Board 8 > Rank the Tracks Week 63: Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory (+Folklore results)

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CasanovaZelos
05/15/22 11:28:31 AM
#1:


What album should we cover for CasanovaZelos's week?



Previous results can be seen here:
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks

The rules:
1. Listen to the album in full
2. Rank every track on the album
3. For the results, there will be a curve at the top of each list; two additional points between #1 and #2, and one additional point for the next two ranks. This way, the songs that really stick out to someone get an edge that is not immediately negated by someone else putting it lower. In the case of Demon Days, someone's 15th track will get 1 point, 14th 2 points, 4th 12 points, 3rd 14 points, 2nd 16 points, and 1st 19 points. For albums with greater than 15 tracks, everything ranked below #15 will be given 0 points and the scale for the top 15 will be the same as a 15-track album. For albums with more than 20 tracks, you only have to list your top 15 (with 16-20, I still like having the average rank listed)
4. If you want to include comments for individual songs, I will compile them in the results
5. The results will be posted at the beginning of the next topic
6. The deadline to vote is Sunday, May 22 at 8:00 AM EST - though if you are for whatever reason listening to the album around that time, just say so in the topic and I can delay a bit
7. You can sign up to be added to the user cycle - the next person on the list will choose 3 albums which the other users will vote on for the next topic.
7a. To ensure people are being given an actual choice, the three nominated albums must be by different artists. You can otherwise stick to a similar sound or era.
7b. The tiebreaker for these polls will be whichever is listed first in the poll options - make sure to deliver the results in order of your own preference (which will hopefully have the added benefit of influencing people toward your first choice if they can't decide).

Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory:
1. Papercut
2. One Step Closer
3. With You
4. Points of Authority
5. Crawling
6. Runaway
7. Be Myself
8. In the End
9. A Place for My Head
10. Forgotten
11. Cure for the Itch
12. Pushing Me Away

User Cycle:
5/22: Johnbobb (Mos Def - Black on Both Sides)
5/29: VeryInsane (Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee)
6/5: CasanovaZelos
6/12: Seanchan
6/19: Giggsalot
6/26: RyoCaliente
7/3: darkx
7/10: neonreaper
7/17: Great_Paul
7/24: jcgamer107
7/31: ChichiriMuyo
8/7: BlueCrystalTear
8/14: MetalmindStats
8/21: HBJDubs
8/28: Raetsel_Lapin
9/4: TheArkOfTurus
9/11: Steiner
9/18: Snake5555555555
9/25: Jesse_Custer
10/2: ZaziGuado
10/9: firefdr

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Top 250 songs: https://foolfantastic.com/3290-2/
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CasanovaZelos
05/15/22 11:32:04 AM
#2:


Taylor Swift - Folklore results

The participants sorted by deviation from final results:
Seanchan (26)
VeryInsane (32)
MetalmindStats (34)
CasanovaZelos (35)
BlueCrystalTear (37)
Snake5555555555 (47)
Raetsel_Lapin (47)
Jakyl25 (48)
ZaziGuado (52)
HBJDubs (66)

General Album Comments

Seanchan: Did a first listen to Folklore. It was certainly less pop-y than Speak Now. Kinda felt a bit one note, but I think a lot of that is just that it's 16 songs and an hour long, and my mind started to wander by the end.

darkx: Yeah I'm just gonna say outright that I don't agree with the overwhelming opinion that this is her best album. In fact I don't even think I'd put it in my top 3.

Snake5555555555: I wouldn't either (it doesn't even make top 5 for me). I do also think it gets a little one note in spots musically even if Swift's lyrical writing never really falters here. That's where I think the sister album follow-up Evermore shines even brighter because there's more texture and vibrant musical soundscapes than Folklore.

Raetsel_Lapin: I highly enjoyed this album, but it does feel a bit too long.

Seanchan: Second listen done.

I figured out what my "problem" is with this album. As someone who typically doesn't care very much about lyrics, this is an exhausting album! Sixteen songs and there's really not too much here other than the lyrics. So when my mind starts to wander, there are no solos, riffs, beats, or whatever to bring me back. It's like I've got to pay attention the entire time.

Everything here feels like it's the same tempo and about the same subject (young love, unrequited young love, young love falling apart). I could feel myself latching onto anything different, which is why I already know what my #1 song is going to be. Swift has got a nice voice but I just need more variety, which Speak Now definitely had more of.

