"Session" - Song by Song, Let's Talk Linkin Park

Discussion in 'Linkin Park Chat' started by hawk, Jul 2, 2014.

  1. Atticus

    Atticus Bullets lance the bravest lungs

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    Ummm... that's a thing? I've never heard these glass effects
     
  2. Broman

    Broman Well-Known Member

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    Sometimes when I listen IBG, I wonder why the song wasn't used as the first single. I think it may just be the catchiest song off the whole album and my personal favorite from LT, but at the same time, has the lyrical vibe and musical display from their Minutes To Midnight days. Its a very nice throwback with a wonderful delivery from Chester. I do admit that sometimes I wish the strings were a bit more prominent, but honestly, all you need is a decent set of headphones and you can hear them. Not sure why so many people complained about the mix. Do some of you listen to your music with a potato?

    EDIT: While I'm at it, IBG>Primo, all the fucking way.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2015
  3. Filip

    Filip god break down the door LPA Contributor

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    I actually thought about why BID was the first single once and I found that it was the perfect choice. The band needed a song that represented the album - an electronically charged rap rock song. That leaves you with LITE, BID, LGM, Victimized and UIB. You basically eliminate the last 3 'cause they're not radio friendly/too short/not much and you're left with LITE and BID. And LITE just worked so much better as the second single. So yeah.
     
  4. Tocaraca

    Tocaraca A part of me screams away silently

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    You went too quickly. I missed Lies Greed Misery without even knowing that I'll Be Gone was posted. Try to not post updates so fast.

    Lies Greed Misery is great. The rap is good, the lyrics have the cocky attitude that I enjoy most of all in this particular song; 'but you came with the right kind of threat to push me to lecture no you can't intimidate me' is one of my most relatable lyrics from Linkin Park raps.
    The chorus is best when you have everybody chant the lyrics Lies Greed and Misery, making an effect that is only present in the second half of the second chorus, which does not happen in the kind of disappointing third chorus.
    Actually, now that I think about it, there is one thing I don't like about Living Things. Chester screaming the chorus after the bridge is kinda boring and it would have been better if they had just put another normal chorus there to finish off the song IMO.
    I don't dislike the song as a whole though. It's not my favourite but it is a great song.

    Ill Be Gone is my least favourite song off Living Things, but in no way is it bad. I just don't like it as much as the others. Chester is good, and I have heard the demo before and I also think of what they did with changing the lyrics in the bridge, from 'oh tell them I was the only one' and 'oh tell me I am the only one'.
     
  5. Kevin

    Kevin A Pattern To Be Followed. LPA Administrator

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    LGM was posted on the 16th and IBG on the 19th.
    2 days was the original space between posts, as can be seen in the original post
     
  6. Captain-EO

    Captain-EO Also Prog Nerd Now, Thanks Gibs LPA Super Member

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    No one else but Chester sings in the chorus :rofl:
     
  7. Josh

    Josh Met LP 8-13-14 LPA VIP

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    I'm gonna say primo>I'll be gone

    The lyrics in Primo get to my emotions more. Also, I do not like at all that they made IBG short, instead of keeping it a longer song. If we had the same IBG today only just a longer version it would be better.

    Mainly I choose primo because of its darker aspect, I'll be gone isn't as dark.


    One thing to point out, primo and ALITS sand intros are similar
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2015
  8. Atticus

    Atticus Bullets lance the bravest lungs

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    Considering the thread hadn't been touched by anyone in nearly a full day before I posted I'll Be Gone, I was fairly certain everyone was ready to move on. That and like Kevin said, it had been nearly 4 days.

    Also nobody chants in Lies Greed Misery... And the final screamed chorus easily takes the song from predictable and creates something truly special. But that's just my 2 cents.
     
  9. Captain-EO

    Captain-EO Also Prog Nerd Now, Thanks Gibs LPA Super Member

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    Still lol'ing about this.
     
  10. BTorio

    BTorio Well-Known Member

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    He's referring to the loud voices that come in the second half of the second chorus, only on the words Lies, Greed, and Misery. It's clearly there, Mike even replicates it live. And in the making of video, you can hear Mike jokingly talk about it, and how happy the vocals sound when the song is so aggressive.
     
  11. Captain-EO

    Captain-EO Also Prog Nerd Now, Thanks Gibs LPA Super Member

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    You people really need to recalibrate your sarcasm detectors.
     
  12. Atticus

    Atticus Bullets lance the bravest lungs

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    CASTLE OF GLASS
    “Fly me up on a silver wing, past the black where the sirens sing”

    castleofglass.jpg

    Castle Of Glass is the sixth song found on Linkin Park’s fifth studio album, LIVING THINGS. It was the album’s fourth and final single. At its inception, Castle Of Glass, originally titled under the demo name “Cloverleaf” was meant to be a very folk-influenced track, but overtime became an atmospheric electro-rock ballad.

