Paperback - 96 pages (April 1999) Book Description:
Find out what Ike, Taylor, and Zac are like as people, musicians, brothers, and friends. Listen in on private moments in restaurants, rehearsals, hotels, and dressing rooms. Grab a front row seat for the fun times -- when they went to movies, played Laser Tag, and rode on roller coasters together. Full of exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and Hanson memorabilia such as backstage passes and ticket stubs, Dancin' with Hanson takes you on the road with the hottest band in the land! Synopsis:
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"If you are a Hanson fan, you will love this book"
"Mom & Dad: if you want be a real hit, pick
up a copy of this!" "One of the best docmentary books about touring
with a band" "Dancin' with Hanson feeds a hunger!"
"If you're a true Hanson fan and you don't have this book, what are you waiting for?" - a review by The Book Bag If you're a devoted Hanson fan, you probably already have this book. You probably already have hundreds of books with those blond Hanson boys on the cover. You dream about your favorite Hanson brother. You know all the words to "MMMBop." Your walls have their pictures on them, your notebooks have their names on them, your locker at school is like a mini Hanson shrine. Am I right, or what? But if you're a true Hanson fan and you don't have this book, what are you waiting for? It was written with one person in mind: you. The author, Ravi, is a professional guitarist hired by the record management and then the Hanson family to play on tour with Hanson. The book is supposedly from the very detailed journal he wrote in while on tour with the band. While this is no doubt true, the guy could smell a buck when he was writing it. He kept detailed accounts of what the Hanson brothers did and how they amused themselves, what they ate, even what they wore. He knew the kind of stuff his audience would want to know. Reading between the lines becomes very interesting, indeed. What is life really like for the "hired guns" who are brought on for a tour to round out the sound and fill in the gaps? Even the title is a bit rueful. It refers to a comment made by the tour manager about the constantly changing tour lineup and lack of pay for days off: "The Hansons will change their minds as they please...The rest of us, we're just dancin." The author comes off as generally amicable and warm towards the Hansons, so this is hardly a "tell-all" in the negative sense, and there are plenty of "backstage" photos and informational tidbits to satisfy the most rabid Hanson fanatic. But it's also an interesting peek into the life of one of rock and roll's non-megastars who happened to be at the right place at the right time. --- Reviewed by Jordan Baker (c) Copyright 1999, The Book Bag. All rights reserved.
"This book is a MUST for not only Hanson fans, but a MUST for every young musician" - a review by HansonHitz.com Wow! When Ravi's office told me that Ravi would be coming out with a book on his "Hanson experience" I was very excited. I mean, what better person to write a "behind the scenes" book about one of (if not THE) greatest youth bands around than a guy who spent well over a year touring and playing with them. So...I ventured out to our local Border's bookstore and picked up a copy. First, let's take a look at the title. The e-mail from Ravi's office said that the book would, in fact, be titled "Dancin' with Hanson", which immediately got me wondering. I mean, Hanson doesn't dance (at least not in front of us). Maybe it was a play on words...dancin' DOES rhyme with Hanson, but that wouldn't be right either. Ravi's a smart guy, so I knew the title had to mean something else...and BOY DID IT! I read the book, cover to cover in about an hour. This book is not thin, mind you. It's over 96 pages chock full...filled to the brim...overflowing...(ok, I'll stop) with information. When I was through reading Ravi's every word, I understood EXACTLY what he meant by "dancin' with Hanson" and you will too. Now, I must warn you. This book is an honest and true account of what Ravi experienced. It has many positive and heartfelt perceptions and insights on Hanson and their management, but it also shows Ravi's concern over certain events and decisions. You must remember, Ravi is not only a very talented musician, he's also a businessman. If you keep that in mind, you'll understand where he's coming from when he tells us what's going through his head, or what he was feeling at a certain moment. Another great part of this book is all of the photos. Everything from inside the venues and tour buses, to pictures of his all access passes and airline tickets stubs. I won't comment on Ravi's writing style (although I personally feel it is very good) only for the fact that this book takes information directly from his journal. The handwriting-style font of the book adds even more of an "on the spot journal entry" feel. When reading, you can almost picture yourself in Ravi's shoes...going through these experiences, and then writing them down. In conclusion, I have to say that this book is a MUST for not only Hanson fans, but a MUST for every young musician. This is more than a "day in the life". This is a "year in the life and in the mind" of a great musician, writer, and teacher. It's an insight on Hanson as well as the music business. Great job Ravi! And...from a fan's perspective, I must say that we are ALL just "dancin' with Hanson."
