There's a difference between terming something a "favorite" and/or "best" and terming it significant. There are certainly a few songs not listed here from member kit albums that rank as high or even higher that the tracks here. A pair of the songs listed below I'm not even a big fan of.
But these are the ones that shift expectations, stand out the most as unique, or just flat out represent the band at its best.
5 - Dance Like You Don't Care
Bizarre and out of place...and there's your appeal. Probably the epitome of the band realizing the disc is only going to be heard by the most dedicated fans, so they can do whatever they want. No idea if it's leading to anything or if it's just a random one-off, but it shows that we can still be surprised in 2015. This is the most off the path song we've had on a member kit so far.
4 - Panic In The Streets
Another track that would never show up on a standard album but seems to have become a fan favorite. Subject matter of a seemingly violent revolution isn't usually what you'd expect from this band. Very unique mood projected, there isn't really anything else like it in the Hanson arsenal.
3 - Down
The opening track on the very first fan club disc (we don't talk about the MOE Enhanced CD around these parts unless you want to discuss that first person shooter game that didn't have any actual guns that was on the disc) highlights everything the band does right when they are in slow-down mode. Some of the best lyrics the band has ever turned out don't hurt, either. This really felt like the track that bridged the very long gap between TTA and Underneath.
2 - Sonny Get Your Gun
2011's disc starts with a hell of a departure from what people were probably expecting. This was the first real evidence that convinced me that the band could probably go off and do some kind of concept album under a different name and manage to make it work. It feels like it could go to more places than it does, but a major part of the appeal is you're left wanting more.
1 - Rock N Roll Razorblade
Shortly after it was released on the original fan club disc it became a staple of the Acoustic 2003 tour. The first time I heard them play it in that format it wound up being the best song of the show. It was a high-tier Hanson song to begin with, but the fact that it has grown beyond the original studio version over the years (the version from the L&E album is an impressive evolution of the track) was what really impressed. There is a "focused frenzy" to the modern incarnation of this song that is not present in any other that they offer. It has gone from being track 2 on album that only the fan club members had to a pretty iconic live song for the band. Probably the best song to ever come off a fan club disc, and one of the best they have in their entire catalog.
----
No news at the moment, but thinking about some plans for this site (now that I've got that rad hanson.zone domain) but it's gonna take some time, so it'll be a while. Hopefully later this year things will get rolling.
Probably going to post something for the next entry that'll anger a few people (although guessing I'll get some agreement as well). May try to update on the 1st and 15th of the month from now on.
...no promises on that.
The King Has Risen.
-TBG
No comments:
Post a Comment