Thoughts on Burn It Down?

Burn It Down sounds very "predictable" for Linkin Park, and that by no means is a bad thing.

I enjoy the track, and I actually find it incredibly addicting. I really love the instrumental portion. The instrumental is actually where I feel Burn It Down shines. It's poppy, but it's very strong. Considering that Mike Shinoda recently had Lights on his "Best of 2011" list, when I heard this song, my thoughts immediately went to "This sounds like a Lights song done by Linkin Park," so it's easy to see where Mike is talking about how this album is getting back to "six guys who all like different kinds of music" making one mix of songs.

The lyrics have their moments, but aren't anything awe-inspiring. I like to view the song as Linkin Park's way of giving their fan base the finger again (like a more subtle WTCFM).

The track could have used more of a climax, though. The song feels very one-note, and with most LP songs (The Catalyst, What I've Done, hell, even One Step Closer) the songs reach some type of climax or denouement, and Burn It Down doesn't really have that.

I also don't care for Mike's part. It feels tacked on, and almost feels like it doesn't belong.

That being said, I think this album, as a whole, will be Linkin Park's safe album. I can't say whether it will be good or bad, but for the first time, I think, it's not guaranteed to be good, if that makes sense. With both MTM and ATS, we heard multiple times from all of LP about how much they wanted to step outside expectations, and they made music that seemed to transcend themselves, in my opinion. With LT, they said they found themselves comfortable in their own skin, and Mike has recently made a comment about how the songs are firecrackers, individual of one another, and relying on using past tools within their toolbox. Again, this is by no means a bad thing, but it does feel like we will be hearing Linkin Park songs that don't necessarily surprise us.

I hope I'm wrong, in that regard. Either way, though, I look forward to Living Things with optimism

 

That's a very harsh take on people's negative opinions. Their opinions are opinions. Nothing about some arbitrary standard.

 

Not like this is a progression anyway. Obviously it's the lead single so it isn't necessarily representative of how the whole album will sound, but it's not setting the best precedent.

 

+1.

They're also not opinions from the same people who complained during the last album or the album before that.

When you have a band that is constantly changing and switching back on itself, you're bound to have a broken base where one fragment isn't happy. The people who were happy with ATS are probably gonna switch with the people who hated ATS now, i bet.

 

Exactly my thoughts.

I don't know exactly how I'd react if WFTE was the lead single, but I would take it ANYDAY over BID, BID is just so bland and just really doesn't do anything for me at all. WFTE, is probably the most mainstream song off ATS, but at the same time its just so refreshing and exciting compared to the rest of the stuff on the radio. The drums, the vocals (Chesters "holding on to what I haven't GOOOOT" at the end is just great, also the backing vocals are great) and Mike does some pretty cool rapping, which was completely unlike anything he had done before. The instrumentation is also very cool too (one of my favourite basslines from Phoenix, even though its quite simple, nice little synth guitar solo as well.)

 

Agreed. and waiting for the end actually gives me goosebumps.

 

Completely agree, I loved everything on ATS, I understand why people would like this song, but I don't like this as a Linkin Park song, which I know comes across as hypocritical for someone who supported Chester's comments on MOATS.
I mean it's not bad in my eyes, I didn't want to give that impression, I liked Lady Gaga's last album lol, so i'm not one of these "I hate mainstream!" guys, but this is overtly mainstream for Linkin Park, a good easy listen, but nowhere near what I think the guys could achieve.

 

This

 

Wanna bet?

I loved ATS and like this song.

 

^ This.

 

If you hold a band to a certain expectation chances are you'll be disappointed eventually.

Especially with Linkin Park.

Want them to end up like Limp Bizkit?

Because that shit would've happened if they kept doing the same thing over and over.

 

WFTE, would have been an awesome first single. Not as great as The Catalyst but great none the less. Waiting for the end, had a very different strong structure for the band and it showcased everyone's talents while also giving a hint as to the sound of the new album.

 

Nothing's wrong with it. But people are entitled to their opinions on how they would prefer the song to sound. I know myself, whenever I listen to music, I tend to think of ways to improve certain songs and I even play around with them on the computer to try different dynamics. Just because you like it and they haven't let you down yet, doesn't mean the rest of the fanbase has to be as fully supportive of all of their endeavors.

If someone doesn't like the song, they probably have a reason why, whether it be "I wish it didn't have rapping here" or "the synths here are too loud". They are FULLY entitled to their right to say that. It has nothing to do with "letting Linkin Park make the music they want to make". Well, duh, of course they're going to make the music they want to make. But saying that a song should have had one thing or wished it didn't have something else is purely a subjective concept that has no bearing as to whether Linkin Park is going to keep making the music they want to make. We just don't have to like everything that's put out.

 

I've listened to it a couple times by now and the melody is very easy to remember, it really stays in your head. Not a BIG fan, it could have a tiny bit more guitar in it. It'll probably grow on me.

 

This to the fullest! The "What's wrong with just letting them make what THEY want to make?" argument is stupid.

 

I listened to this song on my studio monitors, and wow, it sounds totally different. There's so many layers to this song. The lyrics could be a lot better, but the instrumentation is really awesome.

 

In this context between one fan and the band, yeah. But when people expect Linkin Park to make "songs fans like," which is an opinion that I have seen expressed many times over the past years, it's the best counter argument.

What I meant when I said broken base, was that Linkin Park fans no longer have any consensus on what they want Linkin Park to do. And it's only getting more fragmented from here. To say that Linkin Park should make music their fans like is a bit of a presumptuous statement, because every time I've seen it used, "fans" was just a thoughtless substitution of "people like me". The only reasonable opinion to have is to let the band make what they want. Yes, it may result in you not liking the band anymore, but at least you know they're being true to themselves, at least, and not pandering to a small and loud minority.

I was mainly going off of the interviews from the band as of late. ATS was a concept album, singular, unified and epic in theme and narrative. Living Things has been stated by the band to be the opposite: a disjointed set of radio singles designed so that they have something to play live again. They are opposite and I bet people who were really really into one are not going to be impressed by the other.

I am hoping that there are some fun and catchy songs I like, but I have already lowered my expectations. Just from Mike's description, I already know LT has lost the fight for my fav LP album.

 

I don't "want" anything from them, but as long as they're putting their songs out there for consumption I'm entitled to my opinion and to voice it. If you love everything they do, fantastic. I'm not doubting your sincerity so please do not doubt mine, and if you're aware that it's just the opinion of some guy on the internet treat it as such.