"The details are so impeccable you know it was written when it was happening" - a reader's review Somebody said above when he or she got the book that they couldn't put it down. They were right. I got it this afternoon and I read the whole thing in 2 hours, only stopping once so I could drive myself to work, where I finished reading it. It's not a tell-all by any means. It's basically Ravi's tour journal. The details are so impeccable you know it was written when it was happening (although I'm sure some of it had to be edited). But, as his journal, it was very genuine. I basically felt like I was Ravi doing all these things, hanging out with Hanson, seeing their reactions to things, shows, etc. It is, of course, completely from his point of view. I say this because he doesn't skimp on things... but tells them how he sees them -- the good, the bad and the ugly (although he does it very fairly). But, because it was a journal, it was also a very open book. As I was reading it, I knew there was this whole other part of the story that Ravi couldn't tell because he wasn't part of it. And, he readily acknowledges that, often saying that he didn't ask why certain things were done because he felt he didn't need to know (mostly referring to the high turnover rate with the crew). And, he never puts words into Hanson's mouths; rather he paints a very human picture of them. Their personalities, their sweetness, their faults, their screw ups, their sense of humor, everything. And, there are parts of the book where even the most realistic of us will be disheartened (you mean they aren't kind, spectacular angels 24 a day????). But, there are other parts that just make you smile. Lots of funny anecdotes. The one part that I was most intrigued with was when he talked about things that would happen within Hanson's organization. Of course, again, these were his thoughts and recounts of things that happened. But, it was interesting to get, at least, a small (but incomplete) picture of how things were run. The only thing that particularly bothered me in that aspect was how the family was always late for everything, sometimes hours late. My aunt and uncle used to be late for everything and my Dad saw it as a sign of disrespect. I guess it's all in the way you perceive things. Didn't make me love my aunt and uncle any less, although it was a bit annoying. But, the part I liked best was the affection Ravi seems to have for the guys -- even through the "bad" times. It was like reading one huge "sighting" that is up on all of the Hanson websites about fans meeting the guys. Only this sighting was stretched over a year and wasn't clouded by "I love you's" or "Hanson is the greatest no matter what" attitudes. It was very honest. Like I stress -- honest but yes, one sided, and that's how it's meant to be. I guess we'll never know how Hanson feels about the book. He does talk about some things that Hanson has been unwilling to publicly discuss. Nothing big, but the guys can be very secretive -- as is their right. Most fans I think will like it. Don't read it if: ~You are unwilling to believe Hanson are human
Do read if:
"One of the best efforts of Hanson storytelling yet" - a reader's review So I finally hauled my butt downtown and got a copy of this book (at Border's, if anyone's still in search of a store that carries it). I have to say that I liked it a lot. I'm pretty surprised about this fact because I haven't really been that fond of Ravi, but to me this book just proved that he is a really cool guy who got an amazing chance to spend a year of his life with Hanson. I *loved* how he dedicated the book to "opportunity." That's excellent... I was also really impressed by the layout of the book itself. I had expected something scholastic-y with onion skin pages and a little photo insert section, so I thoroughly enjoyed the big, glossy pages. The background was also cool. Did anyone else notice that it changed as the book went along? In the beginning when everything was sunshine and smiles it was almost totally white and kind of colorful, and then as things progressed and Ravi seemed more and more nervous about what was going on (not in a bad way, if you haven't read it yet) the pages got darker and darker until they were almost impossible to read. And then for some bizarre reason, Ravi started talking about Snowed In and the paper became green. How festive and Christmas-y! Overall, the book gets two definite hooves up. One of the best efforts of Hanson storytelling yet.
