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moe:
volume 1, issue 4
I have many, many
reactions to this issue. First of all, let me begin by saying that
since the first issue, I always look for a couple of key elements in every
MOE: articles and artwork conceived by by the band. Except for just
one aspect of this fourth issue (I'll get into this later.), the band
has again outdone themselves. They've deepened the evidence of
their commitment to the creative process of their music. The three
musically-centered articles are meaty and insightful. I loved MOEman
(Zac's moonlighting career?)! Not only that, this issue is unbelievably
fan-oriented! Anyone doubting Hanson's appreciation for their fans
has not paged through their magazine lately. Amazing!
cover
When I consider my reactions to MOE, I make a point of not reading
what other people think of it before I have a chance to read it and come
up with my own ideas. For this issue, it was unavoidable for reasons
that you may have already guessed, but I will discuss soon. Anyway,
one MOE member wrote to tell me that she thought the cover reminded her
of the Brady Bunch because of all the faces on it. That was amusing to
me, especially with Hanson's dogged efforts to escape connections with
that television family (for obvious reasons -- "all of them their
hair of gold, like their mother, the youngest one in curls" -- grin)
. . . My reaction to the cover was a little different . . .
I was out of town when my MOE arrived, so my roommate (not a Hanson fan,
but someone who is pulled unwittingly into Hanson discussions (c;) commented
over the phone that the cover was filled with pictures of the band, but
especially Zac. Now when I arrived home, she said that she counted
and discovered that everybody had an equal number of pictures on the cover,
except Isaac. He had one less than his brothers (See -- this is what association
with a Hanson fan can do to a person . . . hehe), but we wondered why
we had the impression that there were more Zac's. hmmm . . . I don't
know -- my theory is that we're all familiar with Zac's chameleon-like
ability to enter moods and inhabit them like nobody else -- these pictures
capture these transformations. There is something curious about
that, which draws a person to notice him. (shrug) Zac's pictures
may not have made this kind of impression on other people, who knows .
. .
THE MUSIC
ARTICLES
album
x
As many readers of this page know, MOE is probably my favorite "contact"
with the band. As an English major, I love to read the guys' take
on the events in their lives. Also as someone who has taught writing
to middle school students, the article on "album X" virtually
made me weep. The band described the writing process eloquently.
With humor, they were able to convey the unpredictable nature of an artist's
workshop ("This is an uncontrolled environment. Once you enter
you never know what could happen . . . Warning: the creative process is
unpredictable, do not try this at home."). Any writer can relate
to the pitfall of being "overly perfectionistic" in the first
stages of the writing process (for Hanson, this is "the demo"
stage of recording an album) -- how reassuring that those who suffer from
this syndrome are not alone. I've said it before in letters to Hanson
buddies and I'll say it again now, "I respect the fact that the band
is taking the time to produce quality music once again. There is
absolutely no need to feel disappointed with the wait for the next studio
album. In fact, disappointment would be greater if the band released an
album that they did not feel 100% good about."
MOEments
in music
Wow, Steve Greenburg, Senior VP, A+R Mercury Records — a
contributor to MOE?! As I read the account of his encounter with
Joe "King" Carrasco and the Crowns — "the first rock
and roll band (he) ever knew" — I began to contemplate why he
chose this topic for Hanson's magazine. In analyzing his motivation
for the article, I've come to yet another reason why I myself am such
a big fan of Hanson. Hanson's success and undeniable talent at such
an early age, truly inspires each of us. For Hanson's peers, it
inspires them to look into the future. For those already into careers
or further on this journey, Hanson's amazing beginning causes us to look
at what has shaped us so far. The band's energy is living proof
that anything is possible. At the same time, I'm still wondering how it
is possible for a person to swing from a climbing rope while playing a
guitar . . . (grin) Steve, do you have pictures from that memorable Crowns'
show?
touring
the Gibson guitar plant
Isaac's account of this tour, coupled with the recognition he
received in the October '98 issue of 20th Century Guitar Magazine,
validate his love of his craft! This guitarist took notes or most
likely filmed every detail of guitar-creation process while at the plant.
As someone who used to play the violin, I recognized the awe that an expertly
designed instrument can inspire. The details Isaac includes about
how a Les Paul guitar is constructed sustained my interest in its creation,
despite having no interest in this topic before the article. This is further
evidence that William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well, speaks
the truth when he says that a good writer's enthusiasm for his subject
will make the piece enjoyable for any reader.
itznews
Jonny Lang with short hair? I know what you're thinking
. . . It could happen. (grin)
THE FAN
COMPONENTS
The MOEChat was
a considerate way to answer all those FAQs about publication. Once
again, the "hansonline" chat designed to dispel rumors was very
amusing. My favorite question involved a so-called phone book called
a "chicktionary" — MOE once again expands my vocabulary.
hahaha I'm not a huge contest person since there's something kind
of weirdly artificial about "winning" a personal connection
to the band. However, since it means so much to many people, it's
a relatively fair way to distribute items to fans. On another note, I
always enjoy reading the fan letters. It was cool to read these
in the fans' own handwriting. How thrilling for the authors of these
letters as well! Also -- the fan presents continue to astound me!
Woodworking, pottery, latch-hook, origami, more quilting -- MOE members
are multi-talented! Amazing!
AND, when I flipped
to the fan pictures — well, you know you're a long-time MOE member
when you recognize your online pals in pictures on these pages!
The two kind ladies with whom I attended the Cleveland concert appear
next to their favorite Hansons! After meeting these two women, I
admitted to my real-life friends that I have nothing on these fans!
They are truly among the BIGGEST Hanson fans, I've ever met in person.
Whoa! How cool for them to be pictured here again (They were in
the last issue also -- as backstage MOE winners.).
news from
the net
This is the section that I referred to in the opening that continues
to puzzle me. I still haven't been able to come up with a reason
for three pages devoted to promoting hansonline! Loyal fans with
internet access have this site bookmarked, and are reminded frequently
during Yahoo! chats to visit -- in case they've forgotten to do so.
And for people without internet access, I'm not sure how these unreadable
snapshots of pages from the site are beneficial to them. I mean,
I'm not opposed to site promotion -- what webmaster is -- but three pages
seem excessive to me. It's like preaching to the choir when your
audience are subscribers to your official fan magazine.
dr food
As you can imagine, I was stunned to hear that a letter I wrote
Dr. Food appears in this issue. It's amusing that my love for food
was an entrance into MOE. I began receiving instant messages and
e-mails about this issue a few days prior to my receiving it myself.
Thank you to everyone who has written! For you, I've decided to post an
early picture of my sister and me: sisters.
Not knowing that Dr. Food would even consider granting my request for
a tiramisu recipe, I found one in January and included it in a birthday
card to my sister (BTW, my sister has been known to taunt Hanson and their
fans in light-hearted conversation -- so her mention in MOE was pretty
entertaining for our family.). I published the following recipe
before hearing from the good doctor: dr
food. If you're not a MOE subscriber, a very sweet person has
scanned in this page (I do not have a scanner.): tiramisu.
Please feel free to write, I love hearing from you guys!
final
thoughts
As you can imagine, this issue will remain near and dear to my
heart. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I'm looking forward to
the next issue and its companion, the enhanced CD. Nice work guys!!
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