilliant go of it.

Empty and vile, 24 Aug 2008
The absence of everything spontaneous, beautiful and courageous in music. Cod poetry mired down by turgid dirgery with all the wit and sophistication of a rotten cat dropping.

Some posh boy warbles unconvincingly over U2's sub-Bsides and expects the world to be saved while I boak heartily into a straw boater.

Music for people with no love for music and no clue about life.



Their best yet, 24 Aug 2008
I haven't always liked Coldplay. Parachutes I could take or leave (and generally left). 'Rush of Blood' was good in parts but only really 'The Scientist' and 'Warning Sign' have lasted for me. 'X and Y' attended to their main fault - a lack of variety in building a melody - and also gave us sound washes, instumental development and nearly sixty minutes of sound.
Viva La Vida (a much shorter work) has attended to most of their remaining weaknesses and come up with their first classic pop/rock album that can be enjoyed as a whole. The lyrics are less pretentious - the title track even manages to be witty - and the songs are tidier and organised; they all tell their own particular story in music and lyrics. Critically the instrumentation has real variety with the percussion particularly good. Meanwhile Chris Martin's vocals have matured allowing most melody lines to range well over one octave.
The conceit of 'Fix You' ie two competing musical ideas on one particular track is arguably done to death but there is really not a single weak contribution here.

Just give it time..., 22 Aug 2008
This is Coldplay, but with a bit of a twist. I doubt these guys want to create an album that sounds generically similar every time they decide to release a collection of tracks.

So what's the big fuss, and why is everyone having a go at them? Is it because it's Coldplay and it's 'cool' to criticise them? Or is it because they are boring and dull and unimaginative? Or is it because all of their stuff sounds similar?

On the last few counts, I can say that 'Viva La Vida' is NOT boring and NOT dull. Neither is it unimaginative. It is probably the most diverse record Coldplay have produced...but does that necessarily mean that it's their best?

Flip a coin.

On one side, you have the critics who hate it for not being Coldplay - too different, too experimental, too 'bits and pieces'.

On the other hand, you have the people who enjoy it for being a diverse record, with plenty of variety shown in the songs in structure and in how they sound.

I admit myself, it's the kind of record that grows on you. They do say that the best records tend to do so.

'Viva La Vida' is a great album. And it's great because Coldplay create wonderful music.

The standout tracks are: 'Lost!', '42', 'Lovers in Japan', 'Violet Hill', and the title-track, 'Viva La Vida'.

However, there isn't one bad track on it, despite many people dismissing the album. Other tracks, 'Life in Technicolor', 'Cemeteries of London', 'Yes', 'Strawberry Swing', and 'Death and All of His Friends' are good, but don't grab you by the scruff of the neck and beg for your listening attention.

Maybe we take Coldplay for granted. They create excellent music, but some people fail to recognize this. They perceive them as dull and unimaginative. But 'Viva La Vida' is anything but. It is the bravest Coldplay album yet. And quite possibly one of the best, if only because of that. 8/10.

Coldplay deliver once again - the best British band of the Noughties, 19 Aug 2008
How can you argue with this band and their success so far? And before people think I just happen to be a sheep, I found Coldplay's Trouble and Yellow abhorrent. I was not convinced at all. However, I just love Coldplay's work from Parachutes (the two singles excepted) through to this latest installment. This is not an X&Y and is different thanks to the very positive influence of Brian Eno, a magician in his own right. The first 3 tracks just glide you through the listening experience but I struggle with 'Yes'. It is quite different from a typical Coldplay melody and reminds me of the French ambient/rock band, M83. Maybe that's a good thing. Not for me though. However, the two chart hits are just fantastic and uplifting. Not convinced by Strawberry Swing either but I like the way the album finishes. So what have we got then? Just another Coldplay album or have they tried something a little different? Indeed they have and for that they should be applauded as they attempt to evolve. As an album it works very well and it holds CD 4 in my car and will do so for a while. I can't give it 5 stars, it's just not as good as Parachutes for me but it's still a very good album. Don't denigrate, just appreciate.

Best Coldplay Album By Far, 11 Aug 2008
I have taken time to listen to the new Coldplay album several times since its release. There is no denying that this album is far more experimental than the first three albums and moves away from the bands pop/rock songs based around basic chords. The meat of the album is vedged between a very catchy intro and outro which compliment the new style very well.

Initially i found the lyrics on the album a little simple in places but as i listened more, i realised that it may be a small price the band has paid for pushing the content of the songs into new subject areas. A good example of this is the title track 'Viva La Vida' which encapsulates the front cover and speaks of revolution and the trials and tribulations of being a king.

Standout tracks for me are 'Yes', 'Lost' and the very radiohead-esque '42' but to be honest there isn't a bad track on the album.

Overall, the album solidifies Coldplays status as one of the driving cogs in British music at the moment. While many bands continue to stumble along and produce continuous streams of 'safe' music, Coldplay have turned their music in a new direction and made a brilliant go of it.

Back to college for any one in the mid-late twenties!, 28 Aug 2008
I'll keep this straight forward and to the point as much as possible....

The Verve before 1999 have always had 2 sides. 1 side Nick McCabe...far out experimental guitar music....

Richard Ashcroft...Straight forward ballads/rock songs...

You could always tell a Richard Ashcroft song from a Verve song...example from the album a Northern soul the title track is a typical group composition whereas On your Own and History are obviously Ashcroft written songs...Urban Hymns...Neon Wilderness and Catching The Butterfly, both Verve written...Lucky Man,Sonnet...Ashcroft written. The evidence is there as to what I,m trying to say just look at the writing credits in the cd's!!

Now to Forth!! The 2 sides appears to be gone...it really sounds like the band are working together and combining both sides!!!

I won't go into details but list some highlights...Love Is Noise,just a blinding catchy song...Sit and Wonder a typical Verve song...Noise Epic...an amazing journey into why The Verve are so great...

If you like The Verve and always have done this will not dissapoint you...if you only like 1 or 2 of there songs....get the ones you like!

Four Stars... and a bit., 27 Aug 2008
I was never a Verve fan as such, but I have had Urban Hymns since its release and it's is one of my favourites. Forth is good but by no means great. It starts off well, the first few songs are excellent, particularly Rather Be and Love is Noise, but then it loses its way until the brilliant Valium Skies. So I give it four stars, were it not for the rather poor middle, I'd have happily given five stars. This is only my opinion, this one looks like one of those CD's that is 'like marmite', if you know what I mean.

Forth , 27 Aug 2008
Keepin this brief, Forth is a Top album, as good as all their others, standout tracks...
sit and wonder
love is noise
rather be
valium skies
appalachian springs
(BUY NOW GREAT ALBUM!)


A Bitter-Sweet Album, 27 Aug 2008
The album opens brilliantly with 'Sit and Wonder' and 'Love is Noise' rivalling the best Verve tracks. 'Rather Be' has the difficult task of following such strong songs but changes the tone of the album fluidly and is a good track in itself.

However the three mediocre songs of 'Judas', 'Numbness' (does exactly what it says on the tin) and 'I See Houses' follow and this is the major problem with this album. By the time these tracks are over you are left feeling bored and the album feeling dead and lifeless.

'Noise Epic' tries to pick up the tempo in typical Verve fashion and 'Valium Skies' is a hidden gem on this album. 'Mama Soul' and 'Appalachian Springs' finish the album off nicely but the album struggles to recover from its lacklustre middle section.

In conclusion there are some GREAT songs on here and the rest are mainly good but the few weak tracks have been allowed to dominate. I'd give this album 3.5 out of 5.


2 decent songs, a star each, 27 Aug 2008
I have all of The Verve's previous albums, from the seminal "A Storm in Heaven", through the superb "A Northern Soul" to the good but over-hyped "Urban Hymns". This is not a patch on any of them.

The many filler tracks hinted at on "Urban Hymns" have been expanded and watered-down even further to pad out this offering. The tough sonic soundscapes favoured by guitarist Nick McCabe in days gone by are all but absent here, where he is criminally underused. He has finally been relegated to Ashcroft's session man, making this lazy effort sound like another solo effort of his - no great thing.

The two standout tracks on the album - "Sit and Wonder" and "Love is Noise" - are the opening songs. Sadly it's all downhill from here on out. These two songs could have sat proudly on any previous album. For this reason alone "Forth" deserves 2 stars - 1 for each track.

You could never accuse Damon Albarn of resting on his laurels. Whether it's forming supergroups (The Good, The Bad & The Queen), working with cult animators (The Gorillaz) or making music with musicians from Mali, the former Blur frontman has nurtured a restless, questing spirit not normally encountered in Britop stars. As if to underline his diverse interests, he now turns his attention to Chinese theatre. Monkey: Journey to the West is a theatrical collaboration between Albarn (music), Jamie Hewlett of Gorillaz fame (designs, costumes) and Chinese opera specialist Chen Shi-Zheng. The show itself is an explosive 90-minute circus featuring Chinese acrobats, martial arts experts and contortionists, though the album condenses the experience into 22 songs lasting an hour or so. Recorded in London and Beijing with a mix of European and Chinese musicians, Monkey ... is a genuine attempt at East-West fusion. Featuring a dizzying array of instrumentation--rock guitars, electronics, harps, mandolins, drum machines, strings, plinky-plonk keyboards, giggling girls, chants, even pigs--it's the sort of project that could so easily have gone awry. Yet Albarn, who allegedly mastered the Chinese pentatonic scale, seems to have made it work. Songs like the fluttery "Heavenly Peach Banquet" and the wistful "The Living Sea" are utterly beguiling, and stand in stark contrast to guitar-heavy behemoths like "Battle in Heaven" and the climactic "Monkey Bee." These longer songs are punctuated with incidental pieces such as "Iron Rod", "Into the Eastern Sea" and "Out of the Eastern Sea". While such interludes may distract from a 'normal' album experience, there's enough melodious charm and imaginative whimsy scattered throughout to satisfy even ardent skeptics. --Paul Sullivan

Empty and vile, 24 Aug 2008
The absence of everything spontaneous, beautiful and courageous in music. Cod poetry mired down by turgid dirgery with all the wit and sophistication of a rotten cat dropping.

