LP Underground Track Commentary

Introduction

With the introduction of the Linkin Park Underground fanclub, fans have been given access to exclusive songs over the years. This is a collection of commentary by the band on the songs. We have listed all of the comments and descriptions of the tracks that we could find. Unfortunately, a lot of songs never featured commentary.

We are currently collecting all of the comments by the band on songs in a forum thread, which can be found here.

LP Underground 2.0

A.06: Find Brad LPU chat quote about it

LP Underground 4.0

Sold My Soul To Yo Mama:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground 4.0 CD Case):

Joe's instrumental song "Sold My Soul..." is a landmark: usually we work on instrumental LP songs together. However, Mr. Hahn put the majority of this track together on his own (that's my boy... *sob*).

Standing In The Middle:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground 4.0 CD Case):

"Standing In The Middle" is a brand new song I did with Kutmasta Kurt and Motion Man. You may remember them from the "In The End" remix from "Reanimation." This is the first time this track has been made available.

LP Underground 6.0

QWERTY:

Rob Bourdon (Linkin Park Underground 5.0 Newsletter):

[...]We wanted to play a new song in Japan that was different from what we have done in the past that had a lot of energy live. We had a very specific idea of the kind of song we wanted to play but we didn't have that type of song yet. Being able to rehearse and record at the same time enabled us to create the song Qwerty, which is the song that we ended up playing. After trying to mold a song we had already written into the right one for the show (which didn't work) we decided to write a brand new song 3 days before leaving. An hour before one of the last rehearsals we stopped working on a song named Grecian and decided to start a new song based on an idea that Phoenix had brought in. The song Qwerty came together in an hour and then it was rearranged over the next three days in the rehearsal room and the studio. The lyrics were actually finished on the flight to Japan.

For two weeks prior to leaving we were running back and forth from the recording studio and rehearsal spot, creating new songs and relearning the older songs. At some points it got really hectic. After playing Qwerty on the last day of rehearsals, we knew that it was going to be a great live song. It's a little nerve-wracking to write a song and then play it in front of thousands of fans a few days latter, but it was also very exciting to be able to play a song that was still in the works and see how the fans reacted to it before finishing it.

Overall, I think Qwerty got a great response live. I thought it was incredible that the fans actually recorded the song on thier cell phones and then posted it online. Despite the audio being barely audible it was really cool to see all of the file trading and posts of the song. Since the live performances went well we decided to track it with our producer Rick, who had some great suggestions to make the song even better. Qwerty will always remind me of that quick trip to Japan, and you can look out for it perhaps as an Underground exclusive in LPU6...

LP Underground 8.0

You Ain't Gotsta Gotsta, etc:

Mike Shinoda (LPUMB December 2008):

In previous years, we've released LPU CDs that contain b-sides, live tracks, and lesser-known songs from the band. This year, we have decided to do something totally unprecedented and unexpected. The LPU8 CD contains six totally new, original studio songs that Chester and I recorded in our free time in the past couple of years. But these aren't normal Linkin Park songs.

Working on a song for an album is sometimes a lot of work, and occasionally we need some time to unwind. When Chester and I unwind, sometimes we make another kind of lighter, fun song. We call these songs "cookies." I think came from the idea that you get your dessert (your cookies) after you eat all the rest of your meal.

The songs on the LPU8 CD are random, silly, and they fall into a variety of styles, from a James-Brown-Meets-Bobby-McFerrin track called "You Ain't Gotsta Gotsta" to a mock electro-club-banger called "26 Lettaz In Da Alphabet."

LP Underground 9.0

Across The Line:

Mike Shinoda (mikeshinoda.com 11 November 2009):

For those of you who have been keeping track, 'Across The Line' is a brand new, unreleased song. It was recorded during the 'Minutes To Midnight' sessions, and was originally entitled "Japan" We know a lot of the fans on the LPU boards have wanted to hear this song, in its entirety, for a long time. We're putting it on the LPU9 CD for you!