BlueCrystalTear: Like I said when not voting for it, this album is VERY same-y. Sure, it's a course-correction from reputation and Lover, but it still doesn't compare to the sheer delight of Fearless, Speak Now, and Red. All those albums had those "young love" themes too (and the latter two had Taylor blasting some of her critics) and yet were an engaging listen because of the variety. Like Seanchan said, this album requires concentrated effort to process fully. It's exhaustingly long (especially for a dark and repetitive album) and would benefit from cutting four tracks. It's for this reason that I expect many of the later tracks to be ranked lowly, since people start tuning out. Track order absolutely matters on an album this redundant.

I can't see myself giving this a second listen this week. I've heard this album twice before this and half of these songs are still indistinguishable. Once you hit a certain point, they all blend together, and not in a good way. Speak Now is a much superior album and that's my hill to die on. The only song on this album that gave me shades of "Old Taylor" was "betty" and that's precisely why it's #1 for me. "this is me trying" was... relatable AF for me. Honestly my top 5 (maybe 6?) is all that matters and everything after that all blends together. And tbh... I'm feeling sedated by too much doom and gloom.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nap.

Jakyl25: I dont know about the idea that there are a lot of songs about young love on here. Theres the Cardigan/August/Betty trilogy about all three sides of a young love triangle, but thats all I see. Invisible String is trite enough to count I suppose. All the other songs about relationships are more mature and reflective. TLGAD, My Tears Ricochet, Seven, Mad Woman, Epiphany, [The Lakes,] arent about romance at all.

If you want more variety you would love Evermore!

Snake5555555555: Seven is a particular stand-out for me since it's about child abuse and on top of that written from a second-hand perspective. Swift has written about childhood before but never quite like that. It's impressive and mixes darkness with childhood innocence and naivety so-well.

ZaziGuado: I think Folklore can serve two purposes. For me it's most often a mood album where I put it on to decompress. While I wouldn't call it one-note, I will say each song does a really good at evoking a wistful nostalgia that can lend to the tracks bleeding together. But I personally think there's a beauty in that. I've listened to the album enough to where each song can stand on its own, though, and I think they are rankable if you are listening to it with that goal in mind. For those who choose to actively listen to the stories Swift is telling, I think the album is a masterclass in songwriting and very memorable from a lyrical standpoint.

I will concede it gets long. I would personally chop off three songs and then I think you have a nigh-perfect album if you are in a certain mood.

Raetsel_Lapin (Responding to Snake): I do like the song, but I feel like she's writing from the perspective of someone much younger than seven years old. Four or five, maybe, but seven feels way too old to be blaming abuse on ghosts or dreaming about living as a pirate. Though I suppose I'll concede that my perspective is a bit skewed for *reasons* and refrain from pushing the issue any further.

(Responding to Seanchan): Ah, see, I'm the exact opposite way. I tend to get drawn into songs for their lyrics and emotions, so I found this album to be one of the more interesting ones we've covered and probably better than Speak Now--I recall feeling Speak Now had way too many songs about exes and getting a bit monotonous at times as a result, but I'll concede that I haven't listened to the album in a while and would need a refresher to accurately compare the two.

Anywho... I think the album covered a lot of ground? Portraying a love triangle from all three perspectives was relatively novel, even if "cardigan" was the only part of the trilogy that I loved, and I feel like most of tracks offered a distinct enough experience. I just think the album was too much of a good thing; I love what she's doing here, but I don't really want to sit through what she's doing for over an hour straight. I'd honestly prefer to have this album broken into two weeks, with 8 songs per week--not because I don't like it, but it's just a bit much. I want to take my time and fully experience the emotions on display here, but there's just <i>so very much</i> here that the album feels less than the sum of its parts.

...still, I really did enjoy it and think it's close to the top-tier albums we've ever covered here. Just... kinda long.

ZaziGuado: Tiered the tracks as well just for fun. Exile has been number one for awhile now and I don't think anything else on the album could knock it off that perch. I really love the contrasting layers between Swift and Vernon. Peace and Mad Woman are the easy weak points for me on the album as well. I just find them a little on the boring side and represent spots where the album starts to really show its length. Everything in between are varying degrees of great, though the front half of the album is definitively stronger than the back half, which also doesn't help stave off how long the album can feel. I don't normally have an issue with this given how and when I listen to it, but I can't deny it.

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CasanovaZelos
05/15/22 11:36:27 AM
#3:


CasanovaZelos: I think part of why this and Evermore vibe with me more than most of the earlier Taylor Swift albums is the presence of Aaron Dessner as a producer. There are several songs here which sound like a perfect midpoint between Swift and The National - and as someone who prefers the latter, this works great. I do agree this feels longer than it should, and the front half feels notably stronger. Nevertheless, it casts Swift in a more mature light. Additionally, its somber mood helps solidify its place as one of the leading COVID response albums - not that it directly acknowledges the pandemic, but its sparse atmosphere feels like a direct reflection of those first few months in lockdown. And even if it could stand to lose a few tracks, the top half for me here are all great.

