An Open Letter From Linkin Park About ATS

Nope. The teacher is a special case because that person has control over your future.

If the person demonstrates that they have no clue what they're talking about, I shrug em off. (are you going to take someone who says that TC is pop seriously?). I think you're right that what some people say matters, but by no means is it everyone's opinion that matters. So, I don't care what a lot of people say.

Not to mention that a couple of the guys went to art school where they get a heavy dose of discipline in dealing with critiques. And then, since they have so many fans with so many wildly varying opinions I don't think they can hone in anywhere. Its 100% given that they are ALWAYS going to cheese off a huge section of the fanbase no matter what they do. There's no hope in "pleasing the fans" so I really really hope that they don't dwell on something like that.

 

I put in for vacation that week. I have the whole week to let it all sink in!

 

Not gonna lie that's pretty hardcore. I have school so I'll probably do twice the homework on the 13th do reduce homework on the 14th.

 

guilty.

 

I personally feel proud of everything artistic I do, regardless of opinion. Why? Because I made it.

It's just like if someone disagrees with my taste in music. That's their opinion and I have mine. There's nothing I can do to change it so I don't bother.

No, that's because we want good grades. Bad example.

 

It was great read, I hope the album lives up to their words though. I do have hope I think Catalyst was a step in the right direction. On to September 14th!

 

wow that's so cool! Seeing as i have a few holiday dates left at work, I might just do the same...coincidentally of course!

 

theirs noway i could be at work knowing a new LP album was waiting for me ha ha

 

Yea but if you pre-ordered theres a decent chance you'll get the album delivered to you on the 13th, and your day off will be wasted =p

 

The fans' appreciation and critic reviews don't have control over the band's future? I'd beg to differ. I never said they were going to please all fans, and that wasn't what I was responding to. I took issue with the statement that Linkin Park doesn't care about fan perception. I think we all know that they're going to care about the overwhelming perception of their fans. I never said there wouldn't be a few groups that would have a differing opinion than the majority -- that really goes without saying in almost any instance.

I never said you wouldn't be proud of something you did, so please don't put words in my mouth. In fact, I specifically said that everyone's done something they're proud of, they just want to feel some sort of validation for it.

OK, if you feel that was a bad example (besides your rather arbitrary statement of "we want good grades" with no more explanation than the obvious parallel, "we want good reviews"), how about I give a better example. Why do movie stars and manufacturers care about the Oscars? Why do they, and their television counterparts, care about the Golden Globes? Why do musicians care about the Grammys? It's really not a hard concept: it's because they want recognition.

If you honestly mean to tell me that the band would be fine if they got absolutely panned in reviews and fans called it crap, I'd call you a liar. And if you had a bunch of people saying your work, what you did was crap, you'd probably not take it well, either -- even if it is something you're proud of. I don't really think I need to make a list of all the interviews in which notable directors and musicians have lashed out at their interviewers because they were insulted when an interviewer insults a piece of work they're proud of.

 

I agree with everything you said. I think I would I agree with the otherside too with one addition: I think it only applies to the creative process. When it's finished of course you want it to be praised and people's opinions DO matter. In this case I would only apply the "opinion doesn't matter" specifically to the creative process. You cannot let people's opinions inhibit your creative process. Now if you finish and honest, well written critiques call it crap, I think a lot of people here would be lying if they wouldn't rethink their gameplan a little. It's how your grow as an artist. I band wouldn't work if people's opinion's didn't matter, whether it was bandmates opinions or fans.

 

I was arguing this recently in the TC thread because at the end of the day, LINKIN PARK is still a brand name, a company, and an entity that needs recognition like any other and of course needs money. I understand where you are coming from, but the letters do validate and justify the direction of their sound when you hear The Catalyst. The only thing we ask is to allow us to have the one human emotion we all have a problem with. Hope.

Let us have hope this time that this is actually accurate because yes in the past the band has said "A" will happen but when the album drops, really "C" happened. Right now, with this letter and The Catalyst as evidence I'd like to keep my head up and look forward to A Thousand Suns. And yes I will jump on the bandwagon and go all out "yes this is going to be epic " because obviously attention to detail was given.

