Re-invention Vs. Evolution: The Fight For Credibility
Posted May 16, 2007 — in KOAR Rants, Music News
As Linkin Park released their new album, Minutes To Midnight, a debate about re-invention arose in the KOAR camp. LP first hit in 2000 with the groundbreaking album Hybrid Theory. Although rap-rock was nothing new, they did it with a level of technical proficiency and originality the genre had never seen. By the time they released Meteora, they were established as a revolutionary band; one of the most creative and talented groups in mainstream rock. That was 4 years ago. Now, after going into the studio with Rick Rubin to ‘re-invent themselves,’ one can’t help but wonder why they’re fixing something that wasn’t broken.
The trouble that artists run into, especially those with a massive impact on pop culture, is that their sound is so closely associated with a time and place, staying true to what worked in the past may not work in the present or future. Artists in this position have 3 options: evolve, re-invent or call it a day. Of course, evolution is ideal. Fans who truly believe in an act want to know how much better the music can be when artists elaborate on what made them great and explore new corners of their potential previously unknown. Green Day, for example, surprised Dookie fans who thought they had a pop-punk formula by exploring anything and everything that tickled their musical fancy, even landing success with an acoustic ballad. Though their popularity waned temporarily over the years, they stuck to their guns and continued their evolution. The fans returned, bringing even more people with them, resulting in Green Day’s first #1 record in 2004. Green Day had the balls to redefine ‘3 chord punk’ and it paid off for them.
Linkin Park could have gone the way of Green Day, exploring what they’re really capable of and letting their musical curiosity lead them down a path of ingenuity, but they instead opted for re-invention. Madonna-style. Madonna has made her entire career on re-invention. The reason she is successful at it is because she operates in the pop world, where it’s here today and gone tomorrow. Constant change and endless marketing is crucial to achieving longevity for solo performers in the flash-in-the-pan world of Top 40. For most bands at that level, however, re-invention isn’t a realistic option. It can cheapen your past success and force you to lose relevance (e.g. Metallica).
The highly contested third option of ‘quitting‘ is not necessarily a bad thing. What’s wrong with stopping? It would be like if Clapton stuck with the Yardbirds or Peter Gabriel stayed in Genesis. Their individual legacy as musicians didn’t hinge on the success of one project, and it’s their collaborations with other great artists and involvment in a variety of projects that make their stories so rich and interesting. If Linkin Park never made another album after Meteora, would it have lessened their impact on rock music, or would it have been seen as going out on a high note? Would the individual members go on to create music with others that is just as important or even more so than what they made in Linkin Park? It’s never too late for that to happen, but is damage being done to the Linkin Park legacy by changing what the band is all about?
Evolution happens when natural musical instincts are followed down an unknown path. Re-invention is the conscious decision to change with a desired outcome in mind. Across the entirety of music, successful examples of both are plentiful, but the third option is not one to be overlooked. Ending one chapter allows a new one to begin. It’s evolution, but on the individual level rather than as a group. A group of creative people cannot be expected to travel down the same linear musical path indefinitely. There are twists and turns for every musician where numerous intersections and parallels should be allowed. Fear only stifles progress, so artists shouldn’t be afraid of where the unknown can take them.
AJ, KOAR
I’m glad you guys brought up LP because I’ve been thinking about the promotion going on for this album…its been crazy huge. They’ve used every medium physically possible. Is this the most heavily promoted rock album of this generation???I hope for someones sake this things goes 3x platinum, but I don’t see that happen. I can’t believe they’ve sold 40 million records, thats pretty impressive.
Comment by Jake — May 16, 2007 @ 2:27 pm
i have been waiting for this to get brought up. i think this was a big mistake on LP and i am one of their biggest fans. LP had a sound that brought out a certain emotion in me and that is why they are one of my favorites. but i have their new album and it does nothing for me. i will even tell you that the first single is great and if they were a new band that came out with that sound i would dig it. but because it is LP, a band that i have fallen in love with for OTHER reasons, i am left disapointed. I wish Chester would have came out and did his own thing with this style of music, because this retro alternative rock is not LP.
The truth is rap rock never died, it just sort of went away. If LP came out with another version of who they already were, they would have ahd huge success. But this album will flop, and will be the end of LP.
Bummer!!!!!
Comment by DB — May 16, 2007 @ 5:20 pm
in the fall of 1999 in chicago LP’s street team was handing out a 2 song cassette(yes a cassette)tape.at the time we just thought of LP as another new metal band.LP has stayed on the charts for all these years more so by making new fans as well as keeping some of the old.most bands that have been around longer than 5 years know that their fan base grows up and like most people taste in a style of music change.unless music takes a 360, LP should be around for a while.
