Monday, 26 October 2009
Science fiction
Science fiction (abbreviated SF or sci-fi with varying punctuation and capitalization) is a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations on current or future science or technology. Science fiction is found in books, magazines, art, television, films, games, theatre, and other media. In organizational or marketing contexts, science fiction can be synonymous with the broader definition of speculative fiction, encompassing creative works incorporating imaginative elements not found in contemporary reality; this includes fantasy, horror, and related genres.[1]Science fiction differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically established or scientifically postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure imaginative speculation). Exploring the consequences of such differences is the traditional purpose of science fiction, making it a "literature of ideas".[2] Science fiction is largely based on writing entertainingly and rationally about alternate possibilities[3] in settings that are contrary to known reality.
Definitions
Science fiction is difficult to define, as it includes a wide range of subgenres and themes. Author and editor Damon Knight summed up the difficulty by stating that "science fiction is what we point to when we say it",[7] a definition echoed by author Mark C. Glassy, who argues that the definition of science fiction is like the definition of pornography: you don't know what it is, but you know it when you see it.[8] Vladimir Nabokov argued that if we were rigorous with our definitions, Shakespeare's play The Tempest would have to be termed science fiction.[9]According to science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein, "a handy short definition of almost all science fiction might read: realistic speculation about possible future events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method."[10] Rod Serling's definition is "fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science Fiction is the improbable made possible."[11] Lester Del Rey wrote, "Even the devoted aficionado– or fan- has a hard time trying to explain what science fiction is", and that the reason for there not being a "full satisfactory definition" is that "there are no easily delineated limits to science fiction."[12]
Forrest J. Ackerman used the term "sci-fi" at UCLA in 1954.[13] As science fiction entered popular culture, writers and fans active in the field came to associate the term with low-budget, low-tech "B-movies" and with low-quality pulp science fiction.[14]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-sci-fi_v_sf-14"[15]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-sci-fi_v_sf_2-15"[16] By the 1970s, critics within the field such as Terry Carr and Damon Knight were using "sci-fi" to distinguish hack-work from serious science fiction,[17] and around 1978, Susan Wood and others introduced the pronunciation "skiffy". Peter Nicholls writes that "SF" (or "sf") is "the preferred abbreviation within the community of sf writers and readers".[18] David Langford's monthly fanzine Ansible includes a regular section "As Others See Us" which offers numerous examples of "sci-fi" being used in a pejorative sense by people outside the genre.[19]
Thursday, 22 October 2009
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington has told Noisecreep that "Out Of Ashes", the forthcoming debut album from his side project, DEAD BY SUNRISE, features lyrics that heavily explore such topics as his own battles with addiction.
"My life was falling apart in many ways that I was writing about on this record in terms of getting divorced, in terms of diving very hard into alcohol and drugs throughout this process," he confessed to Noisecreep.
In "My Suffering", which he describes as a song "literally about [how] being an alcoholic and a drug addict has paid off for me in many ways," he discusses how his addiction has helped him creatively. "I have been able to tap into all the negative things that can happen to me throughout my life by numbing myself to the pain so to speak and kind of being able to vent it through my music," he said. "'Crawling', for example, by LINKIN PARK, is probably the most literal song lyrically I'd ever written for LINKIN PARK and that's about feeling like I had no control over myself in terms of drugs and alcohol. That feeling, being able to write about it, sing about it, that song, those words sold millions of records, I won a Grammy, I made a lot of money. I don't think I could've been inspired to create something like that by watching someone else go through that. So in a lot of ways that's been very constructive for me."
Read more from Noisecreep.
DEAD BY SUNRISE has launched its MySpace page and posted a song there called "Morning After". With its keyboards and layered guitars, the song is reminiscent of what HardDrive Radio calls "the early days of DEPECHE MODE."
"Out Of Ashes" is tentatively scheduled for a September release, with Bennington saying in a statement that the project is "more personal" than anything he's ever done before.
The album's tentative first single is called "Crawl Back In".
Bennington began working on DEAD BY SUNRISE back in 2006, explaining, "I came up with a few songs that felt and sounded really good, but I knew they weren't right stylistically for LINKIN PARK. They were darker and moodier than anything I'd come up with for the band. So I decided to work on them on my own rather than turn them over and have them transformed into LINKIN PARK tracks."
The band, which is Bennington on vocals, guitarists Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh (from ORGY/JULIEN-K), bassist Brandon Belsky, drummer Elias Anda (also from JULIEN-K), and keyboardist Anthony Valcic, recorded "Out Of Ashes" in Los Angeles with producer Howard Benson (MOTÖRHEAD, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE).
The band has played just a handful of live shows, but has been confirmed for the lineup of England's Sonisphere festival on August 1-2. The event is headlined by METALLICA and LINKIN PARK.
"My life was falling apart in many ways that I was writing about on this record in terms of getting divorced, in terms of diving very hard into alcohol and drugs throughout this process," he confessed to Noisecreep.
In "My Suffering", which he describes as a song "literally about [how] being an alcoholic and a drug addict has paid off for me in many ways," he discusses how his addiction has helped him creatively. "I have been able to tap into all the negative things that can happen to me throughout my life by numbing myself to the pain so to speak and kind of being able to vent it through my music," he said. "'Crawling', for example, by LINKIN PARK, is probably the most literal song lyrically I'd ever written for LINKIN PARK and that's about feeling like I had no control over myself in terms of drugs and alcohol. That feeling, being able to write about it, sing about it, that song, those words sold millions of records, I won a Grammy, I made a lot of money. I don't think I could've been inspired to create something like that by watching someone else go through that. So in a lot of ways that's been very constructive for me."
Read more from Noisecreep.
DEAD BY SUNRISE has launched its MySpace page and posted a song there called "Morning After". With its keyboards and layered guitars, the song is reminiscent of what HardDrive Radio calls "the early days of DEPECHE MODE."
"Out Of Ashes" is tentatively scheduled for a September release, with Bennington saying in a statement that the project is "more personal" than anything he's ever done before.
The album's tentative first single is called "Crawl Back In".
Bennington began working on DEAD BY SUNRISE back in 2006, explaining, "I came up with a few songs that felt and sounded really good, but I knew they weren't right stylistically for LINKIN PARK. They were darker and moodier than anything I'd come up with for the band. So I decided to work on them on my own rather than turn them over and have them transformed into LINKIN PARK tracks."
The band, which is Bennington on vocals, guitarists Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh (from ORGY/JULIEN-K), bassist Brandon Belsky, drummer Elias Anda (also from JULIEN-K), and keyboardist Anthony Valcic, recorded "Out Of Ashes" in Los Angeles with producer Howard Benson (MOTÖRHEAD, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE).
The band has played just a handful of live shows, but has been confirmed for the lineup of England's Sonisphere festival on August 1-2. The event is headlined by METALLICA and LINKIN PARK.
Linkin Park Cancels Show After Tornado Hits Venue Injuring Fans
Linkin Park Yesterday, Linkin Park were scheduled to perform at Heineken's Jammin' Festival in Imola, Italy when a freak tornado hit the area, uprooting trees, overturning cars, and knocking over sound towers and girders at the festival venue. NME reports 25 people were injured by the falling towers, although none fatally and only one sustained serious fractures.
As a result, Linkin Park alongside Pearl Jam, My Chemical Romance, and The Killers cancelled their performances in the interest of their fans safety. Linkin Park released this statement:
"We are saddened by the events that happened in Venice today and our hearts are with the injured fans and their families. The Linkin Park family wishes them a speedy recovery and hope to see them the next time we visit Italy."
Linkin Park is a rock band from Agoura Hills, California. They formed in 1996, and have since sold more than forty million albums and won two Grammys. They first achieved mainstream success in 2000 with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which has since been certified Diamond by RIAA. Their following studio album, Meteora, continued the band's success, topping the Billboard 200’s album charts in 2003, and was followed by extensive touring and charity work around the world.
Linkin Park is recognized for adapting the nu metal genre into a radio-friendly style and creating many successful singles, such as In The End, Numb, and What I've Done. They are also known for their several collaborations, most notably with rapper Jay-Z in their mash-up album Collision Course, and a plethora of other artists on Reanimation. The band’s latest studio album, Minutes to Midnight, which was released in May 2007, has stemmed away from their previous nu metal sound venturing into various other genres. The album topped the Billboard Charts by selling nearly 625,000 copies in its debut week, making it the second best debut week of any album for the year.
Linkin Park, Mike Shinodain
Linkin Park, Mike Shinodain
Band history
Early years (1996-2000)
Originally consisting of three close high school friends from Agoura High School, Linkin Park’s foundation was anchored by Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, and Rob Bourdon. After graduating from high school, the California natives later began to take their musical interests more seriously, recruiting Joe Hahn, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, and Mark Wakefield to perform in their band then titled Xero. Though limited in resources, the band began recording and producing songs within Shinoda’s make-shift bedroom studio in 1996. Tensions and frustration within the band began to increase after they failed to land a record deal. The lack of success and stalemate in progress prompted Wakefield, at that time the band's vocalist, to leave the band in search for other projects. Later, Farrell would also leave the band in order to tour with Tasty Snax, as well as other bands.
After spending a considerable time searching for Wakefield's replacement, Xero recruited Arizona vocalist Chester Bennington. Jeff Blue, the vice president of Zomba Music, referred Bennington to the band in March 1999. Bennington, formerly of a band named Grey Daze, became a standout among applicants for his unique and vivid singing style. The newborn vocal chemistry between Shinoda and Bennington helped revive the band, inciting them to work on new material. The band’s renaissance culminated with a change in name; from Hybrid Theory, the band changed their name to Linkin Park, a play on and homage to Santa Monica’s Lincoln Park. However, despite these changes, the band still struggled to sign a record deal. After facing numerous rejections from several major record labels, Linkin Park turned to Jeff Blue for additional help. After failing to catch Warner Bros. Records on three previous reviews, Jeff Blue, now the vice president of Warner Bros. Records, helped the band sign a deal with the company in 1999. Now aside with Warner Bros. Records, the band released their breakthrough album, Hybrid Theory, the following year.
Linkin Park, high on a rooftop
Linkin Park on a roof top
Breakthrough: Hybrid Theory (2000-2002)
Linkin Park released Hybrid Theory on October 24, 2000. The album, which represented half a decade’s worth of the band’s work, was edited and polished by music producer Don Gilmore. Hybrid Theory was well received by music fans; the band sold more than 4.8 million records during its debut year, earning it the status of best-selling album of 2001, while singles such as Crawling and One Step Closer established themselves as staples among alternative rock radio playlists during the year. Additionally, other singles from the album were featured in movies such as Dracula 2000, Little Nicky, and Valentine. Hybrid Theory was also nominated for three Grammy Awards, including best new artist, best rock album, and best hard rock performance (for Crawling). MTV also awarded the band their Best Rock Video and Best Direction awards for In the End. Through the winning of the Grammy for best hard rock performance, and for Best Rock Album, Hybrid Theory’s overall success had catapulted the band into the mainstream's attention.
During this time, Linkin Park received many invitations to perform on many recognized tours and concerts including Ozzfest, Family Values Tour and KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas. The band also formed their own tour, Projekt Revolution, which featured other notable artists such as, Cypress Hill, Adema, and Snoop Dogg. Within a year’s stretch, Linkin Park had performed at over 320 concerts. The experiences and performances of the precocious band were documented in their first DVD, Frat Party at the Pankake Festival, which debuted in November 2001. Now reunited with former bassist Dave Farrell, the band began work on a remix album, dubbed Reanimation, which would include works from Hybrid Theory and Hybrid Theory EP. The album Reanimation debuted on July 30, 2002, featuring the likes of Black Thought, Jonathan Davis, Aaron Lewis, and many others. Reanimation claimed the second spot on the Billboard 200, and sold nearly 270,000 copies during its debut week.
Linkin Park
Continued success: Meteora (2002-2004)
Following the success of Hybrid Theory and Reanimation, Linkin Park spent a significant amount of time touring around the United States. The band began to work on new material amidst the saturated schedule, spending a sliver of their free time in their tour bus' studio. The band officially announced the production of a new studio album in December 2002, revealing their new work was inspired by the rocky region of Meteora in Greece, where a lot of monasteries have been built on top of the rocks. Meteora featured a mixture of the band's previous nu metal and rapcore styles with newer innovative effects, including the induction of a shakuhachi (a Japanese flute made of bamboo) and other instruments. Linkin Park's second album debuted on March 25, 2003 and instantly earned worldwide recognition.