 

The grade argument is a bad one. When you grade an essay you have take into account of the set rules that are within the grammar of your language. There's right and there is wrong. When you get a bad grade, you have done a wrong. When you make music, there are no wrongs. There are no grades, you and only you can say if it's the correct answer. Fans opinions do not matter in the least. I write a lot of poetry and most of it I don't share but it's not because I think it's horrible, it's because I don't care to share it. It's personal, but I believe that it is good. There is also a lot of poetry that I have shared and that I have asked what people think of it, out of mere curiosity, not that it really matters to me in the long run. And there are also times when I have shared poetry just for the sake of sharing whether it was personal or not and I genuinely did not care what people thought of it.

I guess my conclusion is that sometimes people just don't give a shit what other people may think and will do what makes them happy, because it makes them happy and because they're proud of what they've made.

 

Fallen Angel (Sky)
Nothing (Day One Interlude)

I hereby submit these songs that I have written to be criticized and/or praised in any way possible. I would like to note that if you hate it, I don't give a shit. If you say it's crap, I don't care. This is because I made it and I'm proud of it.

Go on, try me.

 

Minus has the right idea.

Anyway, all of the lovely debating aside, I for one am extremely excited. And have high expectations for an album.

 

Minus, I still think it would be different if you were a multi-platinum selling artist and suddenly everyone hated your new album. lol The fall really depends on how high up you were to begin with. I'm a musician to and in this case I could agree with you. But if I sold 10 million records, put my heart and soul into something and it was panned I would feel hurt. Along with feeling love from the people who embrace it.

If you played a whole tour and everyone said you sucked the entire time I just don't believe you wouldn't give a damn at all. It would kind of defeat bettering yourself in the end. A bunch of random people on a message board saying you suck really doesn't matter but if you were mega popular musician and suddenly you fell from grace it would be different. But I see where you're going with your points. I think the opinions shouldn't matter, but they probably get to a person/band one way or another.

Edit: I agree with all of you though, I am SO pumped for this album! I want to hear Linkin Park unleashed lol. I'm especially anxious to hear the guitar work. Brad will probably have the toughest time reinventing what he does because he plays the most accesible instrument in a group.

 

Fallen Angel sounds amazing. Beautiful little piece you crafted there. It definitely has potential to be something more, I guess it's me because I have my electric guitar and I'd see some nice "blues" parts in it that could definitely add more texture and definition to the emotion the song portrays. All in all man very very fucking nice.

The second piece sounds like it still needs more work but it sounds like something out of an RPG game from the 90s. The composition is nice but definitely lacks the energy the first piece has.

(i wrote this before reading what you had written on the second piece) lol.

 

I wouldn't. Because I sold 10 million records. And I'd still be doing the thing I love.

They're still paying to see me live, apparently. And the way I see it, that one fan who enjoys your music outweighs the hundreds who hate it.

I've gotten criticism. I was in a band once. We have an album on iTunes. I've met people who have hated or loved it. Either way, it didn't matter because it was MINE. It was ME. All the people in the world could hate it, but they couldn't take away my pride in knowing that I CREATED something.

What you're assuming is that everyone is in the business to gain the approval of others, rather than making music to MAKE MUSIC.

I've done covers of songs. Live, youtube, you name it. I've heard my share of 'you suck!' I've heard 'quit playing guitar, you're horrible at it.' It doesn't faze me at all. But maybe that's just me. I'm in it entirely because I love music. I love performing. It doesn't matter if it's a crowd of 1 million or a crowd of 1. I love the thrill and adrenaline that comes with it. And I just love MUSIC. And I'm willing to believe that LP have reached that point. Bring it on, ATS!

 

I'm not talking about minority fringe groups. I was arguing that there is no majority. There is no "overwhelming perception." We have gotten too diverse to have a majority say in anything. They are going to be "universally" panned by either casual fans, critics, or the old school fans, no matter what they do. Like how whomever's elected president will either be panned by the big lefty party or the big righty party. Huge factions, that when they all yell together sound "overwhemingly" like a majority but aren't a majority.

If you need evidence of people who don't care: Look at any hugly unpopular thing, it may have a fanbase, no matter how small, and that's who the author cares about.

And i think a lot of people here are missing that people are individuals. Some people care only what people think, and the people arguing them may be more carefree. Depends on the person. Do I think Linkin Park would give up on music if they quit being successful mainstream? No. Would they be insulted? Maybe, or maybe not. Mike mentioned folks like Nas who deliberately wrote an album to scare off the teenies. In Mike's words "Depends on what you define success as."

 

If this album is gonna be a journey, I can't wait to hear it in a non sober state of mind... might be the best ride of my life