Haters & Believers: A Thousand Suns Release

haters got PWNED

 

It's a sad day when musicians have to defend their art because people feel the need to state things like "this is a sell-out album" just because of sytlistic changes.
This is exactly why all Nickleback songs sound exactly the same. Because GOD FORBID a band has any form of artistic growth the immediate accusitory reaction of the listeners is: "lolsellouts".
I've been listening in since Hybrid Theory EP and I think it's great that if I were to play only Linkin Park on my ipod I have a huge variety of sounds and styles to listen to.
Saying that ATS sucks because it's a new sound is like saying that a person sucks because they start wearing different clothes. You can like what you like or dislike what you dislike but that doesn't mean any of it is necessarily "better" than anything else. It's an opinion.
We're all growing up; the entire fanbase. And the band is growing too. I think that's one of the many great things about Linkin Park and why they will probably stand the test of time.

 

THIS. Every single time I see any small change in a group's sound the immediate reaction from the masses (be it last.fm, youtube, myspace) is "sellouts."

I would really like to see this come true. How cool it'd be to see Linkin Park playing some 10 years from now with another 3 releases under their belt, and still goin strong.

 

Thing is though, as Derek just got done pointing out, the hate is not going to stop. We're literally going to have to live with seeing a ton of hate on nearly every YouTube video, Myspace comment, last.fm comment, etc. Lets just say that half of LP's fan's haven't enjoyed the new direction their going in, that's some what 25 million listeners?

We're never again going to be able to avoid the hate, so in response what should we do. Ignore it. Ignore them. Completely, there's no point in ever arguing with the majority of these people online (if its an LP fan board thats an entirely different thing).

Remember the hate isn't going to stop anytime soon, and we'll literally just have to ignore it, and enjoy the band for what we enjoy them for.

 

If they are sellouts, trust me: I will buy!! In a heartbeat!!

Most of these rugrats don't think when it comes to LP and their music!

 

May I say you have quite the interesting avatar. (sorry OT just had to)

 

I don't know why he even bothered typing all that up. He's just going to get ripped now. I wouldn't be surprised of some elitist hater of LP (that was a former LP fan) went out of his way to jut down every little detail out to make Mike Shinoda look like an ass in this post. From interviews / reviews / and band direction. I 75% agree with what he said but there's room there to get at them. I think it was best if he just let the stuff dwindle on it's own. It's never wise to meddle with fan affairs.

And I say this with one of the biggest flaws in the whole post:

How the fuck u gonna write a song say it's that, then have the whole crowd that he's very well saying "has been rewarded" to tell the haters "try to catch up motherfuckers" that most of yall keep preaching to everyone that keeps bitchin and whinning that the old LP is dead and now cuz ur god "Mike Shinoda" says that's not the msg, it's all good and gravy?



..Fuck outofherewithtatbullshit... that song is written in stone! That shit is gonna get more airplay than his thought out "we love and respect our fans of all eras "

 

Win. Nice message Pops. Lol

 

Agreed with this as well. He's nearly begging those who are well versed in music and writing to come at him. It may have been best not to even put this out, and also there's a little bit of a pretentious attitude flowing through it. Almost as if saying "the music is good, you people just need to open your ears." Mind you I now enjoy ATS (I'll go into this another time )

 

When They Come For Me (I'm assuming that's the main thing in question here) isn't about them being pissed off at their old fans in the first place. At the most it's about people who have a certain attitude to their music and it changing vs it staying the same. That's it. Unfortunately certain fans are probably already twisting it into a license to whinge about things that aren't even there. And what's rational thought and logic and actually paying attention to what's being said when you can just have a good old moan?

 

Derek I did say it in the past; sales. Reaction and results. The whole post screams "we don't care " but in reality they do care. Best place to hide a lie is right after a truth. There was no reason to write this, not even Meteora led to him talking in this manner, it's obvious he's not quite happy with the #s (as I did say 244k and almost beating a newcomer, a DAMN NEWCOMER Trey Songz isn't an achievement), and the fact I've yet to see them make "free music" (because even if the underground stuff you have to be a members, u got a dumbass person like Weezy, shellin out mixtapes which are free. ) at least giving music away. If you like making music, MAKE music.. give it out in all formats and then go BIG on the album. That concept doesn't seem to go well with LP. I always hear they come to the studio with 100 songs, and then dwingle to 15. Whatever if they don't personally "like it" it's MUSIC. we just wanna hear IT.

I am not surprised by any of this to be honest and only expect more crap to come down the pipeline. This album is good, but commercially I knew it would hurt their integrity. This is a reality he has to accept as well, and I have a funny little feelin he's having a hard time coming to terms with it.

Troy isn't that the same message? The people with the attitude, being the old fans? The very same variables being spoken here?

 

See why I look up to these people? Thank you Mike. And Amen to that. I couldn't ask for anything more as a fan!

 

It's not the same message. Old fans =/= fans who want each album to sound the same.

 

Why not? A fan is a fan. Whether it be an old fan or a fan of just their music. That "fan" is wanting the album to sound the same / or replicate a similar formula. The msg is still being conveyed to those individuals and replayed back. I don't get how it's different.

 

Hahaha, eveything is such a controversy with Linkin Park fans.

I feel sorry for the band sometimes.

 

Everyone is totally missing the real point of this post from Mike i.e. He's finally admitted that ATS is a concept album!

But seriously...

Brilliant blog from Mike!
I've been a fan since HT and when I first listened to ATS, I gotta be honest and say I didn't like it.

Was I gonna dismiss ATS and subsequently LP after just one listen??? Of course not, that would be just plain stupid!

So I listened to ATS again & again & again....and after several (understating it), listens, I learned to appreciate and love ATS for what it is and for what it is NOT!

Like all other albums I have, not just LP albums, there are some songs I like and some I don't.

I thank LP for making ATS and having the balls to do what they wanted to and what makes them happy!

I look forward to many more LP albums in the future no matter what "genre" they may be!

 

Why? This is whom the cater too lol. This is the pool of people they attract. Can't be helped. Maybe they should focus more on making music with instruments and not heavily relying on digital shortcuts, just my opinion lol.

 

My point is that being an old fan doesn't automatically mean you want all of their albums to sound the same, just like if you're a new fan you might not like the direction they're going in. How long you've been a fan is incidental here - it's about the attitude you have towards their music. It's the idea that they should still sound as they did about a decade ago that's being criticised. It's far from them saying they hate their old fans.

 

I never said anything about hating their old fans, and what u said in the first sentence is also not something I am going with either, but what you did say about the attitude is what I am applying to here. The "idea" it's something that's carried to fans in generals, I just used the basis of the "old fan" as an example as it's what the song has led to and what it's most likely portraying. As the people this is mostly affecting are those individuals. Even if the song's msg wasn't "directly" written for them, it was written for the person that has a bone / attitude to pick with the sound. Indirectly.. being "the old fan". Which they were fully aware of and now are just covering up with a bunch of "we love you guys as well "