''The Reason'' is the second
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Hoobastank
Hoobastank (sometimes stylized as h∞bastank, and originally known as Hoobustank) is an American rock band formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, by lead vocalist Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist ...
, released on December 9, 2003 by
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
. Produced by
Howard Benson
Howard Benson is an American music producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was nominated for the Producer of the Year Grammy Award in 2007 and 2008.
Early life and education
Benson was born and raised in a middle-class family in greater Philadel ...
, it was the band's last album to feature bassist Markku Lappaleinen prior to his departure in 2005.
Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, ''The Reason'' peaked at number three on the
US ''Billboard'' 200 and was eventually certified
double platinum
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
; currently, it has sold over 2.3 million copies in the United States alone.
Four
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
s were released from the album: "
Out of Control",
the title track, "
Same Direction
"Same Direction" is the third single from Hoobastank's second major studio album '' The Reason''. It was released as a single in 2004, a couple of months after the release of " The Reason" as a single. "Same Direction" reached No. 20 on the ''Bill ...
", and "
Disappear".
Writing and recording
The band entered the studio in 2003 with producer
Howard Benson
Howard Benson is an American music producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was nominated for the Producer of the Year Grammy Award in 2007 and 2008.
Early life and education
Benson was born and raised in a middle-class family in greater Philadel ...
, who has produced records by
P.O.D.
P.O.D., an initialism for Payable on Death, is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's line-up consists of drummer and rhythm guitarist Wuv Bernardo, vocalist Sonny Sandoval, bassist Traa ...
,
Cold
Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...
and
The Crystal Method
The Crystal Method is an American electronic music act formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. They were pioneers of the big beat genre and their music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video gam ...
. However, recording was disrupted for a month when guitarist
Dan Estrin
Hoobastank (sometimes stylized as h∞bastank, and originally known as Hoobustank) is an American rock band formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, by lead vocalist Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist ...
was seriously injured in a minibike accident in August. Estrin had recovered by October and the band headed off on a Nokia Unwired Tour with
the All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects is an American rock band from Stillwater, Oklahoma, formed in 1999.[Ozomatli
Ozomatli is an American rock band, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and incorporating a wide array of musical styles – including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, hip hop, and others. The group ...]
in November.
Lyricist and vocalist Doug Robb said in a biography on the band's website that several songs on the album are about questioning what you are told. "A lot of it is about asking questions or questioning all that people see. It's not all about religion. "Out of Control" is about that and about opening your eyes after being blinded by being devoted to anything".
Release
Critical reception
''The Reason'' received mixed reviews from critics. Johnny Loftus of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
found the album's teenage poetry and soft-sounding instrumentation too similar to the band's
self-titled
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
debut, but found their musicianship more expertly done, concluding that "In the end, ''The Reason'' is really a better version of ''Hoobastank'', written and played by more mature versions of Hoobastank."
Christian Hoard of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' saw promise in the album's opener "Same Direction" but felt it was dragged down by middling sentiment and angst, saying that "
Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...
-esque guitars and memorable melodies occasionally poke through on ''The Reason''s overbearing attack, reminding you of Hoobastank's promise."
Jim Farber of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' credited Hoobastank for crafting a radio-ready
Incubus
An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...
album but concluded that "they’re still just a crummy
Hydrox
Hydrox is a cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie currently owned and manufactured by Leaf Brands. It debuted in the United States in 1908, and was manufactured by Sunshine Biscuits for over 90 years. Hydrox was largely discontinued in 1999, th ...
answer to Incubus’ creamy
Oreo
Oreo () (stylized as OREO) is a brand of sandwich cookie consisting of two biscuits or cookie pieces with a sweet creme filling. It was introduced by Nabisco on March 6, 1912, and through a series of corporate acquisitions, mergers and split ...
."
Commercial performance
The first single "
Out of Control" was featured on ''
MX Unleashed
''MX Unleashed'' (known in Australia as ''Chad Reed MX Unleashed'') is a 2004 racing video game developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ for PlayStation 2, Xbox and mobile phones. The game is also backwards compatible for the Xbox One as ...
