Coldplay: Look at the Stars

by Phil O'Brien

Book Overview

Author Phil OBrien charts the ascension of one of the greatest rock bands in the world today. In her fascinatingly introspective account, she tells how a band led by an introverted, self-confessed geek struck such a huge emotional chord with their audience. The book looks at the affect of fame upon the band, particularly on leader Chris Martin. Apart from regularly finding themselves to be cover stars of the music press, Martins relationship with...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0859653498
• ISBN13: 9780859653497
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Plexus Publishing
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.7" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Coldplay rocks!

I borrowed this book from a friend and I'm buying my own copy after reading about what is the complex group of individuals known as Coldplay. I was very perturbed at the few mentions of how much Chris Martin was teased as a kid because people believed he was gay (so what if it was the case, which it isn't?) and how critics continue to put down the most original group that has graced music in about a decade. I'm also a bit tired of hearing the wisecracks about Martin's looks (I think the man is cute and very charming, along with the rest of Coldplay). The first Coldplay song I heard on the radio was "Clocks" (from "A Rush of Blood to the Head") and I, at first, thought it was a new U2 single (not realizing, until I read this book, that Coldplay idolizes U2). I was hooked from then on. I recently sat down and listened to the entire "X & Y" album again and appreciate their songwriting and vocal abilities more than ever. The group is a welcomed breath of fresh air in this day and age of corporate "music" (undertalented and overexposed starlets doubling as singers, rappers rapping over drum machines calling women every derogatory name in the book and videos being nothing more than glorified porno film shorts). Phil O'Brien exposed Coldplay for what they really are: A complex group of individuals who value their art and their talent is appreciated (screw the naysayers!).

I wish I could give it even more stars

I'm a little old for a Coldplay fan (53), but I "discovered" them when I watched them play at Live8 in July 2005. Chris Martin is far from "boring" as this book attests. He's interesting, smart, funny, complex, deep and - yes - a nice guy who can get in touch with his feelings and express them beautifully in his wonderful songs. I was already a fan of Chris' wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, and was glad to see that the book dealt with the relationship. It made me dislike the "STALKerazzi" even more. Vultures! The book really told me a lot that I was dying to know about the band, especially their charismatic frontman. I highly recommend it.

This book put a smile on my face...

I've been a massive Coldplay fan ever since I first heard 'Yellow' and enjoyed Phil O'Brien's book the most out of the three books on the group that I've read. The author's account of the band reveals them to be four very different and equally interesting individuals and is a riposte to critics of Coldplay who have often unfairly derided the band as being dull and faceless. Look At The Stars is written from an inherently humanist perspective and recounts the professional and personal difficulties that the band have overcome during their rise to international acclaim. Tellingly, O'Brien explores the way in which the band's specific insecurities make it difficult for them to enjoy the fruits of their success and reveal Coldplay as a group that genuinely cares about their music and their fans.