Beck's Sea Change album has interesting and appropriate 5.1 mixes, including one song where the whole soundstage slowly rotates around the room in a very spacey way. Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony have collaborated with Sony.
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Details At A Glance
| General | Extras | ||
| Category | Music | Menu Animation & Audio Music Video-PTS.OF.ATHRTY Music Video-KYUR4 TH ICH Music Video-FRGT/10 Featurette-Making Of PTS.OF.ATHRTY Credits | |
| Rating | ? | ||
| Year Of Production | 2002 | ||
| Running Time | 61:15 | ||
| RSDL / Flipper | RSDL (27:03) | Cast & Crew | |
| Start Up | Programme | ||
| Region Coding | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | Directed By | None Given |
| Studio Distributor | Warner Vision | Starring | Chester Bennington Mike Shinoda Rob Bourdon Brad Delson Joseph Hahn Phoenix |
| Case | DVD-Audio Jewel | ||
| RPI | $32.95 | Music | Linkin Park |
| Video (NTSC) | Audio | ||
| Pan & Scan/Full Frame | Full Frame | English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) English Dolby Digital 2.0 (448Kb/s) English MLP 48/24 5.1 English MLP 44.1/24 2.0 | |
| Widescreen Aspect Ratio | None | ||
| 16x9 Enhancement | No | ||
| Video Format | 480i (NTSC) | ||
| Original Aspect Ratio | 1.33:1 | Miscellaneous | |
| Jacket Pictures | No | ||
| Subtitles | None | Smoking | No |
| Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
| Action In or After Credits | No | ||
Plot Synopsis
Despite their fairly recent presence on the record charts, the guys from Linkin Park sound like they've been doing this for ages, and in a sense they have been. The whole thing started with a band called Xero (also known as Super Xero), that was formed by long-time school friends Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson, along with Mark Wakefield, Joe Hahn and Dave (Phoenix) Farrell. As time went on and the band began to play more, they felt that they might be able to secure a recording contract and, with a name change to Hybrid Theory, the group began to actively seek a contract by recording demo tapes of the songs By Myself and A Place for my Head (then called Esaul). The band was actively seeking a contract, but within the group there was a great feeling of insecurity and before any record deal could be realized, Mark Wakefield and Dave Farrell left the band. Dave went on to play with a Christian punk outfit called Tasty Snax (aka Snax) while Mark pursued his own projects.
Mark's leaving left the group without a lead singer, and while Mike Shinoda did handle some of the vocals, his was more of an emcee (rapper) role and not the traditional band vocalist that was also required. Enter Chester Bennington, an experienced vocalist who had recorded before with a band called Grey Daze that had released 2 albums. Chester, from childhood, had always had the desire to sing and when he received a demo from Hybrid Theory looking for a lead vocalist, Chester was very enthused. After submitting a recording of his vocals for some of the band's songs, it was not long at all before Chester became part of the band.
With a committed vocalist on board, the band pursued even harder a record contract by recording two 3 song EPs in 1998 and distributing them to various record companies. It was at this time that the band came to the attention of Warner Bros. Music and they were soon signed for that long sought after record contract. However, there was one slight problem - the band's name, Hybrid Theory. This was too similar to other bands around at the time and Warner Bros. was worried that there might be some confusion between this band and others already in existence. It was at this time that Chester Bennington suggested the name Lincoln Park after a park that was near his home. The spelling was changed to Linkin Park in order to accommodate a domain name for the internet, and the rest you might say is history.
The band recorded the hugely popular album Hybrid Theory (one last hurrah for their old name) which was produced by Don Gilmore. This would go on to exceed 8x Platinum status and spawn a range of chart-topping songs such as One Step Closer, In the End and Crawling. The band had achieved their dream of the record deal and now had the added bonus of a hit record, multiple hit singles and an ever-increasing level of attention by the music listening public. It was time for the band to take another step.
