Reanimation - Linkin Park

Linkin Park is a 6 piece band hailing from the U.S of A and they just happen to be one of my favourite bands so expect a degree of bias in this op. Having had phenomenal success with their debut album (the multi-platinum “Hybrid Theory”) Linkin Park came under close scrutiny with their latest release “Reanimation” – their offering of a remix album. Whilst critics may accuse L.P of selling fans short and “doing a Limp Bizkit” by merely regurgitating ...
...I would defy any such claims. Not only does this album feature several potential singles but a hell of a lot of work has gone into creating a totally different sound for each and every song on it. Besides which, Limp Bizkit is crap. Linkin Park is not. The CD itself contains 20 tracks, 5 of which are merely fillers consisting of an opening sequence intermission and a couple of voicemail messages. So then, 15 good solid tracks in all which have been ... more

Linkin Park is a 6 piece band hailing from the U.S of A and they just happen to be one of my favourite bands so expect a degree of bias in this op. Having had phenomenal success with their debut album (the multi-platinum “Hybrid Theory”) Linkin Park came under close scrutiny with their latest release “Reanimation” – their offering of a remix album. Whilst critics may accuse L.P of selling fans short and “doing a Limp Bizkit” by merely regurgitating certain songs in a bid to cash in some more, I would defy any such claims. Not only does this album feature several potential singles but a hell of a lot of work has gone into creating a totally different sound for each and every song on it. Besides which, Limp Bizkit is crap. Linkin Park is not. The CD itself contains 20 tracks, 5 of which are merely fillers consisting of an opening sequence intermission and a couple of voicemail messages. So then, 15 good solid tracks in all which have been reinterpreted by some of the most talented underground hip hop and rock artists in the U.S. The CD also contains an enhanced section.

Appearance:
Whilst the cover of the CD really isn’t an issue for people when considering making a purchase, I thought I’d just mention some more exactly how much effort has gone into producing this album. Emcee Mike Shinoda is said to have done most of the work on the production side of things and this can also be said for the packaging of the CD – encased in a glossy tri-fold cardboard case the graphic design has been given the Mike treatment. Both he and Joseph often design the artwork for their CDs and promotional material- as well as co-producing their videos. I’m not entirely sure how best to describe the pictures – the front cover reminds me vaguely of a Transformer (!) and the rest of the case features images of the Linkin Park soldier and other weird robot type things (I’m putting my descriptive powers to excellent use here!) –basically to give the impression of transformation, thus being pretty appropriate to the main theme of the album.

The CD itself:
Categorising Linkin Park into a particular genre within music is no mean feat. They truly are a hybrid, or mixture, of different styles. I would personally say they are a blend of rock; rap/hip-hop and electronica – I hate the label nu-metal as many people (particularly music critics) are very quick to slam anything which is placed under this label. Linkin Park is nothing like Limp Bizkit who I personally cannot abide.
On this album, Linkin Park have done away within their winning formula somewhat and have gone all experimental on us. With collaborations with some of the top names in underground hip-hop I was somewhat dubious about how much I’d actually like this album. In a recent interview with Kerrang! Mike admitted that most fans would not have heard of half of the people that helped remix the tracks, with the exception of U.S underground hip-hop fans. When asked why they chose the people who they did work with, Mike replied that they chose people who they themselves are fans of. To name drop a couple, there are offerings from members of Korn; Deftones; and Staind, and the lesser known Dilated Peoples, Jurassic 5, Pharoahe Monch and Motion Man.

1. OPENING.
Bassist Phoenix is given the opportunity to display his musical abilities in this short instrumental opening sequence. Combing a haunting violin with a deep yet melodic cello, it would not be too out of a place on a classical music CD. It’s a good warm up track that sets the scene for the rest of the album. 7/10.

