Complete Demos

Complete Demos
Demo by Hybrid Theory
Recorded:	1998-1999
Linkin Park demos chronology Xero Instrumentals (1998) Complete Demos (1999) Hybrid Theory EP (1999)

Complete Demos is one of many internal review CDs compiled by Linkin Park (Hybrid Theory at the time) prior to signing to Warner Bros. Records to showcase their songwriting progress leading up to the recording of their debut album. The CD contains demo versions of songs from the album as well as unreleased songs.

Background

Jeff Blue's One Step Closer: From Xero to #1: Becoming Linkin Park book describes the very first demo recorded with Chester Bennington in early May 1999, soon after the band changed their name to Hybrid Theory, as a 8-track disc containing much of the same content as Complete Demos, which expands the disc with 6 extra tracks.

Writing and Recording

A couple of songs on the disc, namely "Fiends" and "Slip" were recorded in 1998 when the band was still called Xero and had Mark Wakefield on vocals. Following Chester Bennington's audition for the band in March 1999, they changed their name to Hybrid Theory and recorded the first songs with the new vocalist. The songs "Rhinestone", "Esaul" and "Pictureboard" were originally Xero songs recorded with Mark Wakefield in 1998, but were re-recorded with Chester on vocals. Kyle Christner plays bass on the disc, except for the Xero songs. The band had about a week of studio time with producer Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock in June 1999 in order to record "Carousel", "And One" and "Part Of Me" for the Hybrid Theory EP. According to Christner, this studio time was mainly used to record drums.

Composition

This CD offers some insight into where Hybrid Theory was as a band at this point, in the early stages of what would eventually evolve into their debut album. It offers the earliest known versions of several songs from Hybrid Theory EP and Hybrid Theory as well as versions of Xero songs and the unreleased songs "Turn To Grey" and "Ashes". The latter being previously listed on the first demo with Chester as an unfinished song.

The CD contains a raw version of "Untitled" with a completely different mix and vocal takes (both Mike and Chester sound very young) from any of the publicly available versions of the song. It also features a different white noise rhythm at the intro, like an extra click. The chorus is heavier, with grunge-style vocals.

"Ashes" starts with studio banter: a young Brad Delson says “put it at the fastest possible tempo I can rap at” and everyone laughs in the background. The song is described by Jeff Blue in his book: "I love the personality that comes out in this. It sounds like you're having fun. When Brad says, 'Mike perfect tempo, give me any number and I can rap to it, ready? One hundred! Go!' — that makes me feel like I'm sharing a special moment with you guys. I love the Spanish guitar, and Mike, your lyrics are really cool. You're telling a story, which is nice. I like Chester's cinematic lyrics and how they interplay with the Spanish guitar." He finishes saying the song as a whole is underwhelming.

"Turn To Grey" is very choppy rhythmically with abrupt style changes and has some vocals which supposedly don't belong to Chester or Mike (but both have vocals in other places on the song), making it sound like both Mark Wakefield and Chester are on it. The chorus from the third vocalist then goes into a super soft part sung by Chester. Jeff Blue describes it in his book: "I really like this initial guitar line. Cool rap and guitar interplay. I do love Chester's sweet and light singing, and this delayed vocal stuff at the end is cool, but the song as a whole? I can't remember anything in this song to sing back."

"Pictureboard" has a different vocal take from Chester on the verses.

"Slip" has Mark Wakefield on vocals and is very similar arrangement-wise to the version with Chester, but the lyrics are completely different and the song is a little faster. The "this is the sun behind the rain" pre-chorus was the only part of the lyrics they kept.

"Points & Authority", "Super Xero", "Carousel", "Part Of Me", "And One" and "Esaul" are all similar to the versions present on other demo CDs, although it's unclear which exact versions are present on Complete Demos.

The demos of "Blue", "Rhinestone" and "Could Have Been" were officially released on LP Underground Eleven, LP Underground 12 and Hybrid Theory (20th Anniversary Edition) respectively while "Fiends" is the same version released on Rapology 14.

Track Listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1	Points & Authority
2	Super Xero
3	Untitled
4	Carousel
5	Part Of Me
6	And One
7	Rhinestone
8	Esaul
9	Pictureboard
10	Blue
11	Could've Been
12	Turn To Grey
13	Ashes
14	Fiends (Previous Vocalist)
15	Slip (Prev. Vocalist)