Some posh boy warbles unconvincingly over U2's sub-Bsides and expects the world to be saved while I boak heartily into a straw boater.

Music for people with no love for music and no clue about life.



Their best yet, 24 Aug 2008
I haven't always liked Coldplay. Parachutes I could take or leave (and generally left). 'Rush of Blood' was good in parts but only really 'The Scientist' and 'Warning Sign' have lasted for me. 'X and Y' attended to their main fault - a lack of variety in building a melody - and also gave us sound washes, instumental development and nearly sixty minutes of sound.
Viva La Vida (a much shorter work) has attended to most of their remaining weaknesses and come up with their first classic pop/rock album that can be enjoyed as a whole. The lyrics are less pretentious - the title track even manages to be witty - and the songs are tidier and organised; they all tell their own particular story in music and lyrics. Critically the instrumentation has real variety with the percussion particularly good. Meanwhile Chris Martin's vocals have matured allowing most melody lines to range well over one octave.
The conceit of 'Fix You' ie two competing musical ideas on one particular track is arguably done to death but there is really not a single weak contribution here.

Just give it time..., 22 Aug 2008
This is Coldplay, but with a bit of a twist. I doubt these guys want to create an album that sounds generically similar every time they decide to release a collection of tracks.

So what's the big fuss, and why is everyone having a go at them? Is it because it's Coldplay and it's 'cool' to criticise them? Or is it because they are boring and dull and unimaginative? Or is it because all of their stuff sounds similar?

On the last few counts, I can say that 'Viva La Vida' is NOT boring and NOT dull. Neither is it unimaginative. It is probably the most diverse record Coldplay have produced...but does that necessarily mean that it's their best?

Flip a coin.

On one side, you have the critics who hate it for not being Coldplay - too different, too experimental, too 'bits and pieces'.

On the other hand, you have the people who enjoy it for being a diverse record, with plenty of variety shown in the songs in structure and in how they sound.

I admit myself, it's the kind of record that grows on you. They do say that the best records tend to do so.

'Viva La Vida' is a great album. And it's great because Coldplay create wonderful music.

The standout tracks are: 'Lost!', '42', 'Lovers in Japan', 'Violet Hill', and the title-track, 'Viva La Vida'.

However, there isn't one bad track on it, despite many people dismissing the album. Other tracks, 'Life in Technicolor', 'Cemeteries of London', 'Yes', 'Strawberry Swing', and 'Death and All of His Friends' are good, but don't grab you by the scruff of the neck and beg for your listening attention.

Maybe we take Coldplay for granted. They create excellent music, but some people fail to recognize this. They perceive them as dull and unimaginative. But 'Viva La Vida' is anything but. It is the bravest Coldplay album yet. And quite possibly one of the best, if only because of that. 8/10.

Coldplay deliver once again - the best British band of the Noughties, 19 Aug 2008
How can you argue with this band and their success so far? And before people think I just happen to be a sheep, I found Coldplay's Trouble and Yellow abhorrent. I was not convinced at all. However, I just love Coldplay's work from Parachutes (the two singles excepted) through to this latest installment. This is not an X&Y and is different thanks to the very positive influence of Brian Eno, a magician in his own right. The first 3 tracks just glide you through the listening experience but I struggle with 'Yes'. It is quite different from a typical Coldplay melody and reminds me of the French ambient/rock band, M83. Maybe that's a good thing. Not for me though. However, the two chart hits are just fantastic and uplifting. Not convinced by Strawberry Swing either but I like the way the album finishes. So what have we got then? Just another Coldplay album or have they tried something a little different? Indeed they have and for that they should be applauded as they attempt to evolve. As an album it works very well and it holds CD 4 in my car and will do so for a while. I can't give it 5 stars, it's just not as good as Parachutes for me but it's still a very good album. Don't denigrate, just appreciate.

Best Coldplay Album By Far, 11 Aug 2008
I have taken time to listen to the new Coldplay album several times since its release. There is no denying that this album is far more experimental than the first three albums and moves away from the bands pop/rock songs based around basic chords. The meat of the album is vedged between a very catchy intro and outro which compliment the new style very well.

Initially i found the lyrics on the album a little simple in places but as i listened more, i realised that it may be a small price the band has paid for pushing the content of the songs into new subject areas. A good example of this is the title track 'Viva La Vida' which encapsulates the front cover and speaks of revolution and the trials and tribulations of being a king.

Standout tracks for me are 'Yes', 'Lost' and the very radiohead-esque '42' but to be honest there isn't a bad track on the album.

Overall, the album solidifies Coldplays status as one of the driving cogs in British music at the moment. While many bands continue to stumble along and produce continuous streams of 'safe' music, Coldplay have turned their music in a new direction and made a brilliant go of it.

Back to college for any one in the mid-late twenties!, 28 Aug 2008
I'll keep this straight forward and to the point as much as possible....

The Verve before 1999 have always had 2 sides. 1 side Nick McCabe...far out experimental guitar music....

Richard Ashcroft...Straight forward ballads/rock songs...

You could always tell a Richard Ashcroft song from a Verve song...example from the album a Northern soul the title track is a typical group composition whereas On your Own and History are obviously Ashcroft written songs...Urban Hymns...Neon Wilderness and Catching The Butterfly, both Verve written...Lucky Man,Sonnet...Ashcroft written. The evidence is there as to what I,m trying to say just look at the writing credits in the cd's!!

Now to Forth!! The 2 sides appears to be gone...it really sounds like the band are working together and combining both sides!!!

I won't go into details but list some highlights...Love Is Noise,just a blinding catchy song...Sit and Wonder a typical Verve song...Noise Epic...an amazing journey into why The Verve are so great...

If you like The Verve and always have done this will not dissapoint you...if you only like 1 or 2 of there songs....get the ones you like!

Four Stars... and a bit., 27 Aug 2008
I was never a Verve fan as such, but I have had Urban Hymns since its release and it's is one of my favourites. Forth is good but by no means great. It starts off well, the first few songs are excellent, particularly Rather Be and Love is Noise, but then it loses its way until the brilliant Valium Skies. So I give it four stars, were it not for the rather poor middle, I'd have happily given five stars. This is only my opinion, this one looks like one of those CD's that is 'like marmite', if you know what I mean.

Forth , 27 Aug 2008
Keepin this brief, Forth is a Top album, as good as all their others, standout tracks...
sit and wonder
love is noise
rather be
valium skies
appalachian springs
(BUY NOW GREAT ALBUM!)


A Bitter-Sweet Album, 27 Aug 2008
The album opens brilliantly with 'Sit and Wonder' and 'Love is Noise' rivalling the best Verve tracks. 'Rather Be' has the difficult task of following such strong songs but changes the tone of the album fluidly and is a good track in itself.

However the three mediocre songs of 'Judas', 'Numbness' (does exactly what it says on the tin) and 'I See Houses' follow and this is the major problem with this album. By the time these tracks are over you are left feeling bored and the album feeling dead and lifeless.

'Noise Epic' tries to pick up the tempo in typical Verve fashion and 'Valium Skies' is a hidden gem on this album. 'Mama Soul' and 'Appalachian Springs' finish the album off nicely but the album struggles to recover from its lacklustre middle section.

In conclusion there are some GREAT songs on here and the rest are mainly good but the few weak tracks have been allowed to dominate. I'd give this album 3.5 out of 5.


2 decent songs, a star each, 27 Aug 2008
I have all of The Verve's previous albums, from the seminal "A Storm in Heaven", through the superb "A Northern Soul" to the good but over-hyped "Urban Hymns". This is not a patch on any of them.

The many filler tracks hinted at on "Urban Hymns" have been expanded and watered-down even further to pad out this offering. The tough sonic soundscapes favoured by guitarist Nick McCabe in days gone by are all but absent here, where he is criminally underused. He has finally been relegated to Ashcroft's session man, making this lazy effort sound like another solo effort of his - no great thing.

The two standout tracks on the album - "Sit and Wonder" and "Love is Noise" - are the opening songs. Sadly it's all downhill from here on out. These two songs could have sat proudly on any previous album. For this reason alone "Forth" deserves 2 stars - 1 for each track.

I Liked the idea....., 28 Aug 2008
When I first heard Albarn and Hewlett were doing this project I was looking forward to the end result so when the album was released got it straight away. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't any good, but what I will say is I don't think it works as an album. For me I think it would work better with the visuals, the show. Some nice pieces of music on there, with little interludes inbetween the tracks which in places I wished went on to become songs only to find it fade of into something else! A great Idea though.....now Jamie Hewlett should do nice long animated version, with this as a soundtrack.

Nice Idea, some nice music, doesn't work as an album.

