Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington dead at 41

Brerlappin wrote:

Drumstick wrote:Something else that has always struck me about Hybrid Theory is that each song on the album could justifiably be someone's favourite. This was particularly noticeable in school. In my immediate peer group there were 6 of us and each had a different favourite song on HT.

I can't even say that about my favourite album (I refuse to believe that Lounge Act could be anyone's favourite track on Nevermind!).

u wot m8. The bassline in lounge act is sublime

Yes, it is. I suppose someone could have it as their favourite song off Nevermind for that reason... I just find it difficult to see given the rest of the album. It's a good song that happens to be surrounded by anthems.

Back to Linkin Park, I got to see them shortly before they released Meteora. To be honest it wasn't ideal because nobody really knew the new tracks they played aside from Somewhere I Belong but they were very good. Just glad I got to see a decent amount of HT live.

Ste wrote:

Drumstick wrote:(I refuse to believe that Lounge Act could be anyone's favourite track on Nevermind!).

It's a contender for me!

Err

Its just crazy - Chester was so energetic at o2 brixton as he always is, but i guess he battled demons that he just could not overcome. Most of linkin park is about chester. Even if people don't like linkin park, he had one of the best live voices.

Honestly I never liked LP back in the day. I was just at the right age and surrounded by plenty that did though. So many sad people right now. Must have done something right for that to happen.

Moggy wrote:I’ve often thought that you should never release your best stuff first. Plenty of singers/bands release an amazing first single or first album and then can never ever live up to it and everything afterwards is a disappointment.

Write amazing stuff but hold onto it, start off by releasing above average/good stuff until you are reasonably popular and then release the amazing stuff so everyone shouts “OH MY GOD, I LIKED THEM BEFORE BUT NOW THEY ARE strawberry floating AMAZING!!”.

Use your weakest pick up line first so by the time the police arrive she might have started to like you.

Apparently, the songs Heavy and Halfway Right on the last album were written by him. Cry for help?

All you said to do was slow down
But I was already gone

I was a touch too old for them, but they certainly helped as a gateway band to heavier acts that I personally prefer. Hybrid Theory I recall wasn't overly complicated musically, but well produced and performed. A shame for a guy.

Buffalo wrote:I was a touch too old for them, but they certainly helped as a gateway band to heavier acts that I personally prefer. Hybrid Theory I recall wasn't overly complicated musically, but well produced and performed. A shame for a guy.

A lot of people seem to echo that - HT and Meteora were gateway albums to heavy music for millions of people, and I think Linkin Park will always be fondly remembered for that.

Eighthours wrote:
OK Computer was Radiohead's third album. I like bands that progress - the ones that peak immediately are frustrating lost potential. You SHOULD get better at something the more you do it! Take a band like Guillemots. I loved their first album, their second was a comparative abomination, then they were in the weeds. Other examples: Interpol, The Strokes. I'm sure there are plenty more. (Some wag'll say Muse. )

This is a bit OT, though. Maybe I'll make a thread.

I think for a lot of bands their first album is the best because it's when they have that raw youthful energy and is based on their life experiences before they have made it.

When they then become successful they no longer have anything meaningful/personal to write about.

Bloc Party went seriously downhill for me after Silent Alarm.

The Mail being as classy as ever.

Ste wrote:

Eighthours wrote:
OK Computer was Radiohead's third album. I like bands that progress - the ones that peak immediately are frustrating lost potential. You SHOULD get better at something the more you do it! Take a band like Guillemots. I loved their first album, their second was a comparative abomination, then they were in the weeds. Other examples: Interpol, The Strokes. I'm sure there are plenty more. (Some wag'll say Muse. )

This is a bit OT, though. Maybe I'll make a thread.

I think for a lot of bands their first album is the best because it's when they have that raw youthful energy and is based on their life experiences before they have made it.

When they then become successful they no longer have anything meaningful/personal to write about.

Bloc Party went seriously downhill for me after Silent Alarm.

Also, the first album is all their best ideas that they've built over however many years they've been a band. Second album is usually a couple of years later where they've had less time to develop those ideas.

Tomous wrote:

Ste wrote:

Eighthours wrote:
OK Computer was Radiohead's third album. I like bands that progress - the ones that peak immediately are frustrating lost potential. You SHOULD get better at something the more you do it! Take a band like Guillemots. I loved their first album, their second was a comparative abomination, then they were in the weeds. Other examples: Interpol, The Strokes. I'm sure there are plenty more. (Some wag'll say Muse. )

This is a bit OT, though. Maybe I'll make a thread.

I think for a lot of bands their first album is the best because it's when they have that raw youthful energy and is based on their life experiences before they have made it.

When they then become successful they no longer have anything meaningful/personal to write about.

Bloc Party went seriously downhill for me after Silent Alarm.

Also, the first album is all their best ideas that they've built over however many years they've been a band. Second album is usually a couple of years later where they've had less time to develop those ideas.

Iron Maiden were one of those bands that pulled this off really well. 1st and 2nd albums were already written material, Number of the Beast was all brand new stuff. It came together really well for them.

I think HT and Meteora are probably also their closest albums stylistically so in a loose sense they defined what people expect Linkin Park to sound like, they were both very much nu-metal (Meteora slightly less so) but then Minutes to Midnight went more towards alt rock, then A Thousand Suns was... I'm not even sure really, it was a bit all over the place.

This is how I choose to remember Chester:

Ste wrote:

Eighthours wrote:
OK Computer was Radiohead's third album. I like bands that progress - the ones that peak immediately are frustrating lost potential. You SHOULD get better at something the more you do it! Take a band like Guillemots. I loved their first album, their second was a comparative abomination, then they were in the weeds. Other examples: Interpol, The Strokes. I'm sure there are plenty more. (Some wag'll say Muse. )

This is a bit OT, though. Maybe I'll make a thread.

I think for a lot of bands their first album is the best because it's when they have that raw youthful energy and is based on their life experiences before they have made it.

When they then become successful they no longer have anything meaningful/personal to write about.

Bloc Party went seriously downhill for me after Silent Alarm.

BP are the perfect example of a fantastic first album followed by a jump off the cliff quality wise. Which only continued downwards with every subsequent album they released.

I haven't checked out anything beyond the first Bloc Party one. That was a good album, especially the first few songs.

I loved the drums on it. He was ridiculous.

A Weekend in the City was very good, after that they sucked.

Watching Scuzz's 2hr "RIP Chester Bennington" selection tonight (recorded from the other day) Every song is fantastic from the HT album right up to the latest. I never knew LP covered Adele's Rolling In The Deep till tonight either but turns out it's on the iTunes Festival 2011 EP I never knew existed till tonight. Rectified that instantly