Coldplay Live 2003 [DVD/CD]

1	Politik
2	God Put a Smile Upon Your
3	A Rush of Blood to the He
4	One I Love
5	See You Soon
6	Shiver
7	Everything's Not Lost
8	Moses
9	Yellow
10	Don't Panci
11	Trouble
12	Daylight

Barnes & Noble

To the band's credit, the presentation on this live, audio-visual set is pretty much what one would get from Coldplay in concert -- in other words, without the after-the-fact studio tinkering that often accompanies "live" albums in this techno-mad age. Each song takes on a tone that's slightly -- but palpably -- different than its original rendition. "Politik," for instance, evinces more anguish in Chris Martin's vocals, and draws a sharper contrast between the tune's introspective sections and its moments of pounding assault. "A Rush of Blood to the Head" is given a similar retooling, with its atmospheric intro extended for maximum dramatic impact, while "Daylight" is stripped to its core, a bass-driven rhythm redolent of ghosts of Echo & the Bunnymen past. The audio disc is punctuated with surprises, including a haunting rendition of "See You Soon," a pensive piece dating back to the band's earliest indie days, and "Moses," a newer track, rife with mood and tempo changes, that may point towards a new, edgier Coldplay sound. The accompanying 90-minute DVD augments concert footage from a show in Sydney, Australia, with a slew of bonus material, including interview segments and a 40-minute tour diary with contributions from all members. David Sprague

Blender

Coldplay sound confident, proud and magisterial. Nick Duerden