STUNNING SHOW - AMAZING MUSIC. OPEN YOUR EARS AND YOUR MIND, 24 Aug 2008
I was very lucky to see the spectacle that is Monkey's Journey To The West when it was premiered in Manchester in 2007. It's simply stunning and the music is amazing. OK maybe not for those expecting a slightly chinese influenced "ParkLife" or "Dare" but it shows just what a talent Albarn is...and that's from someone with all Oasis' albums! Do yourself a favour - see the show if you can but definitely buy this for an amazing aural experience. Post Beijing games, this should fly!

Monkey magic all over again!, 24 Aug 2008
I loved the TV series Monkey! - The Complete Series, and because of this I have a good idea of what's going on in the music without having seen the stage opera it comes from. And I love this. The clash of traditional eastern and experimental western influences just has to be heard to be believed. Above anything else it is music for the imagination, and if you know what's going on then it really is a heavenly peach of a gift in both sound and the visuals you create around it.

However, there are evidently a few Gorillaz [Explicit Lyrics] [Bonus Tracks] fans out there who don't have a clue what it's about and were obviously expecting something more along those lines, hence a few one-star ratings. Their point is a good one (I'm a Gorillaz fan too, and I sympathise with them to some extent), but if you have a good imagination and you know the story or the TV series, it is a must and - for you - it will not disappoint.


Magical and mysterious, 22 Aug 2008
What a gem of an album this is!

I haven't seen the show so on the music and music alone, I have to say that there are some genuinely beautiful moments on this album.
As for the so-called 'difficult' pieces, I agree these will not be everyone's cup of tea but I think many people, myself included, see them as curious little moments that demand re-listening to get your head around.

I like music that isn't just ear candy and actually has some substance and Damon has really achieved something here. Something that is totally different (thank God!) from everything else out there at the moment.



Great Show Great Music, 22 Aug 2008
I was lucky enough to see Monkey at the Manchester festival. The music certainly isn't Blur or Gorillaz and if that's what you're after maybe this isn't for you. It is, however, a brilliant crossover between Chinese opera and Western music, a little reminiscent of serialist music like Philip Glass or John Adams, but wholly original, beautiful, thrilling and hypnotic. If you get a chance see the show grab it - it is just wonderful.

Anyone looking for the key to ABBA's enduring appeal should look no further than "Voulez Vous" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" for their answer. There was an innocence to the Swedish quartet, even when they were singing about one-night stands and the invitations to them. Gold establishes that the band, while appreciated as campy, were actually multifaceted in their execution. "S.O.S." has a raw urgency in its chorus, and "Does Your Mother Know" draws its energy from classic 1950s rock & roll. Likewise, you don't have to be Priscilla to swoon over "Mamma Mia" or "Dancing Queen". And when it comes to drama, those soaring vocals on "The Winner Takes It All" turn the song into a bitter anthem of every relationship that has ever fallen apart. The much-covered "Lay All Your Love on Me" is practically epic. --Steve Gdula

Empty and vile, 24 Aug 2008
The absence of everything spontaneous, beautiful and courageous in music. Cod poetry mired down by turgid dirgery with all the wit and sophistication of a rotten cat dropping.

Some posh boy warbles unconvincingly over U2's sub-Bsides and expects the world to be saved while I boak heartily into a straw boater.

Music for people with no love for music and no clue about life.



Their best yet, 24 Aug 2008
I haven't always liked Coldplay. Parachutes I could take or leave (and generally left). 'Rush of Blood' was good in parts but only really 'The Scientist' and 'Warning Sign' have lasted for me. 'X and Y' attended to their main fault - a lack of variety in building a melody - and also gave us sound washes, instumental development and nearly sixty minutes of sound.
Viva La Vida (a much shorter work) has attended to most of their remaining weaknesses and come up with their first classic pop/rock album that can be enjoyed as a whole. The lyrics are less pretentious - the title track even manages to be witty - and the songs are tidier and organised; they all tell their own particular story in music and lyrics. Critically the instrumentation has real variety with the percussion particularly good. Meanwhile Chris Martin's vocals have matured allowing most melody lines to range well over one octave.
The conceit of 'Fix You' ie two competing musical ideas on one particular track is arguably done to death but there is really not a single weak contribution here.

Just give it time..., 22 Aug 2008
This is Coldplay, but with a bit of a twist. I doubt these guys want to create an album that sounds generically similar every time they decide to release a collection of tracks.

So what's the big fuss, and why is everyone having a go at them? Is it because it's Coldplay and it's 'cool' to criticise them? Or is it because they are boring and dull and unimaginative? Or is it because all of their stuff sounds similar?

On the last few counts, I can say that 'Viva La Vida' is NOT boring and NOT dull. Neither is it unimaginative. It is probably the most diverse record Coldplay have produced...but does that necessarily mean that it's their best?

Flip a coin.

On one side, you have the critics who hate it for not being Coldplay - too different, too experimental, too 'bits and pieces'.

On the other hand, you have the people who enjoy it for being a diverse record, with plenty of variety shown in the songs in structure and in how they sound.

I admit myself, it's the kind of record that grows on you. They do say that the best records tend to do so.

'Viva La Vida' is a great album. And it's great because Coldplay create wonderful music.

The standout tracks are: 'Lost!', '42', 'Lovers in Japan', 'Violet Hill', and the title-track, 'Viva La Vida'.

However, there isn't one bad track on it, despite many people dismissing the album. Other tracks, 'Life in Technicolor', 'Cemeteries of London', 'Yes', 'Strawberry Swing', and 'Death and All of His Friends' are good, but don't grab you by the scruff of the neck and beg for your listening attention.

Maybe we take Coldplay for granted. They create excellent music, but some people fail to recognize this. They perceive them as dull and unimaginative. But 'Viva La Vida' is anything but. It is the bravest Coldplay album yet. And quite possibly one of the best, if only because of that. 8/10.

Coldplay deliver once again - the best British band of the Noughties, 19 Aug 2008
How can you argue with this band and their success so far? And before people think I just happen to be a sheep, I found Coldplay's Trouble and Yellow abhorrent. I was not convinced at all. However, I just love Coldplay's work from Parachutes (the two singles excepted) through to this latest installment. This is not an X&Y and is different thanks to the very positive influence of Brian Eno, a magician in his own right. The first 3 tracks just glide you through the listening experience but I struggle with 'Yes'. It is quite different from a typical Coldplay melody and reminds me of the French ambient/rock band, M83. Maybe that's a good thing. Not for me though. However, the two chart hits are just fantastic and uplifting. Not convinced by Strawberry Swing either but I like the way the album finishes. So what have we got then? Just another Coldplay album or have they tried something a little different? Indeed they have and for that they should be applauded as they attempt to evolve. As an album it works very well and it holds CD 4 in my car and will do so for a while. I can't give it 5 stars, it's just not as good as Parachutes for me but it's still a very good album. Don't denigrate, just appreciate.

Best Coldplay Album By Far, 11 Aug 2008
I have taken time to listen to the new Coldplay album several times since its release. There is no denying that this album is far more experimental than the first three albums and moves away from the bands pop/rock songs based around basic chords. The meat of the album is vedged between a very catchy intro and outro which compliment the new style very well.

Initially i found the lyrics on the album a little simple in places but as i listened more, i realised that it may be a small price the band has paid for pushing the content of the songs into new subject areas. A good example of this is the title track 'Viva La Vida' which encapsulates the front cover and speaks of revolution and the trials and tribulations of being a king.

Standout tracks for me are 'Yes', 'Lost' and the very radiohead-esque '42' but to be honest there isn't a bad track on the album.

Overall, the album solidifies Coldplays status as one of the driving cogs in British music at the moment. While many bands continue to stumble along and produce continuous streams of 'safe' music, Coldplay have turned their music in a new direction and made a brilliant go of it.

Back to college for any one in the mid-late twenties!, 28 Aug 2008
I'll keep this straight forward and to the point as much as possible....

The Verve before 1999 have always had 2 sides. 1 side Nick McCabe...far out experimental guitar music....

Richard Ashcroft...Straight forward ballads/rock songs...

You could always tell a Richard Ashcroft song from a Verve song...example from the album a Northern soul the title track is a typical group composition whereas On your Own and History are obviously Ashcroft written songs...Urban Hymns...Neon Wilderness and Catching The Butterfly, both Verve written...Lucky Man,Sonnet...Ashcroft written. The evidence is there as to what I,m trying to say just look at the writing credits in the cd's!!

Now to Forth!! The 2 sides appears to be gone...it really sounds like the band are working together and combining both sides!!!

I won't go into details but list some highlights...Love Is Noise,just a blinding catchy song...Sit and Wonder a typical Verve song...Noise Epic...an amazing journey into why The Verve are so great...

If you like The Verve and always have done this will not dissapoint you...if you only like 1 or 2 of there songs....get the ones you like!

Four Stars... and a bit., 27 Aug 2008
I was never a Verve fan as such, but I have had Urban Hymns since its release and it's is one of my favourites. Forth is good but by no means great. It starts off well, the first few songs are excellent, particularly Rather Be and Love is Noise, but then it loses its way until the brilliant Valium Skies. So I give it four stars, were it not for the rather poor middle, I'd have happily given five stars. This is only my opinion, this one looks like one of those CD's that is 'like marmite', if you know what I mean.