Meteora sold more than 800,000 copies during its first week, and it ranked as the best selling album on the Billboard charts at the time. Music videos for some of the album's singles, including Somewhere I Belong, Breaking the Habit, Faint and Numb, received significant radio attention. Eventually, Meteora sold nearly three million copies by October 2003. The album's success allowed Linkin Park to form another Projekt Revolution, which featured other bands and artists including, Mudvayne, Blindside, and Xzibit. Additionally, Metallica, a famed heavy metal group, invited Linkin Park to play at the Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003, which included well-known acts such as Limp Bizkit, Mudvayne and Deftones. The band released an album and DVD, entitled Live in Texas, which consisted of audio and video tracks of some of the band's performances in Texas during the tour. In early 2004, Linkin Park started a world tour titled the Meteora World Tour, supporting bands on the tour include Hoobastank, P.O.D and Story of the Year.
Meteora also earned the band additional awards and honors. The band won MTV's awards for Best Rock Video (Somewhere I Belong), Viewer's Choice Award (Breaking the Habit). Linkin Park also received significant recognition during the 2004 Radio Music Awards, winning the Artist of the Year and Song of the Year (Numb) awards. Although Meteora was not nearly as successful as Hybrid Theory, it was the third best selling album in America during 2003. The band spent the first few months of 2004 touring around the world, first with the third Projekt Revolution tour, and later several European concerts.
Side projects and charity work (2004-2006)
Bennington appears on the band's behalf at MTV Asia AidFollowing Meteora's success, the band postponed working on a new studio album for the next several years. Instead, Linkin Park continued to tour and work on many side projects. Bennington appeared on DJ Lethal’s State of the Art and other work with Dead By Sunrise, while Shinoda did work with Depeche Mode. In 2004, the band began to work with Jay-Z to produce another remix album, entitled Collision Course. The album, which featured intermixed lyrics and background tracks from both artists' previous albums, debuted in November 2004. Shinoda also formed a new band, Fort Minor, as a side project. With the aid of Jay-Z, Fort Minor released their debut album, The Rising Tied, to critical acclaim. On the home front, the band's relationship with Warner Bros. Records was declining rapidly on account of several trust and financial issues. After months of feuding, the band finally negotiated a deal in December 2005.
Additionally, they also participated in numerous charitable events. Linkin Park helped raise money to benefit victims of Hurricane Charley in 2004 and later Hurricane Katrina in 2005. They also helped relief efforts for the 2004 Tsunami victims by staging several charity concerts and setting up an additional fund called "Music for Relief". Most notably, however, the band participated at Live 8, a series of charitable benefit concerts set up to raise global awareness. Alongside Jay-Z, the band performed on Live 8's stage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a global audience. The band would later be reunited with Jay-Z at the Grammy Award Ceremony 2006, during which they performed Numb/Encore, en route to winning a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. They would later go on to play at the 2006 Summer Sonic music festival, which was hosted by Metallica, in Japan.
Reemergence: Minutes to Midnight (2006-present)
Linkin Park returned to the recording studios in 2006 to work on new material. To produce the album, the band chose popular producer Rick Rubin. Despite initially stating the album would debut sometime in 2006, the album was pushed off to 2007. The band had recorded thirty to fifty songs in August 2006, when Shinoda stated the album was halfway completed. Bennington later added that the new album would stray away from their previous nu metal sound.Warner Bros. Records officially announced that the band’s third studio album, entitled Minutes to Midnight, would be released on May 15, 2007 in the United States. After spending fourteen months working on the album, the band opted to further refine their album by removing five of the original seventeen tracks. Minutes to Midnight sold over 600,000 copies in its first week, making it one of the most successful debut week albums in recent years. The album also captured the top spot on the Billboard Charts.
The album's first single, "What I've Done" was released on April 2, and later premiered on MTV and Fuse within the same week. The single was acclaimed by listeners, reaching the Billboard Hot 100 days after its debut, and later was the top-ranked song on the Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. Bleed It Out is the second single from Minutes to Midnight which was released August 20, 2007. Shadow of the Day will be the third single and is scheduled to be released in the UK on October 8.
Linkin Park performed at Live Earth Japan on July 7, 2007. The band recently finished touring on their fourth Projekt Revolution tour.
Linkin Park night circle
Linkin Park - night circle
Style
Farrell (foreground) and Hahn (background) performing live in Stockholm, SwedenBoth Hybrid Theory and Meteora intertwined the nu metal and rap rock sound with influences and elements from industrial rock, synth rock, electronica, and drum and bass, utilizing programming and synthesizers. All Music Guide regarded it as "a Johnny-come-lately to an already overdone musical style," whereas Rolling Stone called "Breaking the Habit" "risky, beautiful art."
In Minutes to Midnight the band experiments with their established sound and sees them drawing influences from a wider and more varied range of genres and styles, a process Los Angeles Times compares to a stage in U2's work. In it, only two of the songs feature rapping. It also is their first studio album to feature guitar solos and to feature Mike Shinoda's singing, rather than rapping.
Linkin Park's use of two separate vocalists has become a large part of their music. Chester Bennington is most known for using growling and screaming vocals common in various forms of metal, while also using more melodic singing, and has placed 46th in Hit Paraders list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists". Mike Shinoda is the group's MC, and does all of the rapping. Mike has also done all of the backing vocals live, and in their latest album, Minutes to Midnight, he sings lead vocals on three songs: In Between, Hands Held High, and the b-side No Roads Left. Shinoda has also been placed in Hit Paraders list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists" at 72.
Linkin Park, Chester Bennington
Linkin Park, Chester Bennington
Band members
MTV Thailand interviews Mike Shinoda in 2006
Current
Chester Bennington - lead vocals (1999-present)
Mike Shinoda - emcee, vocals, rhythm guitar (1996-present)
Brad Delson - lead guitar (1996-present)
Dave "Phoenix" Farrell - bass guitar, backing vocals (1996-1999, 2001-present)
Joe Hahn - turntables, programming, samples, beats (1996-present)
Rob Bourdon - drums, keyboard/piano (1996-present)
Former
Mark Wakefield – Vocals (1996–1998, while the band was named Xero)
Stand-in's
Kyle Christener— Bass guitar (1998–1999) Temporarily replaced Phoenix
Scott Koziol— Bass guitar (1999–2001) Stand-in bass player on Hybrid Theory
Discography
Main article: Linkin Park discography
Albums and EPs
Xero Sampler Tape (1997)
Hybrid Theory EP (1999)
Hybrid Theory (2000)
Reanimation (2002)
Meteora (2003)
Collision Course (2004)
Minutes to Midnight (2007)
Videography
Main article: Linkin Park videography
DVD/VHS
Frat Party at the Pankake Festival (2002)
The Making of Meteora (Limited Release) (2003)
Live in Texas (2003)
Breaking the Habit (2004)
Collision Course (2004)
Live 8 (2005)
Minutes to Midnight (Limited Release) (2007)
Linkin Park, Dave phoenix Farrell playing Stockholm
Linkin Park, Dave Farrell
LINKS and REFERENCE
*
Marketwire.com, Linkin Park on top of the charts
*
Rock On The Net, GRAMMY AWARDS: BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
*
Rock On The Net GRAMMY AWARDS: BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE
*
Recording Industry Association Of America, [1]
*
Soundspike.com, Album Chart: Linkin Park’s ‘Meteora’ shoots to the top
*
MSN Music, Linkin Park: Biography
*
MTV.com, Linkin Park Say Nu-Metal Sound Is 'Completely Gone' On Next LP,
*
Billboard.com, M2M holds the top slot for the current week
*
Billboard.com, Linkin Park Scores Year's Best Debut With 'Midnight'
*
AskMen.com, Linkin Park – Biography
*
Rockdetector.com, Linkin Park – Rockdetector Biography
*
Livedaily.com, LiveDaily Interview: Linkin Park’s Dave 'Phoenix' Farrell
*
Lptimes.com, Band History
*
United Stations Radio Network, Linkin Park's Grammy Noms Are Icing On The Cake
*
MTV.com, Linkin Park, P.O.D., Nickelback, More To Play LA’s KROQ Fest
*
United Stations Radio Network, Linkin Park’s 'Reanimation' Set For July 30
*
Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park Remixes Chart With Number Two Debut
*
Warner Bros. Records, "The Making of Meteora" (2003) [DVD]
*
MTV.com, Linkin Park Get Their Tempers Under Control To Complete New LP
*
Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park 'Meteora' Debuts At Number One, Sets Aside Tix For Military
*
Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park Says 'Faint' Is Equal To Other Songs
*
LAUNCH Radio Networks, Linkin Park Album Certified Triple Platinum
*
VH1.com, Linkin Park : Biography
*
Ringsurf.com, Linkin Park Awards
*
Chartattack, Mike Shinoda's Fort Minor Rise To The Occasion
*
Machine Shop, Fort Minor Biography
*
Rolling Stone, Linkin, Warner Feud Rages
*
Aversion, Linkin Park, Warner Bros. Kiss, Make Up
*
VoaNews,Linkin Park Launches Relief Fund for Tsunami Victims; Backstreet Boys to Release New Album
*
The Linkin Park Times, Live 8 Philadelphia 2005
*
About.com, Jay-Z and Linkin Park to Mash-Up Onstage at the Grammys
*
Linkinpark.com, Linkin Park, Fort Minor at Summer Sonic in Japan
*
MTV.com, Mike Shinoda Says 'No New Linkin Park Album In 2006 After All'
*
MTV.com, Mike Shinoda Says Linkin Park Halfway Done With New Album
*
MTV.com, Linkin Park Say Nu-Metal Sound Is 'Completely Gone' On Next LP
*
Warner Bros. Records, Fans Counting the 'Minutes' as Linkin Park Reveal Album Name and Release Date
*
Videostatic, MTV Adds for the Week of 4/2/07
*
Billboard.com, Artist Chart History - Singles
*
Billboard.com, Linkin Park, Local Stars Kickstart Live Earth Japan
*
Zvents.com, Win tickets to Linkin Park at Projekt Revolution Tour
*
Allmusic.com allmusic ((( Hybrid Theory > Overview ))):
*
Rollingstones.com, Rolling Stone : Linkin Park: Meteora : Music Reviews:
*
Calendarlive.com, Linkin Park releases new album: 'Minutes to Midnight'
*
Linkin Park's official site
*
Linkin Park at Last.fm
*
Linkin Park on All Music Guide
Linkin Park
MUSIC INDEX A - Z
Abba
AC-DC
Aerosmith
A H Rahman
A-ha
Alabama
Alanis Morisette
Alison Kraus
All Saints
American Idol
American Music Awards
Amy Macdonald
Amy Winehouse
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Annie Lennox
Aqua
Arctic Monkeys
Atlantis - Disco
Atomic Kitten
Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend Wedding
Bananarama
Band Aid
Backstreet Boys
Babra Streisand
Barry Manilow
Barry White
Bay City Rollers
Beach Boys
Beyonce
Billy Joel
Bing Crosby
Black Sabbath - Ozzy Osbourne
Blondie
Bob Dylan
Bob Geldof
Bob Marley & Wailers
Bon Jovi
Boney M
Boyz II Men
Brenda Lee
Britney Spears - Shaved
Bruce Springsteen
Bryan Adams
Bucks Fizz
Buddy Holly
B'z
Cascada
Celine Dion
Charles Aznavour
Charlotte Church
Chacago
Cheeky Girls
Chemical Brothers
Childrens Songs
Christina Aguilera - Basics
Christina Milian
Chuck Berry
Cindy Lauper
Cliff Richard
Coldplay
Comic Relief
David Bowie
Def Leoppard
Depeche Mode
Destiny's Child
Dire Straits
Dixie Chicks
Dolly Parton
Donna Summer
Duran Duran
Earth Wind and Fire
East Magazine - Eastbounre
Eddie Arnold
Elena Paparizou - Eurovision
Elkie Brooks
Elton John
Elvis Presley
Eminem
Enrique Iglesias
Enya
Eurovision Song Contest
Evanescence
Events - Tents - Moroccan
Facebook
Fergie
Fleetwood Mac
Flipp's - Pop Funk collection
Foreigner
Frank Sinatra
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Laine
Garth Brooks
Gary Numan
Genesis
George Michael
Geri Halliwell
Girl Bands
Girl Groups
Girls Aloud
Glade alternative music festival
Glastonbury
Gloria Estefan
Grace Jones
Grammy Awards
Grant Navy Fireman
Groove Armada
Guns and Roses
Gunther + Sunshine Girls
Gwen Stefani
Haircut 100
Hank Thompson
Hellogoodbye
Her Name in Blood
Hoosiers
Intraverse
Iron Maiden
James Blunt
James Morrison
Janet Jackson
Jean Michel Jarre
Jennifer Lopez
Jessica Simpson
Jethro Tull
Jimi Hendrix
Joel White
John Denver
Johnny Cash
Johnny Mathis
Joni James
Joss Stone
Journey
Juan Thyme
Julia Figueroa
Julio Iglesias
Justin Timberlake
Karaoke A - Z of UK venues
Kate Bush
Kate Nash
Katie Melua
Kenny Rogers
Kickers UMA sponsors
Kings Nightclub
Kismet Girls, London group
Kristina Bradford
Kylie Minogue - cancer
Led Zeppelin
Lily Allen
Linda Ronstadt
Linkin Park
Lionel Richie
Live Aid
Live Earth Concerts
Live 8
Louis Walsh
Luciano Pavarotti
KISS
Madonna - Films and Video
Mama Hoochie Bang
Mando - Manto
Mariah Carey
Marillion
Max Jasper - Mezzowave
McFly
Meatloaf
Metallica
Michael Bolton
Michael Jackson
Mireille Mathieu
Modern Talking
MTV
My Chemical Romance
Myspace.com - Networking
Nat King Cole
Natasha Bedingfield
National Anthems
Neil Diamond
Nelly Furtado
Nirvana
Oasis
Olivia Newton-John
Paris Hilton
Patti Page
Pearl Jam
Perry Como
Peter Waterman
Petition the Prime Minister
Petula Clarke
Phil Collins
Photography
Pink - Pink Orchid Ltd
Pink Floyd
Pop Idol
Pop Music
Prince
Queen
Radio Head
Reading Music Festival
Record Companies
Record Producers
Ricky Nelson
Rihanna
Robbie Williams
Rod Stewart
Roxette
Roxy Music
Rule Britannia
Santana
Shakira
Shania Twain
Sharon Osbourne
Simon Cowell
Simply Red
Snoop Dog
Songwriting
Spice Girls
Stars in Their Eyes
Steps
Stevie Wonder
Sting - The Police
Stock Aitken Waterman SAW
Sugababes
Terry Wogan
The Bangles
The Beatles
The Bee Gees
The Brit Awards
The Carpenters
The Clash
The Doobie Brothers
The Doors
The Eagles
The Jacksons
The Pussycat Dolls
The Ramones
The Rolling Stones
The Royal Canadians
The Seekers
The Sunshine Girls
The Ventures
The Who
The X Factor
The X Factor 2005
The X Factor 2006
Three Dog Night
Timbaland
Tina Turner
TOP TEN - FORTY CHARTS
Tupac
U2
UB40
USA For Africa
Van Halen
Vibes From the Vine - Concert 06
Vicky Leandros
Victoria Beckham
VW tour bus - Sunshine Girls
Wei Wei
Whitney Houston
Wicked New Year Party - Alps 07
Woodstock
World Idol
X Factor Battle of Stars
YouTube.com
ZZ Top
Linkin Park album cover
Linkin Park is recognized for adapting the nu metal genre into a radio-friendly style and creating many successful singles, such as In The End, Numb, and What I've Done. They are also known for their several collaborations, most notably with rapper Jay-Z in their mash-up album Collision Course, and a plethora of other artists on Reanimation. The band’s latest studio album, Minutes to Midnight, which was released in May 2007, has stemmed away from their previous nu metal sound venturing into various other genres. The album topped the Billboard Charts by selling nearly 625,000 copies in its debut week, making it the second best debut week of any album for the year.