    An ominous synth line opens Castle Of Glass as an acoustic guitar chugs alongside, buried deep in the mix. The noise serves as a foreboding introduction before Shinoda adds a calming layer of vocals, blissfully painting a picture with his lyrics. His somber vocals soon intertwine with the harmonizing Bennington, creating a weaving melody. The latter vocalist reaches an equal playing field as they serenade with a chorus designed to grow wings and fly. As the beautiful yet humble chorus comes to a close the absent electric guitars return for a towering yet melodic riff that rises and falls with the sway of the opening synth line.

    The following verse suddenly carries an added element of urgency, reinforced by the clashing electric guitars in the background. The vocals however continue to fuse together rather than clash, resulting in a beautiful display. Unlike I’ll Be Gone, Castle Of Glass doesn’t rely solely on loud power; instead it uses layers upon layers of different elements to emphasize its emotion. The second chorus is just as brilliant as the first, before falling into a short guitar breakdown in which the riff is extended and thrown to the spotlight.

    Finally, the masterful vocal interplay of Castle Of Glass reaches its climax, much like the song itself, as Bennington stands alone to sing a refrain over a calming soundscape. The final chorus features Bennington taking full charge while he harmonizes in an even higher tone in the background, mixed in with the piercing guitar riff. The fact that Linkin Park’s two vocalists meld together so flawlessly in Castle Of Glass is a testament to their singing ability.

    What’s interesting to note, is the opening lyrics sung by Shinoda are in fact brought down from the earliest form of Castle Of Glass:

    The song’s lyrical content can be interpreted once again in a boundless number of ways, although the band believes it’s mostly about finding oneself amid everyday life:


    On August 1, 2012 the music video for Castle Of Glass was recorded. As a promotional tool for EA’s Medal of Honor: Warfighter videogame, the video followed the theme of war and loss. Following a real narrative, Castle Of Glass has two dimensions – one showing a family mourning at the loss of their father/husband at the hands of war, the other displaying Linkin Park playing in a fantastical landscape while a storm billows across the land. The storm is question was a glass storm of shattered shards, encircling the band members as they play.

    The boy in the video grows up to follow in his father’s footsteps, just as the final refrain begins. The storm dwindles enough for Bennington to grab a shard of glass, and suddenly with renewed vigor the band conquers the storm. At the same time, the grown boy continues the violent cycle of war and loss by telling a young girl the same harrowing news of her father’s death. The song ends with the band walking into the bright horizon, and a quote from Winston Churchill fills the blackened screen.


    Castle Of Glass currently holds over 104,000,000 views, making it LIVING THINGS’ most successful music video on YouTube. Interestingly, the video features an ambient extended intro that transitions perfectly into the main track.


    On Recharged, Shinoda flexed his remixing fingers once more for an EDM influenced re-imagination of the song. The track remains straightforward until the bridge, where a beat drops unraveling a large-scale electronic dance landscape. The Castle Of Glass (Mike Shinoda Remix) finishes with the main chorus line being driven continuously into the mind.


    It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Castle Of Glass as far as live performances go. The live premiere occurred at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards in December before becoming an integral staple in the setlist. However, as seen in the first performance above, the song has had considerable trouble translating live. Shinoda’s vocals are often off-key, and the melodic guitar riff is hard to perfect. That, and the band once again had trouble bringing the busy landscape of layers to the live stage, resulting in a sometimes boring, barren sound. The outro though does feature several of the band members harmonizing, including Delson and Phoenix making for a stunning finale.

    However, when the band is on fire, Castle Of Glass becomes a fun and enlightening performance. In 2014 for The Hunting Party touring cycle, Linkin Park conceived The Castle Of Glass Experience. The track begins with the regular studio version before dropping the beat for a party environment much like the Recharged remix. Overtime the band has added layers to the experience, including pieces of Wisdom, Justice And Love, and The Radiance from A Thousand Suns. The result is a once rock-driven folky track mutated into a rave-like dance club celebration. There are equal arguments among the fanbase for the experience either butchering or enhancing Castle Of Glass.


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    Overall, I think Castle Of Glass is equally brilliant and wasted potential. The song could definitely have benefitted from a “Primo” extension, giving the atmosphere a chance to breathe and slowly evolve. At a measly 3 minutes, the song never really has a chance to sink its claws in before abruptly ending. It’s still one of my favourites from the album, but as time has gone on I feel like it doesn’t hold a candle to the more daring ballads in the band’s discography.

    That said, the lyrics are fan-fucking-tastic.
     
  13. BTorio

    BTorio Well-Known Member

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    I love COG. It definitely has mass appeal. I wish it was a little more folky, and less electronic. Over time, I've grown annoyed by the mixing and how busy it all sounds, but it's definitely a standout from LT and their discography in general. I could see it being longer, but I also don't think it needs to be, unless there was a new melody somewhere in the bridge or something.

    Idk why they don't play this at a summit acoustically, it's super easy on guitar and it would sound awesome with all the band singing. Also, I'm not sure why they would even upload that Spike performance, since they (Joe) messed up, and Mike doesn't sound that great anyways.

