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Linkin Park|Minutes to Midnight

Minutes to Midnight

Linkin Park

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Damned if they do, damned if they don't -- that was the conundrum facing Linkin Park when it came time to deliver Minutes to Midnight, their third album. It had been four years since their last, 2003's Meteora, which itself was essentially a continuation of the rap-rock of their 2000 debut, Hybrid Theory, the blockbuster that was one of the biggest rock hits of the new millennium. On that album, Linkin Park sounded tense and nervous, they sounded wiry -- rap-rock without the maliciousness that pulsed through mock-rockers like Limp Bizkit. Linkin Park seemed to come by their alienation honestly, plus they had hooks and a visceral power that connected with millions of listeners, many of whom who were satisfied by the familiarity of Meteora. They may have been able to give their fans more of the same on their sophomore effort, but Linkin Park couldn't do the same thing on their third record: they would seem like one-trick ponies, so they'd be better off to acknowledge their advancing age and try to mature, or broaden their sonic palette. Yet like many other hard rockers, they were the kind of band whose audience either didn't want change or outgrew the group -- and considering that it had been a full seven years between Hybrid Theory and Minutes to Midnight, many fans who were on the verge of getting their driver's license in 2000 were now leaving college and, along with it, adolescent angst.
So, Linkin Park decided to embrace the inevitable and jumped headfirst into maturity on Minutes to Midnight, which meant that poor Mike Shinoda was effectively benched, rapping on just two songs. In many ways, it seems like even the guitarists were benched this time around, since Minutes to Midnight doesn't really rock, it broods. Apart from a handful of ringers -- "Given Up," the Shinoda-fueled "Bleed It Out," easily the best, most visceral track here -- this is quiet, atmospheric stuff, dabbling with electronic textures that were cutting edge in 1996 but sound passé now. Also sounding passé are the tortured musings of lead singer Chester Bennington, who still is tormented by love, loss, family, any number of items that sound convincing coming from a man in his early twenties, but not so much so when the thirties are approaching rapidly. And yet the way Bennington and his mates, shepherded by producer Rick Rubin, try to sound mature isn't always convincing, either, possibly because it sounds like a skate punk uncomfortably trying on his big brother's suit. They have the chops to rock, and when they deign to do so on Minutes to Midnight they sound comfortable, they sound right, but too often they run away from this core strength.

© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

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Minutes to Midnight

Linkin Park

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1
Wake (Album Version)
00:01:40

Rick Rubin, Producer - Neal Avron, Mixer, Engineer - BRAD DELSON, Band Member, Background Vocals - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Band Member, Vocals - JOSEPH HAHN, Band Member, Writer - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - MIKE SHINODA, Producer, Band Member, Vocals - Phoenix, Band Member, Background Vocals - ROB BOURDON, Band Member, Background Vocals - Mr. Hahn, Background Vocals - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - Erich Talaba, Pro Tools - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Phillip Broussard, Jr., AssistantEngineer - dave collins, Engineer, Masterer - Phillip Broussard, Engineer - Chester Charles Bennington, Writer - David Michael Farrell, Writer - Michael Kenji Shinoda, Writer - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Vocals - Bradford Philip Delson, Writer - Robert Gregory Bourdon, Writer - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

2
Given Up (Album Version) Explicit
00:03:09

Rick Rubin, Producer - Neal Avron, Mixer, Engineer - BRAD DELSON, Band Member, Background Vocals - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Band Member, Vocals - JOSEPH HAHN, Band Member, Writer - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - MIKE SHINODA, Producer, Band Member, Vocals - Phoenix, Band Member, Background Vocals - ROB BOURDON, Band Member, Background Vocals - Mr. Hahn, Background Vocals - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - Erich Talaba, Pro Tools - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Phillip Broussard, Jr., AssistantEngineer - dave collins, Engineer, Masterer - Phillip Broussard, Engineer - Chester Charles Bennington, Writer - David Michael Farrell, Writer - Michael Kenji Shinoda, Writer - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Vocals - Bradford Philip Delson, Writer - Robert Gregory Bourdon, Writer - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

3
Leave Out All The Rest (Album Version)
00:03:29

Suzie Katayama, Cello - Armen Garabedian, Violin - Larry Corbett, Cello - Charlie Bisharat, Violin - Neal Avron, MixingEngineer - BRAD DELSON, Writer - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Lead Vocals, Writer - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - MIKE SHINODA, Writer - ROB BOURDON, Writer - Oscar Hidalgo, Bass Guitar - DAVE FARRELL, Writer - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Joe Hahn, Writer - Andrew Picken, Viola - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Josefina Vergara, Violin - Julian Hallmark, Violin - Mario DeLeon, Violin - Natalie Leggett, Violin - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Sara Parkins, Violin - Songa Lee-Kitto, Violin - dave collins, MasteringEngineer - Phillip Broussard, AssistantEngineer - Gerardo Hilera, Violin - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Backing Vocals - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Arranger, Backing Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Arranger, Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Backing Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer - David "Dave" Campbell, Conductor, Arranger - Matthew "Matt" Funes, Viola

