【The Reason】（原唱Hoobastank）

Hoobastank，一支來自美國加利福尼亞州的後Grunge樂隊，成立於1995年，首張同名專輯沒有讓他們紅起來，直到《The Reason》的推出，該專輯發行四個半月後就位居排行榜三甲，他的知名度從此飛速上揚。說真的現在已經很少像這樣類型的團體衝到排行榜，畢竟現在已不是搖滾樂流行的年代，普遍充斥的饒舌和R&B占據所有人的視聽，那一直不停碎碎念的歌真像魔音穿腦哩！當饒舌搖滾樂如火如荼發酵時，Hoobastank 不為所動的走自己的路，這樣的獨特差異果然吸引眾多樂迷，更轟動整個美國西岸俱樂部。

98年該團自掏腰包發行首張專輯《they sure don't make basketball short like they used to》，不論是在演出後販賣或當地零售店裏都很暢銷，透過網絡的無國界效應，喜歡他們的樂迷甚至遠及英國、以色列、蘇聯、或巴西，才短短幾個月唱片已賣個精光！與主流名廠ISLAND簽約推出首張同名專輯《Hoobastank》，由 jim wirt〈incubus/重擊合唱團、fiona apple/費歐娜艾波〉製作，jay baumgardner 混音，讓已厭倦千篇一律饒舌搖滾樂的人重享美好的旋律共鳴。《摘自：環球音樂》

專輯名稱：The Reason
發行時間：2003.12.09
專輯歌手：Hoobastank
官方網站：http://www.hoobastank.com/

Hoobastank - The Reason [MV]

I'm not a perfect person
As many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
Thats why i need you to hear

I've found a resaon for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is You [x4]

I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you
I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you

很多聽眾是從《The Reason》開始認識 Hoobastank 的，殊不知這已經是他們的第二張專輯了。樂隊早在1994年成立於洛杉磯附近的 Agoura Hill 郊區，當時 Douglas Robb 與 Dan Estrin 分別效力於兩支不同的樂隊，一場比賽把他們緊密地聯係在一起，可謂不打不相識，從此兩人惺惺相吸嚐試合作，隨後索性離開原來的樂隊另起爐灶。貝斯手 Markku Lappalainen 與鼓手 Chris Hesse 加入後，急速催化了他們闖蕩樂壇的偉大構想，從此意味著 Hoobastank 正式上路。

Hoobastank 就像一台永不磨損的創作機器，很多時候會發現他們在路上沉默不語，好象正在思考著些什麽，“當我們在某些地方遊玩時，喜歡穿著短褲，因為看起來很普通，我喜歡那種輕鬆的感覺”。豐富的業餘生活激發了無窮的創作靈感，他們的作品似乎都經過嚴密的推敲，這點從《The Reason》裏就能夠看出來，不僅節奏比較強勁，而且旋律也不錯，總之就是相當有韻味。按照主唱Douglas的想法“專輯裏的歌該重的就一定重，該溫柔的就一定溫柔，如果說第一張同名專輯《Hoobastank》的創作初衷比較中庸，那麽這張《The Reason》則剛好相反。”

好東西時常讓人愛不釋手，更何況作為雙料季軍（全美流行專輯榜及英國搖滾專輯榜）出現的《The Reason》。充滿活力的勁爆單曲“Out Of Control”成功地打入了全美現在搖滾榜TOP9，它是此張專輯中最後完成的作品，講的是人們盲目關注某些事物，最後卻落得情感失控一場空的故事，暗示著生命中充滿了悲哀與無奈。專輯中還有些曲目跟宗教信仰有關，並對心中埋藏已久的想法提出了種種的疑問。另外吉他轟鳴的“Just One”，極具爆發力的“Same Direction”，及具帶有經典搖滾曲風的“Disappear”均十分出色，相信可以滿足不同聽者的耳朵。其實最值得一提的是同名單曲“The Reason”，歌曲的主要內容關於生活中的愛與混亂，這些事兒你都經曆過嗎？如果沒有的話就在音樂中繼續尋找答案吧！

Review (by Johnny Loftus )

For The Reason, those nice suburban Californians in Hoobastank refine and shade in the concentric circles of their self-titled debut, but stay safely within its platinum figure eight. "Crawling in the Dark" was the contoured heart of that album. Its combination of enormous rock chorus and elastic dreamboat vocals made Hoobastank stars and established their sound — not original, but firmly rooted in the rousing voice of Doug Robb and guitarist Dan Estrin's slick post-grunge concoctions.

Despite the usual pressure to produce another "Crawling," the songwriting duo seems to have largely been left alone for The Reason. Naturally, the presence of boffo big producer Howard Benson ensures the album's impeccable sonic accessibility. Robb's voice breaks at just the right time and for maximum emotional resonance, while the music ebbs and flows effortlessly between aggressive rockers and more introspective material. But for the most part, what you hear is what you get. Strings do pop up on a few songs, and here and there the harmonies seem too rich for reality. But these additional elements never overshadow the foursome's work.

The strings punch up "Lucky"'s already uplifting chorus (the acoustic verses are a nice touch, too), while they're a lush bed of down pillows for the somewhat sappy title track. It's not that Robb's words throughout The Reason aren't genuine. Lyrics like "I'm not a perfect person, I never meant to do those things to you," "So what should I do, just lay next to you as though I'm unaffected?," and "There has to be somewhere that we can be safe from the lives we live each day" are delivered with real feeling. However, Hoobastank is still reducing teen angst (over love, escape, or a higher power) to digestible phrases, and writing sandpaper smooth rock symphonies around those couplets.

So it's a formula, and one that remains unchanged from the debut. But Robb, Estrin, bassist Markku Lappalainen, and drummer Chris Hesse are a better band now — endless touring will do that. "Same Direction" and "Just One" are standout anthems, raucous and righteous all at once. Lead single "Out of Control" lets Robb and Estrin shriek and shred with some reckless (yet still melodic and ready for radio) aggression.

Meanwhile, the other, softer side of the band is represented best by "What Happened to Us?" and the drifting departure "Disappear," which both unfold as much more focused versions of Hoobastank's sometimes clunky attempts at nuance (think "To Be With You"). In the end, The Reason is really a better version of Hoobastank, written and played by more mature versions of Hoobastank.