The Reanimation project uses the basic song structures of Hybrid Theory and takes them to another level altogether. The main strong point of Linkin Park is their dynamic sound that, rather than being a 'confusion of sound', instead is a 'co-fusion of sound' with a myriad of styles and elements that really do work together. The rap / hip-hop style has been fused with 'alternative' rock for many years with bands from Anthrax to The Red Hot Chili Peppers doing much the same thing, some in one joke fashion like Anthrax while others like the Chili Peppers and Limp Bizkit using it in a much more cohesive mix. But as time has gone on, music has taken on a harder edge and things that were once the domain of college and alternative radio now are the mainstream and Linkin Park was not only perfectly poised to take advantage of this growing segment of the market, but it was in the envious position of being able to define it. The Reanimation record goes far in achieving this role. This album is far more than just a 'Remix' record and to describe it as such is really selling it short. This is more a reimagining of the original material with the songs from Hybrid Theory being the skeleton upon which the flesh has been placed. Hybrid Theory is a great album with some terrific songs, but after listening to this recording, some of the songs on the original album sound positively anaemic in comparison. Produced by band member Mike Shinoda (DVD-Audio produced by David May and remixed for 5.1 by Mr. Hahn, Ted Hall and David May) and mixed by Mark 'Spike' Stent who had previously worked with bands No Doubt, Oasis, Massive Attack and Bjork, the final result is a recording that enhances the music of the band while maintaining (mostly) the feel of the original recordings found in Hybrid Theory (along with some extra tracks from other sources). If you are a fan of the group's music and for some reason have passed over it thinking that it is just another remix 'cash-in', think again. This is a must-own recording for any fan of this band and in fact for anyone who likes their rock modern, emotional, complex and loud. A great recording that I continue to enjoy over and over again.
And now, on to what's on the album:
1. OPENING - 1:07
This is a Krwlng overture with some of the string work that will be heard in the final cut of this disc, which is easily the best track on the album.
2. PTS.OF.ATHRTY - 3:45
A reinterpretation of Points of Authority from the Hybrid Theory album.
This reinterpretation by Jay Gordon / Nova captures much of the emotion and intensity of the original song and expands it with more bass input and keyboard effects. The overall tone is very 'electronica' but retains the lyrical context of the original song in terms of the orchestration. A good mix, and even better when played loud.
3. ENTH E ND - 3:59
A reinterpretation of In the End from the Hybrid Theory album.
Reinterpreted by Kutmasta Kurt and featuring Motion Man (not to be confused with Method Man), this is perhaps the weakest track on this album. The main problem with this one is that this song has been changed from a heartfelt lament about the failure of a relationship to a 'pop ditty'. The main strong point of this album is the fact that, for the most part, those reinterpreting the songs maintained the emotional content. This song is the exception and, to my mind, this track is the worse for it.
4. (CHALI) - :23
Chali 2na rings Mike Shinoda about getting the recording of the song started.
5. FRGT/10 - 3:32
A reinterpretation of Forgotten from the Hybrid Theory album.
This song is reinterpreted by Alchemist featuring Chali 2na and has a very rap oriented sound courtesy of Chali 2na. A good mix that is very different from the original Hybrid Theory version.
6. P5HNG ME A*WY - 4:37
A reinterpretation of Pushing Me Away from the Hybrid Theory album.
This track was reinterpreted by Mike Shinoda and features Stephen Richards of TapRoot. A far more deliberate version that slows down the chorus and changes the words slightly. A very effective reworking of the last song on the Hybrid Theory album that exploits the tune established in the original and which adds a melodic urgency that was hinted at in the original but completely revealed here.
7. PLC.4 MIE HÆD - 4:20
A reinterpretation of A Place for My Head from the Hybrid Theory album.
Linkin Park Live
This track features a reinterpretation of one of the band's oldest songs by Amp Live featuring Zion. If you think that the only shoutable lyric from this band is 'Shut up when I'm talkin' to you', then you're missing out on the classic 'You try to take the best of me. Go away'. A good reworking of the original song.
8. X-ECUTIONER STYLE - 1:49
A reinterpretation of elements of One Step Closer and Forgotten from the Hybrid Theory album.
Linkin Park does 'Gangsta Rap'. This song really demonstrates the diversity that the members of this band are capable of. Featuring Black Thought, this track is as hard core rap as you'll hear anywhere and is quite a departure from what you would usually hear from the group. The song flows quite seamlessly with the following track, H! VLTG3.
9. H! VLTG3 - 3:30
A reinterpretation of High Voltage from the Linkin Park DVD Frat Party at the Pancake Festival.
Going straight from X-ECUTIONER STYLE, this track features some lightning quick raps and cool wordplay. Reinterpreted by Evidence and featuring Pharoahe Monch and DJ Babu.
10. (RIFF RAFF) - :21
A call from someone named Ron asking Mike how he might get back his keyboard from Joe.
