The Official Hanson Thread

[blackcauldron85]

I'm not sure how many Hanson fans we have here, but I love them. Their new album is coming out soon (I thought on May 22, but it may not be until July). Their website, www.hanson.net, just got a revamp, and they have audio of the new album, "The Walk". It's freaking amazing. I love it! I knew I would, but they never disappoint. I'd recommend listening to it (click underneath the "4" on the video, to make the video sound go off, and click "Go" on the audio player at the top right of the site), whether you've been a fan for years or haven't ever heard their music. It's so good.

I've been a fan for over 10 years, and they've been, by far, my favorite band ever. They're amazing! I've seen them in concert 4 times, and 3 out of the 4 times I've gotten sick (Hanson, I guess, makes me sick, you could say...but I love them!)...my favorite song so far has been "A Song to Sing", from "This Time Around". But, who knows, the new album may give me a new favorite song....

[Mr. Toad]

I thought those guys were girls for the longest time. Honestly.

Certainly belong high up in the voting for worst band of all time.

And by the way to all the people who keep posting "official" threads. Official means they are sponsored or in some way endorsed by the artist.

[blackcauldron85]

I thought those guys were girls for the longest time. Honestly.

Certainly belong high up in the voting for worst band of all time.

And by the way to all the people who keep posting "official" threads. Official means they are sponsored or in some way endorsed by the artist.

Look who's Mr. Grumpypants! Listen to the music on the website, then we'll see if you still rank them up there on your list.

[Escapay]

And by the way to all the people who keep posting "official" threads. Official means they are sponsored or in some way endorsed by the artist.

I so wanna start an "The Official Thread" now that's about nothing just because everyone else is doing "official" threads...

Hmm, maybe I'll do a "The Anti-Official Threads Thread" that lets everyone else vent against the officialness of the threads popping up.

Look who's Mr. Grumpypants!

Hey there Mister Grumpygills...

When life gets you down, what do we do?

Just keep swimmin', just keep swimmin', just keep swimmin', swimmin', swimmin'. What do we do? We swim! Oh-ho-ho-ho I love to swim, when you want to swim, you have to swim...

Escapay

[goofystitch]

The link won't load for me, probably because Roadrunner in my area keeps having problems. I remember being really into "Mmm Bop" when it came out (I was 12. Give me a break!) lol. A friend of mine had that orange album and I remember liking a few other songs. I had their Christmas album, but I didn't really care for it. I think I've been sort of anti-Hanson mainly because Marion Raven (see below) dated Taylor Hanson back when she was with M2M and I have to admit that I was jealous. I have a few friends who are really into Hanson and I should probably check out their new music when the site will load properly. Afterall, they are now on the same label as my favorite rocker chick (Eleven Seven Music).

[blackcauldron85]

Actually, they're on their own l l
label, 3CG Records.

(sorry for the weird spacing- my new work computer stinks

[goofystitch]

Yeah. I just saw their myspace. Eleven Seven is just their distributor. Eleven Seven is cool, though. They are an Indy label that gives their artists complete freedom. I watched the video "Strong Enough To Break" about Hanson's struggle with their last label. That was really interesting. Marion Raven did a similar thing. She was with Atlantic records and had a number 1 single and top 10 album in Asian countries, but she desperatley wanted her music distributed in english speaking countries and they said no. So after about a year of negotiations, they let her out of her million dollar contract, hooked up with Eleven Seven, did a number 1 song with Meat Loaf in European countries, and is finally getting a U.S. release this summer.

Back on topic, I really like "The Great Divide." It's not only a good song, but I like that it's supporting a cause I really care about. If the rest of their album sounds anything like that, you can add another Hanson fan to the list.

[blackcauldron85]

The rest of the album is just as amazing

[Anthony]

Hanson? Did we just warp back to 1998 or what?

[PixarFan2006]

I am sorry, but I have never liked Hanson or their music. I just find it overrated.

[James]

I like Hanson, don't love them, but I do like a lot of their stuff. MmmBop is a pop classic........Where's the Love, Weird, I Will Come To You, If Only, This Time Around, Penny and Me, and Lost Without Each Other are all good too. I heard that they were doing a new album, wonder when it'll be released in Oz. Can't wait to hear their new stuff.
-James

[blackcauldron85]

Yay James! You totally should check out their new album (link above!)! It's amazing!!!!!!!1 Yay!

[Lazario]

I thought those guys were girls for the longest time. Honestly.

You too? No, you weren't the only one. So did me and my friends. And their friends. And my family. And their friends and their family and their friends... Without Mtv, nobody would have known they were boys. Well, Mtv and the Official Hanson Fanclub (or what the equivalent of that was back in '96/97).

