I think it's pretty good. Aside from some of the songs being too short, the instrumentation and creativity is very satisfying. Order of songs, best to worst; 01:: Points Of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer (9.5/10) 02:: Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying From You (9/10) 03:: Jigga What?/Faint (9/10) 04:: Numb/Encore (8.5/10) 05:: IZZO/IN The End (8/10) 06:: Big Pimpin'/Papercut (8/10) Some people just expect too much. It IS just a Mash-up album, so don't tell me I can't use that excuse. This was not a remix album. If some songs were done better than others, then that does not mean they're remixes. That means they turned out better. Some people say some songs weren't put together right, but if it had been done another way, other fans would've been disappointed on the other side of the spectrum. You can't please everyone with these Mash-up albums. 'Collision Course' is a valiant effort from Linkin Park and we should all be happy we're getting (semi-)new material. It's something we've never heard before and I'd give LP an A+ for creativity and not being afraid to take their sound to new places. Maybe some of you are suffering from withdrawl from the standard LP formula. There weren't many climatic bridges at the end of songs, so maybe you guys missed them. Final Score: 9/10.
Linkin Park is not a rock band. There is no genre that they follow so you are going to get a huge span of types of music they make. It's really too bad that some people only like one specific type of music. If you can keep an open mind about music you will both respect and enjoy a lot more of the stuff that gets produced. And to say you expected a lot more from a side project such as CC (a 6 track album mind you) is a joke. To say you expected more from a friggen LPU CD is just plain nuts. The other 90% of the industry sounds exactly the same album after album and doesn't evolve or try new things, don't expect LP to lower itself to that level. Edit: And Derek, using the valuses that you gave each song, the average is still 7.66 overall. I'm not sure where 6.0 came from. Also, don't be surprised if the new LPU CD doesn't go 10x platinum. As Mike says in Izzo/In The End, "This is fun"; they weren't trying to revolutionize music on this.
Yeah guys, c'mon, you have to remember, none of this was a remix. They used the same samples from their music, but they created a much more advanced structure for majority. The stuff you hear in Big Pimpin'/Papercut and Izzo/In The End is what mash-ups COULD and SHOULD have been. Hell, Mike didn't even need to re-record his verses for Izzo/In The End. They coulda' just distorted it and stretched the vocals out. You guys have to stop thinking that this was going to be Reanimation-style stuff. As much as we expect Linkin Park to produce innovative material, we can't expect everything they do to be innovative. Live In Texas, Reanimation and now CC, these are just stuff we as fans should appreciate. If Reanimation, LIT and CC never came out, we would have NOT had anything from Hybrid Theory to Meteora and on, and an artist can't just keep pumping out new material over and over if they're touring and such. I think the biggest mistake people are looking at this as is it is indeed a mash-up and I can use that excuse all I want because it is true. I don't know if LP ever promised Reanimation-style songs, so I don't think we should just assume it's going to have those types of elements. I am personally loving CC. It's very awesome to see artists colliding like this. The thing that amazed me the most is that they did take extra steps with their songs, and they didn't have to. Mash-ups do not need re-recordings, they don't usually get extra additions beat-wise or anything and sound pretty cheap. I'm going with Mark on this and saying I think people just expected way too much of this. It was a fun side project and we should be happy they're even giving us new stuff. It may not be new songs, but at least we get to hear our favorites in some new way, we don't have to look at it as a re-hash. But I guess we all look at this differently, so I can't be quick to say my way of thinking is right. I am disappointed with song length, I think they should have extended the songs, having the opportunity to incorporate two set of lyrics. The only disappointment aside from song length was one re-recording and that was for OSC with the screaming. It's odd to hear this awesome new re-recording of the first verse of 99 Problems and then it pretty much just plays out. I'm still fine with the album, it's not the best material I've heard, but it's still something I would listen to because I in fact think this takes the oldies and the newer stuff I like and hearing them be fused is just amazing, maybe I just don't see it happen often, but something like this doesn't happen too often. Don't get me wrong, I think in some ways Linkin Park is really taking bad turns by prolonging any new music of their own and stuff, but I appreciate everything they're giving to us, and I don't think I'm brainwashed. Maybe I'm just more accepting to the content they give us, or what, but I think that CC is going to look good with my other collection of LP merch. *shrugs* Meh, I guess we're just all different, lol.