'', and made available for download on the band's website. The song would reach number nine on the U.S. modern rock chart, and number sixteen on the mainstream rock chart. ''The Reason'' eventually reached a peak of number three on the
''Billboard'' 200, making it the band's highest-charting album in the United States.
The
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may al ...
was released as a single in the first half of 2004. It became a massive hit worldwide, reaching number two on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, number one on the U.S. and world modern rock charts and number seven in Australia. The song's success pushed the album back into the charts, reaching number three on the ''Billboard'' 200. ''The Reason'' was also the twenty-fourth best-selling album of 2004.
In popular culture
"
Same Direction
"Same Direction" is the third single from Hoobastank's second major studio album '' The Reason''. It was released as a single in 2004, a couple of months after the release of " The Reason" as a single. "Same Direction" reached No. 20 on the ''Bill ...
" is featured as the main soundtrack for ''
Madden NFL 2005
''Madden NFL 2005'' is an American football simulation video game based on the NFL that was developed by EA Tiburon, along with Exient Entertainment and Budcat Creations, and published by EA Sports. The 16th installment of the ''Madden NFL serie ...
''. "Just One" is the title track for ''
Top Spin 2
''Top Spin 2'' is a 2006 tennis video game developed by Indie Built, MENT, and Aspyr and originally published by 2K Sports and Superscape. It is the sequel to ''Top Spin'' and is followed by ''Top Spin 3''.
Development
The game was showcased at E ...
'' in the US and the
Asahi Super Dry
Asahi (朝日, 旭, or あさひ) means "morning sun" in Japanese and may refer to:
Cities
* Asahi, Chiba (旭市; ''Asahi-shi'') Wards
* Asahi-ku, Osaka (旭区; ''Asahi-ku'')
* Asahi-ku, Yokohama (旭; ''Asahi-ku'')
Towns
* Asahi, Aichi (旭 ...
beer commercials of
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
in 2007.
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from the album's liner notes.
;Hoobastank
*Doug Robb – vocals
(all tracks)
*Dan Estrin –
acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
(on "What Happened to Us?", "Lucky", "From the Heart", "The Reason", "Unaffected", and "Disappear"),
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
s
(all tracks)
*Markku Lappalainen –
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
(all tracks)
*Chris Hesse –
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
(all tracks)
;Additional musicians
*
Howard Benson
Howard Benson is an American music producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was nominated for the Producer of the Year Grammy Award in 2007 and 2008.
Early life and education
Benson was born and raised in a middle-class family in greater Philadel ...
–
keyboard
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
s
(on "What Happened to Us?" and "The Reason")
*Sam Fisher –
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
(on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
*Victor Lawrence –
cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
(on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
*David Low – cello on
("Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
*Deborah Lurie – string arrangements
(on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
*Rene Mandel – violin
(on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
*David Mergen – cello
(on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
*Jamie Oliver – group vocals
(on "Out of Control")
*Simon Oswell –
viola
The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
(on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
*Mark Robertson – string contractor and violin
(on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
*Shanti Randall – viola
(on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
*Michael Valerio –
upright bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...
(on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
*
Ian Watkins – group vocals
(on " Out of Control")
*Evan Wilson – viola
(on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
;Production
*
Howard Benson
Howard Benson is an American music producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was nominated for the Producer of the Year Grammy Award in 2007 and 2008.
Early life and education
Benson was born and raised in a middle-class family in greater Philadel ...
– producer
*
Chris Lord-Alge
Chris Lord-Alge is an American mix engineer. He is the brother of both Tom Lord-Alge and Jeff Lord-Alge, both of whom are also audio engineers. Chris and Tom are known for their abundant use of dynamic compression for molding mixes that play wel ...
– mixing
*Mike Plotnikoff – mixing
(on "Let it Out")
;Imagery
*Louis Marino – art direction, design, illustrations
*
Danny Clinch
Danny Clinch (born 1964) is an American photographer and film director.
Biography
Born in Toms River, New Jersey, Clinch graduated from Toms River High School East in 1982. After attending Ocean County College, he attended the New England Scho ...
– band photography
*RJ Muna – cover photography
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reason, The
Hoobastank albums
2003 albums
Albums produced by Howard Benson
Island Records albums