Collision Course

Disc 1
1	Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying from You 4:04
2	Big Pimpin'/Papercut 2:36
3	Jigga What/Faint 3:31
4	Numb/Encore 3:25
5	Izzo/In the End 2:44
6	Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer 7:27
Disc 2
1	Intro DVD
2	In the Studio DVD
3	Jay-Z Arrives DVD
4	Rehearsal DVD
5	Sound Check DVD
6	Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying from You Live / DVD
7	Big Pimpin'/Papercut Live / DVD
8	Jigga What/Faint Live / DVD
9	Numb/Encore Live / DVD
10	Izzo/In the End Live / DVD
11	Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer Live / DVD
12	End Credits DVD
13	MTV Ultimate Mash-Ups DVD

Barnes & Noble

Not all that long ago, the mash-up was little more than a way for underground knob-twiddlers to get their kicks by grafting together slices of sound from diametrically opposed sources. Now that the concept has entered the mainstream, it's being applied to folks with a little more in common -- but as this cleverly assembled EP proves, that doesn't detract from the pleasure of a fine-tuned mash-up. Collision Course is no mere quickie: From its genesis as an MTV special, which turns up as part of the DVD included in the package, the pairing grew into a full-fledged mind-meld in the studio (a process that's also documented on the DVD). Both Jay-Z and Linkin Park have gone out of their way to tweak their source material for inclusion here, as evidenced by the thoroughly reconstructed rhymes and rhythms that pulse through "Big Pimpin'"/"Papercut." It's intriguing to hear the Linkin boys pare back their attack without sacrificing much in the way of power -- the chopped and channeled "Lying from You" track that accompanies Jay's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" emits a hair-raising electro-buzz. Jay doesn't coast through the proceedings either, retrofitting his contributions to the aforementioned songs with even more aggro than on their original versions. His instinctive delivery threatens to steal the show on more than one occasion -- not altogether surprising, given his status among modern-day MCs -- but Linkin Park hold their own well enough to turn more than a few heads among hip-hop freaks who might be hearing them for the first time here. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Mash-ups -- two songs stuck together that were never meant to be stuck together -- have their roots in the bedrooms and basements of computer-savvy music geeks who spend countless hours sticking Christina Aguilera's vocals over the Strokes' chugging backbeat or Missy Elliott's raps over George Michael, Joy Division, the Cure, and about a thousand others. MP3s were the medium of choice, white-label 12"s a distant second. It seemed like it was time to put a fork in the pranky genre when collections like The Best Bootlegs in the World Ever and Soulwax's As Heard on Radio Soulwax series exposed the mash-up to a wider audience, but then Danger Mouse came along. His headline-making Grey Album -- Jay-Z's Black Album vs. the Beatles' White Album -- inspired a ton of spirited imitations, and most likely the MTV-spawned, artists-involved Collision Course. The fact that the artists are involved with the project totally goes against the mash-up philosophy, but luckily Linkin Park -- who are revealed through the DVD as the main architects of the EP -- have that pop-loving prankster spirit and don't let their high-profile, well-funded life ruin it. The liner notes talk of a "once-in-a-lifetime performance" and "music history," but Collision Course is just plain old fun and all the better because of it. Jay-Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" sits nicely on top of Linkin Park's "Lying from You" on the CD's studio version, but it's the fist-pumping live version on the DVD that really justifies Collision Course's existence. The Z-man -- who's "retired" from the rap game while being busier than ever -- has had his excellent "99 Problems" rocked up before, so the version here with Linkin Park's "Points of Authority" and "One Step Closer" isn't so much the revelation the liner-note hyperbole makes it out to be, but it's got an awesome beat and you can still dance to it. If the CD were released on its own, the collection wouldn't be as exciting. Linkin Park's genuine excitement about the project on the "behind the scenes" segment of the DVD is infectious, and watching the furious and fast teaming of "Jigga What/Faint" teeter on the edge of falling apart is gripping. Check the DVD first, and then throw the CD in the car for when you feel half-mack, half-punk. It's doubtful mash-ups will survive corporate handling this well again, and to paraphrase a post-show Linkin Parker, Collision Course is awesomely fun. David Jeffries