2. PTS.OF.ATHRTY – JAY GORDON.
Known as being Linkin Park’s latest single, “PTS.OF.ATHRTY” is a booming four minutes of industrial sounding rock. With the help of Orgy’s Jay Gordon this original Hybrid Theory track (Points of Authority) has been reinterpreted into a song packed full of resonant vocals, booming drums, eerie keyboard sounds and instrumental samples. The haunting melodies and shouting choruses of its predecessor are in quite stark contrast to the electronic beats and almost robotic quality of this song. Lyrically it remains pretty much the same but musically it couldn’t be any more different whilst at the same time still sounding just as good. From the moment I first heard it I hoped it would be the template for the rest of the album as it was very promising. It was definitely a good choice for release as a single since it is a track that would have a wider appeal. 9/10

3. ENTH E END – KUTMASTA KURT ft MOTION MAN.
“In The End” is probably one of the best loved tracks from the Hybrid Theory album and this remix is probably the most different, and disappointingly, the least favourite of mine. It begins fairly promisingly – with a violin type sound but is quickly replaced in the blink of an eye with a very staccato, almost monotonous piano. It’s very stilted and doesn’t seem to progress in any kind of direction. And then the rapping begins. Whilst Mike has a good voice and I do like his rapping, this song is just too far removed from the original that it loses any credibility and if I’m honest, it loses its power. Chester’s vocals have been almost eradicated or just placed over a very boring continuous beat so the vocal interplay between Mike and Chester is lost amidst the monotony. Also just as the song begins to give new hope, Kutmasta Kurt and Motion Man (hip hop producers) add their slant to it with the inane repetition of “Linkin Park.Remix.Kkkkk-Kutmasta Kurt. M-Mmmmotion Man” and so on which does nothing to enhance the quality of the song. On a purely creative level I suppose it is not too bad but as “In the End” is one of my favourites I did not envision a song that would lose its depth in such a way. If you like hip-hop you may like it but personally I am almost glad when it whimpers to a close. 5/10

4. [CHALI]
This is just one of a couple of recorded voicemail messages left on Mike’s mobile from one of the co-producers or artists appearing on the next track.

5. FRGT/10 – ALCHEMIST ft CHALI 2NA.
Another track given the hip-hop makeover with the help of Alchemist and Chali 2NA (of hip-hop band Jurassic 5), with added scratching by Linkin Park’s DJ Joseph Hahn.
Yet again a promising start that interweaves Chester and Mike’s echo-y vocals with intermittent keyboard beats but once again is turned into a purely rap-driven tune. Chali completely takes over Chester’s role as lead vocalist, speaking his parts as opposed to actually singing them and with almost entirely different lyrics you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a whole new track. The overall quality of the song is quite good but does take a few listenings before you become accustomed to the new sound. Whilst Chali does not have the best vocals suited to the song it is a fairly good hip-hop track. 7/10

6. P5HNG ME A*WY – MIKE SHINODA ft STEPHEN RICHARDS.
If there is one track on this CD that comes pretty close to being better than the original then this is most assuredly it. Taproot’s vocalist Stephen Richards lends a helping hand in the reworking of the Hybrid Theory track “Pushing Me Away”. Beginning with entirely different keyboard enhanced melodies and drum beats it launches into an explosive, energetic piece of rock with a few heavy guitar riffs thrown in for good measure. Lyrically it is not too dissimilar but Stephen’s vocals bring a fresh new quality to the song. His input, complete with a couple of new lyrics such as “When I look into your eyes there’s nothing there to see/Nothing but my own mistakes staring back at me” – gives a new resonance to the song which is further compounded by Chester’s strong vocals. It is surprising how well the two singers work together since I am not usually very keen on Taproot themselves. Overall this track is definitely one of my favourites. 10/10