    I'm not a fan of most of the remixes on Recharged because I feel like it's weird to put dance vibes up against their very serious lyrics. Then again, the Catalyst is in the same situation as far as the instrumental sounds vs. the lyrics. I think COG is middle-ground as far as songs go on Recharged. Definitely not my favorite but better than others. The live performance is genius. I went to Carnivores and COG blew my mind. I love how they go from heavy rock to straight edm. I would be ok for that medley to become a staple for a few years, it really shows their diversity.
     
  14. polleo

    polleo You're gonna carry that weight. LPA Super Member

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    I totally forgot COG in all this, I definitely think its the best song off Living Things, so much soul for a linkin park single. Yeah, to me it just kinda contrasts with stuff like numb or WID or BID. I love the lyrics on COG, some of the best of LP lyrics. Mike voice sounds so nice on the track. Although, I'll agree, live this song sounds not that great.
    Mike remix is catchy and fun and I think its a cool addition live but it's not better than the original song.
     
  15. Tyler

    Tyler Well-Known Member

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    I'll Be Gone: probably my favorite when I listened to LT for the first time but then it wore off on me. Very good vocals and lyrics, Chester does a great job here. I like the electronic intro but then that and the strings get buried by the wall of guitars. For as much as they hyped the collab, almost nothing came from it.

    I wish they would attempt it live for as much as they talk about it.

    The remixes are okay. Vice rmx is a crappy instrumental but there are two new verses on it, and one of them is a good one from Mike. The Schoolboy rmx is a good instrumental, particularly in the bridge, but it goes on a little too long.

    And Primo, oh how we love it. They should have stayed in this mindset while working on LT. Primo has a great structure and it would have fit perfectly on ATS and possibly made it better as a finished version. Plus there is the connection between"When They Come For Me" ... "I'll Be Gone" (both the 5th tracks on their respective albums). Still, IBG has better lyrics and it is finished, so Primo would be better with improved lyrics and a more polished instrumental with Pallet's strings and more live drums. There is a great mashup of the two called "Miss Me When I'm Gone".


    Castle of Glass: This song doesn't get me as well as it does for everyone else, but I still like their take on folk. Good lyrics but the instrumental doesn't blow me away or anything. For the longest time, I couldn't distinguish between Mike and Chester for the first few lines of it. The extended version in the video has a cooler intro.

    And about that video, it's a good story for the most part with some cheesy shots of performance. But then they ruin it at the end by having the kid grow up and die the same way. All meaning aside, I think that is ridiculous. At least we got somethng good out of the MOH collab here.

    Mike's remix is good, but too fucking repetitive. Not everything has to be done four times, world of EDM.

    Live, it never entertained me in the regular version. For that video above, I like how the crowd goes nuts for Chester when he comes in and the four part harmony at the end of it.
    I think it benefitted from the Experience Version. They cut out the second verse, which is bad, but they gave Recharged (the good stuff from it) a chance to shine and then incorporated the speeches from ATS. I prefer it over the original live version.
     
  16. Josh

    Josh Met LP 8-13-14 LPA VIP

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    Castle of glass is one of the best songs on LT in my opinion. It has great lyrics and it is very unique. There is just one thing I wish COG had. More length. It is such a great song but I believe it is a better version in the music video with the enhanced INTRO. I like the balance of the song too. Very good.

    Hands down to Linkin park, this song suprised me the most on the first listen, it blew me away.

    Over time, it is still a good song, but loses a little interest. For me to get fully involved with the song, I kinda need to listen to another LT song first to get me in that vibe. It's one of those songs where you just can't jump right into it like BID.
     
  17. minuteforce

    minuteforce Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance. LPA Team

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    "Castle" was one of the songs everyone was most excited to hear off the album. I expected something darker-sounding than what we got, but, even so, I interpret the lyrics from a pessimistic viewpoint.

    Don't like the video because of the live-action storyline. Band performance + in-game footage would have kicked ass.

    Shinoda's rmx is okay, but ... :shrug:
     
  18. Bawa

    Bawa Could wait to see tomorrow.

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    It could afford to be longer, but Castle of Glass is probably one of the most beautifully written songs that Linkin Park has ever released, and the sonic atmosphere of it is surreal and beautiful. Honestly, as many elements of Living Things that I hated, the lyrics from the album are some of the best that they've written, and CoG is an excellent example of this.
     
  19. Knt.Slbs

    Knt.Slbs Well-Known Member

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    CASTLE OF GLASS is the highlight of LIVING THINGS, that's why I love this song. I wish LT followed the cohesive folk-theme as planned. I remembered COG in the interview before that this track is beyond 4 minutes but they chopped it to 3 minutes.
     
  20. TobinKnowsBest

    TobinKnowsBest 20.03.1976 - 20.07.2017 LPA VIP

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    There was also the performance they did with Ann and Nancy from Heart, which to this day I can't work out if I love or dislike (Skip to 7:40)

    [video=youtube;yWI2dPdEi_k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWI2dPdEi_k[/video]
     

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