Linkin Park, Mike Shinodain
Linkin Park, Mike Shinodain
Band history
Early years (1996-2000)
Originally consisting of three close high school friends from Agoura High School, Linkin Park’s foundation was anchored by Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, and Rob Bourdon. After graduating from high school, the California natives later began to take their musical interests more seriously, recruiting Joe Hahn, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, and Mark Wakefield to perform in their band then titled Xero. Though limited in resources, the band began recording and producing songs within Shinoda’s make-shift bedroom studio in 1996. Tensions and frustration within the band began to increase after they failed to land a record deal. The lack of success and stalemate in progress prompted Wakefield, at that time the band's vocalist, to leave the band in search for other projects. Later, Farrell would also leave the band in order to tour with Tasty Snax, as well as other bands.
After spending a considerable time searching for Wakefield's replacement, Xero recruited Arizona vocalist Chester Bennington. Jeff Blue, the vice president of Zomba Music, referred Bennington to the band in March 1999. Bennington, formerly of a band named Grey Daze, became a standout among applicants for his unique and vivid singing style. The newborn vocal chemistry between Shinoda and Bennington helped revive the band, inciting them to work on new material. The band’s renaissance culminated with a change in name; from Hybrid Theory, the band changed their name to Linkin Park, a play on and homage to Santa Monica’s Lincoln Park. However, despite these changes, the band still struggled to sign a record deal. After facing numerous rejections from several major record labels, Linkin Park turned to Jeff Blue for additional help. After failing to catch Warner Bros. Records on three previous reviews, Jeff Blue, now the vice president of Warner Bros. Records, helped the band sign a deal with the company in 1999. Now aside with Warner Bros. Records, the band released their breakthrough album, Hybrid Theory, the following year.
Linkin Park, high on a rooftop
Linkin Park on a roof top
Breakthrough: Hybrid Theory (2000-2002)
Linkin Park released Hybrid Theory on October 24, 2000. The album, which represented half a decade’s worth of the band’s work, was edited and polished by music producer Don Gilmore. Hybrid Theory was well received by music fans; the band sold more than 4.8 million records during its debut year, earning it the status of best-selling album of 2001, while singles such as Crawling and One Step Closer established themselves as staples among alternative rock radio playlists during the year. Additionally, other singles from the album were featured in movies such as Dracula 2000, Little Nicky, and Valentine. Hybrid Theory was also nominated for three Grammy Awards, including best new artist, best rock album, and best hard rock performance (for Crawling). MTV also awarded the band their Best Rock Video and Best Direction awards for In the End. Through the winning of the Grammy for best hard rock performance, and for Best Rock Album, Hybrid Theory’s overall success had catapulted the band into the mainstream's attention.
During this time, Linkin Park received many invitations to perform on many recognized tours and concerts including Ozzfest, Family Values Tour and KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas. The band also formed their own tour, Projekt Revolution, which featured other notable artists such as, Cypress Hill, Adema, and Snoop Dogg. Within a year’s stretch, Linkin Park had performed at over 320 concerts. The experiences and performances of the precocious band were documented in their first DVD, Frat Party at the Pankake Festival, which debuted in November 2001. Now reunited with former bassist Dave Farrell, the band began work on a remix album, dubbed Reanimation, which would include works from Hybrid Theory and Hybrid Theory EP. The album Reanimation debuted on July 30, 2002, featuring the likes of Black Thought, Jonathan Davis, Aaron Lewis, and many others. Reanimation claimed the second spot on the Billboard 200, and sold nearly 270,000 copies during its debut week.
Linkin Park
Continued success: Meteora (2002-2004)
Following the success of Hybrid Theory and Reanimation, Linkin Park spent a significant amount of time touring around the United States. The band began to work on new material amidst the saturated schedule, spending a sliver of their free time in their tour bus' studio. The band officially announced the production of a new studio album in December 2002, revealing their new work was inspired by the rocky region of Meteora in Greece, where a lot of monasteries have been built on top of the rocks. Meteora featured a mixture of the band's previous nu metal and rapcore styles with newer innovative effects, including the induction of a shakuhachi (a Japanese flute made of bamboo) and other instruments. Linkin Park's second album debuted on March 25, 2003 and instantly earned worldwide recognition.
Meteora sold more than 800,000 copies during its first week, and it ranked as the best selling album on the Billboard charts at the time. Music videos for some of the album's singles, including Somewhere I Belong, Breaking the Habit, Faint and Numb, received significant radio attention. Eventually, Meteora sold nearly three million copies by October 2003. The album's success allowed Linkin Park to form another Projekt Revolution, which featured other bands and artists including, Mudvayne, Blindside, and Xzibit. Additionally, Metallica, a famed heavy metal group, invited Linkin Park to play at the Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003, which included well-known acts such as Limp Bizkit, Mudvayne and Deftones. The band released an album and DVD, entitled Live in Texas, which consisted of audio and video tracks of some of the band's performances in Texas during the tour. In early 2004, Linkin Park started a world tour titled the Meteora World Tour, supporting bands on the tour include Hoobastank, P.O.D and Story of the Year.
Meteora also earned the band additional awards and honors. The band won MTV's awards for Best Rock Video (Somewhere I Belong), Viewer's Choice Award (Breaking the Habit). Linkin Park also received significant recognition during the 2004 Radio Music Awards, winning the Artist of the Year and Song of the Year (Numb) awards. Although Meteora was not nearly as successful as Hybrid Theory, it was the third best selling album in America during 2003. The band spent the first few months of 2004 touring around the world, first with the third Projekt Revolution tour, and later several European concerts.
Side projects and charity work (2004-2006)
Bennington appears on the band's behalf at MTV Asia AidFollowing Meteora's success, the band postponed working on a new studio album for the next several years. Instead, Linkin Park continued to tour and work on many side projects. Bennington appeared on DJ Lethal’s State of the Art and other work with Dead By Sunrise, while Shinoda did work with Depeche Mode. In 2004, the band began to work with Jay-Z to produce another remix album, entitled Collision Course. The album, which featured intermixed lyrics and background tracks from both artists' previous albums, debuted in November 2004. Shinoda also formed a new band, Fort Minor, as a side project. With the aid of Jay-Z, Fort Minor released their debut album, The Rising Tied, to critical acclaim. On the home front, the band's relationship with Warner Bros. Records was declining rapidly on account of several trust and financial issues. After months of feuding, the band finally negotiated a deal in December 2005.
Additionally, they also participated in numerous charitable events. Linkin Park helped raise money to benefit victims of Hurricane Charley in 2004 and later Hurricane Katrina in 2005. They also helped relief efforts for the 2004 Tsunami victims by staging several charity concerts and setting up an additional fund called "Music for Relief". Most notably, however, the band participated at Live 8, a series of charitable benefit concerts set up to raise global awareness. Alongside Jay-Z, the band performed on Live 8's stage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a global audience. The band would later be reunited with Jay-Z at the Grammy Award Ceremony 2006, during which they performed Numb/Encore, en route to winning a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. They would later go on to play at the 2006 Summer Sonic music festival, which was hosted by Metallica, in Japan.
Reemergence: Minutes to Midnight (2006-present)
Linkin Park returned to the recording studios in 2006 to work on new material. To produce the album, the band chose popular producer Rick Rubin. Despite initially stating the album would debut sometime in 2006, the album was pushed off to 2007. The band had recorded thirty to fifty songs in August 2006, when Shinoda stated the album was halfway completed. Bennington later added that the new album would stray away from their previous nu metal sound.Warner Bros. Records officially announced that the band’s third studio album, entitled Minutes to Midnight, would be released on May 15, 2007 in the United States. After spending fourteen months working on the album, the band opted to further refine their album by removing five of the original seventeen tracks. Minutes to Midnight sold over 600,000 copies in its first week, making it one of the most successful debut week albums in recent years. The album also captured the top spot on the Billboard Charts.
The album's first single, "What I've Done" was released on April 2, and later premiered on MTV and Fuse within the same week. The single was acclaimed by listeners, reaching the Billboard Hot 100 days after its debut, and later was the top-ranked song on the Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. Bleed It Out is the second single from Minutes to Midnight which was released August 20, 2007. Shadow of the Day will be the third single and is scheduled to be released in the UK on October 8.
Linkin Park performed at Live Earth Japan on July 7, 2007. The band recently finished touring on their fourth Projekt Revolution tour.
Linkin Park night circle
Linkin Park - night circle
Style
Farrell (foreground) and Hahn (background) performing live in Stockholm, SwedenBoth Hybrid Theory and Meteora intertwined the nu metal and rap rock sound with influences and elements from industrial rock, synth rock, electronica, and drum and bass, utilizing programming and synthesizers. All Music Guide regarded it as "a Johnny-come-lately to an already overdone musical style," whereas Rolling Stone called "Breaking the Habit" "risky, beautiful art."
In Minutes to Midnight the band experiments with their established sound and sees them drawing influences from a wider and more varied range of genres and styles, a process Los Angeles Times compares to a stage in U2's work. In it, only two of the songs feature rapping. It also is their first studio album to feature guitar solos and to feature Mike Shinoda's singing, rather than rapping.
Linkin Park's use of two separate vocalists has become a large part of their music. Chester Bennington is most known for using growling and screaming vocals common in various forms of metal, while also using more melodic singing, and has placed 46th in Hit Paraders list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists". Mike Shinoda is the group's MC, and does all of the rapping. Mike has also done all of the backing vocals live, and in their latest album, Minutes to Midnight, he sings lead vocals on three songs: In Between, Hands Held High, and the b-side No Roads Left. Shinoda has also been placed in Hit Paraders list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists" at 72.
