Clocks

The Grammy Award Winning Single of the Year Taken from the Hit Album "a Rush of Blood to the Head". Includes Two NON-LP B-tracks.
Customer Review: Over-played, "soaring" anthem!
Despite sounding good after a first listen, this track has suffered from overexposure. I hear it on tv ads touting s__t products; as background music for "inspiring" sports highlights; girl violin groups (you know, the ones trying to make classical "sexy") doing renditions; generally, any person or group looking to create some sense of majesty! oooh! excitement! grandeur! I'm getting chills! Fake nonsense like that. It's not Coldplay's fault. The best thing would be for this song to be deleted as a single and removed from future pressings of "A Rush..."
Customer Review: Brilliant!
As a Coldplay fan I'm obviously quite biased, but this single has got to be the best in a long time. I'll go through the thre tracks: 1. Clocks If you haven't heard this song you must have been living under a rock. My GOD this song is good. It opens with just about the most memorable piano riff ever, then explodes into this incredible, pulsating minimalist masterpiece with the most incredible cryptic lyrics over the top. It just soars. Clocks is a knockout song, one of my favourites of all time and arguably the best on "A Rush of Blood to the Head". It's stellar. You get the idea? Still, unless you buy Coldplay singles just to support the band, it's the B-Sides that are going to make you buy this. So how are they? 2. "Crests of Waves" The first B-side, "Crests of Waves" is a brilliant rock song with a similar sound to "Moses" and some of their new stuff; it's got that same fuzzy rhythm guitar but with vocals that are kind of buried in the music, as in: "Calling out from beneath the waves". In parts it's almost like a draft version of "Clocks", so I can see why it's on here. The first line goes, "It could be worse, I could be alone" and from there you're hooked. The chorus has this kind of suspended-in-the-air riff as Chris sings "hooo ooo ooo" like in lots of Coldplay songs. It's some of the most spine-tinglingly good guitar rock that Coldplay's ever done, and reminiscent of their new live songs. This makes you realise how good Coldplay is; very few bands would have this song as B-side. Five stars for this. 3. "Animals" The second B-side, "Animals" is a slightly arty, with a descending guitar riff and plodding piano. It's got some great moments, particularly when it goes, "animals you are/disposable collapsible and raw", and "I missed my chance by a stone's throw". Chris martin sounds like he's yelling out from the bottom of a well or something; good stuff, if you like Coldplay, although if you don't you might not like it. I think it's live, so if you're annoyed by live B-sides then be warned; although it's not as if you're hearing an album track live, this is original stuff that you can only hear on this EP. I'm aware that not everyone likes coldplay; if you're not a fan then obviously you're not going to like this. I've been eagerly watching the news of their third album. I have a feeling their new sound will be a mix of songs like "Clocks" and songs like "Crests of Waves". "Clocks" is obviously a big statement of their new direction, and "Crests of Waves" is similar to their new live tracks. If the new album was like a long version of what's on this single, then I'd be very happy. This is the new sound, like it or not. As you can see, I like it. So that's my very biased (and very long) review of this single. This single won a Grammy, and very deservedly. It's got just about the best song of 2003, along with two great B-sides. It has two of my favourite Coldplay songs ever. If you're going to buy a Coldplay single just for the heck of it, for god's sake buy this one! You won't be disappointed.

Every true life rock n roll television melodrama has the same scene: the unknown artist/band gives their freshly cut 45rpm single to the local disc jockey. He spins it on his top 40 radio showand a star is born. This legend has been passed down through the generations of wannabe popstars like an ancient family recipe. The ingredients may differ, but in the end you get the same glorious results: radio play equals fame and fortune.

But does this Top of the Charts fairytale still apply today in the sardonic post new millennium world we call today? Can a band in our current music scene walk into a radio station with a CD single in their hot little hands, impress and wow the DJ with their enthusiasm and chutzpa, obtain the magic and golden FM radio spins and then ride the wave of success all the way to Graceland? Well, then, I guess the real question would be, Do you believe in fairytales?