Forth , 27 Aug 2008
Keepin this brief, Forth is a Top album, as good as all their others, standout tracks...
sit and wonder
love is noise
rather be
valium skies
appalachian springs
(BUY NOW GREAT ALBUM!)


A Bitter-Sweet Album, 27 Aug 2008
The album opens brilliantly with 'Sit and Wonder' and 'Love is Noise' rivalling the best Verve tracks. 'Rather Be' has the difficult task of following such strong songs but changes the tone of the album fluidly and is a good track in itself.

However the three mediocre songs of 'Judas', 'Numbness' (does exactly what it says on the tin) and 'I See Houses' follow and this is the major problem with this album. By the time these tracks are over you are left feeling bored and the album feeling dead and lifeless.

'Noise Epic' tries to pick up the tempo in typical Verve fashion and 'Valium Skies' is a hidden gem on this album. 'Mama Soul' and 'Appalachian Springs' finish the album off nicely but the album struggles to recover from its lacklustre middle section.

In conclusion there are some GREAT songs on here and the rest are mainly good but the few weak tracks have been allowed to dominate. I'd give this album 3.5 out of 5.


2 decent songs, a star each, 27 Aug 2008
I have all of The Verve's previous albums, from the seminal "A Storm in Heaven", through the superb "A Northern Soul" to the good but over-hyped "Urban Hymns". This is not a patch on any of them.

The many filler tracks hinted at on "Urban Hymns" have been expanded and watered-down even further to pad out this offering. The tough sonic soundscapes favoured by guitarist Nick McCabe in days gone by are all but absent here, where he is criminally underused. He has finally been relegated to Ashcroft's session man, making this lazy effort sound like another solo effort of his - no great thing.

The two standout tracks on the album - "Sit and Wonder" and "Love is Noise" - are the opening songs. Sadly it's all downhill from here on out. These two songs could have sat proudly on any previous album. For this reason alone "Forth" deserves 2 stars - 1 for each track.

I Liked the idea....., 28 Aug 2008
When I first heard Albarn and Hewlett were doing this project I was looking forward to the end result so when the album was released got it straight away. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't any good, but what I will say is I don't think it works as an album. For me I think it would work better with the visuals, the show. Some nice pieces of music on there, with little interludes inbetween the tracks which in places I wished went on to become songs only to find it fade of into something else! A great Idea though.....now Jamie Hewlett should do nice long animated version, with this as a soundtrack.

Nice Idea, some nice music, doesn't work as an album.

STUNNING SHOW - AMAZING MUSIC. OPEN YOUR EARS AND YOUR MIND, 24 Aug 2008
I was very lucky to see the spectacle that is Monkey's Journey To The West when it was premiered in Manchester in 2007. It's simply stunning and the music is amazing. OK maybe not for those expecting a slightly chinese influenced "ParkLife" or "Dare" but it shows just what a talent Albarn is...and that's from someone with all Oasis' albums! Do yourself a favour - see the show if you can but definitely buy this for an amazing aural experience. Post Beijing games, this should fly!

Monkey magic all over again!, 24 Aug 2008
I loved the TV series Monkey! - The Complete Series, and because of this I have a good idea of what's going on in the music without having seen the stage opera it comes from. And I love this. The clash of traditional eastern and experimental western influences just has to be heard to be believed. Above anything else it is music for the imagination, and if you know what's going on then it really is a heavenly peach of a gift in both sound and the visuals you create around it.

However, there are evidently a few Gorillaz [Explicit Lyrics] [Bonus Tracks] fans out there who don't have a clue what it's about and were obviously expecting something more along those lines, hence a few one-star ratings. Their point is a good one (I'm a Gorillaz fan too, and I sympathise with them to some extent), but if you have a good imagination and you know the story or the TV series, it is a must and - for you - it will not disappoint.


Magical and mysterious, 22 Aug 2008
What a gem of an album this is!

I haven't seen the show so on the music and music alone, I have to say that there are some genuinely beautiful moments on this album.
As for the so-called 'difficult' pieces, I agree these will not be everyone's cup of tea but I think many people, myself included, see them as curious little moments that demand re-listening to get your head around.

I like music that isn't just ear candy and actually has some substance and Damon has really achieved something here. Something that is totally different (thank God!) from everything else out there at the moment.



Great Show Great Music, 22 Aug 2008
I was lucky enough to see Monkey at the Manchester festival. The music certainly isn't Blur or Gorillaz and if that's what you're after maybe this isn't for you. It is, however, a brilliant crossover between Chinese opera and Western music, a little reminiscent of serialist music like Philip Glass or John Adams, but wholly original, beautiful, thrilling and hypnotic. If you get a chance see the show grab it - it is just wonderful.

Abba Gold: Ssssshh, don't tell anyone, but I'm putting Abba on., 18 Aug 2008
I've revisited this Album since my missus took an eager liking of the recent film translation of the musical Mamma Mia.

I've mentioned in my review of the soundtrack that I'm not a massive Abba fan, but there is something about the music that makes it incredibly likable. I'm not going to go through all the tracks on this double CD, but each song feels very independently crafted. No two sound the same.

There are no weak tracks here and the album is the perfect showcase for the pop phenomenon. Most cheesy pop songs over recent times have been basic stories of love, loss ...or lost love - but here there's a wide variation in subject matter. Most are to do with relationships, but they tend to tell a story rather than give a formulaic four minutes of music. This is no doubt one of the strengths of Abba, and a reason as to why this album is still popular today - it hasn't really dated. The spectrum of moods and types of music used is wider than what you'd usually find on a pop album, it is testament to the pure creative energy the group had and stops it from ever going stale.

In a nutshell: This goes beyond empty shallow pop music, it is a celebration of how creative genius can give birth to individual nuggets of musical gold. The tracks are incredibly catchy and they haunt you for hours after listening to them. This isn't great in the same way that a Bob Dylan album is great, there's no political message that will inspire you to stand up and be counted. This album is great because it uses sounds fresh and fun. Practically everyone is familiar with the majority of the tracks on this album, but it's only when you sit and listen to them that you appreciate how much work has gone into them. I'm not an Abba fan, but I do recognise the impact that this music has had - and I can't help but enjoy it when 'my wife puts it on'.


THE 'OTHER' FAB FOUR - NO LONGER A GUILTY PLEASURE, 04 Aug 2008
With interest in ABBA once again at a premium, thanks to the Mamma Mia Film and hugely successful musical, it's not surprising that this collection is once again at the top of the UK album charts and cruising to 26 million sales. ABBA themselves have'nt been a functioning band since 1982 when they released their last studio album The Visitors.
Time has been kind to the lagacy of the group and they now enjoy the kind of critical and commercial success afforded to true legends - Beatles, Queen, Who - where once they were considered sugary sweet and europap.
Gold is the perfect compilation collecting together all the major hits and presenting them, not in chronological order, but sequenced to construct a simply great listen.
The songs of Benny & Bjorn are beautifully crafted and constructed pop gems - 'Dancing Queen', 'Waterloo' (surely the greatest Eurovision song ever), 'The Winner Takes It All', 'Knowing Me Knowing You', 'SOS' - the hits just keep on coming. Those trademark Agnita & Frieda harmonies, clever studio arrangements and giant choruses are perfectly realised and even the lyrics, which were often derided in the 70's, are much better than you may remember.
Yes a sweet musical tooth is required and it is all, mostly, resolutely 'up' but if you are a fan of pop then Abba Gold is pure genius.

A PERFECT COLLECTION, 12 Jan 2008
AS A DEVOTEE OF ABBA I THINK THIS COLLECTION IS FIRST CLASS. ABBAS LYRICS ARE BRILLIANT, CATCHY, STORY TELLING SONGS WHICH FOR THE MOST PART STAND THE TEST OF TIME. OUTSTANDING TRACKS FOR ME FROM THIS COLLECTION WOULD BE SOS, THE NAME OF THE GAME, THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL ( AGNETHA AT HER MOST HEART WRENCHING) AND KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU. THIS COLLECTION CAN HOLD ITS HEAD UP AGAINST ANY OTHER.

ABBA song fest, 04 Oct 2007
when ABBA burst onto the scene in 1974 winning the eurovision song contest with 'Waterloo' the world was never going to be the same. some 33 years later, the world is still enthralled by them, spawning a highly succesful musical 'mamma mia' in the west end.

This CD includes all of their best known hits. 'Dancing queen' 'Take a chance on me' 'the name of the game' 'One of us' 'The winner takes it all'
'Thank you for the music' being just some of their major hits that make it onto this greatest hits album.

I was two years old when 'Dancing queen' came out in 1976, Just goes to prove, with quality music like this, the world never forgets.

The most successful Abba compilation ever, 02 Aug 2007
Fifteen years on from release, this album is still going strong, having recently seen of an attempt to replace it by the inferior "Number Ones".

Abba Gold was masterminded from Polydor UK in 1992 and is heavily weighted towards the UK hits. 18 of Abba's 19 Top 10 UK hits are here, the only omission being Summer Night City, left off in favour of perhaps their most well known small hit/album track, Thank You For The Music. The only other significant track missed off is UK Top 3 hit, Angeleyes, represented here by its double A-side, the international hit Voulez-Vous. That is the only concession to the non-UK market though.

Lay All Your Love On Me, not considered an "official" single and only released in a few countries, is included here on the grounds that it was a Top 10 UK hit (it also helped that Erasure had covered the track for their Abba-Esque EP earlier in 1992). In contrast, some big hits outside the UK, such as I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do (a small hit here) are thankfully left off.