Linkin Park, Chester Bennington
Linkin Park, Chester Bennington
Band members
MTV Thailand interviews Mike Shinoda in 2006
Current
Chester Bennington - lead vocals (1999-present)
Mike Shinoda - emcee, vocals, rhythm guitar (1996-present)
Brad Delson - lead guitar (1996-present)
Dave "Phoenix" Farrell - bass guitar, backing vocals (1996-1999, 2001-present)
Joe Hahn - turntables, programming, samples, beats (1996-present)
Rob Bourdon - drums, keyboard/piano (1996-present)
Former
Mark Wakefield – Vocals (1996–1998, while the band was named Xero)
Stand-in's
Kyle Christener— Bass guitar (1998–1999) Temporarily replaced Phoenix
Scott Koziol— Bass guitar (1999–2001) Stand-in bass player on Hybrid Theory
Discography
Main article: Linkin Park discography
Albums and EPs
Xero Sampler Tape (1997)
Hybrid Theory EP (1999)
Hybrid Theory (2000)
Reanimation (2002)
Meteora (2003)
Collision Course (2004)
Minutes to Midnight (2007)
Videography
Main article: Linkin Park videography
DVD/VHS
Frat Party at the Pankake Festival (2002)
The Making of Meteora (Limited Release) (2003)
Live in Texas (2003)
Breaking the Habit (2004)
Collision Course (2004)
Live 8 (2005)
Minutes to Midnight (Limited Release) (2007)
Linkin Park, Dave phoenix Farrell playing Stockholm
Linkin Park, Dave Farrell
LINKS and REFERENCE
*
Marketwire.com, Linkin Park on top of the charts
*
Rock On The Net, GRAMMY AWARDS: BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
*
Rock On The Net GRAMMY AWARDS: BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE
*
Recording Industry Association Of America, [1]
*
Soundspike.com, Album Chart: Linkin Park’s ‘Meteora’ shoots to the top
*
MSN Music, Linkin Park: Biography
*
MTV.com, Linkin Park Say Nu-Metal Sound Is 'Completely Gone' On Next LP,
*
Billboard.com, M2M holds the top slot for the current week
*
Billboard.com, Linkin Park Scores Year's Best Debut With 'Midnight'
*
AskMen.com, Linkin Park – Biography
*
Rockdetector.com, Linkin Park – Rockdetector Biography
*
Livedaily.com, LiveDaily Interview: Linkin Park’s Dave 'Phoenix' Farrell
*
Lptimes.com, Band History
*
United Stations Radio Network, Linkin Park's Grammy Noms Are Icing On The Cake
*
MTV.com, Linkin Park, P.O.D., Nickelback, More To Play LA’s KROQ Fest
*
United Stations Radio Network, Linkin Park’s 'Reanimation' Set For July 30
*
Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park Remixes Chart With Number Two Debut
*
Warner Bros. Records, "The Making of Meteora" (2003) [DVD]
*
MTV.com, Linkin Park Get Their Tempers Under Control To Complete New LP
*
Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park 'Meteora' Debuts At Number One, Sets Aside Tix For Military
*
Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park Says 'Faint' Is Equal To Other Songs
*
LAUNCH Radio Networks, Linkin Park Album Certified Triple Platinum
*
VH1.com, Linkin Park : Biography
*
Ringsurf.com, Linkin Park Awards
*
Chartattack, Mike Shinoda's Fort Minor Rise To The Occasion
*
Machine Shop, Fort Minor Biography
*
Rolling Stone, Linkin, Warner Feud Rages
*
Aversion, Linkin Park, Warner Bros. Kiss, Make Up
*
VoaNews,Linkin Park Launches Relief Fund for Tsunami Victims; Backstreet Boys to Release New Album
*
The Linkin Park Times, Live 8 Philadelphia 2005
*
About.com, Jay-Z and Linkin Park to Mash-Up Onstage at the Grammys
*
Linkinpark.com, Linkin Park, Fort Minor at Summer Sonic in Japan
*
MTV.com, Mike Shinoda Says 'No New Linkin Park Album In 2006 After All'
*
MTV.com, Mike Shinoda Says Linkin Park Halfway Done With New Album
*
MTV.com, Linkin Park Say Nu-Metal Sound Is 'Completely Gone' On Next LP
*
Warner Bros. Records, Fans Counting the 'Minutes' as Linkin Park Reveal Album Name and Release Date
*
Videostatic, MTV Adds for the Week of 4/2/07
*
Billboard.com, Artist Chart History - Singles
*
Billboard.com, Linkin Park, Local Stars Kickstart Live Earth Japan
*
Zvents.com, Win tickets to Linkin Park at Projekt Revolution Tour
*
Allmusic.com allmusic ((( Hybrid Theory > Overview ))):
*
Rollingstones.com, Rolling Stone : Linkin Park: Meteora : Music Reviews:
*
Calendarlive.com, Linkin Park releases new album: 'Minutes to Midnight'
*
Linkin Park's official site
*
Linkin Park at Last.fm
*
Linkin Park on All Music Guide
Linkin Park
MUSIC INDEX A - Z
Abba
AC-DC
Aerosmith
A H Rahman
A-ha
Alabama
Alanis Morisette
Alison Kraus
All Saints
American Idol
American Music Awards
Amy Macdonald
Amy Winehouse
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Annie Lennox
Aqua
Arctic Monkeys
Atlantis - Disco
Atomic Kitten
Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend Wedding
Bananarama
Band Aid
Backstreet Boys
Babra Streisand
Barry Manilow
Barry White
Bay City Rollers
Beach Boys
Beyonce
Billy Joel
Bing Crosby
Black Sabbath - Ozzy Osbourne
Blondie
Bob Dylan
Bob Geldof
Bob Marley & Wailers
Bon Jovi
Boney M
Boyz II Men
Brenda Lee
Britney Spears - Shaved
Bruce Springsteen
Bryan Adams
Bucks Fizz
Buddy Holly
B'z
Cascada
Celine Dion
Charles Aznavour
Charlotte Church
Chacago
Cheeky Girls
Chemical Brothers
Childrens Songs
Christina Aguilera - Basics
Christina Milian
Chuck Berry
Cindy Lauper
Cliff Richard
Coldplay
Comic Relief
David Bowie
Def Leoppard
Depeche Mode
Destiny's Child
Dire Straits
Dixie Chicks
Dolly Parton
Donna Summer
Duran Duran
Earth Wind and Fire
East Magazine - Eastbounre
Eddie Arnold
Elena Paparizou - Eurovision
Elkie Brooks
Elton John
Elvis Presley
Eminem
Enrique Iglesias
Enya
Eurovision Song Contest
Evanescence
Events - Tents - Moroccan
Fergie
Fleetwood Mac
Flipp's - Pop Funk collection
Foreigner
Frank Sinatra
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Laine
Garth Brooks
Gary Numan
Genesis
George Michael
Geri Halliwell
Girl Bands
Girl Groups
Girls Aloud
Glade alternative music festival
Glastonbury
Gloria Estefan
Grace Jones
Grammy Awards
Grant Navy Fireman
Groove Armada
Guns and Roses
Gunther + Sunshine Girls
Gwen Stefani
Haircut 100
Hank Thompson
Hellogoodbye
Her Name in Blood
Hoosiers
Intraverse
Iron Maiden
James Blunt
James Morrison
Janet Jackson
Jean Michel Jarre
Jennifer Lopez
Jessica Simpson
Jethro Tull
Jimi Hendrix
Joel White
John Denver
Johnny Cash
Johnny Mathis
Joni James
Joss Stone
Journey
Juan Thyme
Julia Figueroa
Julio Iglesias
Justin Timberlake
Karaoke A - Z of UK venues
Kate Bush
Kate Nash
Katie Melua
Kenny Rogers
Kickers UMA sponsors
Kings Nightclub
Kismet Girls, London group
Kristina Bradford
Kylie Minogue - cancer
Led Zeppelin
Lily Allen
Linda Ronstadt
Linkin Park
Lionel Richie
Live Aid
Live Earth Concerts
Live 8
Louis Walsh
Luciano Pavarotti
KISS
Madonna - Films and Video
Mama Hoochie Bang
Mando - Manto
Mariah Carey
Marillion
Max Jasper - Mezzowave
McFly
Meatloaf
Metallica
Michael Bolton
Michael Jackson
Mireille Mathieu
Modern Talking
MTV
My Chemical Romance
Myspace.com - Networking
Nat King Cole
Natasha Bedingfield
National Anthems
Neil Diamond
Nelly Furtado
Nirvana
Oasis
Olivia Newton-John
Paris Hilton
Patti Page
Pearl Jam
Perry Como
Peter Waterman
Petition the Prime Minister
Petula Clarke
Phil Collins
Photography
Pink - Pink Orchid Ltd
Pink Floyd
Pop Idol
Pop Music
Prince
Queen
Radio Head
Reading Music Festival
Record Companies
Record Producers
Ricky Nelson
Rihanna
Robbie Williams
Rod Stewart
Roxette
Roxy Music
Rule Britannia
Santana
Shakira
Shania Twain
Sharon Osbourne
Simon Cowell
Simply Red
Snoop Dog
Songwriting
Spice Girls
Stars in Their Eyes
Steps
Stevie Wonder
Sting - The Police
Stock Aitken Waterman SAW
Sugababes
Terry Wogan
The Bangles
The Beatles
The Bee Gees
The Brit Awards
The Carpenters
The Clash
The Doobie Brothers
The Doors
The Eagles
The Jacksons
The Pussycat Dolls
The Ramones
The Rolling Stones
The Royal Canadians
The Seekers
The Sunshine Girls
The Ventures
The Who
The X Factor
The X Factor 2005
The X Factor 2006
Three Dog Night
Timbaland
Tina Turner
TOP TEN - FORTY CHARTS
Tupac
U2
UB40
USA For Africa
Van Halen
Vibes From the Vine - Concert 06
Vicky Leandros
Victoria Beckham
VW tour bus - Sunshine Girls
Wei Wei
Whitney Houston
Wicked New Year Party - Alps 07
Woodstock
World Idol
X Factor Battle of Stars
YouTube.com
ZZ Top
Linkin Park album cover
Linkin Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is semi-protected.
Linkin Park
Linkin Park performing at 2009's Sonisphere Festival
Background information
Also known as Xero (1996–1998)[1]
Hybrid Theory (1998–1999)[1]
Origin Agoura Hills, California, USA
Genres Nu metal, rap rock, alternative rock
Years active 1996-present
Labels Warner Bros., Machine Shop
Associated acts Dead by Sunrise, Fort Minor, Jay-Z, White Pegacorn, Tasty Snax, Relative Degree, Grey Daze, Bucket of Weenies
Website www.linkinpark.com
Members
Chester Bennington
Rob Bourdon
Brad Delson
Dave "Phoenix" Farrell
Joe Hahn
Mike Shinoda
Former members
Kyle Christener
Scott Koziol
Mark Wakefield
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California, formed in 1996. Since their formation, the band has sold more than 50 million albums[2] and won two Grammy Awards.[3][4] It achieved mainstream success with its debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005.[5] Its following studio album, Meteora, continued the band's success, topping the Billboard 200’s album charts in 2003, and was followed by extensive touring and charity work around the world.[6] In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth greatest band of the music video era and the third best of the new millennium behind Oasis and Coldplay.[7]
Having adapted the nu metal and rap rock genres to a radio-friendly yet densely-layered style in Hybrid Theory and Meteora,[8][9][10] the band explored other genres in their next studio album, Minutes to Midnight.[11][12] The album topped the Billboard charts and had the third best debut week of any album that year.[13][14] They have also collaborated with several other artists, most notably with rapper Jay-Z in their mashup album Collision Course, and many others on Reanimation.[9]
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Band history
o 1.1 Early years (1996–1999)
o 1.2 Hybrid Theory (2000–2002)
o 1.3 Meteora (2002–2004)
o 1.4 Side projects (2004–2006)
o 1.5 Minutes to Midnight (2006–2008)
o 1.6 Future direction (2008 onward)
* 2 Musical style
* 3 Band members
* 4 Discography
* 5 Awards
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 Further reading
* 9 External links
Band history
Early years (1996–1999)
Originally consisting of three high school friends, Linkin Park’s foundation was anchored by Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, and Rob Bourdon.[1] After graduating from high school, the California natives began to take their musical interests more seriously, recruiting Joe Hahn, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, and Mark Wakefield to perform in their band, Xero. Though limited in resources, the band began recording and producing songs within Shinoda’s make-shift bedroom studio in 1996.[1][15] Tensions and frustration within the band grew after they failed to land a record deal.[1] The lack of success and stalemate in progress prompted Wakefield, at that time the band's vocalist, to leave the band in search for other projects.[1][15] Farrell also left to tour with Tasty Snax and other bands.[16][17]
After spending a considerable time searching for Wakefield's replacement, Xero recruited Arizona vocalist Chester Bennington. Jeff Blue, the vice president of Zomba Music, had referred him to the band in March 1999.[18] Bennington, formerly of Grey Daze, became a standout among applicants because of his unique singing style. The band changed its name from Xero to Hybrid Theory.[16] The newborn vocal chemistry between Shinoda and Bennington helped revive the band, inciting them to work on new material.[1] The band’s renaissance culminated with a change in name; from Hybrid Theory, the band changed its name to Linkin Park, a play on and homage to Santa Monica’s Lincoln Park.[1] However, despite these changes, the band still struggled to sign a record deal. After facing numerous rejections from several major record labels, Linkin Park turned to Jeff Blue for additional help. After failing to catch Warner Bros. Records on three previous reviews, Jeff Blue, now the vice president of Warner Bros. Records, helped the band sign a deal with the company in 1999. The band released its breakthrough album, Hybrid Theory, the following year.[18]
Hybrid Theory (2000–2002)
Linkin Park released Hybrid Theory on October 24, 2000.[19][20] The album, which represented half a decade’s worth of the band’s work, was edited by music producer Don Gilmore.[1] Hybrid Theory was well received by music fans; the band sold more than 4.8 million records during its debut year, earning it the status of best-selling album of 2001, while singles such as "Crawling" and "One Step Closer" established themselves as staples among alternative rock radio play lists during the year.[16] Additionally, other singles from the album were featured in movies such as Dracula 2000, Little Nicky, and Valentine.[16] Hybrid Theory was also nominated for three Grammy Awards, including best new artist, best rock album, and best hard rock performance (for "Crawling").[21] MTV awarded the band their Best Rock Video and Best Direction awards for "In the End".[1] Through the winning of the Grammy for best hard rock performance, Hybrid Theory’s overall success had catapulted the band into the mainstream's attention.