Brad Delson (LP Underground 9 Press Release 30 November 2009):

The LPU is a movement. Their support of the band is inspiring. So we try to give back to them whenever we can. When we heard that they had been talking about 'Across The Line' we knew we had to make it available for them.

LP Underground X

What We Don't Know:

Brad Delson (LP Underground Newsletter Anniversary Edition):

That was the song that we started during the Minutes To Midnight writing period, and we kind of left it as it is, and then never really finished it. To me I just love the feel of it and even in its current form I like it. I

always thought it had a lot of potential to be a great song.

LP Underground 11

YO:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground Eleven booklet):

This was a demo for Minutes To Midnight. It never got any vocals... We thought this would be a nice way to open up this LPU 11 album.

Slip:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground Eleven booklet):

We did various versions of this song, but never felt compelled to release the song. It has never been released until now. It was in the first batch of songs (with "Blue") that we worked on together when Chester joined the band.

Soundtrack:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground Eleven booklet):

We tried different vocal treatments, but they never really panned out; I think we felt this track was a bit too poppy. We tried turning the guitars up really loud to counterbalance it, but at the end of the day, this song didn't make the cut.

In The End (Demo):

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground Eleven booklet):

These were the original verse lyrics that I wrote for this song, and the original melody in the bridge. I remember putting this together in our rehearsal studio on Hollywood and Vine, working overnight in a room with no windows. I had no idea what time of day it was; I just slept when I was tired, and worked on this song until it took shape. The first guy to hear it was Rob, who told me (I'm paraphrasing) that this was "exactly the kind of song he wanted us to write."

Program:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground Eleven booklet):

This Meteora demo has some cool sounds in it, which are in stark contrast to the bludgeoning guitar riffs. Definitelly a Meteora-era demo.

Bang Three:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground Eleven booklet):

This was the original demo for "What I've Done." I had forgoten how different this bridge treatment was from the bridge solo we ended up at. This chord progression might have sounded cool with vocals, but we wanted to do a guitar solo, so we ended up changing the chords.

Robot Boy (Test Mix, Optional Vocal Take):

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground Eleven booklet):

Chester and I liked this arrangement of the vocals, but some of the other guys wanted us to take another stab at them. So this version went away... I never minded this version.

Broken Foot:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground Eleven booklet):

This was what I imagine all our Meteora demos sounded like. I always thought this might have sounded cool with some rapping in the verses.

Esaul:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground Eleven booklet):

This was one of the first demos the band had ever written. When Chester joined the band, we finally put together enough money to do a proper recording of it (this one) in a "professional studio." These were the original lyrics and performance.

Blue:

Mike Shinoda (ShoutWeb October 2000):

The chorus melody for "Crawling" was originally the bridge of a song that sucked that we wrote. That other song we didn't like and we weren't going to use it so we had this melody. It just occured to me to take this melody that I liked and to write music around it. I did that and then Brad came in and added a little more and helped me out with it. Chester wrote some new words. Everybody worked around it.

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground Eleven booklet):

I forgot this song existed until I found it on a CD in a box in my closet this year. This song and "Slip" were done in sessions leading up to the recording of Hybrid Theory. We eventually abandoned the song, but decided that there was something special about the vocal at the end of the song. Chester and I took the melody, wrote new words to it, and wrote new chords underneath... and it became the chorus of "Crawling."

LP Underground 12

Homecoming:

Brad Delson (Linkin Park Underground 12 booklet):

With Minutes To Midnight, we threw our playbook out the windows. Rick challenged us to write songs in a entirely different way: create an instrumental seed and put vocals on it right away. If the initial blueprint wasn't overtly inspiring, we would move on to creating something new. We must have written over a hundred of these seeds before arriving at the twelve finished songs that made the album.

Points Of Authority (Demo):

Brad Delson (Linkin Park Underground 12 booklet):

One of my favorite songs from our Hybrid Theory writing sessions. You'll notice the bridge from the album version is actually the chorus in this early version. The bridge here was ultimately replaced by the demo chorus - our version of musical darwinism.

