Coldplay vs. Joe Satriani

[admin]

By now everyone has heard that Coldplay is being taken to task by Joe Satriani. The British lite-rock sensation has apparently been snipping pieces of other people’s work. According to some music fans - Mr. Satriani isn’t the only victim of Coldplay's acoustic larceny. Coldplay, now the darling of the Grammys, seems to do a great job of following Satriani's rif from his song "If I Could Fly" released in 2004. The band’s 2008 album Viva La Vida’s title track is demonstrated in this video as being perfectly in harmony with the American guitarist's song.

Discuss "Coldplay vs. Joe Satriani" here. Read the article.

 

[rupertoooo]

I for one could not care less, I am so tired of these primadonnas and there wining over this and that. I will say I am a huge fan of Satriani's and could care less if Coldplay was making music or not. I have this to say to Joe: lesser talent seems to make the big money these days (Rap, top 40, country) so if thats what this is about you will never win, but please keep on shredding.

 

[jostenmeat]

Oh.

I thought this thread title was some new South Park episode.

Movie soundtracks are pretty blatant with ripping off, then ruining great classical works, I've found.

Didn't Billy Joel rip off a Beethoven sonata for one of his more famous works?

I don't own any Satriani, Coldplay, or Joel. Just curious...

 

[jinjuku]

It's most definitely uncool of cold play. Their riff is pretty much a blatant copy. They could of at least given credit where credit is do.

Do I think Cold Play came up with that melody in a 100% organic manner: NO.

 

[jinjuku]

I for one could not care less, I am so tired of these primadonnas and there wining over this and that. I will say I am a huge fan of Satriani's and could care less if Coldplay was making music or not. I have this to say to Joe: lesser talent seems to make the big money these days (Rap, top 40, country) so if thats what this is about you will never win, but please keep on shredding.

Guys like Satriani, Johnson, Vai are doing just fine. They didn't become guitar instrumentalists for top 40 fame. They do it because it is a passion. Eric Johnson is the only guitar virtuoso to break BillBoards top 10 with an instrumental song.

For Satriani, I don't think it is about big money. He most likely just doesn't want people claiming his work as their own. I can't fault the man for that.

 

[gliz]

I for one could not care less, I am so tired of these primadonnas and there wining over this and that. I will say I am a huge fan of Satriani's and could care less if Coldplay was making music or not. I have this to say to Joe: lesser talent seems to make the big money these days (Rap, top 40, country) so if thats what this is about you will never win, but please keep on shredding.

I am not sure what you do for a living but I bet that if you did a job and a co worker took the credit you would be pretty pissed. As to you lesser talent crack, my I submit Brad Paisley,keith Urban, (the late) Jerry Reed, Albert Lee, the other 2 I agree with

 

[strube]

I hope Satch sues the pants of those kiddies, and he certainly has the right to do so IMO. I have never been a fan of Coldplay, I think they have very limited range and this just reinforces it. Joe Satriani has, at least to me, much more talent. As a wannabe musician, I think it would be much harder to come up with new exciting music when your lead singer is the guitar.

I always take youtube videos with a grain of salt, but that sounded pretty ripped off to me.

 

[MinusTheBear]

I find Coldplay grossly overated so I am biased towards Satriani. Putting Coldplay in the same sentence as Satriani puts shivers down my spine. Joe has a legitmate claim.

This would make for an interesting celebrity deatch match. Guitars make good weapons .

 

[jamie2112]

Coldplay is a complete ripoff. They stole all their first records schtick from Radiohead, who are a real band playing their own music that doesn't sound like everyone else. I wish Joe would take action on this matter. I agree with Minus that they are grossly overrated as a band. In fact I don't know anyone who likes them myself. Best of luck to Satch getting a little piece of the residual cash he deserves. Down with coldsore...

 

[croseiv]

Stealing is stealing. I would be pissed too if some arrogant band was ripping me off. Satch is king!

 

[Bluesmoke]

The 2 min Solo in Satriani's Extremist oozes more musical talent than the entire history of Coldplay. I'm just saying............

 

[rupertoooo]

Guys like Satriani, Johnson, Vai are doing just fine. They didn't become guitar instrumentalists for top 40 fame. They do it because it is a passion. Eric Johnson is the only guitar virtuoso to break BillBoards top 10 with an instrumental song.

For Satriani, I don't think it is about big money. He most likely just doesn't want people claiming his work as their own. I can't fault the man for that.

