Middle of Nowhere (album)

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Middle of Nowhere
Studio album by
Hanson
ReleasedMay 6, 1997 (1997-05-06)
RecordedJuly – November 1996
StudioLos Angeles, California
Genre
Length53:41
LabelMercury, Polygram
ProducerThe Dust Brothers, Stephen Lironi
Hanson chronology
MMMBop
(1996) 		Middle of Nowhere
(1997) 		Snowed In
(1997)
Singles from Middle of Nowhere
  1. "MMMBop"
    Released: April 15, 1997
  2. "Where's the Love"
    Released: September 1, 1997
  3. "I Will Come to You"
    Released: November 10, 1997
  4. "Weird"
    Released: March 16, 1998
  5. "Thinking of You"
    Released: May 4, 1998

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.

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Christgau's Consumer Guide(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[4]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[6]
Los Angeles Times[7]
Music Week[8]
NME8/10[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[11]
Spin8/10[12]

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."[6]

Track listing[edit]

All songs written by Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson and Zachary Hanson, with additional writers noted in parentheses.

  1. "Thinking of You" – 3:13
  2. "MMMBop" – 4:28
  3. "Weird" – 4:02 (Desmond Child)
  4. "Speechless" – 4:20 (Stephen Lironi)
  5. "Where's the Love" – 4:13 (Mark Hudson, Sander Selover)
  6. "Yearbook" – 5:29 (Ellen Shipley)
  7. "Look at You" – 4:28 (Stephen Lironi)
  8. "Lucy" – 3:35 (Mark Hudson)
  9. "I Will Come to You" – 4:11 (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)
  10. "A Minute Without You" – 3:55 (Mark Hudson)
  11. "Madeline" – 4:13 (Clif Magness)
  12. "With You in Your Dreams" – 3:56
  13. "Man from Milwaukee" [CD-only hidden track] – 3:38

Note

  • "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[edit]

Hanson

  • Zachary Hanson – drums, vocals
  • Taylor Hanson – keyboards, piano, vocals
  • Isaac Hanson – guitar, vocals

Session musicians

  • Stephen Lironi – bass, guitar, percussion, programming, producer, keyboards
  • 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[13] – harmonica
  • Murray Adler – violin

Other

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[55] 5× Platinum 350,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[56] Gold 25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[57] Platinum 50,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[58] Platinum 250,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[59] 5× Platinum 500,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[60] Gold 31,809[60]
France (SNEP)[61] 2× Gold 200,000*
Germany (BVMI)[62] Gold 250,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[63] Gold 10,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[64] Platinum 200,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[65] Gold 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[66] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[67] 3× Platinum 45,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[68] Gold 50,000*
Sweden (GLF)[69] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[70] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[71] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[72] 4× Platinum 4,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[73] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Larkin, Colin (1999). All-Time Top 1000 Albums. Virgin Books. p. 113. ISBN 0-7535-0354-9. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021.
  2. ^ Bagge, Peter (2001). "Raiding Hannah's Stash: An Appreciation of late '90s Bubblegum Music". In Cooper, Kim; Smay, David (eds.). Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth. Los Angeles: Feral House. pp. 259–269.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Middle of Nowhere – Hanson". AllMusic. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  4. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Hanson". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  5. ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). "Hanson". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Browne, David (May 9, 1997). "Middle of Nowhere". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  7. ^ Scribner, Sara (May 25, 1997). "Hanson, 'Middle of Nowhere,' Mercury". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  8. ^ "Reviews: Albums" (PDF). Music Week. May 31, 1997. p. 23. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  9. ^ Fortnam, Ian (June 14, 1997). "Hanson – Middle Of Nowhere". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  10. ^ Fricke, David (December 25, 1997 – January 8, 1998). "Hanson: Middle Of Nowhere". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 16, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  11. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Hanson". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 362. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  12. ^ Vowell, Sarah (July 1997). "Hanson: Middle of Nowhere / Ben Lee: Something to Remember Me By". Spin. Vol. 13, no. 4. pp. 113–114. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
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  55. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  56. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  57. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  58. ^ "Brazilian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  59. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
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  61. ^ "French album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
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  65. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Type Hanson in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Midde of Nowhere in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  66. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Hanson – Midde of Nowhere" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Midde of Nowhere in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1997 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  67. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  68. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 1997 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
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  72. ^ "American album certifications – Hanson – Middle of Nowhere". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  73. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1997". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
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