Настроение: вТюхалась по уши!!! :)))
Откуда: Молдова, Кишинёв
Репутация:
6
Отправлено: 28.05.10 05:47. Заголовок: Что думают, пишут и говорят о Хэнах люди, фаны, звёзды...
Предлагаю в этой теме размещать различные высказывания, статьи, блоги звёздных личностей, фанатов и не только о Хэнах:
Вот что написал в своём блоге про Хэнов некий Andrew Günsberg, австралийская знаменитость-теле-радио ведущий....
The second topic of conversation on the day I met my wife, within ten minutes of meeting here - was about this band. Namely their BRILLIANT second album. decluttr
Without a doubt, in all seriousness, one of my Top 5 Bands of all time. Such hooks, songwriting, and joy that comes out of every song is hard to miss.
There's only one band I've ever flown around Australia to follow on tour, and it's Hanson. Yup.
They are possibly the most underrated Band on earth.
Crikey they can play, and write a hook that will make your goosebumps to have goosebumps.
So anyway, last night my delightful wife and I were at the American Idol after party and we bumped into the always charming and dapper Isaac Hanson. He has a remarkable memory, and recalled our time hanging backstage in Perth. He was kind enough to slip me a copy of their new album, pictured here.
"Shout it Out" is simply put, what happiness sounds like.
I know they're one of my favourite bands, but seriously - the horn arrangements are amazing, and their chordal complexity in vocal harmonies are out of this world.
Outside while waiting for our cars, Taylor and Zac were also there, and I have to say for a bunch of guys who had a most remarkable childhood they're super balanced. Think Bieber Fever times about TEN.
Bieber maybe had 3,000 people turn up to his Sunrise show? Hanson had close to 20,000. And they were WAY younger at the time.
Don't forget what things can happen to young people thrust into fame..
Well, that was about 15 years ago, and they're men with families of their own now, and are still charming and ever so handsome.
Wife and I kept straight faces as we bade them goodnight, and then squealled like teenagers when they got in their car and left.
Did I mention that it's a really good record?
Strobist: 580EX with a snoot open to one side in front, bare 580EXii in the back with a 1/4 CTO gel on it. Triggered by PW2s
365 Days: A Challenge to Shoot a Self-Portrait every day for a year. To push myself to be creative. A reason to get the camera out of the bag every day. To document a year in my life.
Меня всегда очень радуют такие вот статьи и высказывагия понимающих людей! Не могла не поделиться с вами!
Remember that trio of Oklahoma blondes that took the radio by storm in 1996? Remember all the jokes about how puberty would ruin their careers, that they were a flash in the pan, that they'd go bankrupt, wind up in rehab, etc.
Turns out all of those predictions were wrong.
Fourteen years removed from their time in the spotlight, the rock trio Hanson are still making albums, still touring the country and still selling records. And while their omnipresence on radio may indeed be behind them, their ninth studio album Shout It Out, is bonafide proof that Hanson are far from a flash in the pan. Drawing on the classic sounds of R&B, soul and blues albums they listened to growing up, Shout it Out is a breezy, sun-kissed collection of 12 hook-heavy, brass-indebted rock songs not unlike Chicago's 17.
From start to finish, Shout it Out is awash in frolicking pianos, playful guitar solos and ample amounts of horns. Anchored by Taylor 's full-lunged vocals, this is an album of soulful, viciously catchy rock n' roll. Opener "Waiting For This," sets the tone with a tickling piano line and Isaac's lively guitar work. Zest-laden, undeniably sunny and awash in optimism, it's a promising opening for a wholly satisfying body of work. Though "Thinking 'Bout Somethin," is the disc's lead single, It's successor, the groove-based "Kiss Me When You Come Home," seems a feasible choice for second single. Feeding off Taylor's impassioned crooning, Isaac's inspired playing and Zac's snappy drumming, it's a decidedly mature dose of pop perfection.
Though the band is at their best when left to their own devices, the aid of helping hands certainly does little to diminish their sound. A pristine example is the glorious harmonizing of soul singers in the gospel-influenced "Carry You There." Unfortunately, that marks the end of the the album's first half as the following three songs flatten out significantly. "And I Wanted," "Give a Little," and "Make it Out Alive," seem to rely on the horn section to do most of the work. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but whereas "Carry You There," fed off the soul singers, this middle triumvirate doesn't seem to feed off the horns in nearly the same way. Instead, what could have been an engaging and memorable stretch turns into 12 minutes of filler. Thankfully the piano-driven ballad "Use Me Up," is next and hot damn, if it's not one of the best ballads written this year. Achingly tender, unarguably sincere and gorgeously arranged, it is arguably one of Taylor's finest vocal performances to date.
The mid-tempo leanings of "These Walls," and the leave-it-all-on-the-table cut "Voice in the Chorus," are further examples of just how triumphant Shout it Out is. There's an unflinching sincerity, a palpable energy and an inherent conviction that drives both of these songs to glory. By the time the vocal-driven album closer "Me, Myself and I," roll around, one can't help but wonder, is this really the same band that wrote "MMMBop"? Aside from the trio's penchant for maudlin and borderline campy lyrics, there's little about Shout it Out that isn't infectious. So while for many it may be a bitter pill to swallow, the fact of the matter is, 14 years removed from their chart-topping success, the young 20-somethings known as Hanson are indeed here to stay. And as long as they continue writing albums this strong, there's no reason anyone should want them to leave.
May 27, 2010 Siobhan Magnus meets her idols! May 27, 2010 | 12:22 pm It's not every day that you get to witness an "American Idol" contestant meeting one of their Idols, but that's exactly what happened late Wednesday night at the Mondrian Hotel's Sky Bar, where Season 9 sixth-place finisher Siobhan Magnus came face-to-face with three guys named Taylor, Zac and Isaac, otherwise known as her favorite band Hanson.
Yours truly was there to capture the moment and it was, in a word, magical. Siobhan looked simply dumbfounded upon first sight of Taylor Hanson, and, in fact, the only sentence she managed to string together once a formal introduction got made was: "I don't know what to say!" To which Taylor responded, "Well, let me say this: we're really honored that you feel so inspired and motivated by what we do."
