'3 Car Garage' Review

Track 1
Day Has Come

Before I'd Heard the Song... I was expecting an 'I Will Come to You' type ballad.
After I'd Heard the Song... What's all that creepy noise at the start??? It is so frustrating to listen to, all you want to do is listen to the song, and you get this creepy crap first! :-) But once the song kicks in, it's a great tune, the rock/pop style that Hanson pride themselves on. With Isaac on lead vocal, I can handle Taylor and Zac's harmonising, it doesn't sound too bad. The song lyrics are so cute, it's very 'A Minute Without You'. Although the boys could never get away with singing this song anymore (despite the boys actually being young, the song is too young for them now), it's a perfect representivive of what they have been! Cute is the perfect word to describe it I guess!

Track 2
Two Tears

Before I'd Heard the Song... I was expecting something like a toned down 'Speechless', y'know, a 'Thinking of You' sounding 'Speechless'.
After I'd Heard the Song... My friend played me this song when she taped a small clip of it from the radio, and I thought it was cool. I hear it now, and it's just so annoying! Like, I mean, it's cute, but it's so slow, and Isaac's voice sounds strange. And the arrangements are all wrong. Maybe if they were to revamp it live style, it might have some hope, but honestly, not much can save this song. The lyrics? Cute, sweet... don'tcha' wish you could meet Hanson to see if they were as sweet as they seem?

Track 3
Thinking of You

Before I'd Heard the Song... I knew what it sounded like. :-)
After I'd Heard the Song... It's more annoying than 'Two Tears'! :-) Taylor's voice is far too Aaron Carter (not quite that bad, potential is there, unlike the little Carter boy) and right when you think it might speed up, it slows back down again. And what's that noise, it sounds like it's in a brass band. However, when the song only has the piano backing, it's very sweet and cute. Awww.

Track 4
River

Before I'd Heard the Song... I was thinking of something like 'Madeline'.
After I'd Heard this Song... Although it sounds better now, it's one of the better tracks from '3 Car Garage'. The lyrics are amazing! :-) I managed to relate to them, and let me tell you, it's not often I can relate to a song that drops the word "love". It could be a little faster, because it sounds like Isaac's droning on, and running his words into each other, but overall, it's a good song. Taylor's organ makes the song have a real pop flava, which is strange, coz Isaac's guitar shines through on the live version. A good choice for a radio single.

Track 5
Surely as the Sun

Before I'd Heard the Song... I was expecting an 'I Will Come to You' 'do.
After I'd Heard the Song... If 'Yearbook' were a sweet love ballad, this would be it. Yet another lengthy piano intro, but once the lyrics kick in, it's full blown swoon time! :-) Isaac on lead again, he sounds so young! Zac and Taylor harmonising is purely annoying, spoiling the track a little, but I can deal with it. :-) (Don't have a choice, do I?) However, when they're just backing, it adds a nice touch. A truely sweet and beautiful song -- a romantic's dream. A stand out track.

Track 6
MMMBop

Before I'd Heard the Song... I was expecting a slow version of 'MMMBop'... doi. :-)
After I'd Heard the Song... Man, and I thought the 'Middle of Nowhere' version drove me batty. :-) This song just drones on and on and on... Taylor squeaks, it's too slow, and there's just no excitement. Nothing saves this song -- except the lyrics MAYBE, which are quite deep and real, but basically, this song isn't all that good. Roll on track seven.

Track 7
Soldier

Before I'd Heard the Song... I was expecting a revved up bedtime story.
After I'd Heard the Song... This is more like it. Hosting a totally different flava to it's live counterpart, 'Soldier' is great. Whoever is talking at the start, (I have reason to believe it's another younger Hanson sibling, before Zac) sounds too cute for words, and it really sets the mood. Then, comes Isaac's storytelling. The harmony from Zac and Taylor seems to fit with this song, and it has that perfect "bedtime fairytale" flava, that gets any poor teen out of putting brats to bed. :-) A stand out track.

Track 8
Stories

Before I'd Heard the Song... I was expecting something cute.
After I'd Heard the Song... This song is another great song. Although the fact that Taylor was only about twelve when he sung it (he mentions being thirteen in the song -- "It all started on the 77th street/When we were just thirteen") no one else could sing it. Somehow, the squeakiness suits this song, and the harmonising is cool. Another stand out track. (But when you watch it live... phew! Taylor... wow!)

Track 9
Pictures

Before I'd Heard the Song... I was expecting something weird.
After I'd Heard the Song... Hehe, 'Stories', then 'Pictures' -- why not just dub both of them 'Book'? :-) This is my favourite song from the album! Although not a stand out track, it just has this EXCELLENT rock 'n' roll flava! Definitely a song that all of us "obsessed" fans can relate to, it's just so much fun! It was written for Isaac to sing, and it suits his voice oh so fine! Isaac was born to sing this song. :-) I could probably understand why they don't sing it live (hmmm, they might cringe everytime they hear those lyrics) I would personally LOVE IT! It's a live song, totally. A short, upbeat, rock 'n' roll song -- why not?

Track 10
Sometimes

Before I'd Heard the Song... I was expecting something with a 'Madeline' beat to it.
After I'd Heard the Song... This song is AWFUL. I hate this song. I'm so sorry if you like it, but I don't. Hanson are such talented songwriters, yet they wasted their time on "Sha na na na na na na na na na"-ing, and the most boring beat and tune you could think of. Not even singing it live could save it.

Track 11
With You in Your Dreams

Before I'd Heard the Song... I was expecting 'With You in Your Dreams'. :-)
After I'd Heard the Song... It's not as good as the versions on 'Middle of Nowhere' and 'Live from Albertane', but it still deserves the credit of being a tear-jerker of an emotional song. Although Taylor squeaks, the pure emotion in his voice makes up for it, you can feel his tears just about to fall. Lyrically fantastic, no matter what vocal changes happen, this song will never be a bad song.

Overall

I remember getting this album, I bought it, then I had to walk around, doing some shopping for that night's tea with Mum, but then I ran into Feral, so we went over to the cafeteria of the shopping centre, and took the sleeve out, and investigated the lyrics, predicting what the songs would sound like.
I remember Hanson, in particular Isaac, saying that it wasn't a good album -- I couldn't agree more. The songs are usually too slow, and could be faster, Isaac seems to be running his words into each other, Taylor just sounds like he's trying too hard, and... where's Zac?
I never understood why Hanson never realised the actual 'Boomerang' and 'MMMBop' albums, because half of the rave about those albums were the sleeves! :-)
'3 Car Garage' wasn't quite a "mistake" from Hanson -- minus a lot of the singing, the lyrics are very good, and the instrument playing is great. But it wasn't really a good choice of a realese -- maybe some new material would've been better.
Bring on their voices breaking, is all I can say. :-)