During this time, Linkin Park received many invitations to perform on many high-profile tours and concerts including Ozzfest, Family Values Tour and KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas.[16][22] The band also formed its own tour, Projekt Revolution, which featured other notable artists such as, Cypress Hill, Adema, and Snoop Dogg.[18] Within a year’s stretch, Linkin Park had performed at over 320 concerts.[1] The experiences and performances of the precocious band were documented in its first DVD, Frat Party at the Pankake Festival, which debuted in November 2001. Now reunited with former bassist Phoenix, the band began work on a remix album, dubbed Reanimation, which would include works from Hybrid Theory and Hybrid Theory EP.[16] Reanimation debuted on July 30, 2002, featuring the likes of Black Thought, Jonathan Davis, Aaron Lewis, and many others.[23] Reanimation claimed the second spot on the Billboard 200, and sold nearly 270,000 copies during its debut week.[24]
Meteora (2002–2004)
Following the success of Hybrid Theory and Reanimation, Linkin Park spent a significant amount of time touring around the United States. The band members began to work on new material amidst its saturated schedule, spending a sliver of their free time in their tour bus' studio.[25] The band officially announced the production of a new studio album in December 2002, revealing its new work was inspired by the rocky region of Meteora in Greece, where numerous monasteries have been built on top of the rocks.[26] Meteora featured a mixture of the band's previous nu metal and rapcore styles with newer innovative effects, including the induction of a shakuhachi (a Japanese flute made of bamboo) and other instruments.[1] Linkin Park's second album debuted on March 25, 2003 and instantly earned worldwide recognition,[1] going to #1 in the US and UK, and #2 in Australia.[15]
Meteora sold more than 800,000 copies during its first week, and it ranked as the best selling album on the Billboard charts at the time.[27] Music videos for some of the album's singles, including "Somewhere I Belong", "Breaking the Habit", "Faint", and "Numb", received significant radio attention.[28] By October 2003, Meteora sold nearly three million copies.[29] The album's success allowed Linkin Park to form another Projekt Revolution, which featured other bands and artists including, Mudvayne, Blindside, and Xzibit.[1] Additionally, Metallica invited Linkin Park to play at the Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003, which included well-known acts such as Limp Bizkit, Mudvayne and Deftones.[30] The band released an album and DVD, entitled Live in Texas, which consisted of audio and video tracks of some of the band's performances in Texas during the tour.[1] In early 2004, Linkin Park started a world tour titled the Meteora World Tour, supporting bands on the tour include Hoobastank, P.O.D. and Story of the Year.
Meteora earned the band multiple awards and honors. The band won MTV's awards for Best Rock Video ("Somewhere I Belong") and the Viewer's Choice Award ("Breaking the Habit").[31] Linkin Park also received significant recognition during the 2004 Radio Music Awards, winning the Artist of the Year and Song of the Year ("Numb") awards.[31] Although Meteora was not nearly as successful as Hybrid Theory, it was the third best selling album in America during 2003.[16] The band spent the first few months of 2004 touring around the world, first with the third Projekt Revolution tour, and later several European concerts.[16]
Side projects (2004–2006)
Bennington appears on the band's behalf at MTV Asia Aid
Following Meteora's success, the band postponed working on a new studio album for the next few years. Instead, Linkin Park continued to tour and work on many side projects. Bennington appeared on DJ Lethal’s "State of the Art" and other work with Dead by Sunrise, while Shinoda did work with Depeche Mode.[16] In 2004, the band began to work with Jay-Z to produce another remix album, entitled Collision Course. The album, which featured intermixed lyrics and background tracks from both artists' previous albums, debuted in November 2004. Shinoda also formed a new band, Fort Minor, as a side project. With the aid of Jay-Z, Fort Minor released its debut album, The Rising Tied, to critical acclaim.[32][33] At the same time, the band's relationship with Warner Bros. Records was deteriorating rapidly on account of several trust and financial issues.[34] After months of feuding, the band finally negotiated a deal in December 2005.[35]
Linkin Park also participated in numerous charitable events. Linkin Park helped raise money to benefit victims of Hurricane Charley in 2004 and later hurricane Katrina in 2005.[16] The band donated $75,000 to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation in March 2004.[36] They also helped relief efforts for the 2004 tsunami victims by staging several charity concerts and setting up an additional fund called "Music for Relief".[37] Most notably, however, the band participated at Live 8, a series of charitable benefit concerts set up to raise global awareness.[38] Alongside Jay-Z, the band performed on Live 8's stage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a global audience.[38] The band would later be reunited with Jay-Z at the Grammy Award Ceremony 2006, during which they performed "Numb/Encore", en route to winning a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.[39] They would later go on to play at the 2006 Summer Sonic music festival, which was hosted by Metallica, in Japan.[40]
Minutes to Midnight (2006–2008)
Linkin Park in Prague, 2007.
Linkin Park performing at 2007's Projekt Revolution Tour in Norton, Massachusetts
Linkin Park returned to the recording studios in 2006 to work on new material. To produce the album, the band chose producer Rick Rubin. Despite initially stating the album would debut sometime in 2006, the album was delayed until 2007.[11] The band had recorded thirty to fifty songs in August 2006, when Shinoda stated the album was halfway completed.[41] Bennington later added that the new album would stray away from its previous nu metal sound.[42] Warner Bros. Records officially announced that the band’s third studio album, entitled Minutes to Midnight, would be released on May 15, 2007 in the United States.[43] After spending fourteen months working on the album, the band members opted to further refine their album by removing five of the original seventeen tracks. The album’s title, a reference to the Doomsday Clock, foreshadowed the band's new lyrical themes.[44] Minutes to Midnight sold over 600,000 copies in its first week, making it one of the most successful debut week albums in recent years. The album also took the top spot on the Billboard Charts.[14]
The album's first single, "What I've Done" was released on April 2, and premiered on MTV and Fuse within the same week.[45] The single was acclaimed by listeners, becoming the top-ranked song on the Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.[46] The song is also used in soundtrack for the 2007 action film, Transformers. Later in the year, the band won the "Favorite Alternative Artist" in the American Music Awards.[47] The band also saw success with singles such as "Bleed It Out", "Shadow of the Day", "Given Up", and "Leave Out All the Rest", which were released throughout 2007 and early 2008. The band also collaborated with Busta Rhymes on his single "We Made It", which was released on April 29.[48]
Linkin Park at 2007's Novarock Festival.
Linkin Park's touring and live shows have, among other things, included a performance at Live Earth Japan on July 7, 2007.[49] and headlining Download Festival in Donington Park, England and Edgefest in Downsview Park, Toronto, Canada. The band completed touring on its fourth Projekt Revolution tour before taking up an Arena tour around the United Kingdom, visiting Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester, before finishing on a double night at the O2 arena in London. Bennington stated that Linkin Park plans to release a follow-up album to Minutes to Midnight.[50] However, he stated the band will first embark on a United States tour to gather inspiration for the album.[50] In an interview with Rolling Stone, Bennington said that the band had already begun writing new material for the album, and Shinoda too stated that the album could well be released in late 2009. Mike Shinoda also announced a live CD/DVD entitled "Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes", which is a live video recording from the Projekt Revolution gig at the Milton Keynes Bowl the 29th June 2008, which was officially released on the 24th November, 2008.[51]
Future direction (2008 onward)
Bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell performing at 2009's Sonisphere Festival in Kirjurinluoto, Pori, Finland.
In October 2008 Shinoda revealed on his blog that he, Phoenix and Hahn had begun working on two song ideas at Hahn's home, with studio recording to begin in earnest soon.[52] In 2008, Bennington announced that Linkin Park's fourth studio release will be a concept album.[53] The band has not released many specific details about the album.[1] In an interview with MTV in November 2008, Bennington stated, "It sounds a little daunting to me, so, I think my confidence level will drop, but when it was presented to us by this friend of ours, we liked the idea. It was an inspiring idea, and it was something we could relate a lot of the things we like to write about to".[2] He also added that the band planned to begin recording in December for a six-week session. The album was expected in mid 2009, but in late March, Mike Shinoda wrote on his blog saying "We're hoping to have Chester's Dead By Sunrise album out this fall, and the new LP album out early next year."[54]
In December 2008, Digidesign gave the band the opportunity to preview the new Pro Tools 8 software. The experiment resulted in an instrumental song performed by Shinoda and Bourdon.[55]
In April 2009, Mike Shinoda revealed on his blog that Linkin Park will be working on the score for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with successful film composer Hans Zimmer.[56] On May 7, it was further confirmed that the song recorded for the film is titled "New Divide," and was released as a single on May 18.[57][58] A clip from the song can be heard 14 seconds into the new trailer. The music video for "New Divide" was released on June 12, 2009 and was directed by Mr. Hahn. On June 22, 2009, the band played a short set after the premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The concert took play on the street in Westwood Village.
In May 2009, Linkin Park announced that they were working on their fourth album which will be released in 2010, with the aim for it to be "genre-busting".[59] Shinoda also stated recently in an interview with IGN that the new album will have in comparison to Minutes to Midnight a bigger "thread of consistency" and will also be more experimental and "hopefully more cutting-edge".[60] Additionally the band's other vocalist Chester Bennington confirmed in an interview with Taipei Times that Rick Rubin returns as the producer of the new album.[61]
Musical style
Both Hybrid Theory and Meteora combined the alternative metal,[62] nu metal,[16][63][64][65][66] and rap rock[66][67] sound with influences and elements from hip-hop, alternative rock,[68] and electronica, utilizing programming and synthesizers. William Ruhlmann from Allmusic regarded it as "a Johnny-come-lately to an already overdone musical style,"[69] whereas Rolling Stone called "Breaking the Habit" "risky, beautiful art".[70]
In Minutes to Midnight the band experimented with their established sound and drew influences from a wider and more varied range of genres and styles, a process Los Angeles Times compares to a stage in U2's work.[71] In it, only two of the songs feature rapping, and the majority of the album can be considered alternative rock[72][73] rather than nu metal or rap rock. It is also their first studio album to feature guitar solos.
In concert the band has covered songs by artists as varied as The Cure, Deftones, Guns N' Roses, and Nine Inch Nails.[citation needed]
Linkin Park's use of two separate vocalists has become a large part of their music. Chester Bennington is most known for using screaming vocals common in various forms of metal and hardcore, while also using more melodic singing, and was placed 46th in Hit Paraders list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".[74]
Mike Shinoda is the group's MC and does all of the rapping. Mike has also done all of the backing vocals live, and in their latest album, Minutes to Midnight, he sings lead vocals on "In Between", "Hands Held High", and the B-side "No Roads Left". Shinoda has also been placed in Hit Parader's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists" at number 72.[74]
Band members
Chester Bennington performing at Sonisphere Festival in Kirjurinluoto, Pori, Finland.