11. WTH>YOU - 4:12
A reinterpretation of With You from the Hybrid Theory album.
This track is redone by Chairman Hahn (presumably DJ Joseph Hahn) with Aceyalone. Similar to the original track but with much bigger vocals and meatier guitar work from Mike Shinoda.
12. NTRMSSION - :29
Another Krwlng interlude by Mike Shinoda featuring violin and cello by Phoenix.
13. PPR:KUT - 3:36
A reinterpretation of Papercut from the Hybrid Theory album.
This is a reworking of the first song on the Hybrid Theory album and is done by Cheapshot & Jubacca featuring Rasco & Planet Asia. Another faithful rendition of a song that has been enhanced but not completely changed from its original version. A good mix.
14. RNW@Y - 3:12
A reinterpretation of Runaway from the Hybrid Theory album.
This track is reworked by the Backyard Bangers (Josh Kouzomis and Eric Moss) featuring Phoenix Orion. This isn't the strongest of cuts either on the Hybrid Theory album or here. An okay song, but this reworking doesn't do heaps for the song and is one of the least memorable tracks on this album.
15. MY^DSMBR - 4:17
A reinterpretation of My December from the Linkin Park DVD Frat Party at the Pancake Festival.
Linkin Park does New Order. This is a great track with a song that both lyrically and musically does have the feel of Linkin Park but is at the same time a departure from their usual style with a very laid back sound. A restrained tune that works very well. Reinterpreted by Mickey P. (Mickey Petralia) featuring vocalist Kelli Ali, this is one of the best tracks on the disc.
16. STEF - :09
Guitarist Stef Carpenter rings Mike to arrange the recording of this track.
17. BY_MYSLF - 3:42
A reinterpretation of By Myself from the Hybrid Theory album.
Josh Abraham, the famous Australian producer does his thing on Linkin Park with Mike Shinoda and with Stef Carpenter, guitarist for the Deftones. Featuring a heavier guitar and a funkier mix than the original, the producers exploit the simple but memorable melody of the song, especially at the end and in conjunction with Chester Bennington's multifaceted voice.
18. KYUR4 TH ICH - 2:32
A reinterpretation of Cure for the Itch from the Hybrid Theory album.
Chairman Hahn is at it again with another good mix and scratch effort, apparently recorded at his parent's house.
19. 1STP KLOSR - 5:45
A reinterpretation of One Step Closer from the Hybrid Theory album.
One of the band's most popular songs on the Hybrid Theory album was One Step Closer. While it was a great song, I always found it frightfully short (2:35) and it was always over just when I was getting into it. This reworking is just the cure for that itch. Featuring a remix by The Humble Brothers featuring Jonathan Davis from KORN, this is a great track that takes all the great elements of the original song and multiplies them 100-fold. This track has one of the greatest 'shout it out loud' lyrics 'Shut up when I'm talkin' to you', right on par with Rage Against the Machine's 'F*** you, I won't do what you tell me'. One of my favourite songs to scream out loud to and the perfect antidote to people who irritate you. I just tell my wife that I'm singing along to the music. Maybe she believes me.
20. KRWLNG - 5:44
A reinterpretation of Crawling from the Hybrid Theory album.
This is the best track of the disc and worth the purchase price alone. Cs go autoexec download. Of all the songs from the Hybrid Theory album, this song truly highlights the fantastic songwriting abilities of the band. The producer of this track (Mike Shinoda), along with featured vocalist Aaron Lewis of Staind and the string work of Phoenix have created an almost symphony of sound with this track. This is another strong point of this band, in that their music can take on at times an almost symphonic characteristic and this is demonstrated on this album. All the emotional content that was contained in the original version is retained and enhanced here making this the stand-out track of the album.
This is really a great disc with a number of tracks that work quite well. I've had this disc playing in various forms (CD, cassette dub in the car, the DVD-Audio in the lounge) for a couple of months and it hasn't grown old on me at all. There are a couple of weak tracks here and there (RNW@Y and ENTH E ND come to mind) but these are in the minority and overall this is a fantastic package. If you have put off getting this disc for whatever reason, then hesitate no more. This disc has a sound that is quite compatible with the band's latest release, Meteora, and is closer to that disc than the band's first release Hybrid Theory. Get it, get it in the player and hit that button. Rock! You'll love it!
