Brit Rock rules from past to present

The three CDs today form a unique triangle of where Brit Rock stands, the legacy it provides, and the contemporary output it regales the world with. Van Morrison was playing music with the group Them, back in the late ‘60s; while Radiohead and Coldplay both represent faces of Brit Rock today, and how, along with bands like U2, they continue to dominate the airwaves, music videos and downloads of the industry.

Coldplay: Viva La Vida (EMI). This is the Coldplay that’s not quite like other albums of its illustrious career. This one is much more muscular, and more orchestral, so much so I’d nickname it OMC — Orchestral Maneouvres in the Cold. Sometimes it seems this is Coldplay trying to be the Moody Blues of the New Millennium — and it may only be so many out there who will appreciate the reference. The Brian Eno influence is quite evident as there’s a lot of “sonic wall of noise” happening. The element of percussion is also more marked on the album, with guitars and keyboards played in a percussive style. If you want the old Coldplay, there’s still some of that, on tracks like Viva La Vida, Lovers in Japan and Strawberry Swing. The time signature changes within a song, the extended nature of some of the tracks (six to seven minutes), that’s what comes in as fresh output from the band.

Radiohead: The Best of (EMI). Imagine Nirvana on a bad day, when they were extra depressed, and you have some idea of what Radiohead can sound like. The double CD is as much a retrospective as it is a best of collection. Radiohead may have had hits in the traditional sense in the UK and Europe, but in Asia, it was never considered mainstream or Top 20, so most of the songs will only be familiar to the true-blue, dyed in the wool Radioheads. There is no chronology to the selection, and they all hail from the earlier stage of Radiohead’s life, when they were contracted to EMI-Parlaphone. Having said all that, though, cuts like High and Dry and Fake Plastic Trees that show just how lyrical and melodic Radiohead can also be, despite the anguished profile the band carries as its signature persona. Real R-Heads may need this compilation, and it’s a good intro to its music.

Van Morrison: Still On Top — The Greatest Hits (Exile Records). Van the Man is music I loved even back in the ‘70s, when songs like Domino, Into the Mystic and Caravan reached my ears. That he has survived up to today, and produces new music, speaks volumes about how consummate a music person Van Morrison is. From Celtic rock, to gentle, folk-rock anthems, from meandering stream of consciousness paeans to jazz-influenced ditties, the richness of Morrison’s output is on display on the double CD. Even ballads like Have I Told You Lately and Someone Like You show how music had made the transition to movie themes and soundtracks. One sees how Van Morrison influenced today’s artists like David Gray, Paolo Nutini and James Morrison. I got my copy at Music One, and as a number of tracks has been remastered, it’s well worth the purchase, even if you’ve been a fan for decades.