As much hate as I'll likely get for this, I've been talking with Mike (m_macdonald, not Shinoda) for the last half hour or so, and truth be told I'd really like Linkin Park to start taking a Coldplay mentality on their next record. I'm not even talking so much emulate their style or copy their songs, but more so to go for that kind of "feel" and "intricacy" on their records that I feel they're kind of missing at the moment. One thing I've always loved about Coldplay, whether it be A Rush Of Blood To The Head or their latest Mylo Xyloto is the amount of attention they put into every song, treating the composition of every song with the same respect and dedication that they put into the lyrics of their music. For those who love Coldplay, you'll understand what I'm saying when I state that their music traditionally isn't just well composed, but also full of meaning and emotion down to the sound of each instrument. It's why they're so famous and one of the biggest bands out there right now, because of their excellent musicianship. And hell, while I'll never expect LP to be Coldplay (nor would I want a direct copycat), I'd love if they'd use Michael Brauer (Coldplay's frequent mixing choice) to mix their next record and go after that warm, analog, "tube recorded" feel that Coldplay does effortlessly. I want a Linkin Park record with a great analog sound. No more of this overpolished, studio sheen the last few records have had.
Glad to know you are a Coldplay fan Derek.. Those who have really given them a chance know how beautiful and subtle their songwriting abilities are... I still believe Mylo Xyloto was one of the better pop albums of the past few decades. And god yes, 90% of the the reason why I fell in love with Coldplay from the first song I heard ("Life in Technicolour II") was because of that "feel" you are talking about. Even the electronic arrangements (courtesy Brain Eno I guess?) mix beautifully with their instruments like bread and butter...
Hm... Well i disagree only cause i'm not really a Coldplay fan! but if LP continue with an electronic style i hope they continue with more of a Radiohead approach to things. "in Rainbows" probably is one of my favourite album of there's - and i do admit probably does have somethin coldplay'ish about it. So long as that keep experimenting, Lp's next album could be great.
I've also been saying this since MTM was released: I wanna see them sharpen their musical chops. Give us an instrumental we won't forget.
Coldplay's one band that's always pulled off the "every song is an epic" mentality with any real substance. While i'd like to see Linkin Park take more a Thrice/Circa Survive "No, we're gonna keep doing weird shit" mindset, I think at this point I'm convinced that you need some serious talent to be a Thrice or a Circa Survive, and LP would be better doing what they're doing as far as arena anthems. Because of that, using a Coldplay like approach makes the most sense.
My biggest "problem" with the band is..especially with Brad, Joe and Dave that they looks like they doesn't enjoying playing songs live and they put probably like 0% energy into the shows. Well, there are some songs where they jumping and stuff like that but still... I know that Brad said in the Making of MTM DVD that they are not stupid jumping kids anymore but come on......
That is the reason why they are broadening their horizons with what they play on stage. Drums, MPC's, Bullhorns are all examples. I can guarentee you, they are putting in more than 0% of their energy. The way they are on stage matches their personality and thier professionalism. They know that people came to their shows to hear them play their music, not show off their ability to "shred" or run 50 laps around the stage. They are dedicated to the music that is coming out of the amps. I can tell they are having fun on stage and they keep pushing their creative element live.
Their music is like 75% laptop, of course they're not into the shows, they're barely on the actual songs. Hyperbole aside, there's a reason "Mike and his ProTools" is the running gag it is.
Not commenting on the rest since I'm not that much into Coldplay, but I had to fix thix ; There are tons of talented bands who doesn't get the love they would deserve. A part of luck and promotion is needed to be one "of the biggest bands" right now.
I don't really have any (recent) experience with LP live, but is it just that they're static performers that don't move around much? Because if that's all it is, try being a Dream Theater fan.
I guess Linkin Park aren't the "jumping around" band any more (in terms of live performance). That kind of performance is more suited to bands like Muse and RHCP..
I don't say that they should've juming around like they did in between 2000-2003 but come on, it just.... strange. But I wouldn't care about it in the middle of an LP concert so...
RHCP are an awesome band live. If only Kiedis could remember the lyrics... And I'm proud that I saw them live.
I still see Matt doing stage slides, jumps, playing the guitar from the back of his head and a lot more "feats" onstage, and that too while playing a mind-blowing solo and singing impossibly high notes at the same time! But yeah, the bassist isn't moving around as much anymore I guess..