Track Listing
1. OPENING2. PTS.OF.ATHRTY (+ video + making of)
3. ENTH E ND
4. (CHALI)
5. FRGT/10 (+ video)
6. P5HNG ME A*WY
7. PLC.4 MIE HÆD
8. X-ECUTIONER STYLE
9. H! VLTG3
10. (RIFF RAFF)
| 11. WTH>YOU 12. NTRMSSION 13. PPR:KUT 14. RNW@Y 15. MY^DSMBR 16. STEF 17. BY_MYSLF 18. KYUR4 TH ICH (+ video) 19. 1STP KLOSR 20. KRWLNG |
Transfer Quality
Video
As this is a DVD-Audio disc, the audio, not the video, is of primary concern. There is, however, some video content available on this disc. As the DVD-Audio format is the same worldwide, we get the normal NTSC video format for what video content there is. Therefore, make sure that you are able to play back NTSC or some of the features will be hard (if not impossible) to access and view.The video content here is presented in both full frame and 1.85:1 depending on what is being viewed. The first three music videos are in 1.85:1 and the Making of feature is presented full frame. All the menus for the disc are full frame and there is no 16x9 enhancement at any point.
For a disc that features no 16x9 enhancement, the video content we do get is reasonably clear. This is most visible in the video clip for the song PTS.OF.ATHRTY that features some quite clever and intricate computer animation. 16x9 would have been nice, but this is still okay for extras on a DVD-Audio disc. Shadow detail is okay, but a little less revealing on the FRGT/10 video which is more computer animation that is set at night. This was perhaps intended by the filmmakers, so it's hard to tell. I found low level noise fairly infrequent except on the video of KYUR4 TH ICH where the artefact is fairly visible due to the footage being shot with camcorders.
Colour use during the feature was good. Much of the image available is either computer generated or taken with a camcorder (digital or otherwise) so we probably get as close to what was originally intended as possible.
I had no problems with MPEG artefacts with the video seen here. The bitrate is fairly consistent with the material here and sits at around the 7.28 Mbps mark with peaks into the 8.00 Mbps range from time to time. There is some shimmer from aliasing and some edge enhancement seen on the video of KYUR4 TH ICH but I had no major issues with it.
There are no subtitles available on this title.
This disc is formatted RSDL with the layer change placed between tracks 9 and 10 (between H! VLTG3 and RIFF RAFF) at 27:03. This is completely between the tracks and does not disrupt the programme material at all.
There are 4 audio options available on this disc. The exact options which will be available to you will depend upon what equipment is available to you. If you have a normal DVD player, then you will have access to the Dolby Digital 2.0 and 5.1 mixes at 448 Kbps, but if you have a DVD-Audio capable player, then you will be able to access the higher resolution of the DVD-Audio MLP tracks available which run at 48 kHz/24-bit for the 5.1 mix and 44.1 kHz/24-bit for the 2.0 track. I was not able to listen to the Dolby Digital tracks as my DVD player only allowed me to access the DVD-Audio mixes, but I was able to listen to the Dolby Digital mixes available on the video extras and this gave me some understanding of what was available. Of all the formats of music available, the 5.1 mix on this disc most suits the form of music we have here. As this is not a traditional studio 2.0 mix or a live concert album, but rather a remix (really too limited a description) disc, the multi-channel mix suits the material very well. The vocals and surrounds don't have to be natural or acoustically accurate for them to work, so this frees the producers to do some very interesting things to the songs.
The MLP 2.0 mix on this disc is okay and is more accurate in terms of reflecting the original CD mix of the material, but this recording lends itself more to the 5.1 mix. Even though I listened to the 2 channel track several times, I always went back to the MLP 5.1 mix as it served the songs better. Perhaps the only area where the 2.0 mix was superior to the 5.1 mix was in the clarity of some of the vocals, especially Chester Bennington's which at times during the 5.1 mix got a bit lost in all the sound. This was mostly evident when Chester's vocals were more musical than vocal in nature. Anyone familiar with this band's work will understand the vocal characteristics of Chester who can seem to have more than one vocal tone going on at any particular time.
The MLP 5.1 mix on this disc is the bomb. I would normally listen to this album on CD in 2 channel and I would be happy with this, but the 5.1 mix here is a revelation and a real treat to those with equipment able to reproduce the sound. The DVD-Audio transfer at full flight requires decent full range speakers across all the channels as many DVD-Audio players don't allow for any bass management in their set-up, so make sure that your speakers are up to the job, and this disc will put them through their paces.
