Hybrid Theory

．全世界的风云人物、新世代混种音魔
．2001年全美专辑销售总冠军、全球专辑销售亚军的首张惊世钜作！
．收录格莱美"最佳硬式摇滚团体"大奖得奖之作「Crawling」、全美摇滚榜Top 5单曲「On Step Closer」、现代摇滚榜冠军曲「In The End」

犹记mcb Taiwan音乐杂志中一篇Linkin Park的Album Review曾以这样一句话结尾：「如果Rap-Metal热潮能至2001年延烧不退，相信Linkin Park绝对上位有望。」结果2000年底所发表的这张首张专辑「Hybrid Theory」，虽未让Linkin Park这个来自南加州的年轻乐团以雷霆万钧之势平地一声雷地窜起，但却成功地在2001年整年中发挥惊人的耐力，靠着一首首单曲的推出以及无数的巡回演出，从美国红到英国以及欧洲、亚洲，甚至连在一些日本街头流行杂志中都可见到关于Linkin Park的大篇幅报导，无怪乎他们会获誉为已取代了Limp Bizkit在年轻世代心目中的地位。然后你会见到Linkin Park相继成为Metal Hammer、Rock Sound等杂志的封面人物并名列年度重金属音乐祭Ozzfest的头条乐队，同时「Hybrid Theory」成为2001年美国最畅销专辑冠军之余，更让人吃惊地获跳舞音乐杂志Touch选为年度50张最佳专辑之一。

正所谓时势造英雄，当然我们不能否认Linkin Park今日锋芒一时无两大大得助于Rap-Metal/Thash-Hop以及Nu-Metal风潮走势持续强劲的推波助澜，但更重要的是Linkin Park的成功之道在于透过双主音演唱/Rap交错演绎下，同时精准地加入DJ Joe Hahn的Scratch手法以及Hip Hop Groove/电气化肌理（官方资料中甚至指出自己崇拜的电子狂人Aphex Twin是他们的音乐影响之一！），而形成一种能够同时讨好Rap-Metal/Thash-Hop与Nu-Metal两造乐迷的重型格局，好比被誉为摩登版"Walk This Way"、写出优异Rappin’ Rhyme的"Papaercut"，又如这个世代对Rage Against The Machine经典"Killing In The Name"之回应的"One Step Closer"（留意歌词中一句「Shut Up When I’m Talking To You」）、出现在电影「魔鬼接班人」原声带中的"Points Of Authority"等单曲都是最佳例证。另一方面，歌曲中Catchy的副歌旋律亦获所蕴含之不流俗的商业潜质，又能在不经意间掳获普罗乐迷的心，听听在令人心碎之钢琴琴音引导下唱着副歌: 「I tried so hard/And got so far/But in the end/It doesn’t even matter/…」的"In The End"是如何触动心灵。

正如同Touch杂志所下的标题「Taking The Bizkit」般，Linkin Park正是这个世代最独一无二的混种音乐霸王！！！

(by KKBOX)

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Hybrid Theory is the debut album by the American rock band Linkin Park, released on October 24, 2000 through Warner Bros. Records. The album was a commercial success, having sold over 10 million units in the United States alone as of 2010, peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, and also reaching high positions on other charts worldwide.

Recorded at NRG Recordings in North Hollywood, California, and produced by Don Gilmore, the album's lyrical themes deal with problems lead vocalist Chester Bennington experienced during his adolescence, including drug abuse and the constant fighting and divorce of his parents. Hybrid Theory takes its title from the previous name of the band.

Four singles were released from the album: "One Step Closer", "Crawling", "Papercut", and "In the End", all of them being responsible for launching Linkin Park into mainstream popularity especially their latter single being the most successful of the four and all of the singles in the album remain one of the band's most successful songs to date. Although "Runaway", "Points of Authority", and "My December" from the special edition bonus disc album were not released as singles, they were minor hits on alternative rock radio stations thanks to the success of all of the band's singles and the album. At the 2002 Grammy Awards, Hybrid Theory was nominated for Best Rock Album. The album is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It was ranked #11 on Billboard's Hot 200 Albums of the Decade. A special edition of Hybrid Theory was released March 11, 2002, a year and a half after its original pressing. Hybrid Theory has sold 24 million copies worldwide, which makes it the best selling debut album of the 21st century. (wiki)

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by William Ruhlmann

Linkin Park originally called itself Hybrid Theory, a name they retained for the title of their debut album. The "hybrid" in question is the overly familiar one of rap and metal, to which the group has little new to add. The guitars and drums lock into standard thrash patterns, over which singer Chester Bennington and rapper Mike Shinoda alternate in furious expressions of rage and frustration. "One Step Closer," the track released to radio in advance of the album's release, is a typical effort, with lyrics like "Everything you say to me/Takes me one step closer to the edge/And I'm about to break." It might be easier to believe in all this angst if the group members didn't take such pains to thank their families in the lengthy acknowledgments in the booklet, followed by an extensive list of product endorsements. But even without the fine print to undermine its sincerity, Linkin Park sounds like a Johnny-come-lately to an already overdone musical style.