Gymnasium - Hansen's Pop 'n' Rock '22
Imagine an incredible talent living in your neighborhood. He can deliver a smoking guitar lead at the drop of a hat. He likes hockey. He drinks beer. He has a dry wit that cracks you up.
He also happens to be the auteur of the finest concept double-album to hit your ears since Quadrophenia: Hansen’s Pop ‘n’ Rock Music ‘22
22 songs. Rock/power pop. Simple enough. But, every chord feels unexpected, but then oh, right. . . of course that’s the chord. Of course that’s the incredibly catchy melody. Of course that’s the surprising but brilliant lyric. Of course that’s the sonic soundscape that will haunt your dreams. Because. It’s Charles. F’ing. Hansen. And with him on this sonic journey are the very best musicians that Boston has to offer. Bar none. Check out these guests:
Guest vocalists: Mike Gent (The Figgs, Graham Parker), Anthony Kaczynski (Figures on a Beach), Peter Moore (Blue Man Group), Chris Cote (The Upper Crust, Duke Robillard), Rodrigo van Stoli (Bang Camaro), John Powhida (The Rudds, Kasim Sulton’s ‘Utopia’), Marc Pinansky (The Family Township), Natalie Flanagan, and Melissa Gibbs (Loyal Seas ft. Tanya Donelly)
Guest musicians: Duke Levine (Bonnie Raitt, J.Geils Band, Peter Wolf, Roseanne Cash), Kevin Barry (Jackson Browne, J.Geils Band, Peter Wolf), Ed Valauskas (Gravel Pit, Juliana Hatfield, Kay Hanley), Joe McMahon (Tanya Donelly, Will Dailey), Jim Haggerty (Wanda Jackson, Dennis Brennan), John Sheeran (The Family Township) and Jonathan Screnci (Blue Man Group).
Brett Milano (The Boston Herald) calls the album an “ambitious musical epic. . . a double CD of 22 richly arranged, thematically linked songs.”
Also out now, new single and video for “Little Disaster” from the album. Songwriter Hansen describes the inspiration for the song: “Little Disaster Is really just the story of having to fight my way through the 8th grade.” The song evokes a Bowie feel – melodic, dramatic, and complex, but 100% rock, featuring not one but two ripping guitar solos by Hansen. The music video features stop-motion animation by video director Isabella Drago using illustrations by up-and- coming artist Madeleine Hansen, as well as footage that brings back the playground and basketball court as the minefields they were and are for many kids.
Hansen invites different personnel to contribute to every song, and this cut features John Powhida (The Rudds, John Powhida International Airport) on lead vocal, with Peter Moore (Think Tree, Count Zero) on keys, John Sheeran (The Family Township, Double Down with Baker) on bass, and Jonathan Screnci (The Handymen, Blue Man Group) providing drum programming.