Seanchan: I liked this a bit more on my 3rd listen. Maybe the dreary, cloudy atmosphere of the day was a better fit for the album. There's actually a lot to like about Folklore, even if it's not as "fun" as her earlier album that we covered. It's definitely 3-4 songs too long though.

I went back to listen to Speak Now a bit, as I tried to figure out where this fits in my album rankings. I still like that one more but it's closer than I would have initially expected.

VeryInsane: my ranking got deleted so going a bit by memory

Was a good album though! Remembered enjoying it when it came out

MetalmindStats: With about ten similarly strong songs producing a potently tempered ambiance, I likely would have been over the moon about folklore had it been a bit shorter. As it is, the tracks that I felt leaned into its title and theme the most (mainly seven and the last great american dynasty) gained a sort of tiebreaking edge

Folklore Track Ranking

16. Epiphany (Track #13)
Score: 28 (Average Rank: 13.3/16)
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Snake5555555555, BlueCrystalTear, VeryInsane (#16)

15. Hoax (Track #16)
Score: 32 (Average Rank: 12.8/16)
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): CasanovaZelos, Seanchan, MetalmindStats (#16)

14. Peace (Track #15)
Score: 34 (Average Rank: 12.6/16)
Biggest Fan(s): Jakyl25 (#9)
Biggest Detractor(s): ZaziGuado, MetalmindStats (#15)

13. Illicit Affairs (Track #10)
Score: 49 (Average Rank: 11.1/16)
Biggest Fan(s): Jakyl25 (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): CasanovaZelos (#15)

11 (tie). Invisible String (Track #11)
Score: 51 (Average Rank: 10.9/16)
Biggest Fan(s): ZaziGuado (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin, Jakyl25 (#16)

11 (tie). Mad Woman (Track #12)
Score: 51 (Average Rank: 10.9/16)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): ZaziGuado (#16)

10. Seven (Track #7)
Score: 67 (Average Rank: 9.8/16)
Biggest Fan(s): MetalmindStats (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Jakyl25, BlueCrystalTear (#15)

9. Mirrorball (Track #6)
Score: 73 (Average Rank: 8.7/16)
Biggest Fan(s): CasanovaZelos, VeryInsane (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): Snake5555555555, ZaziGuado (#13)

8. My Tears Ricochet (Track #5)
Score: 77 (Average Rank: 8.3/16)
Biggest Fan(s): Jakyl25, ZaziGuado (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): BlueCrystalTear (#13)

7. The 1 (Track #1)
Score: 93 (Average Rank: 6.9/16)
Biggest Fan(s): Seanchan (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#13)

6. This Is Me Trying (Track #9)
Score: 95 (Average Rank: 7.1/16)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Snake5555555555 (#14)

4 (tie). August (Track #8)
Score: 109 (Average Rank: 5.9/16)
Biggest Fan(s): VeryInsane (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin, CasanovaZelos (#12)

4 (tie). Betty (Track #14)
Score: 109 (Average Rank: 5.9/16)
Biggest Fan(s): BlueCrystalTear (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): HBJDubs (#16)

3. The Last Great American Dynasty (Track #3)
Score: 122 (Average Rank: 4.8/16)
Biggest Fan(s): Snake5555555555 (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Jakyl25, HBJDubs (#12)

2. Cardigan (Track #2)
Score: 131 (Average Rank: 4.1/16)
Biggest Fan(s): Jakyl25, HBJDubs (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): ZaziGuado (#8)

1. Exile (Track #4)
Score: 149 (Average Rank: 2.9/16)
Biggest Fan(s): ZaziGuado, CasanovaZelos, Seanchan (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Snake5555555555 (#7)

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Top 250 songs: https://foolfantastic.com/3290-2/
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Johnbobb
05/15/22 11:37:11 AM
#4:


Goddamnit that's two weeks in a row I listened to the albums and forgot to submit rankings

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CasanovaZelos
05/15/22 11:53:45 AM
#5:


I mentioned having three themes in mind for my week - I decided to simply choose my favorite of each theme.