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

4
Bleed It Out (Album Version) Explicit
00:02:44

Rick Rubin, Producer - Neal Avron, Mixer, Engineer - BRAD DELSON, Band Member, Writer, Background Vocals - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Band Member, Vocals, Writer - JOSEPH HAHN, Band Member, Writer - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - MIKE SHINODA, Producer, Band Member, Vocals, Writer - Phoenix, Band Member, Background Vocals - ROB BOURDON, Band Member, Writer, Background Vocals - DAVE FARRELL, Writer - Mr. Hahn, Background Vocals - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - Erich Talaba, Pro Tools - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Phillip Broussard, Jr., AssistantEngineer - dave collins, Engineer, Masterer - Phillip Broussard, Engineer - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Vocals - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

5
Shadow of the Day (Album Version)
00:04:49

David Campbell, Conductor - Suzie Katayama, Cello - Rick Rubin, Producer - Armen Garabedian, Violin - Matt Funes, Viola - Larry Corbett, Cello - Charles Bisharat, Violin - Charlie Bisharat, Violin - Neal Avron, Mixer, Engineer - BRAD DELSON, Band Member, Background Vocals - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Band Member, Vocals - JOSEPH HAHN, Band Member, Writer - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - MIKE SHINODA, Producer, Band Member, Vocals - Phoenix, Band Member, Background Vocals - ROB BOURDON, Band Member, Background Vocals - Oscar Hidalgo, Guitar, Upright Bass - Mr. Hahn, Background Vocals - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Andrew Picken, Viola - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - Erich Talaba, Pro Tools - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Gerry Hilera, Violin - Josefina Vergara, Violin - Julian Hallmark, Violin - Mario DeLeon, Violin - Natalie Leggett, Violin - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Phillip Broussard, Jr., AssistantEngineer - Sara Parkins, Violin - Songa Lee-Kitto, Violin - dave collins, Engineer, Masterer - Phillip Broussard, Engineer - Gerardo Hilera, Violin - Chester Charles Bennington, Writer - David Michael Farrell, Writer - Michael Kenji Shinoda, Writer - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Vocals - Bradford Philip Delson, Writer - Robert Gregory Bourdon, Writer - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Arranger, Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Arranger, Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer - David "Dave" Campbell, Arranger - Matthew "Matt" Funes, Viola

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

6
What I've Done (Album Version)
00:03:25

Rick Rubin, Producer - Neal Avron, Mixer, Engineer - BRAD DELSON, Band Member, Writer, Background Vocals - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Band Member, Vocals, Writer - JOSEPH HAHN, Band Member - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - MIKE SHINODA, Producer, Band Member, Vocals, Writer - Phoenix, Band Member, Background Vocals - ROB BOURDON, Band Member, Writer, Background Vocals - DAVE FARRELL, Writer - Mr. Hahn, Background Vocals - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Joe Hahn, Writer - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - Erich Talaba, Pro Tools - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Phillip Broussard, Jr., AssistantEngineer - dave collins, Engineer, Masterer - Phillip Broussard, Engineer - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Vocals - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

7
Hands Held High (Album Version) Explicit
00:03:53

Suzie Katayama, Cello - Armen Garabedian, Violin - Larry Corbett, Cello - Charlie Bisharat, Violin - Neal Avron, MixingEngineer - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Lead Vocals - JOSEPH HAHN, Writer - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - Oscar Hidalgo, Guitar - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Andrew Picken, Viola - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Josefina Vergara, Violin - Julian Hallmark, Violin - Mario DeLeon, Violin - Natalie Leggett, Violin - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Sara Parkins, Violin - Songa Lee-Kitto, Violin - dave collins, MasteringEngineer - Phillip Broussard, AssistantEngineer - Gerardo Hilera, Violin - Chester Charles Bennington, Writer - David Michael Farrell, Writer - Michael Kenji Shinoda, Writer - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Backing Vocals - Bradford Philip Delson, Writer - Robert Gregory Bourdon, Writer - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Arranger, Backing Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Arranger, Lead Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Backing Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer - David "Dave" Campbell, Conductor, Arranger - Matthew "Matt" Funes, Viola

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

8
No More Sorrow (Album Version)
00:03:41

Rick Rubin, Producer - Neal Avron, Mixer, Engineer - BRAD DELSON, Band Member, Background Vocals - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Band Member, Vocals - JOSEPH HAHN, Band Member, Writer - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - MIKE SHINODA, Producer, Band Member, Vocals - Phoenix, Band Member, Background Vocals - ROB BOURDON, Band Member, Background Vocals - Mr. Hahn, Background Vocals - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - Erich Talaba, Pro Tools - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Phillip Broussard, Jr., AssistantEngineer - dave collins, Engineer, Masterer - Phillip Broussard, Engineer - Chester Charles Bennington, Writer - David Michael Farrell, Writer - Michael Kenji Shinoda, Writer - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Vocals - Bradford Philip Delson, Writer - Robert Gregory Bourdon, Writer - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

