“We’re not a boy band-we’re a rock group!” Insists Zac, the youngest member of Hanson. No argument there: The term “boy band” wasn’t even really in play when Zac and his brothers Taylor and Isaac exploded onto the scene with their 1997 album Middle of Nowhere and its infectious single “MMMBop.” Since then, …
Teen idols lose their musical virginity at their own risk. During their ’70s heydays, David Cassidy tried warbling standards and the Osmonds made a concept album about their Mormon beliefs; later; New Kids on the Block became NKOTB and attempted to play that funky music *but as somber white boys). And more of these stabs at maturity were remotely enjoyable as “I Woke Up in Love This Morning,” “Yo-Yo,” and “Step by Step,” respectively.
In light of this history of overinflated ambitions, Hanson fans were understandably concerned when word began filtering out that the Oklahoma sibs were planning to rock out on their next album. The transition wasn’t illogical: After all, Taylor, Ike and Zac can both harmonize and play, they have a deep-seated love of Big Chill R&B and rock, and they most likely want to be remembered as more than the founding brothers of ’90s teen pop. All well and good, but do we want a harder, heavier Hanson?
The babely Hanson boys are back-and their new sound is anything but boppy. 1 May 2000 By Alyssa Vitrano It’s been almost three years since Hanson’s happy-pop debut rocketed them from the Middle of Nowhere to the middle of everywhere with smash hits like “MMMBop” and “Where’s the Love?” And …
It’s Valentine’s Day, that cruelest of secular holidays, and a bevy of girls who’ve logged on for a live Yahoo chat with the brothers Hanson are dying to know: “Are there any lucky ladies in your lives?”
Somewhere out there in the real world, teen siblings Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson sit at the ready, amiably fielding this and other decidedly non-musical questions with the aid of a cyber-moderator. “How many valentines did you get?” “Why did you cut your hair?” “What was the last movie you saw?” “What kinds of snacks do you guys like?” Not exactly a probing inquiry into a platinum-selling band’s creative process. But compared to the scores of rogue postings from various chat-room miscreants (“This is dumb,” “Ike is a perv,” “Taylor pierced his dick”), the boys’ loving praise of grandma’s homemade Chex mix comes as a welcome bit of trivia.
Hair Today… gone tomorrow. Back in about a month. The Hanson boys return… 1 March 2000 Even the name sends tingles down the backs of anyone that remembers their spectacular arrival on Planet Pop. It was almost three years ago to the day that Hanson came crashing into our lives …
In the years since Hanson released the giddy breakthrough hit “MMMBop” and the 1997 debut “Middle Of Nowhere,” we’ve been poked with all three points on the dreaded filler triangle: the holiday album (“Snowed In”), the “rarities/demos” comp (“3 Car Garage), and the live album (“Live From Albertane”). A dry spell, it seemed.
What we weren’t privy to, however, was how the towheaded trio of Oklahoma hermanos – Isaac, Taylor, and Zac – stretched out and bulked up, settling into their young adult selves with comfort and confidence, radiating with good health and good vibes. The picture is so reassuring, you just might think for a moment that all is right with the world, or something.