Coldplay - X&Y Bonus CD (2006)

Tracklist:
1. Things I Don't Understand
2. Proof
3. The World Turned Upside Down
4. Pour Me
5. Sleeping Sun
6. Gravity







This is a thing that I don’t understand – 8/10

This bonus CD that accompanied special editions of X&Y contains the b-sides from this period. I take it that b-sides are songs that didn’t make it to the album. Having this in mind, there’s a thing I don’t understand. Some of these songs are true b-sides, funny, goofy or only just not good enough, but others are easily better than some songs on the main album. Why turn those into b-sides?

We are dealing with six songs that didn’t make it to X&Y. Therefore, we have the same atmospheric space pop as on the main album, which is absent on a few songs. “Proof” for example, is a great piano ballad that sounds more like it could’ve been on A Rush of Blood rather than on X&Y. “Gravity” was said to be written in 2002, and I totally believe that, for it also sounds more like A Rush of Blood as well. These beautiful ballads are more relying on piano and vocals rather than on spacey synths and guitars, like X&Y. “Sleeping Sun” is an oddity. It shows the more experimental side of Coldplay and sounds pretty swinging with its percussion. The acoustic rhythm guitars are also pretty odd for Coldplay, yet it does sound like the band. “Pour Me” is recorded live and sounds like an obvious b-side, but it’s still good. With this song the spacey atmosphere has returned and it sounds like a slow rock song with Guy Berryman’s bass playing being pretty notable. In the end Martin really screams it out, which sounds pretty funny. “Things I Don’t Understand” and “The World Turned Upside Down” are two songs that should’ve been on the actual album, replacing “Speed of Sound” and “Low”. The spacey atmosphere has returned again and these songs sound really original, great and a lot better than the X&Y’s weakest. I think these would even be candidates for the best few songs of the entire X&Y sessions.

Having said that, I don’t understand why some of these songs are mere b-sides. The majority however is understandably not on the actual album, not because they’re bad songs, but because they wouldn’t fit on the album. In essence, this is a great bonus CD to have with your already great X&Y album and I highly recommend anyone who can get hold of this limited special edition to do so.

Strongest tracks: “Things I Don’t Understand” and “The World Turned Upside Down”.