Attack of the Killer Track! is a series that explores tracks from artists from a variety of genres. Some of the tracks were singles, some of them were obscure b-sides or long forgotten album tracks. One thing is certain – all of them are killer tracks.
In late 2000 I found myself in New Zealand for a month, spending time with the Kiwi side of my family. Somehow in those days I equated going on vacation with buying a lot of music – what can I say, I’m a music junkie. I had read quite a bit in the British press about Coldplay and picked up their recently released album, Parachutes. I loved it then and even now – despite becoming one of the biggest bands in the world – I still love it. I caught Coldplay (w/ Grandaddy) on tour in Philadelphia in June of 2001 at a smallish venue – they’d never return to venues of that size again. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Of particular note were the new songs that Coldplay played that night. A Rush Of Blood To The Head was played that night, and of course it would become the title track to Coldplay’s world dominating 2nd album. It is, and always will be my favorite Coldplay song. It is a rumination on relationships, war, and heat of the moment anger. I believe it to be a perfect song. Notably, it was written in the pre 9/11 world although who can blame anti-war advocates for honing in on the resigned lyric “He said, I’m gonna buy a gun and start a war / If you can tell me something worth fighting for”. They may have gone on to have an increased profile in the years since (along with increased amounts of praise and criticism), but for me this is the quintessential Coldplay song. Sadness and hope reside here. Radiohead have their Street Spirit (Fade Out). Coldplay have their A Rush Of Blood To The Head.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb_7C1vMpRQ]