Middle of Nowhere is the debut studio album by American pop rock group Hanson, and the first to be released on a major label, which was PolyGram Records and Mercury Records. Released in 1997, it features slicker studio production compared to their previous indie efforts Boomerang and MMMBop. The band members were between the ages of 11 and 16 when it was released. "Yearbook", one of the album's more dramatic songs, was not performed live until the recording of Middle of Nowhere Acoustic on May 5, 2007.
Middle of Nowhere yielded five singles: "MMMBop", "Where's the Love", "I Will Come to You", "Weird", and "Thinking of You". "MMMBop" became a major hit, reaching number one in the United States and at least eleven other countries. The album earned Hanson three Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year.
Contents
Reception
Middle of Nowhere reached number two on the Billboard 200, being kept out of the top spot by the Spice Girls' Spice. The album also reached number one in the UK, Australia, Germany, and Taiwan.
Total sales worldwide are 10 million copies. The album sold just under 4 million in the US (4 times platinum) and over 400,000 copies in UK.
The album was well received by critics. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said of the trio: "... lack of guile is Hanson's most endearing quality."
Track listing
Notes
"Man from Milwaukee" is actually track #21, as there are eight tracks of silence after "With You in Your Dreams". In Japan the song is track 14 because a remix of "MMMBop" serves as song 13. "Man from Milwaukee" was omitted from all cassettes and vinyl pressings of Middle of Nowhere. Some later reissues of the album in some locales including the remastered version and the digital download pressings omitted the tracks of silence and make "Man from Milwaukee" a true track 13.
Personnel
Hanson
Isaac Hanson – guitar, background vocals; co-lead vocals (10, 11)
Taylor Hanson – keyboards, piano, lead vocals
Zac Hanson – drums, background vocals; lead vocals (8, 13)
Additional musicians
Stephen Lironi – bass, guitar, keyboards, percussion, production, programming
Peter Kent – violin
Michael Fischer – percussion
Carole Mukogawa – viola
John Wittenberg – violin
Mike Shawcross – percussion
Michito Sanchez – percussion
Larry Corbett – cello
Steve Richards – cello
Ged Lynch – drums, percussion
Nick Vincent – drums
Endre Granat – violin
Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
David Campbell – conductor, string arrangements
Abraham Laboriel – bass
Neil Stubenhaus – bass
B.J. Cole – pedal steel
Sandy Stein – keyboards
Mark Hudson – harmonica
Murray Adler – violin
Technical
The Dust Brothers – production, programming
Steve Greenberg – executive producer
Ted Jensen – mastering
Mark Hudson – vocal director
Roger Love – vocal director
Margery Greenspan – art direction
Barry Mann – vocal director
Marina Chavez – photography