SOPHIE - Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides:
There were two moments at the beginning of last year that inspired me to create this topic series - Daft Punk announcing their break-up and the tragic death of SOPHIE. More than any other artist, I think SOPHIE helped push the limits of what music could be throughout the 2010s. She helped push the Bubblegum Bass/Hyperpop style to the semi-mainstream with her early singles - then, with her debut album, she juxtaposed those tracks with their exact opposite, some of the harshest electronic music I have experienced that I first saw referred to as 'Post-Industrial' but still feel so beyond us that any modern term feels insufficient. As such, I have to share two tracks to really do this album justice (and I think it would be fun to rank due to the extreme difference between these styles).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv3yIv9nwf8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ6ppVyWgCI

Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There:
My second favorite album of this year so far, and another that seems to defy genre boundaries. They land solidly in the post-rock genre - but where their debut came with clear Slint influences, BCNR really found their own, more mellow direction on their sophomore album. This is music that sounds endlessly expansive, and my only hesitance with it is kind of feels like too much to truly analyze in just a week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjC4qXiBRu4

Portishead - Third:
Another experimental album, though this one has been around enough for its legacy to be firmly established. Next to Silent Shout, I think this might be the most atmospherically dense album of the 2000s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbJeiWYFrio

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Seanchan
05/15/22 12:16:21 PM
#6:


Haha, of course, least deviation for Folklore!

Guess I've got to figure out my noms now. I've gone back and forth in my head on some different choices.

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CasanovaZelos
05/15/22 12:34:32 PM
#7:


Linkin Park is a band I have always struggled to take seriously. Their music feels like someone trying way too hard to be cool, and the rapping sections really do not help. I feel like this might upset some, but they exist in the same mental sphere as Spice Girls for me, very much a product of their time.

Yet, there's something that occasionally brings me back to their sound, and I think it is for the same reason Spice occasionally draws me back - there are few albums that capture their own time like this one, an unintended relic that paints a vibrant picture of a certain era. For better or worse, Hybrid Theory is compellingly itself. My point of comparison is usually Donnie Darko - drowning in young angst, but if you can only remember what it was like to be an angsty teenager, you can feel how effortlessly this works as a reflection.

My rank:
In the End
One Step Closer
Crawling
Points of Authority
Papercut
A Place for My Head
Runaway
Pushing Me Away
Forgotten
Cure for the Itch
With You
Be Myself

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Johnbobb
05/15/22 1:34:44 PM
#8:


Anyway Folklore wasn't really my thing but it was infinitely better than Speak Now, which I didn't care for at all

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firefdr
05/15/22 2:24:40 PM
#9:


With You
Papercut
In the End
Points of Authority
One Step Closer
A Place for My Head
Crawling
Runaway
Forgotten
By Myself
Pushing Me Away
Cure for the Itch
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Commodore
05/15/22 2:46:41 PM
#10:


CasanovaZelos posted...
Linkin Park is a band I have always struggled to take seriously. Their music feels like someone trying way too hard to be cool, and the rapping sections really do not help. I feel like this might upset some, but they exist in the same mental sphere as Spice Girls for me, very much a product of their time.

Yet, there's something that occasionally brings me back to their sound, and I think it is for the same reason Spice occasionally draws me back - there are few albums that capture their own time like this one, an unintended relic that paints a vibrant picture of a certain era. For better or worse, Hybrid Theory is compellingly itself. My point of comparison is usually Donnie Darko - drowning in young angst, but if you can only remember what it was like to be an angsty teenager, you can feel how effortlessly this works as a reflection.

My rank:
In the End
One Step Closer
Crawling
Points of Authority
Papercut
A Place for My Head
Runaway
Pushing Me Away
Forgotten
Cure for the Itch
With You
Be Myself

Except Linkin Park never tried to be "cool". Chester Bennington was always talking about his mental illness before he eventually committed suicide. They started off as a "nu metal" band because that's what was popular at the time. They evolved into so much more. And if you have a rapper as good as Mike Shinoda, why not utilize him? This is a really poor evaluation of Linkin Park from someone who obviously does not know their history or discography.

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LiquidOshawott
05/15/22 2:58:35 PM
#11:


Surprised Exile crushed it so much but it might be more me not really caring much about bon iver, good song still

might still remember every song on this one

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CasanovaZelos
05/15/22 2:59:18 PM
#12:


...they were not trying to be cool but also started as a Nu Metal band because it was popular?

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Snake5555555555
05/15/22 4:18:39 PM
#13:


By Myself
Pushing Me Away
With You
A Place for My Head
Runaway
Points of Authority
Forgotten
In the End
One Step Closer
Cure for the Itch
Crawling
Papercut

This album nearly brings me to tears man - so goddamn nostalgic. I would play this album on a loop while playing Runescape, and I still know every word and every beat from the top to the bottom. Sure, Meteora's better, but there's just something so raw and emotional about this one too - they really did the whole rap metal better than anyone, and that's because they infused it with accessible pop sensibilities that gave it such a broad reaching appeal.

