"Session" - Song by Song, Let's Talk Linkin Park

Discussion in 'Linkin Park Chat' started by hawk, Jul 2, 2014.

  1. #1
    hawk

    hawk because the internet LPA Super VIP

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  2. #2
    Filip

    Filip god break down the door LPA Contributor

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    I love this idea.

    Papercut makes me wanna skate. Maybe because my first listens of the song were while I was learning to skate. Unfortunately, I fucking failed at it. Also works vice versa, skating (which I try again, anually) makes me want to listen to Papercut. Anyways an awesome song. ''I feel the light betray me'' remains one of my favorite LP lines.

    btw. If anyone else likes BMTH, this is Oli's fave track of all time, I think. Or at least favorite LP track, but they are his favorite band.
     
  3. #3
    Louis

    Louis Message me if you need to talk. We love you all. LPA Team

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    I think this is an interesting (and fun) idea, although I'm concerned about the volume of threads this will create. How do you plan on doing this? Will you condense this into one thread, or start multiple?

    To respond to the initial bit, I think "Papercut" has been one of Linkin Park's best album openers - to me ranking just above the "Foreword / Don't Stay" combo and falling just behind "Keys to the Kingdom." It's an interesting track-opener because it's a song that actually falls outside of the conventional song structures on Hybrid Theory and Meteora. Closing with a bridge-outro that gets over-layed with the chorus is very unusual in the context of the album, and so in that respect it really gives the song a lift as an opener. It's high-energy, and is one of the few songs from the band's early studio albums that truly demonstrates Mike's rapping talents.

    I also have to say that "Papercut" is a song that I feel Linkin Park has always performed well live. Granted, it's not a song that is vocally challenging for Mike or Chester, but I'm okay with that because it enables them to really execute the performance live. I genuinely love listening to the live track sometimes more than the studio track itself, something I can't say for the high majority of Linkin Park's discography.

    I also really like how well this song was remixed on Reanimation and how well it was mashed up with "Big Pimpin'" on Collision Course. It is just a very versatile song - one of the few from the band's early days that has real staying power.
     
  4. #4
    Rivendare

    Rivendare Well-Known Member

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    One of the best LP tracks. Love the intro, love the breakdown, love the hook. A+ song
     
  5. #5
    Erica

    Erica Meh LPA Über VIP

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    This song is so powerful that it turns the band's acoustic instruments into electric!

    I think this might have been my first track not one Meteor. I love it. The video is fucking prime time for crime time. Used to be one of my favorites. The BBC version is even better IMO.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2014
  6. #6
    Qwerty19

    Qwerty19 Well-Known Member

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    Cool idea!

    Papercut, it just have that instant classic vibe once the beat starts. I always loved the screams Chester do live during the verses. And Mike whispering throughout the song too. And the guitar-sounding synth. And the other creepy synth. And the bridge-outro.

    Simply a damn great track that summarizes pretty well the sound of 1996 - 2004 LP.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2014
  7. #7
    RyRy

    RyRy LPA VIP LPA VIP

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    I love the bass riff during the bridge. Also I remember, after hearing MTM for the first time, I borrowed HT and M from my friend. I can really clearly remember, when I was in 6th grade, putting the HT disc into my old PS3 and thinking, while the intro to Papercut came on, "oh shit, this band is definitely a keeper". Still like the song.
     
  8. #8
    Jesse

    Jesse Out of the abyss. LPA Über VIP

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    The melodies work really well live.
     
  9. #9
    Atticus

    Atticus Bullets lance the bravest lungs

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    Papercut has one of Linkin Park's all-time best intros for a song. When that piercing synth presents itself you just know the track is going to mean business. The dynamics between Chester and Mike are excellent with some of the best vocal chemistry between the two. Definitely one of the best live songs from the band as well. It's ALWAYS a highlight of the setlist.

    Honestly, ever since A Thousand Suns I've felt like Papercut is essentially a nu-metal version of The Catalyst. The way the song transitions into a brilliant, soaring finale in an unconventional manner is always such a pleasure to behold.
     