"The best Hanson book I have read so far" - a reader's review Ravi's book about working as a guitarist for a up and coming new teen pop band, during their 1st promo tour when they first hit the big time with a #1 hit song, was the best Hanson book I have read so far. If Ravi wanted to he could write a 2nd book of his memoirs of working with 3 teenage popstars with the stuff that I'm sure was left somewhere in his laptop for legal and personal reasons, and I would probably sneak a peek at that one too. By the way, this is my way of giving this book a thumbs up.
"This book is completely worth it" - a reader's review I went to BORDERS to buy "Dancin' With Hanson".....by the way great book but I won't tell anything so as to not to ruin it for those who haven't read it. I have never bought a Hanson book in my life (not even the official Hanson book) because I find them useless to ME. But I will be the first to admit that this book is completely worth it. Very informative but you must realize that it is Ravi's account of how things were. His points of views and you must realize that Hanson is human.
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Throughout 1997, I played guitar for Hanson, which was truly an amazing experience. I made many new friends and fulfilled numerous dreams. Millions of musicians work all their lives to get a "lucky break." I am one of the few who managed to secure one. The Hanson phenomenon formed right before my eyes. Isaac, Taylor, Zac, two other backup musicians, and I rose from the "middle of nowhere" to the top of the world. To many, Hanson is a teen sensation comprising three brothers. For me, it was a group of six friends making music. It didn't begin or end that way, but that's how I felt while I was on the road with the band. I will never forget the day it began. It was a cold winter afternoon, and I had just returned home from the school where I taught guitar. The flashing light on my answering machine begged me to press PLAY. There was only one message, a brief one from an old friend. "I passed your name along to a production coordinator at Mercury Records," he said. "They need a young guitarist for a two-week road gig -- thought you might be interested." I decided to find out some more information. I called the contact instead of waiting for her to call me, and left a message on her machine. After two days and no phone call, I called again, and this time she picked up the line. She explained to me that Hanson, who were unknown at the time, had just recorded an album (using additional studio musicians) on Mercury Records and that the label was putting together a support band to help showcase the young trio at an industry convention. After two weeks, if I didn't like the band or they didn't like me, I wouldn't have to continue working with them, if that were even an option. As the band evolved, I experienced the glamour and grind of one of the music industry's most visible and exploited acts. I indulged in the best of what fame had to offer, but as a sideman, I was able to walk away from the hardships that celebrities often have to endure. Still, a band that reaches the level of success that Hanson has comes with many frustrations and headaches. Schedules were unpredictable and unreliable. We often received travel updates on an hourly basis, rarely knowing where we were going, how long we would be gone, or even if what we were discussing was actually going to happen. One of our sound engineers archived every printed schedule in a black binder, which he affectionately referred to as "the book of lies." I was very frustrated one particular evening because I had rescheduled a recording date three times to accommodate Hanson. Since the Hanson organization did not retain the entourage and rarely paid for days off, most of us needed to maintain outside work. Our tour manager sympathized with me and summarized the situation well. "The Hansons will change their minds as they please," he said. "The rest of us, we're just dancin'." I regularly interact with thousands of fans from around the world, often spending time with them outside the stage doors. In addition, hundreds of fans e-mail me daily, all wanting to know about my life on the road with Isaac, Taylor, and Zac. Because of the large number of questions, it is impossible for me to answer each one individually. However, I can share my Hanson stories and experiences on the following pages with everyone. With the help of my daily journal and personal camera, let me take you on the road -- on the road with Hanson.
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