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Commodore
05/15/22 7:32:29 PM
#14:


For the reading impaired. "They evolved into so much more."

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CasanovaZelos
05/15/22 7:44:52 PM
#15:


Commodore posted...
For the reading impaired. "They evolved into so much more."

I don't understand why you are being so aggressive over someone not liking the same music as you. What exactly does this add to anything?

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azuarc
05/15/22 9:00:15 PM
#16:


Oh hey, it's an album I can rank more or less off my head AND that I actually saw the topic for in time.

Hybrid Theory is a special album to me for a few reasons. The first is that it was the introduction to one of my favorite bands, obviously. The second is that it was one of the first albums that came out and that I latched onto after leaving home for college, meaning I didn't make the decision to buy it with any approbation or influence from friends. And the third is that college was the time when I genuinely felt the effects of depression, and one of the few things that helped with that, even if it sometimes felt more like an echo chamber, was music. The teenage-y angst and rage of Hybrid Theory suited me perfectly back then. A few of the tracks don't resonate the way they used to, and I always focused more on the sound than on the lyrics anyhow, but for all that I basically never listen to "real" music in lieu of VGM these days, this was a great excuse to revisit those feelings 20 years later.

I almost didn't buy the album. After One Step Closer debuted, I looked at the album cover in the store and passed because, I thought, "They look like a rock version of a boy band." To be fair, if you look at the picture, you might see where I'm coming from, but when Crawling came out a month later, I said fuck it and went in. The whole album was amazing, but the first track I took note of was In the End, which of course, ended up being the third major single. (And at some point Papercut was released, too? I never heard that one on the radio, though.)

In ranking these, Crawling was always going to be the wild card. A tremendously popular song when it came out, and then massively hated on for years after as emblematic of the band and youthful rage of the early 00's, I've always had a fond place for it, but I wasn't sure where it would land. I knew the other singles -- including Papercut, which has always been a pet favorite -- would land high, but would I put Crawling above, below, or distanced by B-sides? I absolutely adore the Reanimation version of the track, but I ultimate landed on third behind In the End.

However, first place was never in question. Pushing Me Away has always been my favorite. A very unheralded track, and I'm curious to see where it finishes in the overall rankings. Everything in the second half of the list could be reshuffled (except Cure for the Itch,) so I apologize to the With You and By Myself fans. I went with a very quick reaction because I've listened to these songs probably hundreds of times...just not in the last decade.

Hybrid Theory ranking:
Pushing Me Away
In the End
Crawling
One Step Closer
Papercut
A Place For My Head
Runaway
Points of Authority
Forgotten
By Myself
With You
Cure for the Itch

even hastier Reanimation ranking:
Krwlng
P5hng Me A*wy
PPr:Kut
1stp Klosr
MyDsmbr
Rnw@y
Plc.4 Mie Haed
Pts.Of.Athrty
By_Myslf
Enth E Nd
Wth.You
FRGT/10
Kyur 4 Th Ich
H! Vltg3
X-Ecutioner Style

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CasanovaZelos
05/16/22 2:04:09 PM
#17:


bump

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Seanchan
05/16/22 8:08:41 PM
#18:


My feelings on this one are complicated.

I haven't listened to Hybrid Theory in probably 15 years. I was a big fan at the time. I remember listening to this as I was touring colleges with my parents. It was a pretty big deal of an album. Also loved (at the time) the remix album and the follow up (Meteora). Other than some of the singles after that I fell away from the band.

This is very much a product of its time. The band may have evolved (not for me to say) but this album is so early 2000s Nu Metal it's crazy.

I don't know what someone who has no familiarity with this album would think. Or if this would still resonate with a modern teenager. Listening to this as a grown ass man though, it's kind of cringe-y bad? All that teenage angst, the screamy vocals, the "cool" rapping...

I've said this before with Toxicity, but Nu Metal is nothing I want to go back to. Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, etc. all shit I'm embarrassed that I used to enjoy. There's a small amount of nostalgic love but it aint much.


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Seanchan
05/17/22 7:41:32 AM
#19:


Nominations sent. I'm thinking/hoping it'll be a high participation week.

