Parachutes by Coldplay

        

Title:  Parachutes by Coldplay  Format:  CD
Artists:  Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin   
ASIN:  B0000508U6    Studio: Capital Records  Release Date:  November 7, 2000

Band Information:
Guy Berryman (bass), Jonny Buckland (lead guitar), Will Champion (drums), and Chris Martin (vocals, guitar, keyboards), are the members of Coldplay, a British alternative rock band. They began initially in college at University College London, with lead vocalist Chris and lead guitarist Jonny. At the time, their band was known as Pectoralz, which changed to Starfish when Guy Berryman joined the band as the bassist. Soon after, Will Champion became a member of the band, acting as the drummer, backing vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. They renamed themselves Coldplay in 1998, and established their fame in 2000 with the song "Yellow".

Presently, Coldplay is a best-selling group, having sold over 50 million records all over the world. They have won many music awards, including Best British Group three times, four MTV Video Music Awards, and seven Grammy Awards. Coldplay supports several social and political causes, and have performed for many charities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coldplay

Contents:
Don't Panic, Shiver, Spies, Sparks, Yellow, Trouble, Parachutes, High Speed, We Never Change, Everything's Not Lost

Music Summary:
Coldplay became famous with their single "Yellow" in 2000, which preempted the release of their debut album Parachutes. Once released, it became number one in the United Kingdom and has been certified seven times platinum. In the United States, the album reached number fifty one on the Billboard 200, and has been certified two times platinum. The album was nominated for the Mercury Prize that same year. Additionally, it won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2002. Parachutes won the Best British Album award at the 2001 Brit Awards. The music itself fits into the alternative rock genre, with it's heavy use of electric guitar but soft and melodic pieces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachutes

Critical Evaluation: 
Parachutes is a wonderful mood piece with mellow and melodic sounds played by acoustic guitar. Chris Martin, who leads the band with his incredible and emotional voice, makes great use of falsetto. The textured sounds found in the music are produced perfectly by a pairing of acoustic and electric guitars. The often distorted sounds of the electric guitars serve as an excellent counterpoint to Chris Martin's gentle vocals, and the heavy use of keyboards tend to add a fullness of tone not often found in the Rock genre. The song's lyrics are straightforward and easy to understand. Overall, the beauty of the music shines throughout every song, and makes for great listening.   

Genre:  Alternative Rock

Curriculum Ties: Music Appreciation- Rock bands, Alternative rock

Reading Level/Interest Age: 14 +

Challenge Issue: none

Why I chose this item:  I wanted to include a different type of rock, which is still very popular with teens. Additionally, though an older CD, this was their landmark debut album and has won many awards.

 Coldplay's Yellow