Siobhan spent the better part of the next hour regaling the guys, who were in town to perform on "The Tonight Show," with stories of her adventures at various Cape Cod-area Hanson shows, including one she had to attend solo, while Isaac and Zac asked about the machinations of "Idol" and complimented Siobhan on her piano playing at the "If I Can Dream" house. Of course, here was a dream moment come true that the four will remember forever.
As for the rest of the post-finale soirée (hosted by the tireless crew at 19 Entertainment), scores of Idols past and present mingled -- among them: David Archuleta, Constantine Maroulis, Brooke White, Kris Allen, Megan Joy, Melinda Doolittle, Andrew Garcia, Michael Lynche and Tim Urban -- while even Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest made brief appearances. As for the show's big winner? Lee DeWyze made his entrance well after midnight, greeted by ecstatic fellow finalists (Crystal Bowersox, however, was not seen), grinning producers and long lines of well-wishers. In the end, it was a beautiful day and a long night with little rest for the "Idol" weary and a lifetime of memories.
"P.S. - Here is a bonus picture of Corey trying to prove to me that he has comparable hair to Taylor Hanson. Note: Corey is obsessed with Taylor Hanson's hair. I have heard him call it "Perfect" several times this week."
Настроение: Не подходите ко мне близко, я тигренок, а не киска!
Откуда: Россия, Ярославль
Репутация:
11
Отправлено: 18.06.10 09:53. Заголовок: мне понравилась видю..
мне понравилась видюха Thinking 'Bout Somethin'. Тюхман там такой деловой перец: снял с себя пиджак, кинул напол, а под конец еще и рукава закатал. По-типу я готов А в And I Waited так смешно задрал ножку
Настроение: вТюхалась по уши!!! :)))
Откуда: Молдова, Кишинёв
Репутация:
6
Отправлено: 23.06.10 08:05. Заголовок: 152 Minutes With Han..
152 Minutes With Hanson Brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac are dads now, still selling out shows in New York, and more or less comfortable with their massively successful juvenilia.
On a violently windy afternoon in Tribeca, the all-grown-up brothers Hanson—Isaac, 29; Taylor, 27; and Zac, 24—are inside the Odeon, debating how déclassé sliders are. “Tay, did you see these?” Zac asks with a laugh. “Sliiiders,” Taylor says, perplexed. “Don’t sliders just sound kind of … gross?” he ventures. “Like some sort of, like, white-trash barbecue thing, right? We kind of grew up around that, a little bit. We’ve got some redneck past … ” “Hicks!” Zac declares. “My wife’s from Alabama, and they have rednecks—we have hicks in Oklahoma. She explained this to me.”
It’s been thirteen years since the brothers from Tulsa MMMBopped their way to a fame they’re both grateful for and trying to live down. “We’ve definitely spent the last decade somewhat living a double life,” Taylor says between bites of croque monsieur. “And this is true of the absurdity of being lucky enough to succeed early: So many people know you almost more as a pop-culture reference, and it’s a blessing and a curse. When Will Ferrell is on Saturday Night Live mocking your song and it’s funny, it means people know what the reference is, which is a compliment … But there’s something about first impressions.”
They spent the last week playing five sold-out gigs at the Gramercy Theater, and have a new record, Shout It Out, out next month.
The band just released the video for the single “Thinking ’Bout Somethin’ ”; it’s a candy-colored, hip-shaking homage to fifties and sixties pop, complete with a dance routine in the streets of Tulsa based on a Blues Brothers scene, with a cameo from their friend Weird Al Yankovic. It required surmounting some old fears. “We never danced,” Taylor explains, because they didn’t want to be considered like the “boy bands.” “But the idea of the dancing here is, whether you can dance or not, you can do this,” Isaac adds. Zac pauses in a rare moment of reverie. “You can’t just sit there going, ‘This suuuucks, this suuucks,’ ” he muses. “The best way to motivate people to incredible feats is to excite and inspire them … ” To dance in the streets? “Exactly! What better way to help save someone’s life halfway around the world than to go dance in the streets with 500 of your friends?”
Chalk that up to maturity. Surprisingly, the brothers know the city: Back in 2004, when they were first starting their record label, they lived in a loft nearby on Church Street. “We feel like we earned our stripes surviving a New York winter,” Taylor recalls. “There was a 30- or 40-year blizzard or something!” Zac exclaims. “Literally, we had to stay inside for a week,” Taylor says. “We thought we’d make a fire, but then you’d have to walk five blocks carrying firewood, and by the time you got home your fingers were like the size of a sausage.”
Nonetheless, Taylor and his wife, Natalie, who’s at lunch with us, are considering moving back. (The brothers are all married with children: Taylor has four.) “I found a great school in Brooklyn!” she declares. “Our kids go to an immersion school. Right now one’s doing only Spanish, another’s doing only French. And the Brooklyn International School, they have the same program. Dan Zanes is on the board, so it can’t be bad!”
The boys discuss their precious little time away from each other. “I’m hard-core about video games, and I have another hard-core activity that I can’t talk about in public,” Zac says with a smirk. “He doesn’t want to lose his anonymity,” Taylor explains with an eye roll. “It’s this extreme sport, and it’s really growing but it has a really small community … ” “It’s curling, Zac! Just tell her!” Taylor says.
“Taylor’s the corrupting one,” Isaac says. “He’s the uncle we’ll have to worry about giving the kids, like, Heinekens.” “It’s good to lift your tolerance early,” Taylor jokes. “By the time they’re 18 they’ll be drinking us under the table.” “If I’m with my brothers, I’m drinking whiskey and smoking a pipe,” Isaac says. “It’s my wife’s fault, too.”
Настроение: вТюхалась по уши!!! :)))
Откуда: Молдова, Кишинёв
Репутация:
6
Отправлено: 24.06.10 07:19. Заголовок: Hanson Reveal Five T..
Hanson Reveal Five Things You Might Not Know About Them June 24, 2010 · Leave a Comment
MTV Newsroom
Though the oldest member has not yet turned 30, the men from Hanson have been around the block a bit. Apparently, that’s what happens when your band blows up before you get the chance to go to the prom. Now an indie pop rock band with a rabid fan base and a new album, Shout It Out, they have grown up quite a lot since the “MMMBop” days. And while it feels like there’s so much we already know about Isaac, Zac and Taylor, there is still so much more that feels like a mystery. So, when the guys recently stopped by the MTV Newsroom to chat about their new album and their tour, we decided to have them play a little game we like to call “Five Things We Don’t Know About You.”
