This songs lyrics have moved me more than anything they've made in years. The break down which has Rakim step in and cut it up was sick. I'm surprised people aren't talking more about the context of the content of this gem. Not only did Rakim blast the record companies and radio stations, but LP and Rakim collaborated on what the track were to be about. LP is calling out WB records as well as the radio and critics. I feel a lot more meaning are in the words crafted for this track and stands as the TRUE anthem of this album once you understand that every song and its vibe connects. LP released this track 1st for a reason. Now I get it. I understand why.
nah, GATS is OK. rakim verse saves the song from being mediocre, the lyrics are meh, without rakim lyrics it would be just another angst song. it was released as first single because it was the only song they had done, it was the first song they worked on for the album
Without context, Guilty All The Same is a monster of a track. Within the context of The Hunting Party, it becomes a complete behemoth. If the song wasn't released as the first single and remained a secret until release, I feel as though everyone would be a lot more appreciative of it.
To me, the first verse is a rant against those critics and fans acting like know-it-alls on what is good music or what is bad. The second verse conjures images of organized religion and speaking against religious authority. Rakim's verse is for the mainstream, capitalist music industry in general. A song about hypocrisy is always good.
Linkin Park is the kind of band that makes the music they want, and while there may be some things to criticize about each track, it's better to understand where they're coming from with each song. For example everyone criticizes Until It's Gone for having simple cliche lyrics and feeling like it's 'LP being safe' , but then if you take into context, you see that it has more substance to it than you think. The band said it was portraying themes like kids growing up and leaving their parents, rather than what most people were interpreting it to be about. relationships, as if there aren't enough songs out there about that. I think Wastelands and GATS fall in the same box, GATS is a lot more than what it sounds like on the surface. I was really glad LP picked a topic like this for a song, it shows they're not angsty teens anymore nor do they make music specifically suited for that demographic. It's more mature and really reflects on the issues in the world today that would make someone angry. Things like oppression, corporate greed, political injustice, hypocrisy, faceless people, manipulators, the list goes on.... Their music covers much more broad topics which still makes it interesting and shows there is more to look forward to from them.
One of the best songs on the album for sure. The solo(studio version of cause) melts my fucking face every time. Love Rakim's verse and I love the overall lyrics on the album. Angry but with a purpose and a message. GATS is in my top ten LP songs of all time for sure. 100% THIS!
This. Totally agreed. This song is one of the best on the album. And one of my favorites of all time now. Probably one of their heaviest songs ever. I would probably have liked it even more if they didn release it so early. But that i think was a perfect choice as the first single. It lives up to everything, its heavy as fuck. Has suprise performance of rakim and the giutars are well crafted. The whole structure is nice and that intro is EPIC, never get tired of that.
I definitely agree with you. I think GATS is amazing & it's one of the strongest songs on the album. The lyrics are amazing.
The lyrics are redundant, reminiscent of Don't Stay which is the only aspect I dislike, but the track as a whole is amazing. Its not the heaviest track they've done (A spot I believe KTTK has earned IMO), but it certainly has a darker feel on its own and in THP, which we don't get from Linkin Park a lot. Chester, tho not singing as strong as usual, delivers solid verses and an exceptional chorus (I still wish the track had a tad screaming tho). Brad and Rob are the obvious huge standouts as we all mentioned the very first time we heard the beast. Rakim fits on the track perfectly. You can tell he is a big influence on Mike because of the similarities in the rapping (I thought it was Mike with a deeper voice effect the first time I heard it). Not sure how much I can say about Joe or Dave, but based on how hard Dave seems to be rocking the live shows with this track, I'm sure the bass is a very prominent aspect to the track. As a final note, I was a big fan of BID when it released and rocked it daily until LGM and once the album came out, I stopped listening to the track, not because I thought it was weak, but because I had overplayed it and needed a small break, its now a great casual song to listen to with friends, but on the other hand, I raped the replay button with GATS and continue to constantly play it to this very day. It amazes me very much, yet its unfortunate that GATS will be a song to be remembered in a decade or two from now.
It's actually one of the better songs now that I've listened to all the songs evenly. It's hard to hear Rakim's rap part through the guitars, but after seeing the lyrics, they're waaay up there. Trying to follow it shows how complex his rhyme scheme is too. Can y'all explain, what kind of land is this When a man has plans of being rich But the bosses plans is wealthy Dirty money scheme, a clean split is nonsense It's insane, even corporate hands is filthy They talk team and take the paper route All they think about is bank accounts, assets and realty At anybody's expense, no shame with a clear conscience No regrets and guilt free, they claim that ain't the way that they built me Smokescreen before the flame Knowin' as soon as the dough or the deal peak They say it's time for things to change Rearrange like good product rebuilt cheap Anything if it's more to gain Drained, manipulated like artists, it's real deep Until no more remains, but I'm still me Like authentic hip-hop and rock, 'til pop and radio And record companies killed me Try to force me to stray and obey And got the gall to say how real can real be You feel me, we'll see, the green could be to blame Or greedy for the fame, TV or a name The media, the game, to me you're all the same You're guilty
Yeah, for me I think Linkin Park pulled a "The Catalyst" on this album, having their first single actually being the best song on the album. I love Guilty All the Same. Everything about it is so fucking awesome. The intro and Rakim's verse are probably my two favorite moments of The Hunting Party. And I really do like Chester's parts too. And lyrically, they are simple but not bad by any means. I'm a huge GATS fan.
The song structure and sonics are pretty awesome, but to me the lyrics aren't all that original. LP has railed against the evil label companies multiple times in the past (Wretches and Kings, for example) and to me it feels disingenuous because at this point in their careers they have much more leverage to do whatever they want from a business standpoint, so I don't think they really have a problem with this anymore. That being said, the song would have had much more acclaim had it not been released so far ahead of the album. I think most people (myself included) tired the hell out of it because it was an awesome Linkin Park song after a veeery long time. I'd say it's the 5th or 6th best song on the album, which really shows how good overall the entire album is.