Killer Opening Songs (Coldplay - Politik)

Me: C'mon, go ahead, explain yourself. The public's waiting.

Killer Opening Songs: Explain what?

Me: You know, what we just discussed backstage.

K.O.S.: Oh, that! You're bloody awful, you know that, don't you? You really are. No wonder Juan Antonio Pesetas is getting fed up with your behaviour.

Me: Never mind that wannabe dandy, it's your section now, it's your time and space. Me, I'm legging it me, mate. See you at the end of your presentation.

K.O.S.: All right, all right. (to the audience). Erm... well, OK, let me just blurt it all out at once so that there is no misunderstanding and you know where I stand.

Coldplay was never a favourite of mine when they first came out, if I am to be terribly honest. And I know that that is not a very fashionable statement to make when 'Parachutes', their debut album, captured so many people's imagination. But at least to me it was a case of the end of Cool Britannia and the beginning of Bland Britannia. And to make matters worse, they spawned countless copycats: Keane, Snow Patrol and Starsailor, to name but a few. That's why I hardly paid any attention to Coldplay's sophomore effort 'A Rush of Blood to the Head' when it was released in 2002. The first single from the album was yet another lighters-in-the-air-arms-outstretched-eyes-looking-up-to-the-sky stadium ballad, 'In My Place', aimed at manipulating emotions left, right and centre. My strong opinion on Coldplay's music caused a rift between my colleagues and me at the travel agency where I used to work and my attempts to boycott the band's new track every time it came on the radio we had in our office were met with fierce opposition from the start.

One day, though, a free CD came with my Saturday paper, The Guardian. Done in collaboration with Oxfam, it contained tunes by bands that had donated their music for free whilst trying to raise money to help the aforementioned charity. The Killer Opening Song of the compilation, whose name was 'The Big Noise' (although in my view it failed to live up to its moniker), happened to be also the Introductory Track of Coldplay's new album and within this context, I found myself appreciating the band's music better. 'Politik' had all the ingredients that I have always considered fundamental for a K.O.S. It was attractive and musically rich. The message conveyed by the words was not clear, but then again, that is an aspect of Coldplay's work that I have come to accept over the years, sometimes their lyrics just don't make any sense, verses lumped together in the hope that some of their lines will find a consensually rhyming pattern as in: Look at the earth from outer space/Everyone must find a place/Give me time and give me space/Give me real don't give me fake/Give me strength, reserve control/Give me heart and give me soul/Give me time, give us a kiss/Tell me your own politik.

Anyway, if we ignore that minor shortcoming and also overlook the fact that Chris Martin always tries desperately to hit the high notes he definitely knows he will never ever reach, the listener is in for a good time in the company of 'A Rush of Blood to the Head'. Amazingly, this K.O.S. never became a single in its own right, which to me was wrong as 'Politik' is a very strong song, musically speaking and as the clip below shows it was quickly accepted by Coldplay enthusiasts from the word go. OK, that's it. (turning around and looking behind the curtain) Are you still there? May I go now?

Me: Yup. Many thanks, K.O.S. And thanks to you, too, my dear readers and fellow bloggers. Cheerio. Enjoy the clip.

Copyright 2009