  10. #10
    Snail

    Snail LPA Super Member LPA Super Member

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    The bridge continues to give me chills everytime. Papercut is indefinitely one of the essential selections that showcases what the band is all about.
     
  11. #11
    Broman

    Broman Well-Known Member

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    Papercut is one of the biggest highlights of Linkin Park's career. As many have pointed out, this is one of those songs that Chester and Mike have been able to perform amazingly since its debut which is very surprising to say the least. I could go on to say that even today, I much prefer the live version to the album version because of the beautiful bridge they manage to pull off. Papercut is just one of those songs that LP can look back at, without having their opinions towards nu-metal interfere, and say, "yeah, we made that".
     
  12. #12
    Halfway Dwight

    Halfway Dwight We are the fortunate ones.

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    My second favorite album opener
     
  13. #13
    lime treacle

    lime treacle You are not alone Über Member

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    I love the song, one of the most special tracks from the early days.
     
  14. #14
    MagmaXtreme

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    This is a great idea, I think two days is too long though...

    Papercut was one of the songs that introduced me to this band, great opener. I really like the bridge on this one, it's less aggressive and feels more reflective. The rap on this is fantastic and the message really rings true concerning human nature.

    This is actually one of Chester's favourite songs to perform live, you can tell the band enjoys playing this one and it always rallies the crowd.
     
  15. #15
    Michele

    Michele Praise Brad Delson, our Lord and Savior. LPA Addict

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    "Its like i am paranoid"... :lol: This song just give me chills . Its my second favorite Album opener of LP. Love the intro and the music video . Its one of the best imo.
     
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  16. #16
    Justin V.

    Justin V. Professional Lurker

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    This song was the moment I knew I would love this band forever. I was kind of an outcast in school. Young black nerd who was into trance music, Nine Inch Nails and other "un-African American" things along with rap. I was just hitting middle school when this came out. I had found my best friends who I still have to this day. I found skateboarding. When this song kicked on it was like a piece that was missing was there. Like "THIS is my music!"

    When they released OSC it really didn't explain to people what Linkin Park was. THIS song did. Within 30 seconds you have the sick sample, catchy riff, Mr. Hahn and Mike's rap. And that melodic bridge!! Definitely one of the best openers. Reminds me of finally fitting in and skateboarding at 4am in abandoned grocery store parking lots.

    And live I love it. I love the little creepy whispers and screams Chester does behind Mike's rap.
     
  17. #17
    lovablepanda

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    Like others, its definitely one of my favorite songs to watch performed live. Their performance of Papercut at Roads to Revolutions is one of my personal favorite performances ever especially at the end.
     
  18. #18
    minuteforce

    minuteforce Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance. LPA Team

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    For me, the thing that sticks out the most about "Papercut" is its rhythms - drums, bass, guitars - and how the vocals and melodic elements play off the rhythmic elements. The sung vocals in the bridge glide over these jagged, syncopated instrumental parts and there's a chorus that comes over the top, and all it builds up right until the end ... and that whole part of the arrangement is definitely one of the most interesting things on "Hybrid Theory".

    The turntable scratching fits right in on this song, really belongs, which is something you can't really say for a lot of Linkin Park songs.

    I also like the little bass bit that happens in the fill right before the rapping chorus vocals return. That didn't get pointed out to me until a whole decade after I got into to the album.

    Lyrically, the first verse is okay but I like the second verse that little bit more. I guess I like the lyrics in the bridge too.

    The song is better live on the whole - like with many songs, seeing Bourdon drum is pretty cool, and Chester adding his screams during the verses is cool - but the bridge and final chorus suffer from having only two vocalists.
     
  19. #19
    Bawa

    Bawa Could wait to see tomorrow.

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    Really one of the "coolest" sounding songs they have ever made, the whole thing sounds very early-2000s, with the digital mess on top of Mike's rapping, Chester's psuedo-rapping during the chorus, the amount of Joe in the song is definitely what makes it shine. Excellence is reached when the song enters the bridge.

    Definitely starts an excellent album on a incredibly high note, definitely the right choice for the opener.
     
  20. #20
    hawk

    hawk because the internet LPA Super VIP

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    a single thread.

    thanks everyone for contributing so far. :)
     

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