Comments on: Coldplay called out again for plagiarizing? This time, it’s Cat Stevens

By: Robby Robinson

Robby Robinson — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:30:50 +0000

OK, Are you kidding me, hahaha i listen to the 4 min. mark of this song like 5 times…..where is the similarity…its pathetic, Viva La Vida will be out for two years now, in June come on, I’ve heard Viva La Vida a million times, and your telling me this Cat Stevens guy is just now trying to do something, just like the Joe thing, nothings going to happen, besides next year Coldplay will come out with another brilliant/amazing/breath taking album, and these two other washed up band musicians will be at home….sitting

By: Eric

Eric — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:52:58 +0000

Hey! That’s MY brick! That little corner that has a chip? I did that part.

By: Grant

Grant — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:58:47 +0000

You can’t copyright CHORD PROGRESSIONS, the building blocks of songs. That’s like saying you can copyright bricks in a wall.

By: Grant

Grant — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:53:19 +0000

just that one little portion, and its only SIMILAR, not the same.

By: Grant

Grant — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:52:11 +0000

These similarities are not valid copyright infringement. You can’t claim copyright on similar things. Imagine the artists with paint brushes claiming this, saying “Hey! I already painted that mountain”

Yeah, well maybe another artist wants to paint it a little differently. Same difference with music. Grow up whiners.

By: zr122

zr122 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:36:28 +0000

I can’t hear the link with Cat Stevens, so that’s out for me.

As for Joe Satriani, while the timing of the song is similar, Satriani’s tune is oriented around the guitar which is completely unique, while Coldplay grasps attention with its simple violin track, and the two don’t overlap at all.

So no, I don’t think Coldplay stole from either, or at least not enough to warrant a successful law suit.

By: MadMax

MadMax — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:42:10 +0000

I think Cat Stevens version isnt that close to both others, but Coldplays melody is very similar to Joe Satriani’s

By: Former_Scribe

Former_Scribe — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:06:40 +0000

Have heard all three now. Not guilty. All three use the same relatively common chord progression, but neither Stevens nor Satriani makes the bend into the next series of chords Coldplay goes to for their chorus (the F major that hits at “I HEAR Jerusalem…”, so all C and S are guilty of is riffing through four common chords that, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, fit together really only one way. Harrison was found guilty of UNCONSCIOUSLY adapting He’s So Fine’s chord progression, but that was bogus too: HSF did not have the “swing chord” that changed the key direction of the melody (that hits on the lyric “but it TAKES so long”) which, IMHO, was unique to MSL and should have vindicated George.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:32:42 +0000

If anyone has a case, it’s Joe, but it’s weak at best. Seriously, nothing to hear here. Real close, but nothing worth a fight. Cat should go home.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:23:53 +0000

“Fight Test” is NOT on ‘Soft Bulletin.’ It’s on ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.’ That’s like saying “Magical Mystery Tour” is a track off of ‘Sgt. Pepper.’ Not cool. Try allmusic.com.