I am not sure what you do for a living but I bet that if you did a job and a co worker took the credit you would be pretty pissed. As to you lesser talent crack, my I submit Brad Paisley,keith Urban, (the late) Jerry Reed, Albert Lee, the other 2 I agree with

My primadonna remark was directed at Coldplay not Satriani although reading my comment I can see how it may have been misconstrued. I also realize that the aforementioned musicians are doing fine and would never question their passion for their work, but that has nothing to do with money. Money is King and I am sure Satriani (as well as all other rock/metal musicians) is irritated that a group such as Coldplay (media darlings I might add) can steal his music and make mucho dinero out of it, I know it pisses me off.

As far as the lesser talent comment goes I stand by my comment. IMHO talent in the music industry today is very thin with the vast majority of big money being made by thugs, thieves and no talent media darlings.

 

[Sheep]

I wanna know how rich the guy that came up with the 4 bar blues is. You can't own chord progressions, only lyrics IMO.

SheepStar

 

[Joe Schmoe]

The most blatant ripoff I have heard was Ice, Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice. It was nothing but Under Pressure by Queen with different lyrics!
At least Coldplay were not quite that obvious about it.

 

[highfihoney]

Coldplay has allways sucked & allways will,i say who cares,the teenage girls who fawn all over their music donr care & the teenage wannabee tough guys who listen to that garbage dont care either,with coldplay it's all about cool videos with all of em posing & posturing.

I highly doubt any people who follow coldplay ever even heard of satriani or would enjoy his music to start with,they want top 40 baby.

 

[TheD]

"Another head-to-head comparison illustrates Coldplay’s riff-rip of Kraftwerk’s Computer Love from their 1981 concept album Computer World."

Maybe you should check your damn facts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk_(song)

"The band received permission from the electronic music German band Kraftwerk to use the main riff from their song "Computer Love" (German: Computerliebe), from their 1981 studio LP Computer World (German: Computerwelt), for "Talk", replacing Kraftwerk's synthesizers with guitars."

FFS.


Also, the video has been changed to make satriani's song sound closer to coldplay's.

BTW: Coldplay's songs do not sound like they ripped off U2.

 

[Wayde Robson]

"Another head-to-head comparison illustrates Coldplay’s riff-rip of Kraftwerk’s Computer Love from their 1981 concept album Computer World."

Maybe you should check your damn facts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk_(song)

"The band received permission

Okay, so they got permission to rip-off kraftwerk.

 

[Wayde Robson]

I might be an old guy but … it seems that most popular music today is very thin. Sadly I’ve noticed that whining is too often mistaken for deep and meaningful or art.

In researching this story I read tirades from Coldplay fans commenting on other allegations of band’s musical copycatting – long before the Satriani incident.

In one comment a Coldplay fan said: "you suck and you shouldn't compare your garbage music with Coldplay, they're true artists." - paraphrasing.

This is my problem:

Just because music is soft, sensitive and sad in tone doesn't make it artistic, deep or introspective.

Often they scratch the surface musically and lyrically about the causes of sadness but fail to explore it any deeper. Fill it with a few bewildering lines like ... everybody wants to rule the world and call it a day.

It’s hardly the kinds of observations of the human condition we’ve seen in songs by Pink Floyd or countless others from a different era.

The worst is country music and its Hallmark sentimentality. Yes I’ve heard it mistaken for deep too. I admit to liking older country but my perception of newer stuff is that it’s too often manipulative of the hearstrings. I would call it emotional porn.

What else would you call songs about cancer diagnosis or a tragic death in a family. I know country has a folksy, literal storytelling tradition. But c'mon,

Eric Clapton wrote one of the most memorable sad songs ever about a personal tragedy in his life. It was truly deep and actually therapeutic for him. Nowhere does he use a "money line" to make the listener cringe. It's far more deeply personal to him, either the listener relates or does not. Challenging. That's how good music (good art in general) should be.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I highly doubt any people who follow coldplay ever even heard of satriani or would enjoy his music to start with,they want top 40 baby.

Not true. I happen to like both.

 

[Alissa]

Poor Coldplay...

They sure do sound similar, fair enough. I think it's fair of Joe to sue, if he wants to, but maybe a retroactive credit would be a just decision, as in the case of KD Lang and Rolling Stones. After all, aside from the poached melody, the songs really aren't the same.

As a mild Coldplay fan, i surely don't wish their songs had never been created - it's just a shame to find out they aren't 100% unique. And it makes me wonder why the band has invested so much airtime into proclaiming their revolutionary, cutting-edge status...

On a side note, what if we've simply come to the point where there is no unique music left, it's all been written? All we'll be left with is rehashings of the same old thing...it will be like the musical version of the film Maid in Manhattan.