My December's one of the few pre-2007 songs that I'll willingly hit play on (other than Reanimation). It's such a beautifully depressing song.
My<Dsmbr is the one reanimation track I can definitely say I like better than the original. I just don't care for the original My December, but I like the idea. That is, I've always wanted soft, slow stuff with some scratching and elements from their early things. It's just not catchy, and the specificity of December makes it weird to listen to all the time for me, since December is usually a really different month compared to others for me.
I think it's rather time for the next one, so I hope you don't mind... 13. High Voltage Hybrid Theory EP version; Reanimation remix.
thank-you robert. i apologize. been as busy week, completely skipped my mind. love the original track but i'm inclined to say that the reanimation remix is totally killer. just has a much groovier vibe that i totally dig. edit: fuck. going back on the original, it's a totally tough call. fuck it, they're both awesome.
"High Voltage" is another case where I heard the "Reanimation" rmx before any other versions. I'd heard "Step Up" (via the "In The End" single CD) so it was my second time hearing Shinoda swear on a track, although the expletives are censored. Later in 2004, I finally downloaded the "Hybrid Theory" EP and heard the demo v. for the first time, not knowing yet about the version that had been recorded for "Hybrid Theory". I was very underwhelmed. And, later on, I heard the main version of the track which I was blown away by because, even as "H! Vltg3" has its merits, the beat in the original version just sounds so much cooler. It sounds like it'd be more suited to "Reanimation" than the "H! Vltg3" beat is. There are synthetic strings, a foreboding piano arpeggio, synth choir ... "High Voltage" is beautiful and epic-sounding. For most of us fans, this song and "My December" were our first hints of Shinoda's formidable production skills and they are shining examples. And, lyrically, Shinoda was at one of his peaks in 2002. If I had been a hip-hop fan at the time (like I am now), I'm sure that, between this song and "It's Goin' Down", I would've thought very highly of Shinoda as a lyricist and an emcee, as well as a beatmaker. This song, more than any other during the "Hybrid Theory" era, proves that there's a strong hip-hop influence in Linkin Park's music and, furthermore, showed early on that Shinoda was a real hip-hop head. Perhaps most importantly, it showed that Linkin Park were capable of so much more than just rock music with rapping over it. I wonder how differently we'd think of "High Voltage" if it had somehow made the cut and been placed on the album after "Cure", and how it might have changed people's perceptions of the band if it had been more widely heard ... Although it might not be as exciting as the rest of "Reanimation" sonically, I think that "H! Vltg3" is cool because the beat is pure old-school hip-hop, which works with the vocals. It sounds like it came right off a Dilated Peoples album, and makes very clear how Shinoda was influenced by the hip-hop coming out of LA at that time. And, of course, Pharoahe Monch's guest verse is one of the (several) best verses on the album. Pharoahe is still one of the best lyricists out there, and I'm glad that the guest rappers placed throughout "Reanimation" more or less brought their A-game to the table. It's a shame that they didn't really use Chester's singing bridge section, though The version on the EP almost doesn't fit among the other tracks to me. Somehow, it sounds a little less polished than the other songs. Shinoda's rapping seems to be mixed much lower on that track compared to the others on the EP. The chorus is obviously very different and I don't really know what to say about it, other than that I don't hate it. I like the bridge, with the keyboard part and the little scratches. Chester's wordless singing is something of a recurring thing throughout the EP; he does that on "Carousel" and "Step Up" as well. It adds this other-worldliness (for lack of a better word) to those specific sections ... Anyway, there's probably no better example of a demo being improved upon than "High Voltage"
"High Voltage" has some of Mike's strongest raps. It definitely elevates the band's hip hop influences. I love the combination of guitar and piano in the background. "High Voltage" (EP Version) had a cool chorus, and a nice synth line, but Mike hasn't mastered his flow by this time. I like the "uh-uh" scratch part though. "H! Vltg3" is hands-down one of the best tracks of Reanimation. The 90s vibe perfectly fit Mike's rap verses, and Pharoahe Monch kills the track with his verse.
I remember getting into LP back in 2005/2006 and watching YouTube vids of them when I found High Voltage live at Docklands. I was sold. It made me a real fan. I loved the verses (maybe Shinoda's best) and the hook was catchy with good wordplay. Also that live moment after the bridge gave me chills, seeing all those peoples waving their hands with the music going on.... This is the song that really made me a hardcore fan and till this day I still love the song. I hope Shinoda stops the raps with all the bragging and does something like this. Rapping with more 'advanced' words. For me this set LP apart from any onther band. A real classic.
SURROUND SOUND This is one of my favorite songs from the the band's years before they shifted into new territory on MTM, and it's my favorite hip-hop oriented song of theirs. Some of Mike's best lyrics on it and its abstractness Is a standout. It's a shame that they didn't play it at Download this year.
High Voltage is a kind of which you like or you hate and i appreciate as its one of their earliest efforts
I actually prefer the Reanimation version to the album version. The Hybrid Theory EP version is the worst.
The Rock am Ring version of High Voltage beats the shit out of any other version, it's majestic. H! Vltg3 (See Lamont Dozier's track "Family") is disgusting to me. The HTEP version is also lackluster.
Reanimation version is something I NEVER listen to, it's just boring to me compared to the original. The original, I do appreciate, and really wish it was on the original album. I think the chorus has only gotten cooler with time, I wish they would play at least half the song live, because "the unforgettable sound" is an epic phrase to say to an audience live, and LP does have an unforgettable sound. The beginning of the EP version is cool, but the chorus is not as strong as the HT version.
Before I miss this, I like this song. It's superfun and a great example of Mike's skills. The final mix is way better than the HTEP version or the Reanimation remix. The remix sucks. The piano loop is so annoying. Also, a reminder. [video=youtube_share;hc7J0Q8nyJQ]http://youtu.be/hc7J0Q8nyJQ[/video]
Maybe there should a new thread discussing covers of Linkin Park songs so you can see it again and again and again and again