As a longtime and pretty die-hard Linkin Park fan, I've grown up with the band throughout the last dozen years or so. Ever since I first got their first (first as Linkin Park) CD Hybrid Theory in 2000 (or was it 2001? can't remember...) Their best CD was undoubtedly Meteora - and it took me a while to come around and really start to see the value in them changing their sound and evolving their stuff instead of putting out more songs of the same footprint/recipe. I collected and listened to each one of their albums - from their pre-LP days (Hybrid Theory EP), to their live concert albums (even bootlegs), to their collaboration albums (with Jay-Z), and their side-projects (Fort Minor) - and finally got around to downloading their fan club exclusives (LP Underground).It was on their Underground CDs that I found some of their best songs that never made it onto one of their albums and thus probably not even played and heard by some of their biggest fans. These songs were called "demos" which I believe were songs that were 85-95% completed songs but weren't chosen for the actual albums - and thus weren't fully remixed/edited with the careful detail and attention that the songs selected for the CD were given. I've chosen the 3 best songs that I think could've easily made it onto one of their first 3 albums (because that's when they were dated).
1.) Dedicated (Demo 1999)
Released to the LP Underground community back in 2003 on one of the very first fan club CDs - Underground V2.0. This particular song has a very "Hybrid Theory" (the original band) feel to it because there was no presence of Chester - this also makes sense since it is dated back in '99. It's Mike doing his thing: laying down the rhymes and lines to a pretty consistent beat accompanied by some guitar cords and (most likely) Joe Hahn's turntable scratching. There's definitely some background ambiance sound effects as well that gives it a very old school LP feeling. I can also see this song making it as a track on a Fort Minor CD as well - it's got the same kind of vibe. Having said all that - it gives the Shinoda fans what they want to hear, Mike's lyrical skills.
2.) Across The Line (Demo 2007)
Released on Underground v9.0 in 2009, this track surfaced after the release of Minutes to Midnight but was most likely recorded during their work in the studio on the album. Sadly, this awesome song never saw the light of day until it was released to LPU members in-between albums, and was highlighted again a year later in a bonus release called "A Decade Underground" which was a compilation of tracks that were released on various Underground CDs. This song has a fairly dark message within the lyrics that Chester sings. The tempo is upbeat - you can hear Rob on the drums just hammering away - and after a few choruses, Chester really lets his special vocals go to work as he lets out one of his unmistakable screams. Mike can be softly heard echoing the main chorus before concluding the song on the keyboard - and Joe adds his (somewhat creepy) sound effects in the background. This song has almost everything from beginning to end: great tempo, lyrics, vocals, keyboard and table elements, and rad guitar to wrap the whole song together into a masterpiece. Only thing that's potentially missing is more of Mike's voice/lines.
3.) What We Don't Know (Demo 2007)
Another song that was most likely produced during the Minutes to Midnight era. It was released on the 10th anniversary of the Underground CDs - LP Underground X: Demos. This song will hook you before you're even done listening to it the first time through. The chorus is simple, but full of emotions at the same time and you can really hear Chester singing it with feeling. However after listening to it about 20 times or so, it's pretty apparent why it didn't make it onto the album: it sounds a lot like a lot of their other stuff. Now, that's probably a double edged sword and the audience who were disappointed by Minutes to Midnight because they were expecting another Meteora would probably claim this song to be one of LP's greatest hits. However, LP (and also myself) probably realized it was more of the same and didn't have significant substance underneath. The song lacked something that differentiated itself and it just wasn't in line with the "new" and evolved sound in Minutes to Midnight. But listening to the song in the right context - an "oldie" and more "sophomore album" LP style - it fits their recipe to the letter. Chester making the lyrics come alive, great instrumentation, Mike making a presence on the keyboard, great rhythm/tempo, and the guitar strings to compliment the vocals. It's a wonderful song that all Linkin Park fans must hear.
If the perfect song is composed but never exposed, is it still perfect? Or was the lack of evaluation that purifies the perfection?