As a band... well... I suppose they're overrated. But they are an inescapable and big part of the 1990's music scene. And they were one of the more positive outfits at that time. Which is cool. I don't want too many people looking back on the 1990's and getting immediately depressed. Saw some of Reality Bites on TV the other day and I can't believe how pretentious and empty that decade was! I always had such fond memories of the culture. So it's good to have something like Hanson there to brighten it up. And at least they were a clean spot on the public image radar. They were "themselves" and just also happened to be well-adjusted, friendly, happy, good-natured American teenage boys. That was rare. Still is, in fact. Even though the last one is probably just about ending his teen years.

I never would have bought one of their CDs (I still won't). But I did like their song, "Where's the Love?" If "MMMbop" wasn't a good showcase for whatever talent they may have had (it's actually not such a bad song, when taken out of the year that it's incessant airplay drove almost everyone CRAZY), than "Love" is undoubtedly a good song. Though... they just kept going on and on with themselves - their singles and videos. And they proved they didn't have too much to offer. They had a slow song that no one payed attention to when they had already proven their appeal was stronger with faster stuff (in fact, this may have been pre-TRL on Mtv). Then they had that song, "Weird," which all my friends and I checked out at the time because we found it amusing that the most sickeningly "normal" group out there devoted a song of theirs to things outside their scope.

[Simba3]

I have to admit that I thought they were all girls the first couple of times I saw the "Mmmbop" video as well. However, despite the fact that they look(ed) like girls, or their music didn't necessarily appeal to me, they are some talented kids. They play their own music and I belive they even write their own songs. Whether youl like them or not, Hanson has more talent (even back then) then many of the artists out there today.

[blackcauldron85]

Without Mtv, nobody would have known they were boys. Well, Mtv and the Official Hanson Fanclub (or what the equivalent of that was back in '96/97).

Yeah, I can see why people would think that a 14-year-old Taylor looked like a girl, but there's no way that people could have thought that Isaac was a girl- yeah, he had the hair, but he definitely never looked like a girl.

As a band... well... I suppose they're overrated. But they are an inescapable and big part of the 1990's music scene.

They're totally underrated- the only time they got a lot of attention was 1997-1998. They put out CDs in both 2000 and 2004 (and their new one later this year). MTV played "If Only" a lot in 2000, and "Penny & Me" a little in 2004...not all their songs sound like "MMMBop" & "Where's the Love" (I love those songs, but they have different kinds of songs).

[Lazario]

I have to admit that I thought they were all girls the first couple of times I saw the "Mmmbop" video as well.

Do you realize how funny that is? That's funny on multiple levels.

They play their own music and I belive they even write their own songs.

That is such an overrated feature of musical artists. Music is music no matter who does what. And I don't see anyone giving people credit for doing anything they don't do anymore. Nobody pretends that Madonna and Beyonce and Hilary Duff and Ciara and all those girls (and whatever their male counterparts would be) are the same people sitting at the mixing and sound boards writing for the sound of the music as they write lyrics and sing harmonies too. Music has always been and will always be a Collaborative Thing. The most important thing is the product.

Mini-rant. It's over now.

[blackcauldron85]

I meant to say that the youngest is 21 now, and they're all married, and 2 have kids.

[Lazario]

Without Mtv, nobody would have known they were boys. Well, Mtv and the Official Hanson Fanclub (or what the equivalent of that was back in '96/97).

Yeah, I can see why people would think that a 14-year-old Taylor looked like a girl, but there's no way that people could have thought that Isaac was a girl- yeah, he had the hair, but he definitely never looked like a girl.

That depends upon how closely you looked at them. I said without Mtv... That means, based on hearing them alone, most people thought they were girls. Then after seeing them on Mtv... we weren't quite sure. They could have been Robots for all we knew.

[Simba3]

They play their own music and I belive they even write their own songs.

That is such an overrated feature of musical artists. Music is music no matter who does what. And I don't see anyone giving people credit for doing anything they don't do anymore. Nobody pretends that Madonna and Beyonce and Hilary Duff and Ciara and all those girls (and whatever their male counterparts would be) are the same people sitting at the mixing and sound boards writing for the sound of the music as they write lyrics and sing harmonies too. Music has always been and will always be a Collaborative Thing. The most important thing is the product.

Mini-rant. It's over now.

I don't see how being talented is ever an overrated feature. Being talented enough to write your own music as well as your own songs makes an artist more talented that those who do not. Though, I do agree that music is definately a collaborative effort, I simply have more respect for artists who are multi-talented and contribute more to their music than just the vocals. And no, that is NOT to say I don't respect those artists out there who aren't as multi-talented.

[Escapay]

I meant to say that the youngest is 21 now, and they're all married, and 2 have kids.

And that just makes me feel so old now...

(which of course, would make anyone older than me feel much older...)

Escapay