Unfortunately, the music industry, like the entire Earth, has become so overpopulated and so oversaturated with artists, music, CDs, and radio stations/shows of all kinds, that the chance of your own personal radio fairytale coming true is probably slim to none. But, dont give up on your favorite audio media outlet. Radio may not catapult you to instant superstardom but it certainly can help to push you down the path to success.

The following are a few tips that will help you to make your own music fairytale and get your music heard throughout the airwaves:

1.) Get Out Of Major Market The Top 40 Station Mentality---There was a day when getting played on a big city Top 40 radio station was like winning a gold medal at the Olympics. Bands that were chosen for play were handpicked by the voices of the airwaves whose ears were finely tuned to pick out the next new rising star. Today, things are a little different. Radio has become a huge corporation with three major conglomerates owning most of the stations in the United States. Sadly, Disc jockeys are no longer the innovators their predecessors were. Station management hands down a playlist (made exclusively of artists signed to mostly major labels) and the voices you hear on your radio are just thattalking heads animating a script. Its nearly impossible for an unknown band to break into mainstream large metropolis radio and a waste of your time and money to send packages blindly to a medium that will more than likely reject you again and again.

2.) The Specialty Show Is Your Ticket In---Still determined to get played on that hot radio station with 10 million listeners and a celebrity DJ? Well, there is a backdoor that you may be able to slip through. Its the specialty show. Many huge stations feature a weekly show structured just to highlight the little guyto showcase unsigned artists from that stations area and sometimes beyond. These shows are always worth sending your press package to, as they tend to base their playlist on your music and your credentials on not on the typical corporate artist roster. This is where you just might wow that innovative disc jockey and garner play on some of Americas biggest stations.

3.) College Radio Still Rocks---One area of radio that has stayed unaffected by the huge corporate retooling is the college/university station. Unlike companies/labels deciding what the listening audience thinks is cool or hip, college radio DJs and program directors are still setting their own cutting edges, breaking new artists, and finding the hot fresh stars of tomorrow hiding in their local clubs, coffee houses and garages. Its always beneficial for unsigned artists to send as many CDs (or email as many MP3s, if the station will accept that medium) to as many college stations as you can find. You will find stations to play you and people will be listening. This could lead to new fans, tour possibilities, and will definitely look fantastic on the radio page of your website or EPK. Whether or not it will actually make you a rockstar, it will sure make you feel like one.

4.) The Unlimited World Of Independent Radio---Back in the early days of radio, indie stations were limited to audio pirates in their basements stealing airwaves from unsuspecting Top 40 giants. Now, thanks to the internet, satellites, cell phones, iPods and cable TV, independent stations outnumber their AM/FM constituents in the thousands and new ones are created every day. Since doing a search of indie radio stations online has been known to cause a brain embolism in some, know that you will probably never be able to solicit them all in one lifetime and just relax and enjoy sending music to whomever you can, as you will probably garner hoards of airplay. Furthermore, your wallet will grow to love you as most of these stations will allow you to submit MP3s online.

Its true that the legendary story of the unknown band that got one single played on the radio and became superstars within a month is probably as outdated as the 8-Track tape. But that doesnt mean that the process of artists soliciting music for radio play has become archaic. Radio remains, to this day, one of the best ways for musicians to promote their music and their projects in their area.and now, thanks to terrific technological advancements, nationally and worldwide. The repetition of your single in the ears of even the most jaded radio listener, may lead to: CD and merchandise sales, gigging opportunities in your city and others, visits to your website, posts to your fan club forums, potential press and even maybe industry attention. So, dont stop sending those CDs, and emailing those MP3s because the next person who hears your song on the radio might just be the one who leads, either directly or indirectly, to your much sought record deal. And who knows? You might just wind up becoming bigger than Elvis.

Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 2,400 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com

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