Sure, but I guess out of those 99 problems making YET ANOTHER REHASH ALBUM aint one. Think about it Live In Texas, Reanimation and CC. What is going on here? Yup you heard it, yet another way to milk their OLD MUSIC without actually delivering new shit to the fans. Look at LPU4, its mostly live tracks! How sad is that? No offense man but are you that brainwashed that you can't see LP are messing up left and right? I mean shit, this is starting to get pathetic now! [/b][/quote] I don't look at it as "milking" their music to get money, Derek. This was a little something extra for the fans -- it was not a Reanimation masterpiece or another album with lots of hardwork -- it was a quickie for shits and giggles. It's not a monumental CD -- it's just a little extra. Don't like it? Don't buy it! But don't judge the entire bands hard work and fan dedication on it. Please, Derek, I know you have to love Linkin Park more than that. So album 2 wasn't as good -- it happens to many bands -- it's a curse. And 3.0 wasn't good 'cause they didn't have time -- they were touring non-stop! Summer Sam, Europe, World Tour...but I think this time around for 4.0, we're getting some decent goodies.
I completely agree. Enough with the "One more screw up" thing because I don't think anything was a screw up. Loads of my friends who hated LP loved them after Meteora because of the lyrics and it's not that heavy for them. If it's not your style, don't buy it.
I love LP a lot like you said. It's just they haven't truly "wowed" me for a long time. Yes the HBMS track produced a lot of wows, but that wasn't a new LP song. I want a new LP song man because I want to feel that magic I get, everytime I hear a new song by them the first time. Surely you know what I mean, its that adrenaline rush you get when you hear Faint for the first time or those crunching riffs of Hit The Floor. And I'll be honest and say CC is more enjoyable as you listen to it more, but even so I cant help but be hungry for new material.
I think that's how it is for a lot of artists and their fans.. the fans are always hungry for something new...
I get ya' Derek. You were expecting to get that rush like when you hear a new LP track and since you didn't get it, you're disappointed and hunger for new material more than ever. I totally understand man.
I've heard the whole album I really like jigga what/faint and poa /osc /99problems , But izzo /in the end and big pimpin /papercut where kinda disapoiting and the songs were to short < i really enjoyed reanimtion more ,but is just to give the fans some music before witing for the next ablum i give this album a 6.5 for the new lpu cd I think it's great 2 new tracks, welle I kinda compared to lpu 3 it couldn't get worse then that, But an new hip hop track and a new instrumental sounds great^^ , The new album Even when i tought this was a bit disapoiting I'm really looking forward to it , and most of the side project mike did are fun
Sure, but I guess out of those 99 problems making YET ANOTHER REHASH ALBUM aint one. Think about it Live In Texas, Reanimation and CC. What is going on here? Yup you heard it, yet another way to milk their OLD MUSIC without actually delivering new shit to the fans. Look at LPU4, its mostly live tracks! How sad is that? No offense man but are you that brainwashed that you can't see LP are messing up left and right? I mean shit, this is starting to get pathetic now! [/b][/quote] Um...I think LPU 4.0 will have new collaborations, but I think you're also right...it will have live tracks from LPs and Jay-Zs concerts.