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CasanovaZelos
05/17/22 8:06:48 PM
#20:


Up

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/
Top 250 songs: https://foolfantastic.com/3290-2/
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neonreaper
05/17/22 10:37:17 PM
#21:


Great album. Having a hard time really posting my thoughts, but the rankings are easy enough:

Papercut
Killer opening tune. Easy to enjoy, gives you the strong points of the band, classic opener and it wasn't played to death like the other singles.

With You
I love the 90's style industrial stuff in the background. Like God Lives Underwater and Two with 00's style vocals.

Points of Authority
"F-f-f-f-forfeit the game" that part always got my so hype. I wish the chorus was a bit better. Again there's a bit of God Lives Underwater in the music here.

By Myself
Great song, love the pre-chorus (is that a thing?), don't care much for the actual chorus.

Forgotten
Reminds me a bit of By Myself, and a bit of Points of Authority, where there's a catchy part of the song that I REALLY like but the singing part of the chorus doesn't really land at all for me.

One Step Closer
Banging single. It lacks any sort of nuance but it's great for it, and a bit relatable even if we don't walk around feeling like this 24/7 the way we did as young people. Probably heard this song more than I needed to but happy to hear it these days.

In the End
Classic, nothing really wrong with this song. So straightforward with how depressed these guys are/were. I like how often they don't blame others - this is so authentic (and I'd say this even if dude was still alive).

A Place for My Head
I like the song but the good stuff isn't as good as the songs above it. I do like the chorus better than a lot of the stuff above it, though!

Pushing Me Away
I like the cascade guitar sound. Much of the album uses it, but it really fits a final track like this, along with Chester's vocals.

Runaway
I kinda like the song but it makes me think of Gravity Kills (better) or like some generic Korn/Limp Bizkit song (worse).

Crawling
The crooning style parts are just not for me. I know the material is pure but it just feels like its pandering and it's a shame. But you gotta make a few bucks so I get it, and there's plenty of stuff to like on the album.

Cure for the Itch

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CasanovaZelos
05/18/22 12:45:51 PM
#22:


bump

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Top 250 songs: https://foolfantastic.com/3290-2/
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Raetsel_Lapin
05/18/22 5:57:28 PM
#23:


No comments this week because I need to rank and comment on this album at my personal ranking topic & wish to minimize spoilers. Thankfully knowing how the tracks compare to each other isn't much of a spoiler and I may rearrange things completely by the time that project is finished anyway.

1: Points of Authority
2: In the End
3: With You
4: Pushing Me Away
5: One Step Closer
6: Crawling
7: Papercut
8: Forgotten
9: Runaway
10: By Myself
11: A Place for My Head
12: Cure for the Itch

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Lopen
05/18/22 6:11:37 PM
#24:


CasanovaZelos posted...
I don't understand why you are being so aggressive over someone not liking the same music as you. What exactly does this add to anything?

About as much as poorly written critiques I imagine.

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CasanovaZelos
05/18/22 6:20:37 PM
#25:


Sorry, I am going to close this topic now. I am not comfortable hosting this week if this is the crowd it is bringing in.

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Top 250 songs: https://foolfantastic.com/3290-2/
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Lopen
05/18/22 6:25:30 PM
#26:


I don't think anything was said to you that was particularly hostile relative to what you were dishing out, but ok.

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firefdr
05/18/22 6:30:49 PM
#27:


[decided to write a few lines, deleting my old post]

I used to adore Linkin Park during my teenage years. This was the very first album I purchased for myself and one I would listen to over and over again.
Linkin Park was also the first band I've ever seen live, funnily enough.
It still remains to this day one of my favorite bands and frequently appears in my Spotify wrapped.
While this is not my favourite album from them, it still holds a very special place.

1. With You
COME OOOOOOOOON! Ever since first listening to this song live, it took the top stop and never looked back. It's so full of energy and gets me pumped up.

2. Papercut
What an amazing opening track. The rapping is great, Chester's chorus is really fun to sing along to. A great song and an even greater music video to go with it.

3. In the End
Ah, the classic. It hits so hard now. A song that is pretty much flawless. I remember learning the piano part in the intro/ending. Good times.

4. Points of Authority
Love the guitar, love the turntables in this one. The Reanimation version is even better.

5. One Step Closer
The song that started it all. When basically all of the music I consumed came from MTV, this was the one that introduced me to the band.

6. A Place for My Head
Great track, great chorus. A song that is much better live than in the album.

7. Crawling
This one is almost entirely sung by Chester. While I don't dislike the original screaming version, this one really shines in Reanimation.

8. Runaway
Great chorus. Fun song.

x. High Voltage
One of the bonus songs included in the Japanese edition. Pretty much a Mike Shinoda song. Great rapping overall.

