Hanson: Underneath Acoustic Live [Region 2]
The fiercely independent Hanson--brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac--continue to plot their own course on the jangly pop blowoutHanson: Underneath Acoustic Live, just as they've been doing since the 1990s by releasing albums on their own label and selling out concerts via their Website.Live, taped in the fall of 2003, finds Hanson bringing reworked material from their third major release,Underneath, directly to fans. Sticking with acoustic guitars, piano, drums, and miscellaneous percussion, these boys-to-men continue to show flashes of a pop grandeur that may yet develop into a timeless rock & roll legacy. The fervent openers "Strong Enough to Break" and "River" are quickly supplanted by the stronger "Rock 'n Roll Razorblade," the soulful plaint "When You're Gone," and Taylor's gorgeously tormented, solo vocal and ornate piano on "Crazy Beautiful." Two covers, "Teach Your Children" and "Ain't No Sunshine," are extraordinary, while "Penny and Me" hints at great things to come.--Tom Keogh