Turns out this album is growing on me, just like any other LP album. I find myself rapping what I know in my car, and the beats just get me going. Keep in mind, LP and Jay-Z did this in just four days, considering it was done back when LP was on tour still (I think). The only thing that disappoints me the most is the lack of songs on the CD. All my friends were like, "There's only six songs?" I was hoping maybe all or most of Meteora would have been done. Oh well, still a good CD.
i totally agree to derek. Lying From You: 7/10 nice mash-up, thats what it's meant to be actually, but boring because of the simple instrumentation. Papercut: 2/10 totally uncreative. just took the vocal from papercut, made them fit and ended the song with big pimpin' as it appears on jay-z's album. Faint: 7/10 again a nice mash-up, but they could have cut the drum intro from faint because the song gets a feeling of being put together. cool rap from jay-z. too much lp at the end. Numb: 9/10 best song on the album. they mixed the songs and remixed them a bit, which turned out as a really great beat. jay-z's rap fits perfect. In The End: 7/10 freaking funny und well done. lp's re-recorded vocals make them fit more into izzo. instead of starting with linkin park and ending up with jay-z (papercut), they reversed the order which i like. nice song for chilling. Points Of Authority / One Step Closer: 9/10 the second best song. rapping is allright, but i dont like 2 things. 1. one step closer starts like faint, complete. why didnt they cut the intro and started directly with the main riff. it would have a lot more impact on the listener (jay-z: "hit me" and then the riff starts). 2. a re-recording of chesters vocals would have given the end a better feeling. so it's like "ok, let's put a bit hybrid theory version at the end to make it longer" Overall: 40/60 to my mind it's their worst release, fighting with live in texas.
Here's my review: 01. Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying From You — 3/5 This is the second best song on the album, only because it just sounds so cool. The only problems I have with it are the facts that the instrumentation gets repetitive and that there's too much LP at the end. 02. Big Pimpin'/Papercut — 1/5 This song ruined the best song on Hybrid Theory. It sounds way, way too happy and is overall just a very annoying track. I don't like it very much at all. Very uncreative, as Trumtram said. 03. Jigga What?/Faint — 1/5 Again, like Trumtram says, it sounded like they just put this song together without even trying. It's slightly better than "Big Pimpin'/Papercut", but barely. Too much LP at the end. 04. Numb/Encore — 2.5/5 This is the third best on the album, which isn't saying much since there's only six songs. I like the way it sounds, because it sounds like the only "true" mash on the album. It's slightly remixed which makes it a little better. It would've been cooler had it had more LP at the beginning. 05. Izzo/In The End — 1/5 Another great song from Hybrid Theory ruined. Even more uncreative that "Jigga What?/Faint" and "Big Pimpin'/Papercut". It's like they didn't even try on this one. All they did was put the first verse of "In The End" on top of the "Izzo" instrumental. 06. Points Of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer — 4.5/5 Now this is a mash! This is one of the best songs I've ever heard with Linkin Park's name branded onto it. The only fault I can find is that it sounds like they just "attached" "One Step Closer" to the end, but it's perfect aside from that. I love how Mike raps Jay's verse at the beginning, and I love how Jay and Mike go back and forth during the second verse. Overall the most creative and best track on the album, even if it is a little repetitive during the instrumentation in the "Points Of Authority" section. Overall: 2.1/5... not very good.
More work. It's as if they didn't even want to try with this. Half of the songs are very unoriginal. Just slapping the acapella from a Jay-Z song on top of a Linkin Park instrumental isn't original at all. That's just lazy. I could do that in Acid Pro in 5 minutes and have it sound JUST AS GOOD. Bottom line: They should've tried a bit harder like they did on Reanimation, because Collision Course sounds very half-assed.
I agree with you, Will, but like I said before, it wasn't meant to be a Reanimation album. Collision Course is a decent CD -- it has so much potential to be so much more, but it's not bad the way it is now. BTW, anyone know when they went into the studio to mash-up the studio tracks?
I swear, doesn't anyone like Papercut/Big Pimpin', Izzo/In The End and Jigga What/Faint?! I feel so out of place... Oh well, I guess we all got our own opinions... But I personally like hearing Jay-Z and LP mixed up a bit...
Keaton, I love Big Papercuttin', as I like to call it. And Jigga What/Faint is awesome. Overall, I'd give this CD a B+.