7. PLC 4 MIE HÆD – AMP LIVE ft ZION.
With names like Amp Live and Zion it seems pretty evident that this is going to be another hip-hop/rap crossover track so I didn’t really expect too much from it. However, I am quite surprised that, even with a couple of hip-hop and rap artists collaborating on it, it still retains its heavy rock quality. In fact at times the moody vocals, heavy beats and guitar-like samples create an almost aggressive sound. This is further enhanced by the almost angry rapping of Zion I who seems to fit quite well into the general scheme of things. Fortunately though, his vocals do not last too long and are replaced by the gradual rise and fall of Chester’s impassioned “You try to take the best of me/GO AWAY” that Linkin Park fans have come to know and love. There is no way the song would be complete without his presence and these aggressive sounding vocals are fully taken advantage of. Inter-woven with a softer, more melodic piano, our full attention is brought fully to focus on these vocals as the song draws to a close. Another excellent stand-out track methinks but maybe slightly tarnished by Zion’s vocals. 9/10

8. X-ECUTIONER STYLE - ft BLACK THOUGHT.
Just when things were starting to look pretty good, a track of total nothingness emerges and obstinately refuses to sound even slightly more palatable with each listen. This track is one that will leave even the most hip-hop happy reaching for the “skip” button on their CD remote. Whatever possessed Linkin Park to allow the X-Ecutioners to produce this discordant cacophony (i.e., crap) is beyond me. Less than two minutes (though it seems at least double that) of utter drivel, all “X-Ecutioner Style” seems to do is sample a couple of “Hybrid Theory” songs (namely “One Step Closer”; “Forgotten” and “Cure For The Itch”) and slap a dull, monotonous rap over it. Hmm. 3/10 (and that’s being generous.)

9. H! VLTG3 - EVIDENCE ft PHAROAHE MONCH & DJ BABU.
Moving swiftly on from the previous track, Linkin Park present us with the double A-side to their last single. This has been reinterpreted from the track “High Voltage” taken from the B-Side of their first single “One Step Closer”. The original H.V song actually appeared on the Hybrid Theory EP which has never been available in this country. So technically this is the third version. Confused?? Never mind...
This version is again a rap reworking which clearly is the main genre of the album. Nothing wrong with that – if you like hip-hop. And if you don’t? Well you may just be surprised. When I first heard this though I didn’t like it - simple as that. Not wanting to write it off completely though, I listened to it. And then listened to it some more. I think it is definitely one of those songs which you need to hear a few times before you can judge whether you like it or not and I definitely do now. It may not be the best track on the CD as the lyrics don’t seem to really progress anywhere, and the best bits have been cut out (pah). But all in all the melodies are good, the sampling, beats, scratching and piano sounds are all good and the vocals of Pharoahe Monch (who has a whole new verse or two to himself) aren’t too bad either. 7/10

10. [RIFF RAFF]
Another voicemail message.

11. WTH>YOU – CHAIRMAN HAHN ft ACEYALONE.
This remix of “With You” seems to fit the rock/hip-hop mould as it blends different styles together. At the beginning however, it tends to veer towards the rock style with heavy guitars from Mike and the direct, almost raucous “Come Onnnnnnnn” from Chester (I love it when he does that). As the song progresses we see that it is more than just a rock song. With Joe’s scratching and the appearance of Aceylaone the track’s hip-hop quality manifests itself but surprisingly this works incredibly well. Chester’s vocals are just as strong and emphatic as ever and the lyrics remain pretty much the same, with only a couple of minor alterations. I would say this pretty much equals its original – all in all, another excellent track. 10/10

12. NTR\MSSION.
Another brief musical interval where Phoenix once again demonstrates his adeptness at playing other instruments (cello and violin) than his trusted bass guitar.

13. PPR/KUT - CHEAPSHOT & JEWBACCA ft RASCO and PLANET ASIA.
With more people from the underground hip-hop scene this remix of “Papercut” vacillates between heavy rapping and eerie sampling, with Chester’s rock vocals placed pretty much in the foreground. The confusion and in a sense the torment invoked in the original in lyrics such as:
“It’s like I’m paranoid, looking over my back” seems to still be maintained in this track – the meaning and message of the song has not been lessened in any way unlike with songs such as “ENTH E END”. It’s quite difficult to define any particular sounds as there is quite a lot going on – it doesn’t sound too far removed from the original but with additional eerie sound effects, and so many collaborators tweaking bits here and there and adding their own lyrics that you would assume the overall effect is quite piecemeal. Thankfully though, it all combines well together to form yet another great track that is consistently good from start to finish. 9/10.