9
Valentine's Day (Album Version)
00:03:16

Neal Avron, MixingEngineer - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Lead Vocals - JOSEPH HAHN, Writer - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - dave collins, MasteringEngineer - Phillip Broussard, AssistantEngineer - Chester Charles Bennington, Writer - David Michael Farrell, Writer - Michael Kenji Shinoda, Writer - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Backing Vocals - Bradford Philip Delson, Writer - Robert Gregory Bourdon, Writer - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Backing Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Lead Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Backing Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

10
In Between (Album Version)
00:03:16

Neal Avron, MixingEngineer - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Lead Vocals - JOSEPH HAHN, Writer - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - dave collins, MasteringEngineer - Phillip Broussard, AssistantEngineer - Chester Charles Bennington, Writer - David Michael Farrell, Writer - Michael Kenji Shinoda, Writer - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Backing Vocals - Bradford Philip Delson, Writer - Robert Gregory Bourdon, Writer - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Backing Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Lead Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Backing Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

11
In Pieces (Album Version)
00:03:38

Neal Avron, MixingEngineer - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Lead Vocals - JOSEPH HAHN, Writer - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - dave collins, MasteringEngineer - Phillip Broussard, AssistantEngineer - Chester Charles Bennington, Writer - David Michael Farrell, Writer - Michael Kenji Shinoda, Writer - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Backing Vocals - Bradford Philip Delson, Writer - Robert Gregory Bourdon, Writer - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Backing Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Lead Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Backing Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

12
The Little Things Give You Away (Album Version)
00:06:23

Suzie Katayama, Cello - Armen Garabedian, Violin - Larry Corbett, Cello - Charlie Bisharat, Violin - Neal Avron, MixingEngineer - CHESTER BENNINGTON, Lead Vocals - JOSEPH HAHN, Writer - LINKIN PARK, MainArtist - Oscar Hidalgo, Bass Guitar - Ethan Mates, Engineer - Andrew Picken, Viola - Andrew Scheps, Engineer - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - George Gumbs, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Josefina Vergara, Violin - Julian Hallmark, Violin - Mario DeLeon, Violin - Natalie Leggett, Violin - Nicolas Fournier, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Sara Parkins, Violin - Songa Lee-Kitto, Violin - dave collins, MasteringEngineer - Phillip Broussard, AssistantEngineer - Gerardo Hilera, Violin - Chester Charles Bennington, Writer - David Michael Farrell, Writer - Michael Kenji Shinoda, Writer - Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Backing Vocals - Bradford Philip Delson, Writer - Robert Gregory Bourdon, Writer - Bradford "Brad" Delson, Arranger, Backing Vocals - Michael "Mike" Shinoda, Producer, Arranger, Lead Vocals - Joseph "Chairman Hahn" Hahn, Backing Vocals - Frederick "Rick" Rubin, Producer - David "Dave" Campbell, Conductor, Arranger - Matthew "Matt" Funes, Viola

© 2007 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2007 Warner Records Inc.

Album review

Damned if they do, damned if they don't -- that was the conundrum facing Linkin Park when it came time to deliver Minutes to Midnight, their third album. It had been four years since their last, 2003's Meteora, which itself was essentially a continuation of the rap-rock of their 2000 debut, Hybrid Theory, the blockbuster that was one of the biggest rock hits of the new millennium. On that album, Linkin Park sounded tense and nervous, they sounded wiry -- rap-rock without the maliciousness that pulsed through mock-rockers like Limp Bizkit. Linkin Park seemed to come by their alienation honestly, plus they had hooks and a visceral power that connected with millions of listeners, many of whom who were satisfied by the familiarity of Meteora. They may have been able to give their fans more of the same on their sophomore effort, but Linkin Park couldn't do the same thing on their third record: they would seem like one-trick ponies, so they'd be better off to acknowledge their advancing age and try to mature, or broaden their sonic palette. Yet like many other hard rockers, they were the kind of band whose audience either didn't want change or outgrew the group -- and considering that it had been a full seven years between Hybrid Theory and Minutes to Midnight, many fans who were on the verge of getting their driver's license in 2000 were now leaving college and, along with it, adolescent angst.
So, Linkin Park decided to embrace the inevitable and jumped headfirst into maturity on Minutes to Midnight, which meant that poor Mike Shinoda was effectively benched, rapping on just two songs. In many ways, it seems like even the guitarists were benched this time around, since Minutes to Midnight doesn't really rock, it broods. Apart from a handful of ringers -- "Given Up," the Shinoda-fueled "Bleed It Out," easily the best, most visceral track here -- this is quiet, atmospheric stuff, dabbling with electronic textures that were cutting edge in 1996 but sound passé now. Also sounding passé are the tortured musings of lead singer Chester Bennington, who still is tormented by love, loss, family, any number of items that sound convincing coming from a man in his early twenties, but not so much so when the thirties are approaching rapidly. And yet the way Bennington and his mates, shepherded by producer Rick Rubin, try to sound mature isn't always convincing, either, possibly because it sounds like a skate punk uncomfortably trying on his big brother's suit. They have the chops to rock, and when they deign to do so on Minutes to Midnight they sound comfortable, they sound right, but too often they run away from this core strength.

© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

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