And, boy, did we learn a lot.
*VISIT SOURCE FOR VIDEO*
Here’s what we got: 1: They do, in fact, get into arguments with one another. “It’s pretty intense sometimes,” Isaac says. 2: “We’re not from Australia,” explains Zac. Since they’re actually from Tulsa, Oklahoma, we find it a little strange that this would ever be a misconception. 3: “We’re not Mormon,” declares Taylor. 4 and 5: Zac says, “I have the smallest feet. I have over 30,000 gamer points.” 6: Finally, Taylor finishes it off. “Another foot one,” he says. “I prefer not to wear socks.”
Perhaps one more thing you may not know about Hanson: They always go the extra mile. That’s why they delivered six great facts instead of the normal five. Also, it’s a little unusual they didn’t share their love for fictional bands. Want to know more? Check out the video above for more enlightening revelations straight from the Hanson’s mouth.
Hanson: Timeless Pop, Beyond 'MMMBop' by AFTON LORRAINE WOODWARD
Enlargecourtesy of the artist Hanson's "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'" is a perfectly soul-infused pop song completed with cowbell, horns and belted-out harmonies. THURSDAY'S PICK Song: "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'" Artist: Hanson CD: Shout It Out Genre: Pop text size A A A June 24, 2010 Most bands would just be taking off as their members hit their mid-20s, but at 29, 27 and 24, Isaac, Taylor and Zachary Hanson are already old pros. The band may still be trying to shake off the stigma surrounding 1997's chart-topping "MMMBop," but Hanson (now with shorter hair) has become comfortable in its niche somewhere between Top 40 pop and indie folk-rock.
The Hanson brothers have always done their own songwriting and played their own instruments, and their many and marvelous talents have helped set them apart from other '90s all-male bands. Thirteen years after Middle of Nowhere, Hanson still clings to its slick, tightly wound melodies, but the band continues to build impressively on the inspiration it draws from Motown, '70s rock and everything in between.
Shout It Out features what ought to be considered a career highlight for Hanson: "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'," a perfectly soul-infused pop song completed with cowbell, horns and belted-out harmonies. It stands to reason that the video, inspired by the 1980 film The Blues Brothers, would be a hit, too — it sums up Hanson's modern-day persona as a band that's polished, charming and confident enough to take delight in everything that came before it.
Judging a book by its cover can be the easiest thing to do. Looking beyond that can be the biggest challenge, even as it offers the biggest reward. A couple of weeks ago, at my behest, co-workers gathered around my desk to see the newest video from Hanson. That's right, the trio of Tulsa, Okla., brothers who pounded the infectious (and admittedly potentially irritating) "MMMBop" into our skulls more than a dozen years ago. They remain a recording unit and have gone the independent route, still producing pop music that's probably not as infectious and/or irritating, but nonetheless enjoyable. The video for "Thinking 'Bout Somethin' " no doubt commits the ultimate heresy in some viewers' eyes. It's a tribute to or ripoff of the Ray Charles scene from the film "The Blues Brothers," complete with look-alikes for Steve Cropper and other members of the band plugging in at the record store, a crowd dancing outside, middle brother Taylor in the Ray Charles role and other brothers Zac and notZac (OK, it's Isaac - had to look that one up) as the Blues Brothers. It also features a delightfully random cameo appearance by "Weird" Al Yankovic, playing tambourine and dancing like a madman. The video would be nothing more than a weak conceit if the song weren't catchy and the video performances spot on. If you're not smiling by the time you see close-ups of 4- and 5-year-old children doing the chicken dance, you're probably joyless or bear a strong grudge against Hanson. And there are plenty of those folks out there. For the more close-minded and the "MMMBop" haters, Hanson is a group that should have remained rooted in the 1990s (or the 1970s, since it seemed as though that's where they'd stolen all their riffs and concepts). The very mention of the band's name brings about snickers, the memory of something you or your little sister or your niece loved on the way to developing sophisticated taste. The posters from the "MMMBop" era, featuring a cute 11-year-old drummer who might have been a girl, are stuffing landfills around the country, and it's just as well. As is the case with all pre-teen heartthrobs, their time has come and gone. Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber, pay close attention. This is going to be your fate as well. The problem is that Hanson hasn't played the script well. Instead of being belligerent and defensive about "MMMBop," they've participated in mocking it, including a memorable "Saturday Night Live" appearance. They've participated in recordings that have given them more indie credibility, including an album by a band called L.E.O. (a 2006 mimicry of 1970s radio pop stars Electric Light Orchestra) and working with Gregg Alexander (the man behind New Radicals' "You Get What You Give" and Santana's "The Game of Love") and Matthew Sweet. Last year's "Tinted Windows" power pop supergroup included James Iha (late of Smashing Pumpkins), Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos and "Stacy's Mom" co-writer and Academy Award nominee Adam Schlessinger. They also were the subject of an important documentary, "Strong Enough to Break." Tracing the two years of the band's attempt to record and release the album "Underneath," the film highlights some of the issues that helped destroy the traditional music industry model early in this century. ("Strong Enough to Break" can be seen on YouTube, broken into 13 chunks of 6 to 8 minutes each. It's recommended for those interested in seeing what kind of battles artists sometimes have to fight against executives who often don't know how to define or refine success but are unwilling to admit they're not creative.) Hanson's "The Walk" album, which landed at No. 5 on my best-of list of 2007 albums, featured a single whose proceeds went to African AIDS research, and on their tour supporting the album, at each tour stop they led a mile barefoot walk, a symbolic tribute to African children's daily barefoot walks to school. The group collected funds and teamed with TOMS Shoes to send shoes to Africa. So the band literally walked the walk as well as talking the talk. In the meantime, they continued with their tasty 1970s-style pop. Chicago radio station WXRT was overwhelmed with positive feedback when it blind-played Hanson music, broadcasting the tunes without identifying the band. And all of that doesn't matter to you if you despise "MMMBop," think of the brothers as a laughable teeny-bopper act and are convinced they can't have anything to contribute. It's easy to think that way. But if that's how you view music, some good stuff will pass you by. Christina Aguilera was a simple pop singer until 2006's "Back to Basics," a two-disc tour de force of pop, gospel and rhythm and blues. Mandy Moore was a teen dream until last year's "Amanda Leigh." Criticized by her hardcore fans as "trying too hard to be indie," the album was admired by others who saw the songwriting as a large step forward. (Count yours truly among those; "Amanda Leigh" was my pick for best album of the year last year.) Rick Springfield's "shock/denial/anger/acceptance" was my album of the year in 2004, causing me no small amount of grief from people who refused to listen to the album, having no doubt that Springfield was just a teen idol with nothing to say. Maybe none of these albums would have tripped your listening trigger. But to deny their quality while refusing to listen - that's just pig-headed ignorance. After viewing that Hanson video, a co-worker observed, "If we listened to music without knowing the band/singer, if we weren't watching a video of any sort, our tastes would broaden a great deal." Would that we all had that kind of wisdom.
