Cover Story: Brotherhood of Live and Electric
SHUHAIDAH SAHARANI

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The Hanson boys have all grown up, leaving their MmmBop days, babyfaced looks and their golden locks behind, pens SHUHAIDAH SAHARANI, THEY were just teenagers when their group Hanson exploded onto the music scene in 1997 with their infectious hit, MmmBop.

After that, brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac remained largely silent while they worked on the proper follow-up to their successful debut album, Middle of Nowhere.

Hanson finally re-emerged in the spring of 2000 with This Time Around, a more mature, measured record that represented a bid for credibility outside their primarily teenage audience.

Then suddenly, the boys turned really quiet again until they resurfaced with Underneath in April of 2004, where they went all out promoting the album with a worldwide tour.

With Underneath, the Hanson brothers brought back a lot of fond memories of their glorious days.

The brothers have matured tremendously over the years and now, Hanson have grown into young men who have complete control over their career.

“It took us about four years for Underneath to be made but the wait was worth it,” said the eldest of the brothers, Isaac, in a phone interview with Buzz recently.

“There were a lot of reasons for taking four years with it. For one, we were just starting our own record company (3CG Records). We were originally signed by one label (Mercury), and later on, that became another label (Island Def Jam).

“We were working with people who didn’t really have the kind of connection or understanding because they weren’t from the original company. So we had to part ways with that record company to move on and continue to have a career in music.

“So far, that move has been a good thing for us. It allows us to do tons of touring, something we were unable to do in the past. It also allows us to have a much better relationship with our fans.”

As a guitar-pop album, Underneath does an expert job capturing the best of Hanson.

With hits like Penny and Me and Lost Without Each Other, it proves that they can still come out with good music even when they have relatively receded from the spotlight far too long.

The success of Underneath was significant for Hanson as even after the four-year absence, the band saw its fans enthusiastically embrace and multiply.

So what is the latest news from the trio?

“We have a new and live album called The Best of Hanson Live and Electric. It’s a collection of hits from the last eight years and also some new music that we are really proud of. The album was recorded in Melbourne, Australia where it was the last show on the Underneath tour. It was a really fun show,” said Isaac.

The Hanson brothers will definitely continue to demonstrate the evolution of Underneath with The Best of Hanson Live and Electric, once again released via their own 3CG Records label.

Live and Electric spotlights a band that has sold more than 15 million albums, performing all their platinum-plus hits live.

The 15-song album includes new versions of MmmBop along with hits like Where’s the Love, If Only, This Time Around, I Will Come To You and Penny And Me, coupled with new songs performed and recorded for the first time.

Showing their versatility, the album also includes covers of Radiohead’s Optimistic and U2’s In a Little While.

To some who have heard the album, The Best of Hanson Live and Electric lives up to its name as Hanson’s best.

In comparison to their first live CD Live from Albertaine, ‘The Best Of..’ shows some musical perspective of how their sound has evolved from record-label teenyboppers to credible rockers and that they are arguably one of the best young bands around.

It was a brave step to record their ‘best of’ album as a live recording, something not many will attempt for fear it won’t sound as good as their studio albums.

“This album was made live because it has been eight years since we recorded a live album and we’ve always wanted to be able to show the evolution of the music.

For us, this album really does show the full extent of what this band is all about and really completes the picture of Hanson on a musical level.

“Plus, we wanted our fans to be able to experience this music and the entire catalogue of our songs in a live environment. We really do feel that this is the best way for us to show new and old fans who Hanson are.”

This boys really keeping themselves busy this month with the ‘Live and Electric tour’ which starts in the United States. It will include visits to local colleges, where they will talk to students about their experiences in the music business, and especially their quest to succeed outside the consolidated corporate culture.

The first leg of the tour ends in November.

If you think that’s the end of it, though, think again.

“After the tour ends, we hope to be going around the world because we’ll be releasing a new album next year. We are already working on the songs for the next studio album Underneath.

“We should be recording it in the early part of 2006.

“So in the end, not only do we have a live best of album that covers the career of Hanson but also our fans would be getting new music from us. This is exciting because we have spent far too long in between albums before and now, that is not the case,” Isaac added.

The Best of Hanson Live and Electric showcases a powerful outfit capable of a magical, transcendent connection with their fans. And it’s for those followers, as well as themselves, Hanson ultimately makes music.

“Since we have gone independent, we have released an acoustic album that was only on our website, www.hanson.net.

“Then we released the worldwide album Underneath, and now we are releasing The Best of Hanson Live and Electric. It’s very exciting for us because it covers so much of who we are, and we hope our fans will feel really connected to our music,” said Isaac.