Main article: List of Linkin Park band members
* Chester Bennington – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Rob Bourdon – drums
* Brad Delson – lead guitar
* Dave "Phoenix" Farrell – bass, backing vocals
* Mr. Hahn – turntables, programming, samples
* Mike Shinoda – rapping, vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Discography
Main article: Linkin Park discography
* Hybrid Theory (2000)
* Meteora (2003)
* Minutes to Midnight (2007)
Awards
Main article: List of Linkin Park awards
See also
Linkin Park portal
* List of best-selling music artists
* List of best-selling albums worldwide
References
1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o AskMen.com, Linkin Park – Biography Retrieved on March 20, 2007
2. ^ Verrico, Lisa (January 30, 2008). "Linkin Park". The Times. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/live_reviews/article3271745.ece. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
3. ^ Rock On The Net, Grammy Awards: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
4. ^ Rock On The Net Grammy Awards: Best Hard Rock Performance, Retrieved on June 14, 2006
5. ^ Recording Industry Association of America, RIAA Record Sales, Retrieved on June 13, 2007
6. ^ Soundspike.com, Album Chart: Linkin Park’s ‘Meteora’ shoots to the top, Retrieved on March 19, 2007
7. ^ Negri, Andrea (October 10, 2003). "22 greatest bands? Something 2 argue about". Houston Chronicle.
8. ^ Sinclair, Tom (March 28, 2003). "Meteora (2003)". Music Review (Entertainment Weekly). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,435104~4~0~meteora,00.html. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
9. ^ a b MSN Music, Linkin Park: Biography, Retrieved on June 14, 2007
10. ^ MacKenzie Wilson. "allmusic ((( Linkin Park > Overview )))". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jxfoxqykld6e. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
11. ^ a b MTV.com, Mike Shinoda Says 'No New Linkin Park Album In 2006 After All', Retrieved on June 9, 2007
12. ^ Powers, Ann (May 15, 2007). "Minutes to Midnight (Warner Bros.)". Pop Album Review (Los Angeles Times). http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/calendar/cl-et-linkin15may15,0,2089411.story?coll=cl-calendar. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
13. ^ Billboard.com, M2M holds the top slot for the current week, Retrieved on May 28, 2007
14. ^ a b Billboard.com, Linkin Park Scores Year's Best Debut With 'Midnight', Retrieved on May 28, 2007
15. ^ a b c "Linkin Park — band history and biography". http://www.popstarsplus.com/music_linkinpark_history.htm. Retrieved December 23 2007.
16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k MusicMight.com, Linkin Park – MusicMight Biography Retrieved on March 20, 2007
17. ^ Livedaily.com, LiveDaily Interview: Linkin Park’s Dave 'Phoenix' Farrell Retrieved on March 20, 2007
18. ^ a b c Lptimes.com, Band History Retrieved on March 20, 2007
19. ^ "Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory released October 24, 2000.". http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/linkin_park/hybrid_theory/. Retrieved December 23 2007.
20. ^ "Linkin Park fansite — Album release date". http://www.linkin-park.com/?pg=albums. Retrieved December 23 2007.
21. ^ United Stations Radio Network, Linkin Park's Grammy Noms Are Icing On The Cake Retrieved on March 26, 2007
22. ^ MTV.com, Linkin Park, P.O.D., Nickelback, More To Play LA’s KROQ Fest Retrieved on March 26, 2007
23. ^ United Stations Radio Network, Linkin Park’s 'Reanimation' Set For July 30 Retrieved on March 26, 2007
24. ^ Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park Remixes Chart With Number Two Debut Retrieved on March 26, 2007
25. ^ Warner Bros. Records, "The Making of Meteora" (2003) DVD, Released on March 25, 2003.
26. ^ MTV.com, Linkin Park Get Their Tempers Under Control To Complete New LP Retrieved on June 10, 2006
27. ^ Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park 'Meteora' Debuts At Number One, Sets Aside Tix For Military Retrieved on April 8, 2007
28. ^ Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park Says 'Faint' Is Equal To Other Songs Retrieved on April 8, 2007
29. ^ LAUNCH Radio Networks, Linkin Park Album Certified Triple Platinum Retrieved on April 8, 2007
30. ^ VH1.com, Linkin Park: Biography Retrieved on April 8, 2007
31. ^ a b Ringsurf.com, Linkin Park Awards Retrieved on April 4, 2007
32. ^ Semansky, Matt (February 13, 2006). "Mike Shinoda's Fort Minor Rise To The Occasion". Chart. http://www.chartattack.com/news/40464/mike-shinodas-fort-minor-rise-to-the-occasion. Retrieved November 17, 2008.
33. ^ Machine Shop, Fort Minor Biography Retrieved on April 23, 2007
34. ^ Rolling Stone, Linkin, Warner Feud Rages Retrieved on May 12, 2007
35. ^ Aversion, Linkin Park, Warner Bros. Kiss, Make Up Retrieved on May 12, 2007
36. ^ Special Operations Warrior Foundation: News and Events Archive[dead link]
37. ^ VoaNews, Linkin Park Launches Relief Fund for Tsunami Victims; Backstreet Boys to Release New Album Retrieved on May 12, 2007
38. ^ a b The Linkin Park Times, Live 8 Philadelphia 2005 Retrieved on May 12, 2007
39. ^ About.com, Jay-Z and Linkin Park to Mash-Up Onstage at the Grammys, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
40. ^ Linkinpark.com, Linkin Park, Fort Minor at Summer Sonic in Japan, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
41. ^ MTV.com, Mike Shinoda Says Linkin Park Halfway Done With New Album, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
42. ^ MTV.com, Linkin Park Say Nu-Metal Sound Is 'Completely Gone' On Next LP, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
43. ^ Warner Bros. Records, Fans Counting the 'Minutes' as Linkin Park Reveal Album Name and Release Date, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
44. ^ MTV.com, Linkin Park Finish Apocalyptic Album, Revive Projekt Revolution Tour, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
45. ^ Videostatic, MTV Adds for the Week of 4/2/07, Retrieved on December 19, 2007.
46. ^ Billboard.com, Artist Chart History - Singles Retrieved on June 9, 2007
47. ^ ShowBuzz.com, American Music Awards - Winners List, Retrieved on March 21, 2008.
48. ^ - "We Made It" Music Charts (Canada), aCharts. Accessed May 12, 2008
49. ^ Billboard.com, Linkin Park, Local Stars Kickstart Live Earth Japan, Retrieved on July 12, 2007
50. ^ a b Billboard.com, Linkin Park Plans Quick 'Midnight' Follow Up, Retrieved on February 13, 2008.
51. ^ Rollingstone.com, Linkin Park has already begun writing their next album, Retrieved on May 14, 2008.
52. ^ "Mike Shinoda / Blog". Mikeshinoda.com. http://www.mikeshinoda.com/blog/Linkin_Park-In_The_Studio/new_linkin_park_music-1. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
53. ^ "Chester Bennington / Blog". Cbennington.com. http://www.cbennington.com/2008/10/billboard-linkin-park-thinking.html. Retrieved October 29, 2008.
54. ^ Mike shinoda blog, In Studio: March 2009
55. ^ http://www.mikeshinoda.com/blog/gadgets__recommendations-in_the_studio-linkin_park_/protools_8_mike_in_the_studio
56. ^ Transformers 2: New Linkin Park Song and Score MikeShinoda.com April 24, 2009.
57. ^ Transformers Song Name MikeShinoda.com. May 7, 2009.
58. ^ Ditzian, Eric 'Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen' Soundtrack To Feature Linkin Park MTV News. May 7, 2009.
59. ^ Linkin Park Cooking Up Genre-Busting Album for 2010
60. ^ http://lptimes.com/news2009/june/news06222009.html
61. ^ http://lptimes.com/news2009/july/news07072009.html
62. ^ MacKenzie Wilson. "allmusic ((( Linkin Park > Overview )))". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jxfoxqykld6e. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
63. ^ Linkin Park review at Popmatters
64. ^ Linkin Park at NME
65. ^ Linkin Park at Rolling Stone
66. ^ a b Linkin Park review at IGN music
67. ^ Linkin Park at Allmusic
68. ^ Wilson, MacKenzie (2007). "Linkin Park Biography". Yahoo! Music. http://music.yahoo.com/ar-303254-bio--Linkin-Park. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
69. ^ Ruhlmann, William. Allmusic.com allmusic (((Hybrid Theory > Overview))):, Retrieved on May 30, 2007
70. ^ Rolling Stones Rolling Stone: Linkin Park: Meteora: Music Reviews:, Retrieved on May 30, 2007
71. ^ Calendarlive.com, Linkin Park releases new album: 'Minutes to Midnight' Retrieved on May 30, 2007
72. ^ IGN, Linkin Park - Minutes To Midnight, Retrieved on January 27, 2008.
73. ^ MetaCritic, Minutes To Midnight. Retrieved on January 27, 2008.
74. ^ a b RoadRunnerRecords.com, Rob Halford, Robert Plant, Bon Scott, Ozzy Are Among 'Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists' - December 1, 2006, Retrieved on December 5, 2007.
Further reading
* Saulmon, Greg. Linkin Park. Contemporary Musicians and Their Music. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2007. ISBN 1404207139.
* Baltin, Steve. From The Inside: Linkin Park's Meteora. California: Bradson Press, 2004. ISBN 0960357416.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is semi-protected.
Linkin Park
Linkin Park performing at 2009's Sonisphere Festival
Background information
Also known as Xero (1996–1998)[1]
Hybrid Theory (1998–1999)[1]
Origin Agoura Hills, California, USA
Genres Nu metal, rap rock, alternative rock
Years active 1996-present
Labels Warner Bros., Machine Shop
Associated acts Dead by Sunrise, Fort Minor, Jay-Z, White Pegacorn, Tasty Snax, Relative Degree, Grey Daze, Bucket of Weenies
Website www.linkinpark.com
Members
Chester Bennington
Rob Bourdon
Brad Delson
Dave "Phoenix" Farrell
Joe Hahn
Mike Shinoda
Former members
Kyle Christener
Scott Koziol
Mark Wakefield
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California, formed in 1996. Since their formation, the band has sold more than 50 million albums[2] and won two Grammy Awards.[3][4] It achieved mainstream success with its debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005.[5] Its following studio album, Meteora, continued the band's success, topping the Billboard 200’s album charts in 2003, and was followed by extensive touring and charity work around the world.[6] In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth greatest band of the music video era and the third best of the new millennium behind Oasis and Coldplay.[7]
Having adapted the nu metal and rap rock genres to a radio-friendly yet densely-layered style in Hybrid Theory and Meteora,[8][9][10] the band explored other genres in their next studio album, Minutes to Midnight.[11][12] The album topped the Billboard charts and had the third best debut week of any album that year.[13][14] They have also collaborated with several other artists, most notably with rapper Jay-Z in their mashup album Collision Course, and many others on Reanimation.[9]
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Band history
o 1.1 Early years (1996–1999)
o 1.2 Hybrid Theory (2000–2002)
o 1.3 Meteora (2002–2004)
o 1.4 Side projects (2004–2006)
o 1.5 Minutes to Midnight (2006–2008)
o 1.6 Future direction (2008 onward)
* 2 Musical style
* 3 Band members
* 4 Discography
* 5 Awards
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 Further reading
* 9 External links
Band history
Early years (1996–1999)
Originally consisting of three high school friends, Linkin Park’s foundation was anchored by Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, and Rob Bourdon.[1] After graduating from high school, the California natives began to take their musical interests more seriously, recruiting Joe Hahn, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, and Mark Wakefield to perform in their band, Xero. Though limited in resources, the band began recording and producing songs within Shinoda’s make-shift bedroom studio in 1996.[1][15] Tensions and frustration within the band grew after they failed to land a record deal.[1] The lack of success and stalemate in progress prompted Wakefield, at that time the band's vocalist, to leave the band in search for other projects.[1][15] Farrell also left to tour with Tasty Snax and other bands.[16][17]
After spending a considerable time searching for Wakefield's replacement, Xero recruited Arizona vocalist Chester Bennington. Jeff Blue, the vice president of Zomba Music, had referred him to the band in March 1999.[18] Bennington, formerly of Grey Daze, became a standout among applicants because of his unique singing style. The band changed its name from Xero to Hybrid Theory.[16] The newborn vocal chemistry between Shinoda and Bennington helped revive the band, inciting them to work on new material.[1] The band’s renaissance culminated with a change in name; from Hybrid Theory, the band changed its name to Linkin Park, a play on and homage to Santa Monica’s Lincoln Park.[1] However, despite these changes, the band still struggled to sign a record deal. After facing numerous rejections from several major record labels, Linkin Park turned to Jeff Blue for additional help. After failing to catch Warner Bros. Records on three previous reviews, Jeff Blue, now the vice president of Warner Bros. Records, helped the band sign a deal with the company in 1999. The band released its breakthrough album, Hybrid Theory, the following year.[18]
Hybrid Theory (2000–2002)
Linkin Park released Hybrid Theory on October 24, 2000.[19][20] The album, which represented half a decade’s worth of the band’s work, was edited by music producer Don Gilmore.[1] Hybrid Theory was well received by music fans; the band sold more than 4.8 million records during its debut year, earning it the status of best-selling album of 2001, while singles such as "Crawling" and "One Step Closer" established themselves as staples among alternative rock radio play lists during the year.[16] Additionally, other singles from the album were featured in movies such as Dracula 2000, Little Nicky, and Valentine.[16] Hybrid Theory was also nominated for three Grammy Awards, including best new artist, best rock album, and best hard rock performance (for "Crawling").[21] MTV awarded the band their Best Rock Video and Best Direction awards for "In the End".[1] Through the winning of the Grammy for best hard rock performance, Hybrid Theory’s overall success had catapulted the band into the mainstream's attention.