Настроение: Не подходите ко мне близко, я тигренок, а не киска!
Откуда: Россия, Ярославль
Репутация:
11
Отправлено: 27.06.10 02:52. Заголовок: taytoy пишет: на за..
taytoy пишет:
цитата:
на заметку, совершенно не в тему, НО: биберу 16 лет..и поет он тоооненьким детским голоском, да и сам маловат..и вспомним Тэйлоррррра
по сравнению и Джонасами Бибер хоть поет нормально, а по-поводу тоненького голоса я с тобой согласна, меня этот диссонаос даже настораживает: парню 16, выглядит от силы на 14-15, а поет как 12-летний. В этом ему до Тэя дааааалеко-даааалеко. И вообще, у Тэйлора на альбоме "Snowed In" самый лучший в мире голос. Самый выразительный, самый сексуальный, уже не детский, но еще и не мужской, обожаю Тюхин вокал
Настроение: Well Ive never been to England But I kind of like the Beatles
Откуда: Санкт-Петербург
Репутация:
10
Отправлено: 28.06.10 04:17. Заголовок: crazy dr пишет: по ..
crazy dr пишет:
цитата:
по сравнению и Джонасами Бибер хоть поет нормально, а по-поводу тоненького голоса я с тобой согласна, меня этот диссонаос даже настораживает: парню 16, выглядит от силы на 14-15, а поет как 12-летний.
Биберу 16??? Я думала, ему 14 максимум, совсем дитем выглядит!
Ozzy-s-CookieMonster пишет:
цитата:
Кто такой этот Джастин Бибер?
Это малолетняя звезда нового поколения
И кстати Тэй им интересуется тоже. Может, сравнивает его и себя в его возрасте?))
Настроение: вТюхалась по уши!!! :)))
Откуда: Молдова, Кишинёв
Репутация:
6
Отправлено: 06.07.10 08:40. Заголовок: Hanson By Tim Cain -..
Hanson By Tim Cain - 6/23/2010 at 2:00 am
Those of you who regularly question and disagree with my taste in music might as well stop reading now. I don’t care if you disagree with me, especially on this one, and I really couldn’t care less what you think about my taste. I’ve been listening to music for close to 50 years. I know what I like. If you can’t deal with it, go away. I’m beyond caring about your lousy opinions about my lousy taste. There. That said, let’s continue. I’ve wavered on this one for years. I’ve gone back and forth, saying I like specific songs and even put one of their albums in my top five. But I’ve never been able to say I’m a fan of the BAND. Until now. I am a fan of Hanson. You betcha. The guys who did “MMMBop,” the three brothers from Tulsa who were teen idols for about 18 months 13 years ago. Guess what? They’ve gone the independent route, and turned into a band that has mastered power pop as well as 70s-style pop, which is evident on their new album, “Shout It Out.” I’ve always been at a loss when I’ve tried to describe what I consider to be “70s-style pop” or “70s-style albums.” It’s more a case where I know it when I hear it. 70s-style pop can include horns or strings without embarrassment. It isn’t afraid to combine or borrow from other styles. If a song sounds a little bit like rhythm-and-blues and a little bit like a lushly orchestrated piece and a bit traditional and unabashedly romantic, that’s 70-s style. The 70s-style album isn’t afraid to mix styles, maybe include a song with horns and one with a steel guitar, and if there are three or four people in the band who can sing, it’s a nice changeup to let them all solo at some point. Hanson has crafted that. “Shout It Out” is even more balanced than “The Walk,” although “The Walk” had a couple of great songs in “Great Divide” and “Running Man.” As I’ve written before, I think the key for me in this transition of Hanson being a group I admitted to listening to into a group I honestly like a lot is middle brother Taylor, who’s developed a great rock-pop voice, and the group writes a great batch of songs around him. One of the details I appreciated from early in their career was how they refined their tastes growing up listening to Time-Life collections of songs from the 1960s and 1970s. For some, that’s a curse, and for those people, “Shout It Out” sounds a little tired. The All-Music Guide’s entry on the album calls Hanson “the youngest baby boomers on record.” A friend told me she didn’t like the Tinted Windows album from last year (the power-pop supergroup with Taylor Hanson on vocals) because a reviewer mentioned Taylor and Robin Zander favorably in the same sentence. Be that as it may. I don’t find the sound tired, and I’m not going to criticize the band because I don’t agree with what someone wrote about them. Here’s the song they’re pushing as the lead single. I like the first cut – “Waiting for This” – better. I suppose the “Blues Brothers” tribute won’t make the “youngest baby boomer” accusations go away, though. (And that guy playing the tambourine? It’s “Weird” Al Yankovic, whom I assume directed this spot.)
jewel мужик это. Мне вступление понравилось: кто ставит под сомнения мои музыкальный вкус и не согласен с моей точкой зрения- валите нафиг, мне все-равно что вы думаете. Я слушаю музыку 50 лет и я знаю что мне нравится. I am a fan of Hanson
Настроение: Well Ive never been to England But I kind of like the Beatles
Откуда: Санкт-Петербург
Репутация:
10
Отправлено: 08.07.10 11:20. Заголовок: о уау!!! сколько они..
о уау!!! сколько они времени и сил и творчества потратили на эту песню!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Кстати тут в Англии эту песню знают даже 10 летние девчонки. Не то, чтобы они тащатся от нее, но знают и подпевают. А крутят ее тут довольно часто! Я когда первый раз услышала, аж с другой комнаты прилетела)))))))))))
Настроение: вТюхалась по уши!!! :)))
Откуда: Молдова, Кишинёв
Репутация:
6
Отправлено: 21.07.10 03:24. Заголовок: G FORCE | ZAC H..
