Living Things

Linkin Park | Format: MP3 Music

Product Details

• Original Release Date: June 20, 2012
• Release Date: June 20, 2012
• Label: Warner Bros.
• Copyright: 2012 Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file metadata contains unique purchase identifier. Learn more.
• Total Length: 36:58
• Genres:
  • Alternative Rock
• ASIN: B008B3H4VQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (352 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #440 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)
  • #86 in MP3 Downloads > MP3 Albums > Alternative Rock

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not my favorite, but not my least favorite July 30, 2012

By AdrienneKampman

Format:Audio CD

I like this album, I really do. I am one of 'those' LP fans who wish for the Hybrid Theory days and I know that's not going to happen. I came to terms with it. It's a 12 step process. ANYHOW.

That being said, I think this album, TO ME, was like having a craving for ice cream but getting frozen yogurt instead. Still pretty good but not quite what you have in mind.

I like the album but it sounds a little funky and I can't quite put my finger on why. I've listened to it about 5 or 6 times through now and I really. really. REALLY. want to love it but I can't. If you are a fan of the old LP you may have mixed emotions about it, like me. If you really liked the last album you will probably enjoy it a little more.

But, I will say, a SOLID album and worth a buy if you are a LP fan.

In the end (no pun intended), whenever I want to hear old LP I listen to old LP and I am still just as happy as the day I first popped in Hybrid Theory. So I guess I don't really need a new-old album anyways!

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Linkin Park lives on in Living Things June 29, 2012

By Greg VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

I was one of the seemingly few people who stuck up for Linkin Park when they released their 3rd album in 2007, "Minutes To Midnight." I could admit that "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora" had been much better albums, but I was glad to see the band try new things; something they would have to do lest their fans become bored with a fading genre. However, in 2010 I completely rejected "A Thousand Suns," not because it was different (I wanted them to take some risks) but because it seemed like a mess. The songs didn't flow together, and a lot of moments just seemed like noise. After my expectations were gone, I eventually grew to appreciate several tracks from that album, in fact I'd say it was some of their smartest material yet. It was enough to make me bite for one more album, which brings us to "Living Things."

It's funny, back in 2009 the band released a song called "New Divide" for the Transformers sequel. At that time they were working on "A Thousand Suns" and they stressed several times that "New Divide" was not any kind of indication of how their upcoming album would sound. The reason that's funny to me is become I think it was a very big indication of how THIS album sounds. In fact the first single, "Burn It Down," is almost like the same song. The format of the song is pretty basic, but I think it has a strong chorus that people at concerts could sing along to. I would very much describe "Living Things" as the missing link between "Minutes To Midnight" and "A Thousand Suns." It's sort of a mix of everything they've done so far. So while it may not show Linkin Park evolving in any specific direction, it does offer a variety to keep things interesting. "Lost In The Echo" sets the tone for the album and isn't unlike what you would expect after hearing the first single, but it is catchy.... "Lies Greed Misery" has some great rapping from Mike Shinoda and a wicked chorus from Chester Bennington. I love when these guys trade vocals back and forth rather than handling it solo. "Castle Of Glass" is likely to be a single, it's a melodic tune that isn't bad but I also didn't find it very memorable after my first 2 listens so far. "Victimized" is very short but it's fast and more raw than anything the band has done in many years. "Until It Breaks" is fun because the song makes several unexpected yet welcome changes. Overall, this is a strong album from LP, and I think fans stuck in the the "Hybrid Theory" days will like this one at least a tiny bit more than their last 2 albums. I denied this album a 5th star because there's still some filler material on here, but probably less than the last 2 albums had. Nice job, Linkin Park. Read more ›

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars More like Minutes to Midnight July 11, 2012

By Jeff Garrison

Format:MP3 Music

Remember the days of Hybrid Theory and Metoera, when the music had a lot of lyrics and was much more aggressive? Well, those days still have not returned. The music on this album is more akin to Midnights to Midnight, but softer. It's like they had an orgy with Fionna Apple, Coldplay, Adele, and Muse; and this album was the result of that. While listening to the album, I wondered if Linkin Park said, "Wow, look at the success of Muse! How can we emulate that sound?"

