The Reason (Hoobastank album)

The Reason is the second album by American post-grunge band Hoobastank. It was released on December 9, 2003 and has been certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA. To date, the album has sold more than 2.3 million copies in the United States alone. This was the last album to feature Markku Lappaleinen prior to his departure in 2005.

Writing and recording
The band entered the studio in 2003 with producer Howard Benson, who has produced records by P.O.D., Cold and The Crystal Method. However, recording was disrupted for a month when guitarist Dan Estrin 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 and Ozomatli 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".

Critical reception
The Reason garnered mixed reviews from music critics. Johnny Loftus of AllMusic found the album's teenage poetry and soft-sounding instrumentation too similar to the band's self-titled 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 saw promise in the album's opener "Same Direction" but felt it was dragged down by middling sentiment and angst, saying that "Fugazi-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 credited Hoobastank for crafting a radio-ready Incubus album but concluded that "they’re still just a crummy Hydrox answer to Incubus’ creamy Oreo."

Commercial performance
The Reason was released in December 2003. The first single "Out of Control" was featured on MX Unleashed, 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 initially reached a peak of number forty-five on the Billboard 200.

The title track 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 ten 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.

"Same Direction" is featured as the main soundtrack for Madden NFL 2005. "Just One" is the title track for Top Spin 2 in the US and the Asahi Super Dry beer commercials of Japan in 2007.

Track listing
Note
 * The Japanese release contains extra tracks: "Never Saw It Coming" and "Open Your Eyes"

Personnel

 * Doug Robb – lead vocals (all tracks), background vocals (all tracks)
 * Dan Estrin – acoustic guitar (on "What Happened to Us", "Lucky", "The Reason", "Unaffected", and "Disappear"), electric guitar (all tracks)
 * Markku Lappalainen – bass guitar (all tracks)
 * Chris Hesse – drums (all tracks)
 * Howard Benson – keyboards (on "What Happened to Us?" and "The Reason")
 * Sam Fisher – violin (on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
 * Victor Lawrence – cello (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")
 * Jaime Oliver – group vocals (on "Out of Control")
 * Simon Oswell – viola (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 (on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
 * Ian Watkins – group vocals (on "Out of Control")
 * Evan Wilson – viola (on "Lucky", "The Reason", and "Disappear")
 * Howard Benson – producer
 * Chris Lord-Alge – mixing