G FORCE | ZAC HANSON
Determined to play The drummer for the band of brothers Hanson reflects on the pop group’s longevity and new album
By James Reed Globe Staff / July 20, 2010
Q. You and your wife recently announced you’re expecting your second child, and both of your brothers have children, too. Has that affected your music?
Tweet 5 people Tweeted this Yahoo! BuzzShareThis HANSON At: Cape Cod Melody Tent on Friday at 8 p.m. and South Shore Music Circus on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets for each concert are $33.75-$50.75 at www.ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. A. It can’t help but affect your music because it affects everything you do, from literally what you think about to how you spend your time. It’s definitely a huge inspiration to be able to watch life from the perspective of another.
Q. Hanson has an extensive catalog, but what do you think distinguishes your new album, “Shout It Out’’?
A. People have known the band for 13 years, but when we first started, we were just singing a cappella — and that goes back 18 years. I think we feel there’s a certain amount of celebration with this record. There’s a long way to go and a lot more music to be made. But we’ve also come a long way together as a band.
Q. You were just 11 years old when “MMMBop’’ became a huge hit in 1997, but did you have any sense of where Hanson would be headed after that?
A. I’ve known for a long time what we were going to be doing. We’re going to be a band until the day our arthritis makes it awful for us to play drums anymore. We’re going to be sponsored by Bayer aspirin. [Laughs.] I didn’t know how any of the music industry stuff would turn out, but you battle through it. We have been bitten by the bug of rock ’n’ roll, and we want to live up to that and be a band that inspires the next generation of artists the way we were inspired.
Q. You guys have younger siblings. Have they expressed any interest in music?
A. None of them, I think, will be musicians, but they’re all musical.
Q. If they started a band, what advice would you give them?
A. I’d give them the same advice I’d give any band. This is way too hard of an industry to just be something that you think sounds fun or you like. If you want to be a musician, it needs to be something that’s so deeply ingrained in what you do that if you chose another career path, you’d wake up every night with cold sweats.
Q. What’s the secret to playing “MMMBop’’ every night and keeping it fresh?
A. One thing we do as a band is we never play the same set twice. That helps us keep every night fresh. The other thing is, “MMMBop’’ is something we’re able to look back on with pride. Obviously “Middle of Nowhere,’’ our first record, doesn’t represent me where I am today. But I can still be proud of it and enjoy it and don’t have to run away from it. When you run away from your past, you’re kicking your fans to the curb. It’s still us. It’s just us 13 years ago.
Hanson has been to the top of the pop world and back again. Their hit debut, Middle of Nowhere, went 4x Platinum and spawned one of the most ubiquitous smash hits of the nineties in “MMMbop,” and immediately the pressure from the major labels was on to repeat the hit, whatever the cost.
That their label folded in with Island-Def Jam shortly thereafter, leaving the band at the mercy of A&R people who had nothing to do with the success of Middle of Nowhere, left the band with few label supporters. When This Time Around tanked — barely going Gold in 2000, the label blamed the songs rather than admitting that, perhaps, a hip-hop label had no idea how to market pop songwriters who had the dual curse of being young and music-literate.
The result was the brutally honest documentary “Strong Enough To Break,” which illustrates how hard they had to fight for the right to even record and release a third album without label executives controlling what they wrote, when they wrote it and how it would be recorded. Since 2004 they’ve released all their music on an independent label they own and manage, called 3CG records. Their latest album, Shout It Out, may be the band’s strongest pop contribution yet. At the very least, they’re making the music they want to make and continuing to strive to make meaningful music.
Stereo Subversion’s Jonathan Sanders sat down with Isaac Hanson to discuss the band’s latest album, the cultural reasons behind music piracy, and how in the end, and the major labels’ inability to understand that, above all, musicians are here to record albums and make music.
SSv: Since leaving Island-Def Jam, you’ve done three albums now on your own terms. Has the process remained as liberating as it was when you finally completed Underneath?
Isaac: It’s become a lot easier in a lot of ways for us because the process for us is about making records. The problem with the Island process, with all the corporate mergers that have gone on with these companies, is that it isn’t about music or even about fiscal responsibility on the part of a label or band.
You spend so much money and so much time second guessing yourself, it’s the kind of thing where you could almost literally make three to five records for the amount of money and time spent on one major-label record. And if you made those records and released them, even if you did a mediocre job, you’d still have a better chance of finding success than if you did it the way these labels have always done.
SSv: I don’t know if you ever read Jacob Slichter’s book, So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star – he was the drummer for Semisonic — but he wrote about the difficulty they had following up the Grammy-nominated success of “Closing Time” with any future singles, because the label group-think process made it impossible to release anything the label feared wouldn’t have monster success.
Isaac: That became a particularly bad problem, and I think the mergers that happened had a lot to do with that. The late-nineties is going to be a really interesting subject for a lot of books, a lot of conversations about the music industry, because it’s also when piracy became a problem.
I am one who believes that piracy was the result of pride on the part of the industry, and ignorance too. They ignored their fans, they said their fans were stupid, that they didn’t matter. So what their fans did was they went and got the music the way they culturally wanted to find it. It just so happens that this meant getting it for free.
It also happened that the reason they did so was because of quality control. I can’t tell you how many times when I was a young kid, when we were first starting to make our own records, I remember so often being very distrustful of the so-called “value” of an album. And I don’t know whether that’s more of a modern phenomenon, but I know that’s where I came from.
I know it was consistent throughout my generation of music listeners, this skepticism over the value of an album. “This album, most likely, is going to have three songs that I really really like. If it has more than that I’ll be shocked,” I’d think. And at that time we were being forced to spend $15 per album, so adjust that for inflation. And a huge number of people in the business never really learned that lesson, they never understood what their audience really wanted. They never did the job they were supposed to do, which was to provide the opportunity for bands which were potentially talented to make records.
The people who have always survived in the world of music have been the people who had great songs, whether they wrote them themselves or had them written by someone else. So at the end of the day it’s about the songs, it’s about the record. So for us it was always about getting to that place in the first place. The Walk was the first record we did from scratch post-Island, all that mess. That was an incredibly liberating thing, a really good experience. We also did that album with Danny Kortchmar, who we did “Penny and Me,” the single from Underneath, with. And that was a real natural experience.