14. RNW@Y - BACKYARD BANGER ft PHOENIX ORION.
The absence of Chester in other songs is more than made up for in this chunk of electronic rap-rock. Beginning with what is best described as a reverberating techno-beat (well it makes sense to me); Chester immediately takes his place on lead vocals. Whilst the lyrics for RNW@Y (“Runaway”) remain, for the most part, unchanged the general direction is somewhat different and yet still carries as much force and emphasis as its predecessor. The main chorus for example:
“I wanna run away/Never say good-bye/I wanna know the truth/Instead of wondering why/I wanna know the answers” etc have been broken down into the more fragmented “I wanna know the truth(I wanna know the truth)/I wanna know the answers (I wanna know the answers)”.
As well as these alterations, there are a few extra lyrics added by Phoenix Orion (not to be confused with the band’s bassist) who has a pretty good rap voice that works well with Chester and Mike’s vocals. In fact his vocals seem to enhance the song rather than detract from it although the song doesn’t appeal to me as much as the original. 8/10

15. MY>DSMBR - MICKEY P ft KELLI ALI (formerly of the Sneaker Pimps).
Originally another B-Side to their first single One Step Closer, My December is a harmonious, soft and melodic piano solo with Chester with a few doses of soft background rapping from Mike.
Thankfully this remake retains its general formula and as opposed to removing certain elements as in other tracks, Mike and co-producer Mickey P have enhanced Chester’s vocals with new melodies and keyboard sounds that sound faintly reminiscent of 80s electronica. Also, Kelli Ali’s vocals give a new, softer quality to the song as she co-stars on a couple of the verses, though her role is very much as a backing singer. Lyrics are pretty much the same, still conveying Chester’s sense of loneliness so overall the effects of the song haven’t been lost. In fact it is another song that I would say is just as good as the original. 10/10

16. [STEF]
A voicemail message from Stef who features on the next track ~ he plays lead guitar.

17. BY_MYSLF - JOSH ABRAHAM AND MIKE SHINODA.
Mike and rock producer Josh Abraham (who has helped produce songs for Staind; Limp Bizkit and Orgy to name just three) rework my second favourite track from “Hybrid Theory” – “By Myself”. Originally a relatively moody and heavy sounding song of despair, this remix is moodier still. The overall tone and atmosphere of the song feel considerably more resonant, and with more electronically-enhanced sounds as opposed to just guitars and drums. Vocally, Chester seems to appear more despairing, with just slightly different lyrics:
“I can't look around Its too much to take in/I can't hold on, When I'm stretched so thin/I can't slow down, Watching everything spin/I can't look past, Its starting over again”
The effect of these new lyrics and the heavier vocals from both Mike and Chester really do seem to strengthen this song and I for one am pleased with the results. Class. 10/10

18. KYUR 4 TH ICH - CHAIRMAN HAHN.
Elevating himself to chairman status, resident DJ Mr Hahn takes centre stage here with a reworking of his instrumental “Cure for the Itch”. Basically it is a blend of many different sounds, mainly an array of differing samples taken from the original track and then blended with new and unusual sounds and effects. Pretty good, and we can rest safe in the knowledge that Joe hasn’t lost his touch. 7/10