If you don't already own this album (and there can't be many people left who don't) this is an essential purchase.

Anyone looking for the key to ABBA's enduring appeal should look no further than "Voulez Vous" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" for their answer. There was an innocence to the Swedish quartet, even when they were singing about one-night stands and the invitations to them. Gold establishes that the band, while appreciated as campy, were actually multifaceted in their execution. "S.O.S." has a raw urgency in its chorus, and "Does Your Mother Know" draws its energy from classic 1950s rock & roll. Likewise, you don't have to be Priscilla to swoon over "Mamma Mia" or "Dancing Queen". And when it comes to drama, those soaring vocals on "The Winner Takes It All" turn the song into a bitter anthem of every relationship that has ever fallen apart. The much-covered "Lay All Your Love on Me" is practically epic. --Steve Gdula

Empty and vile, 24 Aug 2008
The absence of everything spontaneous, beautiful and courageous in music. Cod poetry mired down by turgid dirgery with all the wit and sophistication of a rotten cat dropping.

Some posh boy warbles unconvincingly over U2's sub-Bsides and expects the world to be saved while I boak heartily into a straw boater.

Music for people with no love for music and no clue about life.



Their best yet, 24 Aug 2008
I haven't always liked Coldplay. Parachutes I could take or leave (and generally left). 'Rush of Blood' was good in parts but only really 'The Scientist' and 'Warning Sign' have lasted for me. 'X and Y' attended to their main fault - a lack of variety in building a melody - and also gave us sound washes, instumental development and nearly sixty minutes of sound.
Viva La Vida (a much shorter work) has attended to most of their remaining weaknesses and come up with their first classic pop/rock album that can be enjoyed as a whole. The lyrics are less pretentious - the title track even manages to be witty - and the songs are tidier and organised; they all tell their own particular story in music and lyrics. Critically the instrumentation has real variety with the percussion particularly good. Meanwhile Chris Martin's vocals have matured allowing most melody lines to range well over one octave.
The conceit of 'Fix You' ie two competing musical ideas on one particular track is arguably done to death but there is really not a single weak contribution here.

Just give it time..., 22 Aug 2008
This is Coldplay, but with a bit of a twist. I doubt these guys want to create an album that sounds generically similar every time they decide to release a collection of tracks.

So what's the big fuss, and why is everyone having a go at them? Is it because it's Coldplay and it's 'cool' to criticise them? Or is it because they are boring and dull and unimaginative? Or is it because all of their stuff sounds similar?

On the last few counts, I can say that 'Viva La Vida' is NOT boring and NOT dull. Neither is it unimaginative. It is probably the most diverse record Coldplay have produced...but does that necessarily mean that it's their best?

Flip a coin.

On one side, you have the critics who hate it for not being Coldplay - too different, too experimental, too 'bits and pieces'.

On the other hand, you have the people who enjoy it for being a diverse record, with plenty of variety shown in the songs in structure and in how they sound.

I admit myself, it's the kind of record that grows on you. They do say that the best records tend to do so.

'Viva La Vida' is a great album. And it's great because Coldplay create wonderful music.

The standout tracks are: 'Lost!', '42', 'Lovers in Japan', 'Violet Hill', and the title-track, 'Viva La Vida'.

However, there isn't one bad track on it, despite many people dismissing the album. Other tracks, 'Life in Technicolor', 'Cemeteries of London', 'Yes', 'Strawberry Swing', and 'Death and All of His Friends' are good, but don't grab you by the scruff of the neck and beg for your listening attention.

Maybe we take Coldplay for granted. They create excellent music, but some people fail to recognize this. They perceive them as dull and unimaginative. But 'Viva La Vida' is anything but. It is the bravest Coldplay album yet. And quite possibly one of the best, if only because of that. 8/10.

Coldplay deliver once again - the best British band of the Noughties, 19 Aug 2008
How can you argue with this band and their success so far? And before people think I just happen to be a sheep, I found Coldplay's Trouble and Yellow abhorrent. I was not convinced at all. However, I just love Coldplay's work from Parachutes (the two singles excepted) through to this latest installment. This is not an X&Y and is different thanks to the very positive influence of Brian Eno, a magician in his own right. The first 3 tracks just glide you through the listening experience but I struggle with 'Yes'. It is quite different from a typical Coldplay melody and reminds me of the French ambient/rock band, M83. Maybe that's a good thing. Not for me though. However, the two chart hits are just fantastic and uplifting. Not convinced by Strawberry Swing either but I like the way the album finishes. So what have we got then? Just another Coldplay album or have they tried something a little different? Indeed they have and for that they should be applauded as they attempt to evolve. As an album it works very well and it holds CD 4 in my car and will do so for a while. I can't give it 5 stars, it's just not as good as Parachutes for me but it's still a very good album. Don't denigrate, just appreciate.

Best Coldplay Album By Far, 11 Aug 2008
I have taken time to listen to the new Coldplay album several times since its release. There is no denying that this album is far more experimental than the first three albums and moves away from the bands pop/rock songs based around basic chords. The meat of the album is vedged between a very catchy intro and outro which compliment the new style very well.

Initially i found the lyrics on the album a little simple in places but as i listened more, i realised that it may be a small price the band has paid for pushing the content of the songs into new subject areas. A good example of this is the title track 'Viva La Vida' which encapsulates the front cover and speaks of revolution and the trials and tribulations of being a king.

Standout tracks for me are 'Yes', 'Lost' and the very radiohead-esque '42' but to be honest there isn't a bad track on the album.

Overall, the album solidifies Coldplays status as one of the driving cogs in British music at the moment. While many bands continue to stumble along and produce continuous streams of 'safe' music, Coldplay have turned their music in a new direction and made a brilliant go of it.

Back to college for any one in the mid-late twenties!, 28 Aug 2008
I'll keep this straight forward and to the point as much as possible....

The Verve before 1999 have always had 2 sides. 1 side Nick McCabe...far out experimental guitar music....

Richard Ashcroft...Straight forward ballads/rock songs...

You could always tell a Richard Ashcroft song from a Verve song...example from the album a Northern soul the title track is a typical group composition whereas On your Own and History are obviously Ashcroft written songs...Urban Hymns...Neon Wilderness and Catching The Butterfly, both Verve written...Lucky Man,Sonnet...Ashcroft written. The evidence is there as to what I,m trying to say just look at the writing credits in the cd's!!

Now to Forth!! The 2 sides appears to be gone...it really sounds like the band are working together and combining both sides!!!

I won't go into details but list some highlights...Love Is Noise,just a blinding catchy song...Sit and Wonder a typical Verve song...Noise Epic...an amazing journey into why The Verve are so great...

If you like The Verve and always have done this will not dissapoint you...if you only like 1 or 2 of there songs....get the ones you like!

Four Stars... and a bit., 27 Aug 2008
I was never a Verve fan as such, but I have had Urban Hymns since its release and it's is one of my favourites. Forth is good but by no means great. It starts off well, the first few songs are excellent, particularly Rather Be and Love is Noise, but then it loses its way until the brilliant Valium Skies. So I give it four stars, were it not for the rather poor middle, I'd have happily given five stars. This is only my opinion, this one looks like one of those CD's that is 'like marmite', if you know what I mean.

Forth , 27 Aug 2008
Keepin this brief, Forth is a Top album, as good as all their others, standout tracks...
sit and wonder
love is noise
rather be
valium skies
appalachian springs
(BUY NOW GREAT ALBUM!)


A Bitter-Sweet Album, 27 Aug 2008
The album opens brilliantly with 'Sit and Wonder' and 'Love is Noise' rivalling the best Verve tracks. 'Rather Be' has the difficult task of following such strong songs but changes the tone of the album fluidly and is a good track in itself.

However the three mediocre songs of 'Judas', 'Numbness' (does exactly what it says on the tin) and 'I See Houses' follow and this is the major problem with this album. By the time these tracks are over you are left feeling bored and the album feeling dead and lifeless.

'Noise Epic' tries to pick up the tempo in typical Verve fashion and 'Valium Skies' is a hidden gem on this album. 'Mama Soul' and 'Appalachian Springs' finish the album off nicely but the album struggles to recover from its lacklustre middle section.

In conclusion there are some GREAT songs on here and the rest are mainly good but the few weak tracks have been allowed to dominate. I'd give this album 3.5 out of 5.


2 decent songs, a star each, 27 Aug 2008
I have all of The Verve's previous albums, from the seminal "A Storm in Heaven", through the superb "A Northern Soul" to the good but over-hyped "Urban Hymns". This is not a patch on any of them.

The many filler tracks hinted at on "Urban Hymns" have been expanded and watered-down even further to pad out this offering. The tough sonic soundscapes favoured by guitarist Nick McCabe in days gone by are all but absent here, where he is criminally underused. He has finally been relegated to Ashcroft's session man, making this lazy effort sound like another solo effort of his - no great thing.

The two standout tracks on the album - "Sit and Wonder" and "Love is Noise" - are the opening songs. Sadly it's all downhill from here on out. These two songs could have sat proudly on any previous album. For this reason alone "Forth" deserves 2 stars - 1 for each track.

