Do you like Coldplay? I do. I’m not a huge fan but, I bought a copy of “A Rush Of Blood To The Head”. I have heard Coldplay’s music described as “Prozac Rock” but, according to this from Reuters UK, a more apt description might be “Nyquil Rock”.
Britons like a dose of rock band Coldplay to help them fall asleep, a survey from hotel chain Travelodge found on Monday.
The band, whose frontman Chris Martin says he avoids caffeine and alcohol and is known for a lifestyle that is anything but rock ‘n roll, came top in a poll of music choices to help you nod off.
Other artists chosen for their slumber-inducing qualities were James Blunt, Snow Patrol, Take That and Norah Jones…
The survey was carried out among 2,248 people.
I realize that “Rock & Roll”, that term, means different things to different people. Ask ten people what “Rock & Roll” is, and you’re liable to get ten different answers. But, I don’t think that too many people would include “sedative” in their personal definition of “Rock & Roll”.
Lulling people to sleep is nice, even admirable but, isn’t about time that we stop referring to Coldplay as a “rock band”?
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Tags: Chris Martin, coldplay, Music, norah jones, prozac, Rock, rush of blood to the head, snow patrol, Travelodge
Patrick wrote,
I always thought rock and roll is the meaning behind “fall asleep in your arms tonight.” You know, the minuteman, pre-viva-viagra lifetyles; before even Benson-Hedges 100’s…
Or, is the lyric “die in your arms tonight…” , no?
Yes it is best described as a transitional oxymoron, describing motion and climax of human sex acts… rock then roll over and go into a deep sleep.
Confronted by Czech women sporting beehive hair, and petticoated short skirts, with rhinestone eyeglasses, who expect more out of life, applaud the Chantays who show this total eclipsing music era transition force juggernaut at work, in the following tubeYou–
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j09C8clJaXo
..anticipation keeps them on edge, while suspicion heightens the foreplay of love played out on the dance-floor in full frontal swing mode — the East European women sway and clap but cannot get that beat, since they came to polka… the sequenced tuxedoed men at their sides don’t sit it out, but they know something is up… what could it be? So they sway, in a rock the baby, and bump, boogie, and bebop on the bridge… there you have it. Once again thanks to Larry WElk, and the good men and women of the orchestra, including Neil LaVang, making transition from dreadnought to electric with ease:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bq1ac7yB1U
For all these reasons Coldplay is not a proper oxymoron to be included in rock then roll categories… but then again trouble ain’t over is the last thing I hear most nights as I fall away in slumber… hmmmm?
Patrick’s last blog post..Polygamy in March/April, standard fare… Seems a Spring Thing
Link | April 7th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Jayne d'Arcy wrote,
I think Rock N Roll is the Beatles, The Who, Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits… to name a few.
Of course I was completely unfamiliar with ColdPlay so I had to head over to YouTube and give a listen to a few of their songs. I’ll just make mention that their song ‘Clocks’ made me nod off. I think you hit the nail on the head in calling them Nyquil Rock.
Link | April 7th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
My pocket definition of rock ‘n roll is electric-guitar or piano-based music that’s at least a fast train time and contains at least the possibility of a back-and-forth movement between a fifth and a sixth. Basically, if having an appreciation of Chuck Berry is at all useful, it is rock ‘n roll.
But rock is different. Rock is the music that rock musicians make. No other useful definition exists. “Rock” contains Magical Mystery Tour and Under The Big Black Sun, Indigo Girls and Electric Light Orchestra, “Layla” an “Please Play This Song On The Radio”, Air Supply and GWAR. “Rock” is a meaningless term. “Post-Rock” even more so.
I like the arpeggios of “Clocks”. It’s like Philip Glass in a pop song. But yeah, I get the Nyquil aspect, though.
Sans Direction’s last blog post..A Real Gone Jerk
Link | April 7th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
24-Hour Party People was on VH1 Classic last night, so I should add “Joy Division and Happy Mondays” in the contrast.
Sans Direction’s last blog post..A Real Gone Jerk
Link | April 7th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Pat wrote,
Category 7.6 Nyquil Rock Safety Rules:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GyRIumr8LM
Nyquil Rock…is music coming out of your shoe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDFmuOtKrBc
Pat’s last blog post..More Fun
Link | April 7th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Pribek wrote,
I was buying all of it ’til Air Supply
Link | April 7th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
They call it “soft rock”, right?
Sans Direction’s last blog post..I think I mentioned this before
Link | April 8th, 2008 at 3:46 am
Pribek wrote,
Link | April 8th, 2008 at 4:21 am
Kenski wrote,
CONSPIRACY!!!!
I just made an uncomfortable link!
Where do you hear artists like Coldplay? Pumped into coffee houses as musak!!!! It’s like the guys in the 90’s who started writing rave music which was in sync with drug trips.
It’s frikkin’ Starbucks, man! They’re using this music to force people to BUY MORE COFFEE!!!!!
Time to leave the big cities and start living off the land, methinks.
Kenski’s last blog post..Coffee House Rock
Link | April 9th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Pribek wrote,
You might be on to something, Kenski. The old saying goes; “Follow the money”.
Fact-Kenny G, is a big Starbucks shareholder.
Fact-Mr. G’s music is also known for it’s sedative effect.
One has to wonder if Chris Martin rubs shoulders with G at those shareholder meetings.
Link | April 9th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Kenski wrote,
Belated follow up. As reported in a 60s interview in this morning’s free London newspaper, The Metro.
Okay, so there’s this guy who’s realised that his singer-songwriter music is destined to become coffee-house musak, so, instead of touring around playing small local music venues he’s cut to the chase and he’s toured 60 locations of a coffee-house chain, Cafe Nero!
Talk about cutting out the middle man!
http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=142755&in_page_id=11
Kenski’s last blog post..XtremeMac MicroMemo Pros & Cons
Link | April 14th, 2008 at 9:15 am