The Summary Judgment Reviews:
Title: Hybrid Theory
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: WEA/Warner Brothers
Release Date: 10/24/00

Rating: 2 Skulls
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    • Reviewed by Redwolff (6/27/01):
    Ask Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson for a wish-list of bands he'd like to tour with, and he's ready with a response. "We told our manager, 'Pick a band and we can tour with them.' Our music reaches out in so many directions that there's pretty much an unlimited amount of cool bands with which we could play..."
    --From the official website

    Linkin Park chose the title of their album simply by using their original name, Hybrid Theory. Why did they change their name to Linkin Park? The story I've heard over and over, including on our own web board, is that they wanted to sit so close to Limp Bizkit in the CD bin that people would automatically begin associating them with that surprisingly popular garbage. The official site has nothing to say on this. On UGO.com, in an interview with Brad Delson, it is explained that the only reason they used "Linkin" instead of "Lincoln" was because they could not get the URL unless they misspelled it. But why change the name at all? On guitarist.co.uk, Delson says that one of the reasons they liked the name was because it is a more "open" name than Hybrid Theory and "doesn't limit the band to one style." Hello... dictionary? According to dictionary.com, the word hybrid means "something of mixed origin or composition." There really is no better word than hybrid to capture the idea of having more than one style. Yes? Or am I crazy? Does it seem like the band has no idea why they named themselves Linkin Park?

    The reason that I purchased (yes, I purchased) Hybrid Theory was first because I had heard "One Step Closer" and liked it, a lot. I found it junk food music, of course, but catchy and energetic. The second reason was because I was curious about the hype-- even Death asked me if I had bought the album because he'd heard it was very popular with the kids today. You know, once in a while we like to tap into the mainstream vein and see what's what. After listening to the album a few times I have come to the following conclusions:

    1. The band does indeed live up to their reputation as being "Backstreet Boys with guitars."

    2. The band is actually much older than they sound on the album-- honestly, I thought I'd give props to a bunch of 14-year-old kids for giving it a shot with this first album, and express the hope that they'd grow up to rock a little harder. You know, like EMF with "Unbelievable" or something. Imagine my confusion when I saw the promo photos.

    3. Except for "One Step Closer," "With You" and maybe "By Myself" in a pinch, the rest of the album could be replaced by feedback and the emergency broadcast system. No, no, no, don't argue with me, I'm invariably older, and therefore wiser, than you Linkin Park fans. You'll grow out of this stuff, just like I grew out of Sheena Easton and Duran Duran. We'll laugh about it later, over a beer, once you become legal.
    2 out of 5

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