Hanson Grows Up

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Hanson Grows Up

Kaitlyn Woods
Staff Writer

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Think back to the summer of ’97 and you cannot help but remember that mind-numbingly catchy song “MMMBop” by those three annoyingly happy brothers. You know, the ones with long hair.

Times have changed and so has the now indie band Hanson.

The boys from Tulsa, Okla., are all grown up with families of their own and back with a new album, “The Best of Hanson Live and Electric."

This album is not like the rest of the “live” albums; this one has a meaning.

The band is using this album as a sort of soundtrack for their documentary “Strong Enough to Break,” which is also the title of a song on the new album.

While touring to promote their new album, the band is also stopping at college campuses to show the documentary that explains the four-year gap between their earlier albums and the bands departure from Island Def Jam to form their own label and promote their “Are You Listening?” campaign to show people how the music industry is treating bands and how radio stations only play certain music. The album opens with the Radiohead cover “optimistic.” Yes, Hanson and their fans listen to Radiohead, too.

The song begins with a roar of screaming girls proving their fan base is still going strong. Lord knows I’ve driven a collective 20 hours and slept on a sidewalk to see the band live.

Hanson also covers U2’s “In a Little While” and fills most of the album with their older songs such as “Where’s the Love,” “Look at You” and “ I Will Come to You” from the bands first album "Middle of Nowhere" that sold over eight million copies in 1998.

Also on the album is “Hand in Hand” from "This Time Around," Hanson’s second and last album with Island and “Strong Enough to Break,” “Penny and Me” and “Underneath” from the band’s third full length album “Underneath” that entered the indie charts at number one in 2004.

As for the album as a whole, the title says it all “The Best of Hanson.” There is even a limited edition that comes with a DVD.

If you hated Hanson in 1997, you may be surprised at the transformation the band has taken since then, or you may just be curious at how a bubblegum pop band can become an underground indie hit with a cult-like fan base.

Either way, this new album, released Oct. 11, can answer any questions you had about the authenticity of Hanson. And, no, you will not have to listen to MMMBop.

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