Hanson Brothers
Gross Misconduct

THE REVIEW

The Hanson Brothers are not those blond kids who were all over the world a few years ago with their insipid pop. Quite the opposite. These are four rather older drunks who enjoy playing a rowdy and raucous punk rock.

The group was born in the early '90s as a side project of brothers Rob and John Wright, founding members of No Means No, eager to take a break from their usual convoluted and brainy style in favor of a decidedly more cheerful and carefree attitude, paying homage to (and simultaneously parodying) their idols: the Ramones.

After recruiting a couple of friends (including the drummer of D.O.A., who died in '95), switching their usual roles (Rob, the bassist and singer of No Means No, leaves the frontman role to his brother John, the drummer) and assuming a new identity (calling themselves Johnny Hanson, Robbie Hanson, Tommy Hanson, and Kenny Hanson), the band began writing songs molded in the purest Ramones style: a no-frills punk and roll, three chords and feisty songs full of nursery rhyme-like choruses whose average duration rarely exceeds two and a half minutes.

Their activity was initially limited to fiery live performances (they often opened for the No Means No concerts themselves), but soon, thanks to the growing enthusiasm of the audience that followed them, they decided to record an album.

Their first album, from 1992, contains 17 tracks that represent an act of love towards their favorite group (a love evident right from the cover, which echoes that of Road To Ruin), characterized by crazy lyrics focused on girls, beer, and hockey (as good Canadians would have it). Sometimes surf echoes are perceived, as in “My Girlfriend’s A Robot”, other times the pace becomes slower and more melodic (“Lovesick”, “Total Goombah”, and “You Are Not For Me”). The peaks of silliness reached in some songs (like “Butthead”, “Road Pizza”, or “No More Headcheese”) are worthy of the best Ramones and wouldn't be out of place in their repertoire. Also noteworthy is a cover of “Blitzkrieg Bop”, renamed “Blitzkrieg Hop”, which in their hands becomes an anthem for alcoholics.

Certainly, this band will not be remembered for the originality of their music, but it is fair to at least recognize them the merit of playing a genuine and decidedly infectious punk rock with a style that, on more than one occasion, sounds more Ramones than the Ramones themselves.