The story with this album, Shout It Out, was that for the first time we ended up producing and writing the entire thing ourselves, which was the first time we went in from top to bottom and did that. It was almost an accident, because we’d talked to several people about working with them on the album, but it didn’t come together with the timing we wanted; we had a particular plan for what we wanted to get done and when we wanted to do it.
So we were like, “well, this is neat, because we’re going in!” We spent about a month rehearsing and finalizing, spent a couple months making sure we had the songs we wanted, then said “alright, this is what we want,” and the three of us in a big room just made it happen.
SSv: What made you think about adding a horn section to most of the album? Did that sound help influence the shape of the songs, or did you already have songs written that simply demanded horns?
Isaac: That’s interesting, because it took six months before that happened. We recorded the record, finished it, mixed it, and it felt like it just wasn’t done. We went out on the road and at that point we’d finished the record and it just seemed something was missing. We didn’t know what it was. The horn section had been part of an idea floating around for a long time, but it seemed like a pipe dream, something we’d never pull off. In fact there was even a horn section in the room next door while we were recording the El Paso sessions for Shout It Out, and we almost had them come in but we didn’t get the time.
So January 2010 rolls around and two songs come into play. One’s a ballad called “Me Myself and I,” which ends the record and has been around since 2002. We finished up the lyrics on that and there was a brand new idea called “Give A Little,” and that song, when we started working with it, we looked at each other and said, “this song really needs horns, doesn’t it?” There was something about the song which felt like horns would take it over the top.
From there one thing led to another and instead of just that one song, half the album had horns featured on it, because we just felt if you’re going to do horns you might as well do it big. You might as well go for it and make it part of the sound that defines the record.
SSv: “Use Me Up” and “Me Myself and I” are both such stunning ballads. But they’re both a lot darker than many of the other songs on Shout It Out. What led you in that direction lyrically?
Isaac: Well, they are darker, and I suppose it’s just one of those things were those particular ballads felt like the right ones to have on the album. We’ve got a decent number of darker ballads like that [on past records], but those were the most sparse stylistically. “Me Myself and I” is reminiscent of a song on This Time Around called “A Song To Sing.”
SSv: Right. A lot of your fans have commented on the similarities between the two and how sometimes the intros get interchanged live.
Isaac: [Laughs] Yeah, they do . . . there is a tendency for similarities to come up between some of the piano-based songs. But I don’t know what really prompted the darkness of them except to say that sometimes certain emotions just come out. Maybe it’s a culmination of the fact that most of the rest of the album is so upbeat. So the mellow ones really stand out, they make up for those other elements from the rest of the album.
SSv: They both seem to deal with such an oppressive sense of longing.
Isaac: I think that’s been a consistent lyrical theme in a lot of our music. This Time Around was a lot more in that vein than even the new record. “Me Myself and I” has that sense that you’re trying to work your way through something really intense, the idea of losing something you really care about, and I think that’s something a lot of people are dealing with these days. There’s a lot of reality to that in everyday life. And I don’t know, I think maybe all of the songs wound up being about just making it through. I know it might feel rough right now, but it’s alright to make it through.
SSv: I really thought the line from the end of the song stood out, when Taylor sings: “I don’t care who’s wrong or right, I’ll give you the last words tonight.” There was a sense that if it couldn’t be fixed, maybe just sleeping on things would make it work.
Isaac: Yeah, we were trying to leave an attempt at clarity in there at the end, because we have a tendency to try and have some kind of light at the end of the tunnel. And I think even with that lyric, it’s a combination of optimism and just plain giving-up. “I know I’m not going to be able to fix this right now, and maybe it’s not going to be okay.”
But I think it really culminates with the line “all that’s left is me, myself and I.” Meaning, at the end of the day I can only live my life and do the best with my life that I can. I can’t make someone else do something even though I feel like they should, or we could. Ultimately all I’m left with is myself and doing the best job I can to finish on the right side, whatever that is.
The other side of a similar coin, I guess, would be “Use Me Up,” which is us saying “make me feel something, because right now I just feel totally numb.” I think “Use Me Up” is the darkest ballad we’ve ever recorded.
SSv: You guys are veterans of the “double standard” in pop music when it come to age. With Middle of Nowhere your age showed and critics dubbed you a boy band, but ten years later with Shout It Out the ’70s and ’80s influences had some people saying you should “act more your age.” How do you even begin to strike back against that kind of empty criticism?
Isaac: You really can’t, because it’s ridiculous. We used to always say that we’re not going to be young forever, and everybody gets this in some way. If you’re not too young, you’re too old; if you’re not too black, you’re too white, or whatever. “Oh, that rapper’s not ghetto enough, he’s got no cred! That band’s not rock enough, they’re just lightweights.” I think that just comes from people being frustrated and not putting the music first.
I’m not saying our record is anything remarkable, but I think it’s the best record that we could make, the one that we wanted to make. Whether everybody says it’s great or not is something I have no control over. But when it comes to making music, everyone’s got their own set of hurdles, and I just think that double standard is hilarious, that when you’re in your mid-20s you’re not allowed to make an upbeat record.
I think it’s also people listening to our music on a very skin-deep level, and I think that happens a lot. We cross our fingers and hope that the powers that be, journalists and radio stations, will listen to the music with a little more of an open mind. “Yeah, this is an upbeat song, but lyrically it’s more complex!” or something to that effect.
SSv: I thought it was funny when you did that show in New York with Drake, and there was that riot because they wound up with 20,000 music fans instead of the 10,000 they’d expected. And all the online articles framed it as “Riot At Hanson Concert,” not even mentioning Drake in the headlines. If that doesn’t get people to give the album a listen, nothing will.
Isaac: We take it where we can get it. We have a lot of fans in New York, but obviously there were a lot of people there for Drake. We were really looking forward to that show, too, because it was going to be a lot of fun. For me, I like playing for crowds that aren’t sure what to expect. For me that’s what music is about. And we’ve done this for a lot of years and have been lucky to have fans for a long time, but I like it when we can convince new listeners.
SSv: What was it like preparing all your old material for those shows you did playing each album back to back in their entirety? Did that experience help cement the “musical legacy” of those albums?