I agree with a previous review that bands need to evolve so they just don't vomit out the same sound over and over. I guess I just feel like there's a difference between evolving and changing styles completely, LP doing the latter. And maybe that is because their musical interests and style truly is "evolving" this way, and that's cool if they are remaining true to themselves and their musicianship. But, I do miss the older days of their career.

The worst part of this album for me is the overall lack of lyrics. Chester and Mike just like to repeat the same lines over and over. They really need to get back on drugs.

If you loved Minutes to Midnight and Thousand Suns, you will likely enjoy this album. If you've been waiting for a return to Hybrid Theory and Meteora, move along and keep waiting; or just give up.

94 of 134 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars 5/10 - Hear me out (2.5/5) July 8, 2012

By J. Richardson

Format:Audio CD

Note: I understand that I will probably get a lot of negative votes based on my score, but try and read it to see where I'm coming from before you hit the "No" button.

"Living Things" is Linkin Park's follow up album from "A Thousand Suns," making this their fifth studio album. After the release of A Thousand Suns it seemed as if the fan base was forever split. There were those that said they had sold out, and there were those who said it's part of a bands nature to evolve and mature. Don't get me wrong I agree wholeheartedly that a band must evolve so they don't make the same album over and over again. However, changing your entire sound is not the way to do that. A Thousand Suns really broke my heart because this was a band I grew up with from the beginning, they helped me through a lot and it pained me to hear something that didn't feel genuine. I tried really hard to keep an open mind with this album and while I feel this album is much better than the last, it still feels a bit stale.

Living Things starts with "Lost in the Echo" not a bad song by any means, but just like A Thousand Suns you hear a lot of electronica influence. Now I'm a man with a very wide range of musical interest, including electronica, but it just doesn't seem to fit. Overall the album plays a bigger role on musicianship than their previous release, but it's still not as prominent as it was in their first three albums.

Chester's vocals in the album don't sound as smooth as they have in the past. Whether this is because of age or just years of doing live shows I don't know, but it's obvious they are a little rough now. When they released "Burn It Down" I wasn't too impressed with it.... I felt like it was a step in the right direction after the last album, kind of reminiscent of "Minutes To Midnight", but it just felt like they were going through the motions. "Burn It Down" is followed by "Lies Greed Misery" which has to be one of my least favorite songs on the album. Everything about it irritated me, from Mike's lyrics to Chester's vocals just... ugh.

"I'll Be Gone" comes next and once again is very reminiscent of the sound they created on Minutes To Midnight. It's nothing special, but if you were a fan of MTM then you'll enjoy it. One of the strongest, and shortest, songs on the album would have to be track seven "Victimized" Awkwardly placed between "Castle of Glass" and "Roads Untraveled" this heavy piece of music runs at approximately a minute and 46 seconds. One of my favorites on the album in terms of overall sound and lyrics, but it does suffer from a very lazy chorus.

I mentioned earlier my distaste for "Lies Greed Misery" but it can't beat the overall hate I feel for tracks nine and ten "Skin To Bone" and "Until It Breaks" Here are the lyrics in "Skin To Bone" that just make me cringe: "Ash to ashes, dust to dust. Skin to bone, steal to rust. Right to left, left to right. Night to day and day to night." How lazy can they be? I mean that's what majority of "Skin To Bone" consists of.

Then everything about "Until It Breaks" irritates me. Mike's back to the same "hardcore" attitude he had in A Thousand Suns. He keeps trying to act like he's some hard ass talking about guns and it gets to the point where he quotes a line from the late great Notorious B.I.G. Then after every verse we have Chester with some lame chorus that makes you laugh because here we have Mike acting hard and then Chester comes in with some soft vocals. I don't know, Mike used to rap with a purpose and a message, I just feel like that's gone now.

Standout Songs: "Victimized" & "Roads Untraveled"

Overall Score: 5/10 - As I said earlier I understand a band must grow and evolve, but just changing your sound is not how you do it. Recently I've been seeing a lot of people say that "Meteora" was just a copy of "Hybrid Theory" I don't know if we're listening to two different albums, but never once have I felt that. Overall I felt this album was extremely better than ATS, but overall the band sounds stale. I realize that we will never get the Linkin Park from 1999-2003, and that's just something I will have to painfully accept. Read more ›