9. Forgotten
A song that is pretty much forgotten, it was rarely played live. It's a pretty catchy tune too.

10. By Myself
I related so much to this song during the time I was depressed and down. The beginning still gives me the chills.

11. Pushing Me Away
This is a pretty good song to end the album with. While it sits near the bottom, I enjoy it quite a bit.

x. My December
Another Japan only track. This one is quite different from the rest and a taste of what would come in later albums.

12. Cure for the Itch
The only track I don't really care much about. While I wouldn't consider it bad, it was the only one I sometimes skipped while listening to the album.
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CasanovaZelos
05/18/22 6:32:37 PM
#28:


This is a topic about discussing music. I shared my opinion on the album this week. You, having never participated here before, pop in without discussing the music but instead to insult me for not liking this music. The fact you don't know the difference between someone expressing their opinion on music and insulting someone else directly is a problem. It's clear you feel personally insulted when people don't like things you like, or the opposite.

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Top 250 songs: https://foolfantastic.com/3290-2/
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Lopen
05/18/22 6:35:55 PM
#29:


CasanovaZelos posted...
The fact you don't know the difference between someone expressing their opinion on music and insulting someone else directly is a problem.

You were passive aggressive in your first response to him which made him made the quip about you being reading impaired. You quite literally started it. He took exception to your review, discussed his issues with what you were saying, and you got hostile first.

And I'm reading this because I was considering submitting a ranking because I've actually listened to this album quite a bit back in the day.

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CasanovaZelos
05/18/22 6:47:33 PM
#30:


But it should be implicit that I'm talking about Linkin Park circa Hybrid Theory considering this is a topic explicitly about Hybrid Theory. Them eventually changing their style as their career progressed doesn't really change my opinion of Hybrid Theory. Essentially, I made questionable use of a synecdoche.

Especially when I go on to say that Hybrid Theory is actually a rather sincere album - I contradict my own claim about them trying to be cool by saying that "Hybrid Theory is compellingly itself". As in, even if I historically struggled with this band (as someone who was 7 when this album came out and thus too young for it to actually resonate emotionally at its height), I think it endures in a way few others of its time do.

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Top 250 songs: https://foolfantastic.com/3290-2/
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Lopen
05/18/22 6:55:27 PM
#31:


Ok. I'm just saying I don't think anyone said anything particularly hostile here and if anyone started that ball rolling it was you not Commodore. (not in your review itself, but as previously said, in your response to his response to your review)

Anyway, I have no more to say on this-- I shall have no further posts in this topic beyond possibly ranking the tracks if the topic isn't locked by the time I get around to it.

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CasanovaZelos
05/18/22 6:56:08 PM
#32:


I won't lock the topic

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Top 250 songs: https://foolfantastic.com/3290-2/
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azuarc
05/19/22 1:14:02 AM
#33:


I disagree with Lopen. I also think it's better to try to let it go.

starts humming Iridescent after ending a sentence in a LP thread with "let it go"

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Seanchan
05/19/22 11:28:44 PM
#34:


  1. In the End
  2. Papercut
  3. Points of Authority
  4. A Place for My Head
  5. Pushing Me Away
  6. One Step Closer
  7. Forgotten
  8. Crawling
  9. Runaway
  10. By Myself
  11. Cure for the Itch
  12. With You
As usual, my final listen tends to moderate my opinions somewhat. There's stuff here that I still do like, especially some of the beats/instrumentation, but a lot of Chester's screamy vocals are offputting (to me, in the year 2022).

As an album, I think this is likely objectively better/more interesting than my subjective opinions that are colored by my history. ...If that makes any sense? I struggled trying to figure out where to rank the album, with the conflicting thoughts of "I wouldn't really want to listen to this again" versus "but this is kind of better than Other Album".

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ZeroSignal620
05/20/22 9:01:03 AM
#35:


1) Papercut

It's rare that the opening song on a band's debut album would be the best thing they've done, but Linkin Park pulls that off with Papercut. It not only sets the stage for a solid album, but also sets the stage for a run that's generated 7 albums across two decades.