During this time, Linkin Park received many invitations to perform on many high-profile tours and concerts including Ozzfest, Family Values Tour and KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas.[16][22] The band also formed its own tour, Projekt Revolution, which featured other notable artists such as, Cypress Hill, Adema, and Snoop Dogg.[18] Within a year’s stretch, Linkin Park had performed at over 320 concerts.[1] The experiences and performances of the precocious band were documented in its first DVD, Frat Party at the Pankake Festival, which debuted in November 2001. Now reunited with former bassist Phoenix, the band began work on a remix album, dubbed Reanimation, which would include works from Hybrid Theory and Hybrid Theory EP.[16] Reanimation debuted on July 30, 2002, featuring the likes of Black Thought, Jonathan Davis, Aaron Lewis, and many others.[23] Reanimation claimed the second spot on the Billboard 200, and sold nearly 270,000 copies during its debut week.[24]
Meteora (2002–2004)
Following the success of Hybrid Theory and Reanimation, Linkin Park spent a significant amount of time touring around the United States. The band members began to work on new material amidst its saturated schedule, spending a sliver of their free time in their tour bus' studio.[25] The band officially announced the production of a new studio album in December 2002, revealing its new work was inspired by the rocky region of Meteora in Greece, where numerous monasteries have been built on top of the rocks.[26] Meteora featured a mixture of the band's previous nu metal and rapcore styles with newer innovative effects, including the induction of a shakuhachi (a Japanese flute made of bamboo) and other instruments.[1] Linkin Park's second album debuted on March 25, 2003 and instantly earned worldwide recognition,[1] going to #1 in the US and UK, and #2 in Australia.[15]
Meteora sold more than 800,000 copies during its first week, and it ranked as the best selling album on the Billboard charts at the time.[27] Music videos for some of the album's singles, including "Somewhere I Belong", "Breaking the Habit", "Faint", and "Numb", received significant radio attention.[28] By October 2003, Meteora sold nearly three million copies.[29] The album's success allowed Linkin Park to form another Projekt Revolution, which featured other bands and artists including, Mudvayne, Blindside, and Xzibit.[1] Additionally, Metallica invited Linkin Park to play at the Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003, which included well-known acts such as Limp Bizkit, Mudvayne and Deftones.[30] The band released an album and DVD, entitled Live in Texas, which consisted of audio and video tracks of some of the band's performances in Texas during the tour.[1] In early 2004, Linkin Park started a world tour titled the Meteora World Tour, supporting bands on the tour include Hoobastank, P.O.D. and Story of the Year.
Meteora earned the band multiple awards and honors. The band won MTV's awards for Best Rock Video ("Somewhere I Belong") and the Viewer's Choice Award ("Breaking the Habit").[31] Linkin Park also received significant recognition during the 2004 Radio Music Awards, winning the Artist of the Year and Song of the Year ("Numb") awards.[31] Although Meteora was not nearly as successful as Hybrid Theory, it was the third best selling album in America during 2003.[16] The band spent the first few months of 2004 touring around the world, first with the third Projekt Revolution tour, and later several European concerts.[16]
Side projects (2004–2006)
Bennington appears on the band's behalf at MTV Asia Aid
Following Meteora's success, the band postponed working on a new studio album for the next few years. Instead, Linkin Park continued to tour and work on many side projects. Bennington appeared on DJ Lethal’s "State of the Art" and other work with Dead by Sunrise, while Shinoda did work with Depeche Mode.[16] In 2004, the band began to work with Jay-Z to produce another remix album, entitled Collision Course. The album, which featured intermixed lyrics and background tracks from both artists' previous albums, debuted in November 2004. Shinoda also formed a new band, Fort Minor, as a side project. With the aid of Jay-Z, Fort Minor released its debut album, The Rising Tied, to critical acclaim.[32][33] At the same time, the band's relationship with Warner Bros. Records was deteriorating rapidly on account of several trust and financial issues.[34] After months of feuding, the band finally negotiated a deal in December 2005.[35]
Linkin Park also participated in numerous charitable events. Linkin Park helped raise money to benefit victims of Hurricane Charley in 2004 and later hurricane Katrina in 2005.[16] The band donated $75,000 to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation in March 2004.[36] They also helped relief efforts for the 2004 tsunami victims by staging several charity concerts and setting up an additional fund called "Music for Relief".[37] Most notably, however, the band participated at Live 8, a series of charitable benefit concerts set up to raise global awareness.[38] Alongside Jay-Z, the band performed on Live 8's stage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a global audience.[38] The band would later be reunited with Jay-Z at the Grammy Award Ceremony 2006, during which they performed "Numb/Encore", en route to winning a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.[39] They would later go on to play at the 2006 Summer Sonic music festival, which was hosted by Metallica, in Japan.[40]
Minutes to Midnight (2006–2008)
Linkin Park in Prague, 2007.
Linkin Park performing at 2007's Projekt Revolution Tour in Norton, Massachusetts
Linkin Park returned to the recording studios in 2006 to work on new material. To produce the album, the band chose producer Rick Rubin. Despite initially stating the album would debut sometime in 2006, the album was delayed until 2007.[11] The band had recorded thirty to fifty songs in August 2006, when Shinoda stated the album was halfway completed.[41] Bennington later added that the new album would stray away from its previous nu metal sound.[42] Warner Bros. Records officially announced that the band’s third studio album, entitled Minutes to Midnight, would be released on May 15, 2007 in the United States.[43] After spending fourteen months working on the album, the band members opted to further refine their album by removing five of the original seventeen tracks. The album’s title, a reference to the Doomsday Clock, foreshadowed the band's new lyrical themes.[44] Minutes to Midnight sold over 600,000 copies in its first week, making it one of the most successful debut week albums in recent years. The album also took the top spot on the Billboard Charts.[14]
The album's first single, "What I've Done" was released on April 2, and premiered on MTV and Fuse within the same week.[45] The single was acclaimed by listeners, becoming the top-ranked song on the Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.[46] The song is also used in soundtrack for the 2007 action film, Transformers. Later in the year, the band won the "Favorite Alternative Artist" in the American Music Awards.[47] The band also saw success with singles such as "Bleed It Out", "Shadow of the Day", "Given Up", and "Leave Out All the Rest", which were released throughout 2007 and early 2008. The band also collaborated with Busta Rhymes on his single "We Made It", which was released on April 29.[48]
Linkin Park at 2007's Novarock Festival.
Linkin Park's touring and live shows have, among other things, included a performance at Live Earth Japan on July 7, 2007.[49] and headlining Download Festival in Donington Park, England and Edgefest in Downsview Park, Toronto, Canada. The band completed touring on its fourth Projekt Revolution tour before taking up an Arena tour around the United Kingdom, visiting Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester, before finishing on a double night at the O2 arena in London. Bennington stated that Linkin Park plans to release a follow-up album to Minutes to Midnight.[50] However, he stated the band will first embark on a United States tour to gather inspiration for the album.[50] In an interview with Rolling Stone, Bennington said that the band had already begun writing new material for the album, and Shinoda too stated that the album could well be released in late 2009. Mike Shinoda also announced a live CD/DVD entitled "Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes", which is a live video recording from the Projekt Revolution gig at the Milton Keynes Bowl the 29th June 2008, which was officially released on the 24th November, 2008.[51]
Future direction (2008 onward)
Bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell performing at 2009's Sonisphere Festival in Kirjurinluoto, Pori, Finland.
In October 2008 Shinoda revealed on his blog that he, Phoenix and Hahn had begun working on two song ideas at Hahn's home, with studio recording to begin in earnest soon.[52] In 2008, Bennington announced that Linkin Park's fourth studio release will be a concept album.[53] The band has not released many specific details about the album.[1] In an interview with MTV in November 2008, Bennington stated, "It sounds a little daunting to me, so, I think my confidence level will drop, but when it was presented to us by this friend of ours, we liked the idea. It was an inspiring idea, and it was something we could relate a lot of the things we like to write about to".[2] He also added that the band planned to begin recording in December for a six-week session. The album was expected in mid 2009, but in late March, Mike Shinoda wrote on his blog saying "We're hoping to have Chester's Dead By Sunrise album out this fall, and the new LP album out early next year."[54]
In December 2008, Digidesign gave the band the opportunity to preview the new Pro Tools 8 software. The experiment resulted in an instrumental song performed by Shinoda and Bourdon.[55]
In April 2009, Mike Shinoda revealed on his blog that Linkin Park will be working on the score for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with successful film composer Hans Zimmer.[56] On May 7, it was further confirmed that the song recorded for the film is titled "New Divide," and was released as a single on May 18.[57][58] A clip from the song can be heard 14 seconds into the new trailer. The music video for "New Divide" was released on June 12, 2009 and was directed by Mr. Hahn. On June 22, 2009, the band played a short set after the premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The concert took play on the street in Westwood Village.
In May 2009, Linkin Park announced that they were working on their fourth album which will be released in 2010, with the aim for it to be "genre-busting".[59] Shinoda also stated recently in an interview with IGN that the new album will have in comparison to Minutes to Midnight a bigger "thread of consistency" and will also be more experimental and "hopefully more cutting-edge".[60] Additionally the band's other vocalist Chester Bennington confirmed in an interview with Taipei Times that Rick Rubin returns as the producer of the new album.[61]
Musical style
Both Hybrid Theory and Meteora combined the alternative metal,[62] nu metal,[16][63][64][65][66] and rap rock[66][67] sound with influences and elements from hip-hop, alternative rock,[68] and electronica, utilizing programming and synthesizers. William Ruhlmann from Allmusic regarded it as "a Johnny-come-lately to an already overdone musical style,"[69] whereas Rolling Stone called "Breaking the Habit" "risky, beautiful art".[70]
In Minutes to Midnight the band experimented with their established sound and drew influences from a wider and more varied range of genres and styles, a process Los Angeles Times compares to a stage in U2's work.[71] In it, only two of the songs feature rapping, and the majority of the album can be considered alternative rock[72][73] rather than nu metal or rap rock. It is also their first studio album to feature guitar solos.
In concert the band has covered songs by artists as varied as The Cure, Deftones, Guns N' Roses, and Nine Inch Nails.[citation needed]
Linkin Park's use of two separate vocalists has become a large part of their music. Chester Bennington is most known for using screaming vocals common in various forms of metal and hardcore, while also using more melodic singing, and was placed 46th in Hit Paraders list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".[74]
Mike Shinoda is the group's MC and does all of the rapping. Mike has also done all of the backing vocals live, and in their latest album, Minutes to Midnight, he sings lead vocals on "In Between", "Hands Held High", and the B-side "No Roads Left". Shinoda has also been placed in Hit Parader's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists" at number 72.[74]
Band members
Chester Bennington performing at Sonisphere Festival in Kirjurinluoto, Pori, Finland.
Main article: List of Linkin Park band members
* Chester Bennington – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Rob Bourdon – drums
* Brad Delson – lead guitar
* Dave "Phoenix" Farrell – bass, backing vocals
* Mr. Hahn – turntables, programming, samples
* Mike Shinoda – rapping, vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Discography
Main article: Linkin Park discography
* Hybrid Theory (2000)
* Meteora (2003)
* Minutes to Midnight (2007)
Awards
Main article: List of Linkin Park awards
See also
Linkin Park portal
* List of best-selling music artists
* List of best-selling albums worldwide
References
1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o AskMen.com, Linkin Park – Biography Retrieved on March 20, 2007
2. ^ Verrico, Lisa (January 30, 2008). "Linkin Park". The Times. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/live_reviews/article3271745.ece. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
3. ^ Rock On The Net, Grammy Awards: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
4. ^ Rock On The Net Grammy Awards: Best Hard Rock Performance, Retrieved on June 14, 2006
5. ^ Recording Industry Association of America, RIAA Record Sales, Retrieved on June 13, 2007
6. ^ Soundspike.com, Album Chart: Linkin Park’s ‘Meteora’ shoots to the top, Retrieved on March 19, 2007
7. ^ Negri, Andrea (October 10, 2003). "22 greatest bands? Something 2 argue about". Houston Chronicle.