Isaac: Well, we’ll see. It was a lot of fun, we recorded it all and there will be a DVD eventually. What was surprising, and I found this to be the case, is that when you play Middle of Nowhere, This Time Around, Underneath, The Walk and Shout It Out back to back, there are far more similarities than there are differences. The records can easily interchange songs and you’re not going to think they don’t fit into the mix.
We play about sixty-percent of that repertoire throughout a given tour, but learning the other forty percent and getting to where we were playing every song in order, with no repeats, that was the challenge. There’s a lot of detail because once you get into the idea of playing it all consecutively and then recording it, the pressure’s on! You can’t just throw it in there, like “let’s do an acoustic version of that!” There’s a lot more pressure to focus rather than just playing it for the sake of keeping things interesting. You’re going in there with a specific purpose of recreating the feeling of those records as best you can.
Of course doing it live things are always going to be different, particularly in the case of Middle of Nowhere, since we don’t have our teenage vocal ranges anymore. The keys can’t stay the same. But playing these songs we never seem to play live, that was really fun. We were fresher on them, the experience, the emotions were fun to experience again. Our set lists change every night, sure, but never that much – there are always the songs people expect to hear at a Hanson concert, and rightfully so. Playing everything consecutively without any repeats was definitely a trip.
SSv: What do you wish someone would ask you about but they never do?
Isaac: I always like talking about lyrics. I always like talking about those kind of details, and unfortunately most people don’t like to hear about that so much. But I always like talking about the details, it’s what interests me about the makeup of the band. I like to talk about the influences, old records, not even just our records. But I really get off on the influences, like Billy Joel, Chuck Berry, Aretha Franklin, all that stuff. To me, that’s the essence of everything. It’s a combination of groove and lyric.
SSv: You must have been really gratified when All Music Guide called Shout It Out the perfect fusion between Steve Winwood’s Roll With It and Billy Joel’s The Bridge, then.
Isaac: [Laughs] Yes, that was absolutely great. I think for the first time people got an understanding of where we’re coming from musically. Or at least it was more clear than before. I heard someone call it “soulful pop” and I got a smile on my face because that’s what we felt like we are. Soulful pop, with a bit of rock. I’ve never been much of a “rock” guitar player; the closest I can get to rock is blues. It’s fun to crank up the distortion and go for it, to play an AC/DC cover, but when it comes to making records it’s all about keeping some soul in the songs and staying true to ourselves.
Настроение: депрессивный оптимизм)
Откуда: Германия, Gütersloh
Репутация:
0
Фото:
Отправлено: 26.07.10 19:27. Заголовок: Ой, чувствую, надо о..
Ой, чувствую, надо освежать английский А то больше, чем на первую статью терпения не хватило) Как я - новоиспеченный фанат - вам, тем, кто уже все знает, завииидую!))
Настроение: вТюхалась по уши!!! :)))
Откуда: Молдова, Кишинёв
Репутация:
6
Отправлено: 25.08.10 17:04. Заголовок: Don't mind me. I..
Don't mind me. I'm just sittin' on the corner of the street, talking to one of the Hanson brothers. Found myself on the mean streets of Columbus, Ohio, this past weekend, having a chat with the particular person you see to the right. For those of you who may be confused, that's Zac Hanson, the youngest brother and drummer for the band who just may have put out the best record 2010 will see, Hanson.
The talk went a little over 30 minutes, and he was exactly everything you wanted him to be: Nice, happy, smiling, accommodating, interesting, completely not jaded and, of course, as cute as a button. Of all the things (and there were many) discussed, I'd be burying the lede if I didn't mention his clear passion for video games first. Goodness, he's spent so much money on so many pieces of equipment just to be able to play those things. He spoke endlessly of the measures he has taken in the past to participate in crazy video game scenarios. But hey: If I had the type of money writing a song like “MMMbop” can provide, I’d probably upgrade a few portions of my life, too. How his wife puts up with all the video game madness was a question I was five seconds away from asking, though opted against it. The last thing I’d ever want to be is a man hated by anybody in Hanson.
That said, there were many other topics of discussion brought up. And while I am fully aware that you, the fantastically loyal reader, may not give a heck about the Hanson boys, I am also aware that this kind of stuff can be neat. Especially when you touch on the following…
- He's upset that Levon Helm is not in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. "It's all about money," he said. “That’s all that place is – who has the most money.” This was all brought up after my roommate asked him about a recent quote he gave Rolling Stone regarding wanting to be the youngest member of the Hall. “Levon Helm needs to be in there, though,” he said more than once. “You can ask anybody.”
- The only time he was visibly uncomfortable was when the third member of our traveling group – a wonderful young lady whom we met while seeing the band earlier in the night (and a lady, I may add, whom I should probably marry sometime between now and next Wednesday) – asked him why he wasn’t wearing his wedding ring. “Why are the only one not married?” she asked. “I am,” the drummer replied. “Then you should really be wearing your wedding ring,” she said. “I am,” he said after pausing for a quick two seconds to gather his thoughts. “It’s around my neck. I can’t play the drums with it on because it makes me bleed.” Then, after turning to me because it had already been brought up that I play the drums as well, he continued. “Right? You know what I mean,” he said.
- And speaking of drums (and this is specifically for anybody with the new record) I would lose my drummer’s card had I not asked him about “Voice In The Chorus,” a track off the band’s latest album that features an offbeat so awkward that I was convinced it wasn’t done live. Not the case. “Yep,” he countered. “It was all done live. Actually, the whole record was pretty much done live,” he continued before launching into an impromptu pseudo-lesson about how to play the song in question. Hey. Not many people can say Zac Hanson tried to teach them how to play a song of his in the middle of street on air drums.
- I was completely taken by his genuine knowledge of the same kind of music I love. Asking him about the band covering Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” earlier in the night, he spoke endearingly about soul music and the affect its had on his band. Sure, he called “Hold On, I’m Coming” a “deep cut,” – it’s not. Anyone with ears can recite that horn line in their sleep - but he gets a pass for that. It was his effort that counted.
- Fast food. This was actually the second time we had the opportunity to stop him on the street. The first was before the show while we shared drinks at a local bar. “Hey, that’s Zac,” my roommate said as we were looking out the front window. And it was. He was carrying a Wendy’s bag. When we caught up with him later that night, he was carrying a Five Guys sack of food. The dude likes his meals greasy and fast it seems.