I Liked the idea....., 28 Aug 2008
When I first heard Albarn and Hewlett were doing this project I was looking forward to the end result so when the album was released got it straight away. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't any good, but what I will say is I don't think it works as an album. For me I think it would work better with the visuals, the show. Some nice pieces of music on there, with little interludes inbetween the tracks which in places I wished went on to become songs only to find it fade of into something else! A great Idea though.....now Jamie Hewlett should do nice long animated version, with this as a soundtrack.

Nice Idea, some nice music, doesn't work as an album.

STUNNING SHOW - AMAZING MUSIC. OPEN YOUR EARS AND YOUR MIND, 24 Aug 2008
I was very lucky to see the spectacle that is Monkey's Journey To The West when it was premiered in Manchester in 2007. It's simply stunning and the music is amazing. OK maybe not for those expecting a slightly chinese influenced "ParkLife" or "Dare" but it shows just what a talent Albarn is...and that's from someone with all Oasis' albums! Do yourself a favour - see the show if you can but definitely buy this for an amazing aural experience. Post Beijing games, this should fly!

Monkey magic all over again!, 24 Aug 2008
I loved the TV series Monkey! - The Complete Series, and because of this I have a good idea of what's going on in the music without having seen the stage opera it comes from. And I love this. The clash of traditional eastern and experimental western influences just has to be heard to be believed. Above anything else it is music for the imagination, and if you know what's going on then it really is a heavenly peach of a gift in both sound and the visuals you create around it.

However, there are evidently a few Gorillaz [Explicit Lyrics] [Bonus Tracks] fans out there who don't have a clue what it's about and were obviously expecting something more along those lines, hence a few one-star ratings. Their point is a good one (I'm a Gorillaz fan too, and I sympathise with them to some extent), but if you have a good imagination and you know the story or the TV series, it is a must and - for you - it will not disappoint.


Magical and mysterious, 22 Aug 2008
What a gem of an album this is!

I haven't seen the show so on the music and music alone, I have to say that there are some genuinely beautiful moments on this album.
As for the so-called 'difficult' pieces, I agree these will not be everyone's cup of tea but I think many people, myself included, see them as curious little moments that demand re-listening to get your head around.

I like music that isn't just ear candy and actually has some substance and Damon has really achieved something here. Something that is totally different (thank God!) from everything else out there at the moment.



Great Show Great Music, 22 Aug 2008
I was lucky enough to see Monkey at the Manchester festival. The music certainly isn't Blur or Gorillaz and if that's what you're after maybe this isn't for you. It is, however, a brilliant crossover between Chinese opera and Western music, a little reminiscent of serialist music like Philip Glass or John Adams, but wholly original, beautiful, thrilling and hypnotic. If you get a chance see the show grab it - it is just wonderful.

Abba Gold: Ssssshh, don't tell anyone, but I'm putting Abba on., 18 Aug 2008
I've revisited this Album since my missus took an eager liking of the recent film translation of the musical Mamma Mia.

I've mentioned in my review of the soundtrack that I'm not a massive Abba fan, but there is something about the music that makes it incredibly likable. I'm not going to go through all the tracks on this double CD, but each song feels very independently crafted. No two sound the same.

There are no weak tracks here and the album is the perfect showcase for the pop phenomenon. Most cheesy pop songs over recent times have been basic stories of love, loss ...or lost love - but here there's a wide variation in subject matter. Most are to do with relationships, but they tend to tell a story rather than give a formulaic four minutes of music. This is no doubt one of the strengths of Abba, and a reason as to why this album is still popular today - it hasn't really dated. The spectrum of moods and types of music used is wider than what you'd usually find on a pop album, it is testament to the pure creative energy the group had and stops it from ever going stale.

In a nutshell: This goes beyond empty shallow pop music, it is a celebration of how creative genius can give birth to individual nuggets of musical gold. The tracks are incredibly catchy and they haunt you for hours after listening to them. This isn't great in the same way that a Bob Dylan album is great, there's no political message that will inspire you to stand up and be counted. This album is great because it uses sounds fresh and fun. Practically everyone is familiar with the majority of the tracks on this album, but it's only when you sit and listen to them that you appreciate how much work has gone into them. I'm not an Abba fan, but I do recognise the impact that this music has had - and I can't help but enjoy it when 'my wife puts it on'.


THE 'OTHER' FAB FOUR - NO LONGER A GUILTY PLEASURE, 04 Aug 2008
With interest in ABBA once again at a premium, thanks to the Mamma Mia Film and hugely successful musical, it's not surprising that this collection is once again at the top of the UK album charts and cruising to 26 million sales. ABBA themselves have'nt been a functioning band since 1982 when they released their last studio album The Visitors.
Time has been kind to the lagacy of the group and they now enjoy the kind of critical and commercial success afforded to true legends - Beatles, Queen, Who - where once they were considered sugary sweet and europap.
Gold is the perfect compilation collecting together all the major hits and presenting them, not in chronological order, but sequenced to construct a simply great listen.
The songs of Benny & Bjorn are beautifully crafted and constructed pop gems - 'Dancing Queen', 'Waterloo' (surely the greatest Eurovision song ever), 'The Winner Takes It All', 'Knowing Me Knowing You', 'SOS' - the hits just keep on coming. Those trademark Agnita & Frieda harmonies, clever studio arrangements and giant choruses are perfectly realised and even the lyrics, which were often derided in the 70's, are much better than you may remember.
Yes a sweet musical tooth is required and it is all, mostly, resolutely 'up' but if you are a fan of pop then Abba Gold is pure genius.

A PERFECT COLLECTION, 12 Jan 2008
AS A DEVOTEE OF ABBA I THINK THIS COLLECTION IS FIRST CLASS. ABBAS LYRICS ARE BRILLIANT, CATCHY, STORY TELLING SONGS WHICH FOR THE MOST PART STAND THE TEST OF TIME. OUTSTANDING TRACKS FOR ME FROM THIS COLLECTION WOULD BE SOS, THE NAME OF THE GAME, THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL ( AGNETHA AT HER MOST HEART WRENCHING) AND KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU. THIS COLLECTION CAN HOLD ITS HEAD UP AGAINST ANY OTHER.

ABBA song fest, 04 Oct 2007
when ABBA burst onto the scene in 1974 winning the eurovision song contest with 'Waterloo' the world was never going to be the same. some 33 years later, the world is still enthralled by them, spawning a highly succesful musical 'mamma mia' in the west end.

This CD includes all of their best known hits. 'Dancing queen' 'Take a chance on me' 'the name of the game' 'One of us' 'The winner takes it all'
'Thank you for the music' being just some of their major hits that make it onto this greatest hits album.

I was two years old when 'Dancing queen' came out in 1976, Just goes to prove, with quality music like this, the world never forgets.

The most successful Abba compilation ever, 02 Aug 2007
Fifteen years on from release, this album is still going strong, having recently seen of an attempt to replace it by the inferior "Number Ones".

Abba Gold was masterminded from Polydor UK in 1992 and is heavily weighted towards the UK hits. 18 of Abba's 19 Top 10 UK hits are here, the only omission being Summer Night City, left off in favour of perhaps their most well known small hit/album track, Thank You For The Music. The only other significant track missed off is UK Top 3 hit, Angeleyes, represented here by its double A-side, the international hit Voulez-Vous. That is the only concession to the non-UK market though.

Lay All Your Love On Me, not considered an "official" single and only released in a few countries, is included here on the grounds that it was a Top 10 UK hit (it also helped that Erasure had covered the track for their Abba-Esque EP earlier in 1992). In contrast, some big hits outside the UK, such as I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do (a small hit here) are thankfully left off.

If you don't already own this album (and there can't be many people left who don't) this is an essential purchase.

400 Million And Counting, 31 Jul 2008


Nineteen of ABBA's best songs are plenty, but you won't tire of them. It is amazing that four Swedes (Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus as writers and Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog as the main singers) could take such simple English cliches and turn them into pop music magic. Despite sometimes maddeningly simple lyrics, the song arrangements were unnervingly catchy and the multi-level layered compostions are fascinating. The keyboards and synthesizers were used in some of the more ingenious ways during the seventies to produce that unmistakeable ABBA sound. The energy and nearly anthemic enthusiasm eminating from each song marked them all as instant classics, no matter how jaded or synical the listener. It is doubtlful if you read the song list here that you would not know the melody. The one ironic thing about this groups phenomenal success, is that of over 400 million album sales, they only had one number one hit in the US - "Dancing Queen". But it is one heck of a great song.


Every home should have a copy!, 14 Jul 2008
This CD can change your day, your washing up, your chores and your mood into an all singing, all dancing feel good experience. It starts, no messing, straight in there, with Dancing Queen, surely one of the best dance floor fillers of all time. There's no dead wood on this album, all the old favourites are here: Chiquitita, Mamma Mia, Voulez Vous, Thank You For the Music and the beautifully written Winner Takes it All. I admire Benny and Bjorn so much as songwriters since not only do they produce perfect ageless pop songs (and there is such an art to it) but don't forget, their lyrics are written in their second language, not their first. Their talent amazes me and their music makes me feel grrrrreat. I defy anyone to play dancing queen and stand still and not feel that life is good. Worth the money and better than therapy.

Extremely pleased with this CD, 02 Mar 2005
ABBA was formed in 1972 by four great Swedish musicians (Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad - ABBA, get it?). Featuring wonderful vocals and bouncing instrumentation, plus enjoyable (if somewhat lightweight) lyrics, the group shot to international stardom, dominating charts around the world until their final breakup in 1982. This album was put together in 1993, and contains many of ABBA's most memorable tunes. As an added bonus, the paperwork contains a short history of the group, plus many colorful pictures.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with this CD, and highly recommend it to everyone! By they way, I used this CD to introduce my own children to ABBA, and now they walk around singing some of the same songs that I did at their age!