Comment by larry anderson — May 16, 2007 @ 6:06 pm
i dunno but they need to go back to the drawing board … cause this CD simply sucks. its almost as bad as the new Finger Eleven CD.
Comment by Chris — May 16, 2007 @ 10:14 pm
The new album might not be as good as their previous work but it will sell.
Probably not 5M but it’ll go platinum in 3 weeks.
According to Hits they’re looking at 550k-600k in their first week which would be the highest debut of the year.
Comment by Dave — May 17, 2007 @ 9:46 am
It will sell and it’s not really that different. Same voices, similar guitar tones. It still sounds like Linkin Park and really they are the ones who should decide what they want to do. Bands have to talk about why their new album is different from the last so people will be curious to buy it. For Linkin Park it retains the core elements. If you don’t like the new songs it’s because of the writing, not the musical changes.
Comment by A2daC — May 17, 2007 @ 10:44 am
Of course Linkin will have a GREAT week. You dont see immediate effects of a bad record initially. You will see the consequences months from now and on the next record.
Comment by koar — May 17, 2007 @ 1:48 pm
People bad mouth nu-metal/rap rock. But remember when albums sold 1-2x plantinum instead of selling 5-600k? The music biz was a better time then. Selling 550k first week would of been 1.2M first week four years ago. The great producers of Don Gilmour, Jay Baumgardener, GGGarth, Andy Wallace, Mudrock, are pretty much getting less business…and I have no idea why. They can make catchy, solid hard rock records.
I like the new LP record. Its both heavy and clean. But I think I would like any LP record - maybe im in denial. lol It just might go 3x platinum, and will go 1x platinum in 3 weeks. They are a great band and can go in any direction.
It wouldn’t surprise me one iota to see them release a 4th “heavy” album in less then 18 months from now (like NIN did).
Comment by Yo Yo Yo — May 17, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
O come on now, it’s not great, but it’s not the new Finger Eleven. I couldn’t even make myself get through that one.
I think LP’s got a few more singles on this, but it just doesn’t even come close to the last 2 albums as far as staying power.
Comment by Dallas — May 17, 2007 @ 7:20 pm
The thing about veteran artists like LP, it’s hard to come out with a fresh sound without sounding like your previous albums. No artist wants to be told that they follow the same formula album after album. In music, you want to take risks and with risks you’ll discover new fans who didn’t like you before. I think that’s the direction LP was going for their new album. They’ve sold numerous records with their rap-rock sound and it appears as though they want to try something new and the real fans will stick by them. For a record label, it is good to follow the same formula because that’s what gives you the money. If LP’s label didn’t believe their new sound will work, then they wouldn’t have packaged their cds. I think all in all there’s nothing wrong with the direction LP is going with their new sound.
Comment by MP — May 18, 2007 @ 2:44 pm
A perfect example of a recent band’s sound evolving for the better is Brand New. They are so ahead of the game in their genre, but they don’t sell too many records. On the other hand, most of their U.S. tour dates have been selling out. They go from a pop-punk sound to two very mature and grown up, but unique rock albums. A bit of a harder sound, but yet still has something signature about the song writing that you still recognize to be theirs.
Artists are regular people. They have tend to change in taste and interests as they get older like the rest of us. Trust me, it is usually for the better.
Comment by Peter Merli — May 20, 2007 @ 5:49 am
I just heard the new LP disc yesterday for the first time…after reading all of the comments. BUT, I wanted to listen to the disc with an open mind and not have in the back of my head “This is Linkin Park.” (I had to force myself to do that, which seems like a paradox, but……) Guess what? I didn’t think the disc was that bad at all… I’m sure that if I had the preconceived notion that “This is Linkin Park I’m listening to” I would have hated the record. Yes I’m a fan of what they’ve done in the past. Do I think some of the sounds on the record are ‘trying’ to be a certain way? Yeah. But all in all, I give them credit for sticking their neck out there and trying something different. Maybe it will work, maybe it won’t, but at the end of the day, I didn’t think that the record was half bad….
Comment by Scott — May 23, 2007 @ 8:41 am
I’ve seen them in clubs the size of living rooms, and also have one of those cassettes from 1999 (was given to me at a Britney Spears show amusingly enough), and the new album has some strong catchy songs, some throwback tunes to reference the sound on their past albums, and a few forgettable tracks.
There is a lot worse to be bitching about. In this day and age one should be thankful this many people are buying music from people who actually write their own music.
Comment by List OfDemands — May 23, 2007 @ 5:14 pm