- “Wouldn’t you like there to be just a little more guys at your shows,” my roommate asked after quickly offering up the notion that we seemingly couldn’t find more than 10 guys at the show. In response, the youngest brother of the three responded in a way most any other normal mid-20-something dude would. “No.”
- And finally: It was Zac Hanson! To think he was one-third of an act that literally ruled the music world for a little while is something that, at this point, is mind-blowing. We must have stood on the street with him for somewhere around 45 minutes and not once was he stopped. Not once did anyone try and bamboozle our conversation. It was the three of us and him. Nobody even recognized him. In hindsight, my roommate brought up the notion of a picture or an autograph, though luckily, he never indulged. These are the types of moments that could never be portrayed through picture or signature.
And, naturally, all of this gives me yet one more excuse to offer up this video. “We really wanted to do it because ‘The Blues Brothers’ is our favorite movie,” he told me. It’s the smartest thing they’ve done in years…
Прикиньте седня купила журнал Roling Stone, классный он вообще давно не покупала, а вот сегодня( ну как чувствовала ) решила купить..
Листаю я в общем, смотрю, переворачиваю страницу и БАЦ! Хэны Я в шоке, это же надо, в русском Ролинге про них написали хаха) Я наверное ненормальная, но меня переполняет радость!) Так давно здесь я про них ничего не видела и нате, написали про их новый альбом
Настроение: I am your sunshine:)
Откуда: Russia, Rostov n/D
Репутация:
7
Отправлено: 16.10.10 16:01. Заголовок: Вот, полностью переп..
Вот, полностью переписала статью))
Откуда братишки
Повзрослевшая и потерявшая всякое доверие группа Hanson, тем не менее, выпустила новую пластинку, на которую возлагает большие надежды. текст Гас Веннер
Сидя в тесной грмерке одного из залов Хайанниса вместе с братьями - 29летним Айзеком 27 летним Тейлором, - 24 летний барабанщик Зак Хэнсон отбивает ногами такт новой песни "Make it out alive", отчего стены комнатки начинают дрожать. Вокруг толпятся специально приглашенные на премьеру композиции члены фанклуба группы ( фигасе их еще и на премьеры приглашают?) Спустя тринадцать лет после того, как Hanson окащались на вершине хит-парадов с песней MMmbop, братья сменили статус коллектива для детских утренников на динамичный ритм жизни востребованной рок-группы с жестким гастрольным графиком. Сейчас Hanson находятся в туре в поддержку пятого студийного альбома Shout it out, добавившего нотки r'n'b в карамельный поп-рок, на котором музыканты когда-то строили свою карьеру.
Несмотря на взросление, братья по-прежнему востребованы у девочек-тинэйджеров. Встречаются, однако, проверенные временем взрослые фанаты, со снисходительным сарказмом относящиеся к новичкам. "Знали бы они, каково таскаться за группой по всем штатам, не пропуская ни одного выступления,- говорит 30летний программист Тед Роджерс. - А просто визжать у сцены - особого ума не надо." "Я постоянно поражаюсь составу аудитории, для которой мы играем, - признается фронтмен Hanson Тейлор. - Никогда бы не подумал, что наши песни нравятся и семилетним детям, и байкерам с пивными животами."
В 1999 году группа прекратила сотрудничество с лейблом Island Def Jam. "это идеальная контора, если ты Джей-Зи, - говорит Зак. Но для Hanson, поп-группы из Средней Америки, она не подходила". В 2004-м Хэнсоны основали лейбл 3cg Records, который позволял им сохранять контроль над творческим процессом. "Быть в музыкальном бизнесе - все равно что иметь мотоцикл, - добавляет Тейлор. - Вопрос не в том, попадешь ли ты в аварию, а в том когда ты попадешь в аварию."
После концерта они с Айзеком зависают в баре. "Меня прижали две пьяные девушки, которые узнали во мне Леонардо Дикаприо и требовали поцеловать их", - хвастается Тейлор.( ) Хотя возмужавшие братья Хэнсоны и не так узнаваемы, как их подростковые версии, они прекрасно чувствуют себя в своей нынешней взрослой жизни. Все они женаты и уже давно обзавелись потомством, причем у Тейлора уже четверо детей. На следующий день, перед саундчеком на очередной остановке в туре к югу от Бостона, он играет на пианино, а полуторогодовалый сын музыканта в это время обгимает его за ногу.( ) Очевидно, что Тейлор счастлив. Все трое уверяют, что раньше никогда не испытывали такого восторга от сочинения музыки. "Тейлор до сих пор хочет изменить мир, Айзек тоже не отстает, а я всего лишь хочу быть самым молодым музыкантом, введенным в Зал славы Рок-н-ролла", - гордо заявляет Зак.
________________________________________________________ Hanson Альбом "Shout it out" уже в продаже! Значит и в России уже продают?! ________________________________________________________
Настроение: I am your sunshine:)
Откуда: Russia, Rostov n/D
Репутация:
7
Отправлено: 17.10.10 13:02. Заголовок: runaway, да я тоже н..
runaway, да я тоже не поняла! Засранцы это они типа имели ввиду, что Хэны долгое время ничего не делали.. ну мы то знаем как они старались)) Всегда пожалста
Настроение: все через одно место=((
Откуда: москва
Репутация:
12
Отправлено: 31.10.10 17:03. Заголовок: примерно так: если э..
примерно так: если эти дети смогли написать песню, которая стала мировым хитом, сыграть ее вживую на концертах, стать достойными артистами и бла-бла, то все что я могу, это поздравить их с победой
Все даты в формате GMT
-3 час. Хитов сегодня: 4
Права: смайлы да, картинки да, шрифты нет, голосования нет
аватары да, автозамена ссылок вкл, премодерация вкл, правка нет
еще бы все понятно было, тогда бы я тоже порадовалась)
упс... ну могу предложить: скопировать английский текст и перевести его в translate.ru 
я в принципе и так знаю, как о ребятках многие отзываются) хорошо!
Weirdis, спасибо, оч классные видюхи и фотки!
? Дайте хоть послушать,пожалуйста))) Первый раз такого слышу... отстающая я
ААААА)))))) 
) решила купить.. 
Гляньте что написали Хэны в твиттере: 
- участник сейчас на форуме
- участник вне форума