8. ^ Sinclair, Tom (March 28, 2003). "Meteora (2003)". Music Review (Entertainment Weekly). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,435104~4~0~meteora,00.html. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
9. ^ a b MSN Music, Linkin Park: Biography, Retrieved on June 14, 2007
10. ^ MacKenzie Wilson. "allmusic ((( Linkin Park > Overview )))". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jxfoxqykld6e. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
11. ^ a b MTV.com, Mike Shinoda Says 'No New Linkin Park Album In 2006 After All', Retrieved on June 9, 2007
12. ^ Powers, Ann (May 15, 2007). "Minutes to Midnight (Warner Bros.)". Pop Album Review (Los Angeles Times). http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/calendar/cl-et-linkin15may15,0,2089411.story?coll=cl-calendar. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
13. ^ Billboard.com, M2M holds the top slot for the current week, Retrieved on May 28, 2007
14. ^ a b Billboard.com, Linkin Park Scores Year's Best Debut With 'Midnight', Retrieved on May 28, 2007
15. ^ a b c "Linkin Park — band history and biography". http://www.popstarsplus.com/music_linkinpark_history.htm. Retrieved December 23 2007.
16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k MusicMight.com, Linkin Park – MusicMight Biography Retrieved on March 20, 2007
17. ^ Livedaily.com, LiveDaily Interview: Linkin Park’s Dave 'Phoenix' Farrell Retrieved on March 20, 2007
18. ^ a b c Lptimes.com, Band History Retrieved on March 20, 2007
19. ^ "Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory released October 24, 2000.". http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/linkin_park/hybrid_theory/. Retrieved December 23 2007.
20. ^ "Linkin Park fansite — Album release date". http://www.linkin-park.com/?pg=albums. Retrieved December 23 2007.
21. ^ United Stations Radio Network, Linkin Park's Grammy Noms Are Icing On The Cake Retrieved on March 26, 2007
22. ^ MTV.com, Linkin Park, P.O.D., Nickelback, More To Play LA’s KROQ Fest Retrieved on March 26, 2007
23. ^ United Stations Radio Network, Linkin Park’s 'Reanimation' Set For July 30 Retrieved on March 26, 2007
24. ^ Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park Remixes Chart With Number Two Debut Retrieved on March 26, 2007
25. ^ Warner Bros. Records, "The Making of Meteora" (2003) DVD, Released on March 25, 2003.
26. ^ MTV.com, Linkin Park Get Their Tempers Under Control To Complete New LP Retrieved on June 10, 2006
27. ^ Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park 'Meteora' Debuts At Number One, Sets Aside Tix For Military Retrieved on April 8, 2007
28. ^ Yahoo! Music, Linkin Park Says 'Faint' Is Equal To Other Songs Retrieved on April 8, 2007
29. ^ LAUNCH Radio Networks, Linkin Park Album Certified Triple Platinum Retrieved on April 8, 2007
30. ^ VH1.com, Linkin Park: Biography Retrieved on April 8, 2007
31. ^ a b Ringsurf.com, Linkin Park Awards Retrieved on April 4, 2007
32. ^ Semansky, Matt (February 13, 2006). "Mike Shinoda's Fort Minor Rise To The Occasion". Chart. http://www.chartattack.com/news/40464/mike-shinodas-fort-minor-rise-to-the-occasion. Retrieved November 17, 2008.
33. ^ Machine Shop, Fort Minor Biography Retrieved on April 23, 2007
34. ^ Rolling Stone, Linkin, Warner Feud Rages Retrieved on May 12, 2007
35. ^ Aversion, Linkin Park, Warner Bros. Kiss, Make Up Retrieved on May 12, 2007
36. ^ Special Operations Warrior Foundation: News and Events Archive[dead link]
37. ^ VoaNews, Linkin Park Launches Relief Fund for Tsunami Victims; Backstreet Boys to Release New Album Retrieved on May 12, 2007
38. ^ a b The Linkin Park Times, Live 8 Philadelphia 2005 Retrieved on May 12, 2007
39. ^ About.com, Jay-Z and Linkin Park to Mash-Up Onstage at the Grammys, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
40. ^ Linkinpark.com, Linkin Park, Fort Minor at Summer Sonic in Japan, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
41. ^ MTV.com, Mike Shinoda Says Linkin Park Halfway Done With New Album, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
42. ^ MTV.com, Linkin Park Say Nu-Metal Sound Is 'Completely Gone' On Next LP, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
43. ^ Warner Bros. Records, Fans Counting the 'Minutes' as Linkin Park Reveal Album Name and Release Date, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
44. ^ MTV.com, Linkin Park Finish Apocalyptic Album, Revive Projekt Revolution Tour, Retrieved on June 9, 2007
45. ^ Videostatic, MTV Adds for the Week of 4/2/07, Retrieved on December 19, 2007.
46. ^ Billboard.com, Artist Chart History - Singles Retrieved on June 9, 2007
47. ^ ShowBuzz.com, American Music Awards - Winners List, Retrieved on March 21, 2008.
48. ^ - "We Made It" Music Charts (Canada), aCharts. Accessed May 12, 2008
49. ^ Billboard.com, Linkin Park, Local Stars Kickstart Live Earth Japan, Retrieved on July 12, 2007
50. ^ a b Billboard.com, Linkin Park Plans Quick 'Midnight' Follow Up, Retrieved on February 13, 2008.
51. ^ Rollingstone.com, Linkin Park has already begun writing their next album, Retrieved on May 14, 2008.
52. ^ "Mike Shinoda / Blog". Mikeshinoda.com. http://www.mikeshinoda.com/blog/Linkin_Park-In_The_Studio/new_linkin_park_music-1. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
53. ^ "Chester Bennington / Blog". Cbennington.com. http://www.cbennington.com/2008/10/billboard-linkin-park-thinking.html. Retrieved October 29, 2008.
54. ^ Mike shinoda blog, In Studio: March 2009
55. ^ http://www.mikeshinoda.com/blog/gadgets__recommendations-in_the_studio-linkin_park_/protools_8_mike_in_the_studio
56. ^ Transformers 2: New Linkin Park Song and Score MikeShinoda.com April 24, 2009.
57. ^ Transformers Song Name MikeShinoda.com. May 7, 2009.
58. ^ Ditzian, Eric 'Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen' Soundtrack To Feature Linkin Park MTV News. May 7, 2009.
59. ^ Linkin Park Cooking Up Genre-Busting Album for 2010
60. ^ http://lptimes.com/news2009/june/news06222009.html
61. ^ http://lptimes.com/news2009/july/news07072009.html
62. ^ MacKenzie Wilson. "allmusic ((( Linkin Park > Overview )))". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jxfoxqykld6e. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
63. ^ Linkin Park review at Popmatters
64. ^ Linkin Park at NME
65. ^ Linkin Park at Rolling Stone
66. ^ a b Linkin Park review at IGN music
67. ^ Linkin Park at Allmusic
68. ^ Wilson, MacKenzie (2007). "Linkin Park Biography". Yahoo! Music. http://music.yahoo.com/ar-303254-bio--Linkin-Park. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
69. ^ Ruhlmann, William. Allmusic.com allmusic (((Hybrid Theory > Overview))):, Retrieved on May 30, 2007
70. ^ Rolling Stones Rolling Stone: Linkin Park: Meteora: Music Reviews:, Retrieved on May 30, 2007
71. ^ Calendarlive.com, Linkin Park releases new album: 'Minutes to Midnight' Retrieved on May 30, 2007
72. ^ IGN, Linkin Park - Minutes To Midnight, Retrieved on January 27, 2008.
73. ^ MetaCritic, Minutes To Midnight. Retrieved on January 27, 2008.
74. ^ a b RoadRunnerRecords.com, Rob Halford, Robert Plant, Bon Scott, Ozzy Are Among 'Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists' - December 1, 2006, Retrieved on December 5, 2007.
Further reading
* Saulmon, Greg. Linkin Park. Contemporary Musicians and Their Music. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2007. ISBN 1404207139.
* Baltin, Steve. From The Inside: Linkin Park's Meteora. California: Bradson Press, 2004. ISBN 0960357416.
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Monday, 19 October 2009
 |  |
Don Ross with his Oscar Graf seven-string guitar.
Photograph by Greg Holman.
From Acoustic Guitar Magazine, September 1999, No. 81
NANCY WILSON | DON ROSS
NANCY WILSON
Nancy Wilson depended on six- and 12-string Ovations to get her through the early years of melding acoustic playing with hard rock, and she still uses a 1992 Ovation she calls Burley. "I had to have an Ovation for big, live shows," she says. "There was no feedback; I was able to turn up the volume all the way and let the soundman tweak it."
Takamine guitars became another staple while Wilson was on the road with Heart. "I saw Pete Townsend using one and loved the sound of it," Wilson recalls. "I was looking for something other than an Ovation, because I craved that more acoustic sound. The Ovation is great for a more percussive sound, but it has its own distinctive place. The Takamine is really an all-around stage guitar. I just run it flat and all the way up." She currently uses an NP18C and an NP15C, both cutaways built of Indian rosewood with Sitka spruce tops.
When she recorded her premiere instrumental, "Silver Wheels" (Dog and Butterfly), Wilson played a "big, fat-bodied" Guild owned by Heart's then-producer Mike Flicker. In 1976, Vancouver-based luthier Ed Myronyk built Wilson a steel-string called the Libra Sunrise, on which she recorded "Mistral Wind." Reminiscent of a Martin D-28, the Sunrise guitar is made of Brazilian rosewood with a bear-claw spruce top. It's equipped with a Fishman pickup, and Wilson still takes it on the road (though reluctantly). "My Sunrise just gets better and better," she said.
Wilson also has a 12-fret Martin 12-string, model D12-45, made in 1974. Sometimes she strings the top E and B strings with double courses and leaves the rest of the strings as singles—a trick she picked up from Nashville. Her extensive guitar collection also includes the Lady, a small-bodied classical made in 1975 by German luthier Hermann Hauser; a small-bodied acoustic-electric built by Danny Ferrington; a wood and a steel National; and vintage Fender and Gibson lap steels.
Wilson runs her acoustic guitars into a Juice Box (a tube direct box made by Retrospec) and then straight into the mixer. She uses a Trace Elliot amplifier at home and on stage as an acoustic guitar monitor. She plays with heavy Dunlop Tortex picks and medium-gauge D'Addario phosphor-bronze acoustic strings.
Her well-worn collection of vintage electrics includes a Gibson ES-330 hollow-body, an original Flying V, a 1965 Fender Strat, and a late model Fender Thinline Telecaster. "The electric guitar is a totally different instrument to play, but you can get away with a somewhat similar feel to an acoustic if you play a Tele with heavier strings," she says. Her favorite electric is a vintage Les Paul Jr. modeled after an instrument built for Les Paul's wife. "It's a lady's size and has a lot of personality," Wilson says. Her preferred electric amps are a Marshall stack and a Mesa Boogie. "In the studio I like to use a Fender Twin Reverb and a Marshall combination," she says, "because you can get all of that drama and the fattest of sounds without playing so hard."
On the 1999 Ann and Nancy Wilson tour, Nancy is playing Takamines equipped with Fishman Matrix II under-saddle pickups as well as a 1979 Japanese-built mandolin, a close copy of her vintage Gibson mandolin, which stays at home. On some songs she used a flanger effects pedal on her guitars. A new addition to her touring rig is an Atomic Boot Box (built by her nephews Tohn and Reed Keagle) similar to the stomp board used by Chris Whitley, which provides a bass drum sound.
—Julie Bergman
Read an excerpt from the cover story about Nancy Wilson in Acoustic Guitar (September '99, #81).
Don Ross has used a number of guitars since he began playing, including his initial "plastic reject" and a Harmony Sovereign with "Mount Everest action." He has played Lowden guitars since 1981, and his current model is an 0-10, Lowden's original jumbo, with a cedar top and mahogany back and sides. Ross' seven-string is a custom Oscar Graf with an Engelmann spruce top and koa back and sides (Oscar Graf Guitars, PO Box 2502, Clarendon, ON K0H 1JO, Canada; [613] 279-2610; www.neteyes.com/graf). His latest acquisition is a Marc Beneteau baritone guitar (tuned down a fifth below standard), which has an Engelmann spruce top and padouk back and sides (Marc Beneteau, 109 Forest Ave., St. Thomas, ON N5R 2J8, Canada; [519] 633-6994).
Ross uses John Pearse medium-gauge strings and sets the action on his guitars on the low side. The Lowden and the Graf both use a combination of Bartolini soundhole humbucking pickups (Bartolini Pickups and Electronics, 2133 Research Drive #16, Livermore, CA 94550; [925] 4443-1037; www.bartolini.net) and Ring Music piezo transducers (www.ringmusic.com) wired together into a stereo endpin jack. The signals are split into mono for separate processing and run through either a Fishman or a T.C. Electronic preamp and then through individual channels on a Mackie 1202 mixer. From there they go through a Danelectro stereo chorus and a Lexicon LXP-1 and into a Fishman Acoustic Monitor amplifier. With this setup, Ross says, "The sound person just has to run two XLR cables out of the back of the amp and pan them hard left and right in the front of the house. Sounds yummy!"
—Ron Forbes-Roberts
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
