It's been awhile since I have written a blog. This would be a good start for me, since I read comments of various people who are Linkin Park "fans" who are clamoring of the not so good music that they produce/created in their "A Thousand Suns Album" and "Minutes to Midnight" which they labeled mediocre and full of crap. And others would defend the musical creativity of the group.
For me (my own understanding and reflection), I could see, feel and understand the whole story of their music. There is a story behind it: Being a hardcore fan of Linkin Park when I was in my High School that would take me back from 14 years old and being a silent rebel that I am, Linkin Park liberated me with their music which is full of teen angst and rebellion to authority with their songs back in "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora" songs such as "With You" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOMg9Fv3kVI , "A Place for my head" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBcOoW9QgH4 , "Numb"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYiU_JCYtU , "Points of Authority" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60lmDCGgW9k .
The band suddenly took a rest for a few years then returned back with their MacroCosmic (Socially-aware) album "Minutes to Midnight" with the Single "What I've Done" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sgycukafqQ a Transformers Soundtrack which is even beyond the "message" of the film when they lyrically show how creative they can be and at the same time show their growing concern with social, human and environmental issues that is happening in the world. Though the album still shows some of their teen angst in songs such as "Given Up" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xyxtzD54rM and "Bleed It out" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmSIGT31_-c . As I listen to them I could see that they have come out of their shell a little bit and show the world that they are concern and they are not anymore the self-absorbed teenagers in their previous albums. I have also seen myself that I have come out a little bit when I became an environmental advocate last 2006 the same year the released their album and I started involving myself in community work when I was in college. Though I am also a little bit self absorbed at that time and a little bit Egoistic with my deeds and philosophical with the environment.
Their "New Divide" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysSxxIqKNN0 single a soundtrack to Transformers 2 got me thinking that they take a bold step of saying that they are really cosmic in a sense cause as I have interpreted that lyrics and their powerful sound transcends through a time travelling device. This made my year and for the reason it became a soundtrack of Transformers 2 made my Sci-fi Nerdy life reach an optimum "Nirvana" in a sense.
The next album "A Thousand Suns" became very controversial and many fans disliked it for they are not like "Hybrid Theory and Meteora" which got a lot of "screaming" and "noise". I was thinking to myself that they became fans just because they liked the "Anger" which is not the whole thing that revolves in this world and this life full of riddles. I could see the connection with their music and how it affects my way of looking into the world and my SELF. The songs "Robot Boy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPjSm_EsVVI coincide with my understanding of PROGRAMMING, Day-to-Day Self or what we call the AUTOMATON of a modern day Traditional/Mainstream Society. We have become Robot Boys and I saw the film Astro Boy made my Nerdy Sensation ruled myself again. The song "Waiting for the End" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qF_qbaWt3Q , "The Catalyst" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51iquRYKPbs , "Iridescent" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLYiIBCN9ec , "Wretches and Kings" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIMo1WoHcfE and "The Messenger" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qSjwcoucSo . The only album I believed revolutionized my way of seeing the World and My SELF clearly followed by my current involvement with MISSION (Movement of Imaginals for Sustainable Societies through Initiatives, Organizing and Networking), as teacher at GCI (Gamot Cogon Institute) and a College Faculty at the University of San Agustin. The album was a coherent whole, it brings out an organic whole as well as seeing the uniqueness in each songs and a sense of connectivity with each of them.
Their new album "Living Things" shook both my Inner and Outer World when I could see it's Uniqueness, Creativity, putting together songs with sometimes deeper yet sometimes simpler lyrics when you listen to it a lot of times, it peaked their musical genius collaborating different sounds with heavier rhythms and all ingredients are just their including the wonderful voice of Chester, the hardcore rapping of Mike, and wonderful collaborations and brave risks of other members to do vocals and other weird new instruments. The song "Until it Breaks" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrs3YGgAqxQ got me reading a lot of Steiner's books and at the same time loving even more Realistic Rap music. the Chorus Lyrics: "Give me the strength of the rising sun. Give me the truth of the words unsung. And when the large bells ring, the poor men sing "Bring me to kingdom come". and the final words in the lyrics: We swim against the rising waves and crash against the shore. The body bends until it breaks, the early morning sings no more. So rest your head, it's time to sleep and dream of what's in store. The body bends until it breaks, then sings again no more. Cause time has torn the flesh away, the early morning sings no more..." got all my hair stand in one end, Goosebumps! Got me saying yeah right Linkin Park you were doing the right thing, Real fans should understand what you are doing, if they don't they got lost along the way. Other songs in the album I really liked: "Castle of Glass" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRGSHvlu9Ss&feature=related , "Powerless" the soundtrack of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPTdlrN4AFI , "In My Remains" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPW8lYVv01U&feature=relmfu , and "I'll Be Gone" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG-ja6wpOa0&feature=related. The whole album itself showed how they have come so far and in the end it doesn't even matter if everyone likes it or not. The point is they showed, shared and created their music from an unlimited creative force. A salute to Linkin Park! You Rock!
