Middle of Nowhere

Hanson

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 6, 1997)
• Original Release Date: May 6, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Island / Mercury
• ASIN: B000001ES7
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (324 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,244 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Thinking of You

2. MMMBop

3. Weird

4. Speechless

5. Where's the Love

6. Yearbook

7. Look at You

8. Lucy

9. I Will Come to You

10. Minute Without You

11. Madeline

12. With You in Your Dreams

13. [Silence]

14. [Silence]

15. [Silence]

16. [Silence]

17. [Silence]

18. [Silence]

19. [Silence]

20. [Silence]

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After buying into Bush and Alanis Morissette, Hanson is just what we deserve--Silverchair by way of the Partridge Family, the first pretty-boy fake alt rock group that doesn't pretend to be anything but. If only for truth in advertising, Hanson deserves our admiration. But as it happens, Middle of Nowhere, the debut album from Tulsa brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zachary Hanson, warrants attention for other reasons as well. At their best, as on "MMMBop" or "Thinking of You," Hanson makes perfect '90s bubblegum, Jackson Five vocal interplay offset by slick power pop guitars and sharp hip-hop production care of the Dust Brothers. Even the more questionable material, such as the cheesy ballads "Weird" and "I Will Come to You," is--at worst--music for, about, and by kids sixteen and under. Such songs are not only more palatable coming from a 13-year-old than from a post-grad, given the age of the writers, the lyrics are actually pretty darn sharp. Granted, these lads had help with both the songwriting (including veterans Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil on the weakest track) and instrumentation (a full cast of session men) on Middle of Nowhere. Still, as young writers and musicians with an indisputably authentic three-part harmony, Hanson is as real a band as it needs to be. Real enough, at least, to be a perfect antidote to MTV's other poster boys, Marilyn Manson. --Roni Sarig

Product Description

Ori Release '97 inlcudes 3 exclusive bonus trax 14/ MMM Bop ( Berman Bros Radio Edit ) 15/ Where's The Love ( Berman Brothers Radio Mix ) 16/ MMM Bop ( Live ). --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars young talent, February 23, 2000

By A Customer

first of all, i would like to say that i am not biased about this cd because of the people in the group. i heard mmmbop on the radio, liked, it, & bought the album. at this time i had never even seen the guys & i didn't know anything about them. i started liking the people of hanson after i had already fallen in love with the music. to a close-minded person, songs like the poppy "mmmbop"(by which the group is most widely known) might sound like a meaningless repetition of a meaningless word, but had they actually listened to the verses they would have seen how deceiving a catchy chorus of little meaning can be. these 11, 14, & 16 year old boys tell us to "hold on to the ones who really care cuz in the end they'll be the only ones there." in "where's the love" they solve the problem of war(see title of song). ballads like "i will come to you" don't have to relate just to a boyfriend or girlfriend like most songs these days, but can mean anyone close to you. also, many ppl see a title like "weird" & probably think it's something about aliens or something.(sorry, the alien song is in the bonus track.) "weird talks about trying to fit in in a "cookie-cutter world" & "reaching for a hand that'll understand - someone who feels the same." of course i'd like totalk about every song on this album, but i won't. i'm just hoping that you'll be open minded about people, no matter how old they are, what they look like, or how long their hair is. i personally love hanson's music & know that it doesn't matter whether or not you're accepted by the world, because even if people don't like you or them, God does. BTW, they write their own songs, play their own instrments, & make up the harmonies themselves. (sorry this review is so long)

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This really is good., January 19, 2000

By	CandyMBL (USA) - See all my reviews

I don't care about the looks, I'm just a fan of the music... And I'm not 12 years old, mind you, and neither are many of the other people who found "Middle of Nowhere" likable -- many adults like Hanson, too. I don't care how many CDs you have, and I don't care about your life story, either. You've got to relize something about Hanson and "Middle of Nowhere". This was written/co-written and co-produced by the band Hanson themselves, when Ike was 16, Tay was 14, and when Zac was 11. You have got to be crazy not to think that these boys (yes, they are boys) are talented. You have to admit it, even if you don't like their music. What's more, they play their own instruments. Why don't you go bother BSB or *N SYNC or something because, unlike the hard working Hanson bros., they don't write their music, they don't write their lyrics, they don't play instruments for their music, and their music isn't good anyway. But take "M.O.N.": It's not my favorite, but I really like it a lot. The songs were written from the band's personal expriences ("With You In Your Dreams" and "MMMBop"- you just have to listen to the words) and what teens really feel and think ("Weird", "Thinking of You", ect., ect.). All *N SYNC ever sings about is breaking up with some girl, still loving that girl, and wanting her back. One theme. On one of Hanson's very mature songs, "Weird" (which happens to be my favorite Hanson song), they sing about feeling left out and wishing someone was there who understood them. I don't care how old you are, everyone has felt that why or will feel that way or do feel that way. "Thinking of You" is about a boy with a crush on some girl, but can't be with her (I guess because he can't tell her how he feels about her). Everyone feels like that. "With You In Your Dreams" was written by Hanson alone for their dieing grandmother. I don't care what you say, these boys DO have talent, even if you think this CD is bad or good!

My favorits: "Weird" (my most fave), "MMMBop", "Madeline", "Yearbook", and "Look at You, Baby".

I really don't like "Thinking of You" and "Lucy", but they're okay.

The rest of the songs are really good, too.

They don't really sound like the Jackson 5, but some of Hanson's songs have a 60's and 70's sound to them. Also, "Weird", "Yearbook", "I Will Come To You", and "With You In Your Dreams" are very mature and are NOT (I repeat; NOT) "teeny-bopper"!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pure sunshine, music loved by an incredibly wide audience, great for kids as well as adults, October 4, 2005

By	sparrowgirl65 (planet earth) - See all my reviews

Frankly, this album would be worth buying just for "Mmmbop". It's pure sunshine. It's one of the great pop hits of its decade. Still a blast to hear it. Mmmbop and some of the other songs would be great even if they hadn't been made by three kids. The music is incredibly "up", it takes you to a different place. That's great pop. It's also truly kid friendly, but you don't buy it because it's kid friendly, you buy it because you can't resist the sound of Mmmbop. I think one of the things that's interesting about this album is that it attracted a very wide audience. I know a lot of people who are seriously into rock, blues, and other music genres who have this album in their collection because they couldn't resist it. This album attracted reviews by serious critics. It was a phenomenon. Anyway, I dare you to put "Mmmbop" on and not bob your head, drum on your desk or steering wheel, or dance around the room with your kids.