THE BEST GREATEST HITS ALBUM EVER, 12 May 2004
I recently read an article on the most reputable American music magazine, Billboard Magazine, about this album being one of the top sellers worldwide of all time. It has sold 30 Million copies around the world, and here in UK it has sold almost 4 million copies! Then I learned that ABBA has sold over 350 million albums worldwide. Wow! Only the Beatles and Elvis have sold more, accoring to the article. I knew they had many number ones here in UK, but did not know they were so big in the world. The article explained that ABBA was bigger than the Beatles in many Latin American countries, in Russia, Viet Nam, Netherlands (where 3 out of every household owns an ABBA record) and in Australia.

I figured out I should give ABBA a try. i needed to understand why so many liked this group, and I did not even own one of their CDs.

I had only heard Dancing Queen, Waterloo, and Take A Chance On Me, so I bought this album. I am now an ABBA fan. I usually don't like pop, but ABBA has finally won me over. After several listens, I decided that I have never EVER heard melodies this good. They are fresh, timeless, and like U2's Bono said, "I think ABBA have a pure joy to their music, and that’s what makes them extraordinary!" The music is so joyous even when there is melancholy and drama added. The music is so much more complex than I had given ABBA credit for --- before really listening.

My favorite music acts are U2, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan. Now ABBA has joined them.

I did some research and found other quotes about ABBA from U2 members and others:

Bjork: “ABBA saved my life, it’s undeniable. Arrival is a happy record. ‘Dancing Queen’ is the biggest song in pop-music history, pure ecstasy, it makes you want to fly!”

Richard Ashcroft, from The Verve: "‘Dancing Queen’ is one of my favourite songs of all time’," "In ‘Dancing Queen,’ taking it as a songwriter, it’s just one of the most perfectly crafted pieces of pop music. It makes me feel good. Life is just moments, you know what I mean? And music’s about capturing those moments. Every time I hear ‘feel the beat of the tambourine/oh yeah’ it makes a chemical react in my brain. Something happens in my body and I feel good!"

Elvis Costello: “We stole them like crazy, and they dragged these things into pop music, these big double octave flourishes on the piano that seemed right straight out of Rachmaninoff”

The Edge, from U2: “ABBA have written the best pop music of all time.”

I agree completely. ABBA is way up there.

This Review is Directed to Chris from Newtownards, N Ireland, 29 Mar 2004
Chris from Newtownards, N Ireland obviously has a very tunnel visioned view about ABBA's music/songs. Just because they were a pop group does not devalue their craftmanship in constructing and producing some of the catchiest melodious hook laden pop (ROCK) has ever heard. Incidentally their last two studio albums Super Trouper and The Visitors showed that they had matured considerably since "Dancing Queen" and "Mama Mia". The title track "Visitors (crackin up) is about russian dissidents and musically would put OASIS to shame.

It's hard to imagine someone even younger than 19-year-old Laura Marling making a splash on the music scene, but 16-year-old Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi is doing a pretty good job. Having smashed apart stereotypes of innocence with her killer single "(There's Nothing) Sweet About Me", Cilmi (pronounced "Chill Me") now offers a debut that's not only lyrically and emotionally mature, but boasts the kind of potent musical content guaranteed to propel you towards the dancefloor. Lessons To Be Learned is a diverse bag. Produced by Xenomania (Girls Aloud, Sugababes) it's seemingly influenced by everyone from Stevie Wonder and the Kings of Leon, though it'll inevitably draw the most comparisons to Amy Winehouse, thanks to Cilmi's soaring vocals, the record's modern-Motown feel and Xenomania's bright, punchy production. Opener "Save The Lies", though, is nothing like Winehouse--a big, in-your-face disco-stomper with a massive irrefutable chorus. The record drops from there into sultry soul territory with tracks like "Sanctuary", "Einstein", and "Safer", and more upbeat fare such as the electronic "Don't Wanna Go To Bed Now", rocky tracks like "Messy" and the bluesy "Cigarettes And Lies". These stylistic diversions set Cilmi apart from the rest of the 'new soul' brigade, and help give her a voice of her own.--Danny McKenna

Empty and vile, 24 Aug 2008
The absence of everything spontaneous, beautiful and courageous in music. Cod poetry mired down by turgid dirgery with all the wit and sophistication of a rotten cat dropping.

Some posh boy warbles unconvincingly over U2's sub-Bsides and expects the world to be saved while I boak heartily into a straw boater.

Music for people with no love for music and no clue about life.



Their best yet, 24 Aug 2008
I haven't always liked Coldplay. Parachutes I could take or leave (and generally left). 'Rush of Blood' was good in parts but only really 'The Scientist' and 'Warning Sign' have lasted for me. 'X and Y' attended to their main fault - a lack of variety in building a melody - and also gave us sound washes, instumental development and nearly sixty minutes of sound.
Viva La Vida (a much shorter work) has attended to most of their remaining weaknesses and come up with their first classic pop/rock album that can be enjoyed as a whole. The lyrics are less pretentious - the title track even manages to be witty - and the songs are tidier and organised; they all tell their own particular story in music and lyrics. Critically the instrumentation has real variety with the percussion particularly good. Meanwhile Chris Martin's vocals have matured allowing most melody lines to range well over one octave.
The conceit of 'Fix You' ie two competing musical ideas on one particular track is arguably done to death but there is really not a single weak contribution here.

Just give it time..., 22 Aug 2008
This is Coldplay, but with a bit of a twist. I doubt these guys want to create an album that sounds generically similar every time they decide to release a collection of tracks.

So what's the big fuss, and why is everyone having a go at them? Is it because it's Coldplay and it's 'cool' to criticise them? Or is it because they are boring and dull and unimaginative? Or is it because all of their stuff sounds similar?

On the last few counts, I can say that 'Viva La Vida' is NOT boring and NOT dull. Neither is it unimaginative. It is probably the most diverse record Coldplay have produced...but does that necessarily mean that it's their best?

Flip a coin.

On one side, you have the critics who hate it for not being Coldplay - too different, too experimental, too 'bits and pieces'.

On the other hand, you have the people who enjoy it for being a diverse record, with plenty of variety shown in the songs in structure and in how they sound.

I admit myself, it's the kind of record that grows on you. They do say that the best records tend to do so.

'Viva La Vida' is a great album. And it's great because Coldplay create wonderful music.

The standout tracks are: 'Lost!', '42', 'Lovers in Japan', 'Violet Hill', and the title-track, 'Viva La Vida'.

However, there isn't one bad track on it, despite many people dismissing the album. Other tracks, 'Life in Technicolor', 'Cemeteries of London', 'Yes', 'Strawberry Swing', and 'Death and All of His Friends' are good, but don't grab you by the scruff of the neck and beg for your listening attention.

Maybe we take Coldplay for granted. They create excellent music, but some people fail to recognize this. They perceive them as dull and unimaginative. But 'Viva La Vida' is anything but. It is the bravest Coldplay album yet. And quite possibly one of the best, if only because of that. 8/10.

Coldplay deliver once again - the best British band of the Noughties, 19 Aug 2008
How can you argue with this band and their success so far? And before people think I just happen to be a sheep, I found Coldplay's Trouble and Yellow abhorrent. I was not convinced at all. However, I just love Coldplay's work from Parachutes (the two singles excepted) through to this latest installment. This is not an X&Y and is different thanks to the very positive influence of Brian Eno, a magician in his own right. The first 3 tracks just glide you through the listening experience but I struggle with 'Yes'. It is quite different from a typical Coldplay melody and reminds me of the French ambient/rock band, M83. Maybe that's a good thing. Not for me though. However, the two chart hits are just fantastic and uplifting. Not convinced by Strawberry Swing either but I like the way the album finishes. So what have we got then? Just another Coldplay album or have they tried something a little different? Indeed they have and for that they should be applauded as they attempt to evolve. As an album it works very well and it holds CD 4 in my car and will do so for a while. I can't give it 5 stars, it's just not as good as Parachutes for me but it's still a very good album. Don't denigrate, just appreciate.

Best Coldplay Album By Far, 11 Aug 2008
I have taken time to listen to the new Coldplay album several times since its release. There is no denying that this album is far more experimental than the first three albums and moves away from the bands pop/rock songs based around basic chords. The meat of the album is vedged between a very catchy intro and outro which compliment the new style very well.

Initially i found the lyrics on the album a little simple in places but as i listened more, i realised that it may be a small price the band has paid for pushing the content of the songs into new subject areas. A good example of this is the title track 'Viva La Vida' which encapsulates the front cover and speaks of revolution and the trials and tribulations of being a king.

Standout tracks for me are 'Yes', 'Lost' and the very radiohead-esque '42' but to be honest there isn't a bad track on the album.

Overall, the album solidifies Coldplays status as one of the driving cogs in British music at the moment. While many bands continue to stumble along and produce continuous streams of 'safe' music, Coldplay have turned their music in a new direction and made a brilliant go of it.

Back to college for any one in the mid-late twenties!, 28 Aug 2008
I'll keep this straight forward and to the point as much as possible....

The Verve before 1999 have always had 2 sides. 1 side Nick McCabe...far out experimental guitar music....