19. 1 STP KLOSR - THE HUMBLE BROTHERS ft JOHNATHON DAVIES.
With the guest appearance of Korn’s Jonathon Davies I never really expected to like this song since I am not particularly a fan of Korn. In fact the songs I have heard haven’t really been up to much...sooo I expected this to be quite dire to be honest. Well I now eat my words because this is probably THE best track on this CD. Chester is on lead vocals just as he was in the original “One Step Closer” and again not too many of the lyrics have been altered. But the music…the music is just totally different. Mixing drums, keyboard and heavy guitars this is another track that would be hard to pinpoint if you removed the vocals. Jonathon’s voice is surprisingly well suited to this song and when he and Chester join on the main chorus it is brilliant…shouty, heavy vocals and quite loud dramatic music, this needs to be turned up high to appreciate its excellence. The dramatic finale “blood is pouring” shouted by Jonathon and then echoed by Chester’s “SHUT UP/SHUT UP when I’m talking to you” (again, another favourite bit of mine still retained from the original) finally culminates in an explosion of sound. Overall a dramatic song and a dramatic finish. Brill. 11/10 (yes, it's that good.)

20. KRAWLNG – MIKE SHINODA ft AARON LEWIS (Staind).
It is only appropriate that after the last song this album should end on a high note and nothing could be more suitable for me than my favourite Linkin Park track, “Crawling”. Except I have to remind myself that this is a remix so may not fulfil my expectations. I mean, let’s face it; it sure has a lot to live up to. Had this been turned into a hip-hop track I am pretty sure, in fact 99% sure that I would have hated it. It has been described as a “Goth ballad” and I’d probably agree with this statement. Mike has taken full advantage of using string instrumentals and has blended them with Aaron Lewis’s whiny vocals and Chester’s original vocals. Aaron has a great voice (I like some of Staind’s music too) and it works incredibly well with Chester’s to give a new life and a new depth to the song. However, he lacks the same vocal range as Chester so in places it is a bit weaker. In saying that, the choruses are as strong and emotive as ever where they both sing in harmony:
“Crawling In my skin/These wounds, they will not heal/Fear is how I fall/Confusing what is real” and the same feelings of despair are evoked as the original. This song is by no means a let down, in fact I do think it is brilliant, and I was surprised at how well produced it was, but it cannot, in my eyes, surpass the original. It makes a pretty good alternative though. 10/10

ENHANCED SECTION. If you have a relatively good pc, you should be able to access this part of the CD which gives you the chance to see the video to the single “PTS.OF.ATHRTY” which has been produced by Joseph. People who will have seen it will know that it is a pretty darn good video. CGI aplenty, the whole thing is a film about robots and other weird and wonderful things shooting at stuff. Or something. Anyway it’s great and is definitely worth a viewing.

In conclusion then, “Reanimation” does retain some of its main formulas particularly for having two main vocalists although it is pretty evident from most of the tracks that Mike is the main over-seer of the project. Transforming often heavy rock into a heavily hip-hop influenced album is no mean feat and has clearly taken a lot of time, effort and skill from all corners. Guitars and drums have become less crucial to the general sound, instead emphasis has been placed on electronically created keyboard effects; digital sampling and doses of scratching – all of which are key elements to creating the hip-hop sound. Because of this I had anticipated an album quite lacking in depth and power, I had expected that the power of certain tracks would be lost in a musical oblivion. Whilst I am wrong in many cases, I do think that a couple of tracks let the album down – “Enth E End” being just one of them. However, when taking into account the quality of some of the other tracks, my overall opinion of the CD increases somewhat. The only other flaw is the inclusion of the voicemail messages, which whilst they give the album a slightly more personal touch, don’t really add any significance to it as a whole. Oh and the modern text message style names are a bit annoying too. But other than these minor glitches this is a great album and I would certainly recommend it to anyone. Mark out of ten? I’d say a pretty damn good 8.5.

Where to purchase:
You should be able to pick up your copy from all good music stores for the approximate sum of £12.99. Like I did. Or you could order it from cd-wow for £8.99 and save four quid. Which I didn't do.

For more info on Linkin Park, feel free to browse their rather fab website at www.linkinpark.com

P.S Title reworked (by me!) from Limp Bizkit’s remix album. Which didn’t do very well in the charts. Ha ha.

If you managed to read all this without falling asleep then thank you!
©Weeping_Willow.
 

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