Clarity:

Brad Delson (Linkin Park Underground 12 booklet):

I love how this one builds. Works cool as an instrumental.

Asbestos:

Brad Delson (Linkin Park Underground 12 booklet):

This may be the first time I've ever heard this one!

Bunker:

Brad Delson (Linkin Park Underground 12 booklet):

We worked in so many different studios during the Minutes To Midnight writing and recording sessions. Our work culminated at Rick's house in Laurel Canyon. However, much of the material on the album actually came straight from demos recorded during pre-production writing sessions.

So Far Away:

Brad Delson (Linkin Park Underground 12 booklet):

This one has a special place in my heart. Part of the inspiration behind this song was an attempt to play with a particular back-and-forth song structure. Also, a foreshadowing of Shinoda's melodic facility.

Pepper:

Brad Delson (Linkin Park Underground 12 booklet):

People ask how we write a song. The assumption is usually that it starts with words or a melody - that we have the idea for the song before we begin. In reality, we almost always start a demo with an instrumental impulse. Usually the music will help dictate where the vocals will take the song.

Debris:

Brad Delson (Linkin Park Underground 12 booklet):

This demo thrived on the strength of the beat. Comes in demanding attention. The chorus here probably would've been better as a bridge. The demo bridge has a nice chord progression - might've worked as a chorus.

Ominous:

Brad Delson (Linkin Park Underground 12 booklet):

With Meteora, we were eager to prove that our first album wasn't an aberration. The joke is that a band has their entire lives to write their first album, and six months to write their second. In our case, this was probably accurate. Our early song-writing approach was always to craft nearly finished instrumental tracks, and subsequently finalize words and melodies. This put an exceptional amount of pressure on the vocalists, often in the final hour of the recording process.

Forgotten (Demo):

Brad Delson (Linkin Park Underground 12 booklet):

One of our earliest songs. Definitely a fan favorite. The spirit of this song is intimately interwoven into the formative identity of the band.

LP Underground XIII

Basquiat:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground XIII booklet):

This was a track I originally started just after I finished the Fort Minor album and was never really sure where to take it. After this, we moved into "Minutes To Midnight" and tried a few vocal ideas on it, but nothing really materialized. Maybe it was meant to be an instrumental.

Holding Company:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground XIII booklet):

As we started making demos for "LIVING THINGS', this was a track that surfaced. We were still figuring out the right time for the songs on the album at that point.

Primo:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground XIII booklet):

Although we opted for a different final direction for "I'LL BE GONE", I always loved this longer version of the song. I think this is a good example of how a different structure and arrangement can totally change the vibe of the song. Plus, this has a different chorus.

Hemispheres:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground XIII booklet):

The beat treatment on this demo was a fun experiment - I took a loop and put it through a tight slap delay - the same effect treatment that was used to make the iconic vocal on the hip hop song "Planet Rock." But here, I changed the "tone" of the effect so that it changed with the chords of the song.

Cumulus:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground XIII booklet):

We tried many times to make this song work, but it always seemed too poppy for the album(s) we were currently working on.

Pretty Birdy:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground XIII booklet):

There were usually three incarnations of our early demos: 1) mostly done in the computer with drum programming, keyboard, bass, and some live guitar 2) adding real drums and vocals 3) adding more live instrumentation, structure and arrangement work. This version was in stage two. Check out the original guitar in the bridge.

Universe:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground XIII booklet):

Another post-Fort Minor demo. The main sounds were piano and mellotron, which gave it a slightly more classic vibe. Vocals never materialized, but the track has a cool, dark, introspective vibe.

Apaches, Foot Patrol, and Three Band Terror:

Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park Underground XIII booklet):

In its final version, "UNTIL IT BREAKS" was an experiment inspired by side two of the Beatles' Abbey Road. On side two, the Fab Four created a medley based on various musical songs/demos/ideas; each one flowed into the next, creating a roller coaster experience. In the midst of making "LIVING THINGS," we found ourselves with these different demos that seemed to want to blend into something, and "UNTIL IT BREAKS" became that track. The three demos are found in their raw versions here.