Richard Ashcroft...Straight forward ballads/rock songs...

You could always tell a Richard Ashcroft song from a Verve song...example from the album a Northern soul the title track is a typical group composition whereas On your Own and History are obviously Ashcroft written songs...Urban Hymns...Neon Wilderness and Catching The Butterfly, both Verve written...Lucky Man,Sonnet...Ashcroft written. The evidence is there as to what I,m trying to say just look at the writing credits in the cd's!!

Now to Forth!! The 2 sides appears to be gone...it really sounds like the band are working together and combining both sides!!!

I won't go into details but list some highlights...Love Is Noise,just a blinding catchy song...Sit and Wonder a typical Verve song...Noise Epic...an amazing journey into why The Verve are so great...

If you like The Verve and always have done this will not dissapoint you...if you only like 1 or 2 of there songs....get the ones you like!

Four Stars... and a bit., 27 Aug 2008
I was never a Verve fan as such, but I have had Urban Hymns since its release and it's is one of my favourites. Forth is good but by no means great. It starts off well, the first few songs are excellent, particularly Rather Be and Love is Noise, but then it loses its way until the brilliant Valium Skies. So I give it four stars, were it not for the rather poor middle, I'd have happily given five stars. This is only my opinion, this one looks like one of those CD's that is 'like marmite', if you know what I mean.

Forth , 27 Aug 2008
Keepin this brief, Forth is a Top album, as good as all their others, standout tracks...
sit and wonder
love is noise
rather be
valium skies
appalachian springs
(BUY NOW GREAT ALBUM!)


A Bitter-Sweet Album, 27 Aug 2008
The album opens brilliantly with 'Sit and Wonder' and 'Love is Noise' rivalling the best Verve tracks. 'Rather Be' has the difficult task of following such strong songs but changes the tone of the album fluidly and is a good track in itself.

However the three mediocre songs of 'Judas', 'Numbness' (does exactly what it says on the tin) and 'I See Houses' follow and this is the major problem with this album. By the time these tracks are over you are left feeling bored and the album feeling dead and lifeless.

'Noise Epic' tries to pick up the tempo in typical Verve fashion and 'Valium Skies' is a hidden gem on this album. 'Mama Soul' and 'Appalachian Springs' finish the album off nicely but the album struggles to recover from its lacklustre middle section.

In conclusion there are some GREAT songs on here and the rest are mainly good but the few weak tracks have been allowed to dominate. I'd give this album 3.5 out of 5.


2 decent songs, a star each, 27 Aug 2008
I have all of The Verve's previous albums, from the seminal "A Storm in Heaven", through the superb "A Northern Soul" to the good but over-hyped "Urban Hymns". This is not a patch on any of them.

The many filler tracks hinted at on "Urban Hymns" have been expanded and watered-down even further to pad out this offering. The tough sonic soundscapes favoured by guitarist Nick McCabe in days gone by are all but absent here, where he is criminally underused. He has finally been relegated to Ashcroft's session man, making this lazy effort sound like another solo effort of his - no great thing.

The two standout tracks on the album - "Sit and Wonder" and "Love is Noise" - are the opening songs. Sadly it's all downhill from here on out. These two songs could have sat proudly on any previous album. For this reason alone "Forth" deserves 2 stars - 1 for each track.

I Liked the idea....., 28 Aug 2008
When I first heard Albarn and Hewlett were doing this project I was looking forward to the end result so when the album was released got it straight away. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't any good, but what I will say is I don't think it works as an album. For me I think it would work better with the visuals, the show. Some nice pieces of music on there, with little interludes inbetween the tracks which in places I wished went on to become songs only to find it fade of into something else! A great Idea though.....now Jamie Hewlett should do nice long animated version, with this as a soundtrack.

Nice Idea, some nice music, doesn't work as an album.

STUNNING SHOW - AMAZING MUSIC. OPEN YOUR EARS AND YOUR MIND, 24 Aug 2008
I was very lucky to see the spectacle that is Monkey's Journey To The West when it was premiered in Manchester in 2007. It's simply stunning and the music is amazing. OK maybe not for those expecting a slightly chinese influenced "ParkLife" or "Dare" but it shows just what a talent Albarn is...and that's from someone with all Oasis' albums! Do yourself a favour - see the show if you can but definitely buy this for an amazing aural experience. Post Beijing games, this should fly!

Monkey magic all over again!, 24 Aug 2008
I loved the TV series Monkey! - The Complete Series, and because of this I have a good idea of what's going on in the music without having seen the stage opera it comes from. And I love this. The clash of traditional eastern and experimental western influences just has to be heard to be believed. Above anything else it is music for the imagination, and if you know what's going on then it really is a heavenly peach of a gift in both sound and the visuals you create around it.

However, there are evidently a few Gorillaz [Explicit Lyrics] [Bonus Tracks] fans out there who don't have a clue what it's about and were obviously expecting something more along those lines, hence a few one-star ratings. Their point is a good one (I'm a Gorillaz fan too, and I sympathise with them to some extent), but if you have a good imagination and you know the story or the TV series, it is a must and - for you - it will not disappoint.


Magical and mysterious, 22 Aug 2008
What a gem of an album this is!

I haven't seen the show so on the music and music alone, I have to say that there are some genuinely beautiful moments on this album.
As for the so-called 'difficult' pieces, I agree these will not be everyone's cup of tea but I think many people, myself included, see them as curious little moments that demand re-listening to get your head around.

I like music that isn't just ear candy and actually has some substance and Damon has really achieved something here. Something that is totally different (thank God!) from everything else out there at the moment.



Great Show Great Music, 22 Aug 2008
I was lucky enough to see Monkey at the Manchester festival. The music certainly isn't Blur or Gorillaz and if that's what you're after maybe this isn't for you. It is, however, a brilliant crossover between Chinese opera and Western music, a little reminiscent of serialist music like Philip Glass or John Adams, but wholly original, beautiful, thrilling and hypnotic. If you get a chance see the show grab it - it is just wonderful.

Abba Gold: Ssssshh, don't tell anyone, but I'm putting Abba on., 18 Aug 2008
I've revisited this Album since my missus took an eager liking of the recent film translation of the musical Mamma Mia.

I've mentioned in my review of the soundtrack that I'm not a massive Abba fan, but there is something about the music that makes it incredibly likable. I'm not going to go through all the tracks on this double CD, but each song feels very independently crafted. No two sound the same.

There are no weak tracks here and the album is the perfect showcase for the pop phenomenon. Most cheesy pop songs over recent times have been basic stories of love, loss ...or lost love - but here there's a wide variation in subject matter. Most are to do with relationships, but they tend to tell a story rather than give a formulaic four minutes of music. This is no doubt one of the strengths of Abba, and a reason as to why this album is still popular today - it hasn't really dated. The spectrum of moods and types of music used is wider than what you'd usually find on a pop album, it is testament to the pure creative energy the group had and stops it from ever going stale.

In a nutshell: This goes beyond empty shallow pop music, it is a celebration of how creative genius can give birth to individual nuggets of musical gold. The tracks are incredibly catchy and they haunt you for hours after listening to them. This isn't great in the same way that a Bob Dylan album is great, there's no political message that will inspire you to stand up and be counted. This album is great because it uses sounds fresh and fun. Practically everyone is familiar with the majority of the tracks on this album, but it's only when you sit and listen to them that you appreciate how much work has gone into them. I'm not an Abba fan, but I do recognise the impact that this music has had - and I can't help but enjoy it when 'my wife puts it on'.


THE 'OTHER' FAB FOUR - NO LONGER A GUILTY PLEASURE, 04 Aug 2008
With interest in ABBA once again at a premium, thanks to the Mamma Mia Film and hugely successful musical, it's not surprising that this collection is once again at the top of the UK album charts and cruising to 26 million sales. ABBA themselves have'nt been a functioning band since 1982 when they released their last studio album The Visitors.
Time has been kind to the lagacy of the group and they now enjoy the kind of critical and commercial success afforded to true legends - Beatles, Queen, Who - where once they were considered sugary sweet and europap.
Gold is the perfect compilation collecting together all the major hits and presenting them, not in chronological order, but sequenced to construct a simply great listen.
The songs of Benny & Bjorn are beautifully crafted and constructed pop gems - 'Dancing Queen', 'Waterloo' (surely the greatest Eurovision song ever), 'The Winner Takes It All', 'Knowing Me Knowing You', 'SOS' - the hits just keep on coming. Those trademark Agnita & Frieda harmonies, clever studio arrangements and giant choruses are perfectly realised and even the lyrics, which were often derided in the 70's, are much better than you may remember.
Yes a sweet musical tooth is required and it is all, mostly, resolutely 'up' but if you are a fan of pop then Abba Gold is pure genius.

A PERFECT COLLECTION, 12 Jan 2008
AS A DEVOTEE OF ABBA I THINK THIS COLLECTION IS FIRST CLASS. ABBAS LYRICS ARE BRILLIANT, CATCHY, STORY TELLING SONGS WHICH FOR THE MOST PART STAND THE TEST OF TIME. OUTSTANDING TRACKS FOR ME FROM THIS COLLECTION WOULD BE SOS, THE NAME OF THE GAME, THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL ( AGNETHA AT HER MOST HEART WRENCHING) AND KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU. THIS COLLECTION CAN HOLD ITS HEAD UP AGAINST ANY OTHER.

ABBA song fest, 04 Oct 2007
when ABBA burst onto