Here's an exclusive that's sure to blow your minds: A previously unheard, 10 year-old demo CD that includes a never-before-released song and alternate versions of several other demos!
This 8-track demo CD was essentially an early version of the 9-track demo CD that was put together in early 2000. This version omits 'Rhinestone' and 'Esaul', while adding the previously unheard track 'She Couldn't'. There has been some conflicting information about the timeframe this CD was produced; the seller of this disc on eBay reported that it dates to 1998, but in fact, the earliest it could've been made is the summer of 1999. This is because 'She Couldn't' features a prominent sample of the song 'B-Boy Document '99' by High & Mighty, and that song was released in the summer of 1999. That puts this demo CD in the timeframe between the release of the Hybrid Theory EP and the 9-track demo CD, which still makes it some of the earliest demo material from the band.
As for the contents of the CD itself, 'Untitled', 'Points and Authority', 'SuperXero' and 'And One' are all identical to their counterparts on the 9-track demo CD. 'Crawling' features a few differences, with the Ahh, I hate you so much right now scream at the beginning of the track removed, as well as the quiet section before the first chorus and the short break between the first chorus and second verse also being absent. 'Carousel' and 'Part Of Me' are both musically similar to the demos on the 9-track CD, but feature different vocal parts, including some different lyrics from both the 9-track demo versions and the HTEP versions.
Of course, the big gem on this disc is 'She Couldn't'. This song goes against a lot of stereotypes regarding early Hybrid Theory/Linkin Park material. For one, the song clocks in at well over 5 minutes in length, and features an extended instrumental breakdown. It's also one of the softest songs the band has produced, particularly from this era. And as mentioned, this is an extremely rare case of a Linkin Park song sampling music from another artist (which may be part of the reason it was scrapped so early on and none of us had ever heard it until now).
Unfortunately, the quality of these songs leaves a bit to be desired, the last 3 tracks in particular are hindered by quite a bit of static, but that's how they are on the disc itself. It's a bit rough around the edges, but this CD offers some great insight into where Hybrid Theory was as a band at this point, still a year or so away from the release of their debut album.
After two LPLive staff members purchased the first two demo CDs that appeared on eBay, we immediately began preparing this for a release to you guys. This is presented as a full CD rip in both FLAC and 320kb/s mp3. Nothing is tagged at all – we know other sites will post this but remain hopeful the fans know where this came from after such an enormous sum of money was spent on this release. After two weeks of intense preparation, the download is now available. We hope you enjoy!
01 - Untitled
02 - SuperXero
03 - Points and Authority
04 - Crawling
05 - She Couldn't
06 - Carousel
07 - Part Of Me
08 - And One
DOWNLOAD
MP3 (320 kb/s)
FLAC
Mike mentioned the song on his blog on July 3, 2009. You can read the post here.
Posted by Raiden, SINTIA, BIG BAD LUKAS, many others: Can you give us some info about the song called "She Couldn't"?
M: Many of you have asked about an old demo that is floating around. The song is called “She Couldn’t.” We recorded it in 1999 during the making of Hybrid Theory, but it never made an album and was never released by us. For legal reasons, that's all I can say about the song, but I hope this clears things up!
Thanks to Astat, Nick (Yes, I mentioned you this time since this is huge), Jonas, sotrix, and everyone else involved in this awesome release. Thanks for keeping the track on the down low despite all the pressure! |