2) Pushing Me Away
3) Points of Authority
4) In the End
5) A Place for My Head
6) With You
7) Crawling
8) One Step Closer
9) By Myself
10) Runaway
11) Forgotten
12) Cure for the Itch

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Lopen
05/20/22 10:08:47 AM
#36:


1) Pushing Me Away
2) Crawling
3) Papercut
4) Runaway
5) In The End
6) One Step Closer
7) With You
8) Points of Authority
9) Forgotten
10) By Myself
11) A Place for My Head
12) Cure for the Itch

I've always liked Linkin Park, even well after it stopped becoming cool to do so. Everything on this Album I've listened to many many times. Cure for the Itch was the only one I'd ever skip. I don't really dwell on the lyrics too much. Like I get it, and I've been on the border of depression a few times in my life so I can say they relate enough to things I've felt that I do feel authentic, not pandering to make moneys. But yeah I'm not gonna say that's why I'm into it at all, it's not like my identity or anything.

I just like the unique sound. Chester's vocal sound is very distinctive and enjoyable as long as he's not getting too screamy (which is usually not the case in their songs-- screaming in moderation is fine) and I love how Shinoda's rapping complements it. I'm a sucker for the use of the synthy keyboard stuff-- big part of the reason Crawling is one of my more liked songs and why I'm one of the few to rank runaway highly in here. The weaker songs for me tend to lean into the rap element harder and marginalize the keyboard, generally. Meteora is a bit better overall probably. I really need to listen to their last three albums at some point as the last album I listened to was A Thousand Suns.

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BlueCrystalTear
05/20/22 12:48:55 PM
#37:


Well... I didn't particularly enjoy my preliminary listen. I've never heard this album before but I most certainly heard (and subsequently forgot about) a song of theirs back during their heyday.

IDK if I'm gonna rank this week. Time is kind of an issue too.

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HBJDubs
05/20/22 3:42:34 PM
#38:


In The End
Crawling
One Step Closer
Place For My Head
Pushing Me Away
With You
Points Of Authority
Papercut
Runaway
By Myself
Forgotten
Cure For The Itch

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Save in the name of true love
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Steiner
05/21/22 4:43:07 PM
#39:


  1. In The End
  2. A Place For My Head
  3. Pushing Me Away
  4. Forgotten
  5. Papercut
  6. Points of Authority
  7. By Myself
  8. One Step Closer
  9. Crawling
  10. Runaway
  11. With You
  12. Cure For The Itch

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Johnbobb
05/21/22 9:15:18 PM
#40:


  1. Papercut
  2. In the End
  3. With You
  4. One Step Closer
  5. Crawling
  6. A Place for My Head
  7. Cure for the Itch
  8. Runaway
  9. By Myself
  10. Pushing Me Away
  11. Points of Authority
  12. Forgotten

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MetalmindStats
05/22/22 5:17:39 AM
#41:


I won't be participating this week because I only managed two listens (one yesterday and one today), and in this case, I felt any ranking I could have made would have been arbitrary as a result. Sorry.

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Janus5k
05/22/22 6:55:38 AM
#42:


  1. In the End
  2. Pushing Me Away
  3. A Place for My Head
  4. Papercut
  5. Points of Authority
  6. Runaway
  7. One Step Closer
  8. Forgotten
  9. With You
  10. Crawling
  11. Cure for the Itch
  12. Be Myself


Only ever owned Meteora as a teenager, though naturally I've heard a bunch of these as singles and in various other places. The screaming is hit-or-miss, but even putting nostalgia aside the top few tracks are still really good.

I'd never actually heard Pushing Me Away before - the pre-chorus reminds me of Numb, which was always one of my favorites from Meteora. Surprisingly "clean" considering the rest of the album, great closer and a pleasant surprise.

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illuminatusbubu
05/22/22 7:39:51 AM
#43:


Points of Authority
In the End
Runaway
Crawling
Papercut
Pushing Me Away
One Step Closer
A Place for My Head
Cure for the Itch
With You
Forgotten
Be Myself
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LiquidOshawott
05/22/22 8:03:09 AM
#44:


Hm lets see if I do this quick

Papercut
Points of Authority
In the End
One Step Closer
With You
Forgotten
A Place for My Head
Runaway
Cure for the Itch
Pushing Me Away
Be Myself
Crawling

Think My December and High Voltage would be somewhat close to the top

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Mega Mana
05/22/22 5:22:35 PM
#45:


Ugh, just saw this topic. Any chance I can crank out a quick ranking?

Untalliable Rankings

This was easily my most played CD back in high school. I would listen to this allllll the time, and Meteora. I tie this CD so much to memories of playing Perfect Dark, Aidyn Chronicles, and other N64 games I had in my room.

  1. Runaway
  2. In the End
  3. Pushing Me Away
  4. By Myself
  5. With You
  6. Points of Authority
  7. Papercut
  8. Cure for the Itch
  9. One Step Closer
  10. Forgotten
  11. Crawling
  12. A Place for My Head



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