Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends

I'll come to straight to it. "Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends" is a great album. I''ve been listening to it non-stop for the past two days now. I know opinion is divided and that's ok. The album really is a gamut of emotions beautifully interwoven in a 46 min listening session. Yes, I said session cause it really should be taken as a whole. I have to confess that it took me about 3 - 4 listens to appreciate the different sounds - but now I'm really hooked. True to form, some of the lyrics are kind of cryptic but the chords are lovely. The album is definitely -not- a recycled Parachutes, Rush of Blood..., or X&Y. And this is what may put off some fans but I would say "Patience, Luke.." The experience gets more and more rewarding with each listen. Instant gratification doesn't always lead to a lasting experience right? There is a good balance of top 40 mainstream appeal with tracks like Viva La Vida and Violet Hill but the album still retains that indie/alternative sound with tracks like Chinese Sleep Chant. I like how some of the songs like 42 break away from the conventional form and the last track Death And All His Friends is maybe a bit too clever for it's own good with it's kind of "Technicolor redux" at the end that gives the album a nice bookend or maybe it's intended to be a circular motif. Too bad tracks like Lost! (Acoustic Version) and Lovers In Japan (Acoustic Version) are only available in mp3 format. A real bummer for the audiophile. One of the lingering questions I've always had - how many of Coldplay's "personal" songs are about Chris Martin or perhaps another band member? Because if you are not singing about your past experiences, are you really able to express the true meaning of the song?