As this is a remix album, the centre channel was sometimes the primary source of lead vocals, but for much of the programme, there is much main vocal information coming from the entire front stage as well as the rear at times. It probably wouldn't work for a traditional recording, but is fine here.
There are a fair number of rear effects used in this mix and the rear surround channels play more than just the supporting role that we see them take on a lot of DVD-Video discs with Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes. Some stand-out examples can be heard at 1:00 on P5HNG ME A*WY, during WTH>YOU, and there is fantastic use made of rear sound at the beginning of MY^DSMBR with the clinking metal sound very convincing and cool. 5:45 is also memorable in terms of rear channel use during the song 1STP KLOSR.
We get a decent range of well integrated LFE sound with this disc. Some high points in its use can be heard during MY^DSMBR throughout the track and 1STP KLOSR during much of the song. PTS.OF.ATHRTY (at 3:28), FRGT/10 (especially at 0:10), WTH>YOU (throughout the song), and RNW@Y (during the whole song) all feature a large amount of well integrated LFE.
As stated before, I was only able to listen in a limited fashion to the 'normal' Dolby Digital 5.1 mix of this disc through the three video extras that we have here, but comparing this to the increased resolution capable through DVD-Audio leads me to reason that you wouldn't really consider this disc unless you had a capable player or were very much in mind of getting one. The Dolby Digital tracks here wouldn't compel me to buy this disc on their own merit as the overall sound quality with the Dolby Digital mixes isn't nearly as good as what we get with the MLP 5.1 and MLP 2.0 tracks.
This video clip is very much in the vein of the computer animated film Final Fantasy, complete with a battling robot army and phantom tentacles that rise from the ground. Nothing to do with the song's topic of domestic abuse, but as the band says, the kids want to see the robots blastin' the s*** out of each other and that's what we get. Presented in 1.85:1, non 16x9 with audio in Dolby Digital 5.1.
KYUR4 TH ICH video clip - 2:34
This is a mix and scratch track and appropriately, we have some breakdancers demonstrating their stuff. Recorded with some sort of camcorder, the vision is watchable but not cinema quality. Presented in 1.85:1 without 16x9 enhancement. Audio is in Dolby Digital 5.1.
FRGT/10 video clip - 3:54
Another computer generated clip about a graffiti artist on the loose in the city with the law after him, but the message he scrawls on the walls is more than just a tag..and the graffiti artist is more than he appears. Presented in 1.85:1 without 16x9 enhancement. Audio is in Dolby Digital 5.1.
Featurette: Making of PTS.OF.ATHRTY - 5:04
This short featurette goes into the making of the intricate music video of PTS.OF.ATHRTY that is very much in the style of Final Fantasy. A short and sweet making-of doco. Presented full frame with audio in Dolby Digital 2.0.
R4 vs R1
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
DVD-Audio discs are identical throughout the world and are not region coded.
Summary
This is so much more than just a remix album. While the Hybrid Theory disc was great, it was a little bit flat and not as multi-layered as it could have been. Think of this disc more as Hybrid Theory 2.0 rather than some sort of cash-in quick buck disc such as we've seen released from other artists before. This is a full flight album and deserves to be judged in that light, so if you've been holding off purchasing this disc and are a fan of the band, don't even think about it..just get it. A stand-out album and one of my personal favourites.
The video is adequate, but not really a major issue as the audio is of supreme importance here.
The audio is fantastic with an active and immerse MLP 5.1 mix serving the material quite well.
The extras are few but interesting with some new videos to accompany the reinterpreted songs.
Ratings (out of 5)
| Review Equipment | |
| DVD | Panasonic DVD RP-82 with DVD-Audio on board, using S-Video output |
| Display | Beko TRW 325 / 32 SFT 10 76cm (32') 16x9. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
| Audio Decoder | Yamaha RX-V2300 Dolby Digital and dts. |
| Amplification | Yamaha RX-V2300 110w X 6 connected via optical cable and shielded RCA (gold plated) connects for DVD-Audio |
| Speakers | VAF DC-X Fronts (bi-wired), VAF DC-6 Center, VAF DC-2 Rears, VAF LFE-07 Dub (Dual Amp. 80w x 2) |
Great review! - REPLY POSTED
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Follow-up - REPLY POSTED
DeanM - REPLY POSTED
Boring talentless ONE chord guitar music - REPLY POSTED