Linkin Park "Reanimation" Album

	Title: Reanimation Format: Album Label: Warner Brothers Released: 2002-07-30
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Tracklisting & Lyrics

Reviews

The remix album -- the time-honored tradition of buying time between records. Often, these are inconsequential affairs (Limp Bizkit's New Old Songs leaps to mind, for some reason), but if a band is smart, they can use this time-buying ploy to their advantage, redefining their sound somewhat, or at least reaching out for that elusive street credibility. The latter option is especially true for bands that have a big, big chart hit on their hands but little critical respect or reputation as a hip band. Which brings us to Linkin Park's Reanimation, a generous 20-track remix record of their debut Hybrid Theory that the band has vaguely alluded to as their art project. That means the group has left the hamfisted alt-metal of their debut behind, turning this record over to rappers, remixers, DJs, and assorted producers to give it a darkly hip, electronic edge. This may not be particularly pleasing to those who loved the angst-ridden rock theatrics of the debut, but it's a damn sight more interesting than that debut, helping Linkin Park distinguish themselves from the adolescently tortured rap-rock pack. The paradox is, of course, that the band sounds more original when filtered through the likes of Kutmasta Kurt, Alchemist, Pharoahe Monch, Aceyalone, and Jonathan Davis, among others, but any change is welcome, really (well, apart from the apparent decision to leave grammar and spelling behind; every song title is an "arty" interpretation of the original title -- "Paper Cut" is "Ppr:Kut," "Cure for the Itch" is "Kyur4 th Ich," etc. -- resulting in a silly mish-mash of letters and numerals). Some of this works quite well, some of it is kind of juvenile (really, does Motion Man need to repeat "Linkin Park -- remix" over and over again on his rap?), much of it is only slightly recognizable from the original, it's too long, and compared to contemporary arty rock (Radiohead, Flaming Lips, Clinic, Trail of Dead, System of a Down, Interpol, etc.), it really isn't that arty. But, compared to what they've done before, and compared to their peers, Reanimation is arty and a welcome step in the right direction. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide.

Reanimation is the evil twin of Linkin Park's 2000 debut, Hybrid Theory. While plotting their next studio album, the Southern California band enlisted some of aggro rock's leading lights, as well as some of the more enlightened underground MCs and producers, to slice and dice all the songs on their debut (including a few bonus cuts that made it to their Japanese release). Linkin Park allowed their special guests--including Korn's Jonathan Davis, Staind's Aaron Lewis, Orgy's Jay Gordon, the Roots' Black Thought, and Jurassic 5's Chali 2NA--to run riot through their songbook, tweaking melodies, writing new lyrics, and sometimes changing the entire intent of the originals. As a result, this collection of 20 songs is Mr. Hyde to Hybrid Theory's Dr. Jekyll. Most of Linkin Park's atmospheric and melodic moments have ended on the cutting-room floor--along with the self-consciousness that pervaded many of the songs--replaced with a brash impudence that's more rap than rock. Chali 2NA entirely changes the landscape on "Forgotten," shape-shifting the song into an alien being dubbed "Frgt/10," which takes you to a dark, desolate place with only your own disturbed thoughts and some electronic bleeps for company. And that's enough. This is a masterful art project that truly succeeds. ~Jaan Uhelszk, Amazon.com.

We live in an age of "Instant Nostalgia" where awards shows are talked about as treasured memories only seconds after the final superstar has trounced the red carpet. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that Nu-Metal avatars Linkin Park have managed to scrape together an album by letting their contemporaries "re-interpret" their voluminous career (that's one album, Hybrid Theory, and a couple of EPs and bonus tracks, folks) with a set of remixes. The guests, however, read like a who's who of modern rock and rap: Korn's Jonathan Davis, Staind's Aaron Lewis, Orgy's Jay Gordon, Jurassic 5's Chali 2na, and the Roots' Black Thought, among the chosen. The remixes are extremely liberal, cutting and pasting with little regard for the originals in question. New lyrics, new melodies interrupt LP's actual ideas as if they weren't even there. In essence, it's hardly a Linkin Park album. So, when's the live version coming, guys? ~Rob O'Connor, LAUNCH.