THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: winger

WINGER – Seven

April 15, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Winger were always that little bit different to the rest of the melodic/hard rock community. They had that little bit of class and seemed to write more technically challenging songs while still keeping that core sense of melody and groove in place. This album is no different. It’s called Seven because well, it is their seventh album. It is another collection of very classy well written rockin’ tunes. I have to say it’s one of my favourite Winger albums from start to finish.

The lead off track Proud Desperado gets things going with a bang. Killer riff and groove played at high pace with a killer hook and melody. Heaven’s Falling is a track only Winger could write. Great groove and riff, and the vocal melody is superb. Tears Of Blood has a more traditional, heavy, simple chord riff but Kip’s vocals are awesome.

That’s Side 1 done and Resurrect Me leads off Side 2, another trademark Winger tune. The melody is so strong and the hook and chorus are huge. Voodoo Fire is a slower paced beast with an evil groove, but that vocal harmony and chorus are massive. Next up is Broken Glass and it’s ballad time. Great solo!

It’s Ok opens up Side 3 and normal service is resumed. I really like this one, the riff and groove are killer and I love the swing of the track. The heaviest song on the album is next with Stick The Knife In And Twist. This baby rolls along at a great pace with the customary huge hook and chorus with Reb ripping it on the guitar. One Light To Burn is my favourite tune. It’s got a very evil and sleazy main riff with a vocal to match with short bursts of killer geeetar!

We are onto Side 4 and Do Or Die. Another one of those Winger only tunes. Killer melody and riff with plenty of light and shade. Great tune! Time Bomb follows with a slow pounding groove and bass to match, it switches up very quickly and the vocal harmonies take over, with an added solo to die for. It All Comes Back Around closes out the record. A fitting end to a great record with an almost Prog vibe.

Well done Winger, a really fantastic album.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

WINGER – In The Heart Of The Young

May 31, 2022 /

This the band’s second album released in 1990, and was their second platinum album on the bounce. It’s a really great hair rock album with great tunes, and a superb production from Beau Hill.

Ironically, opening track Can’t Get Enough, was a later addition to the album as record company thought when the band handed over the album that there weren’t enough rock tracks. I wish more record companies had said that, as there were way too many ballad heavy albums coming out at this time, and we all know the kids wanna rock right?!

The big hit from the album was the ballad, Miles Away. Can’t Get Enough is a killer opening track with a very Def Leppard vibe. Easy Come Easy Go was the other track that was added, and it’s a good old crowd pleasing hands-in-the-air sing-a-long. Under One Condition is one ballad I really like as the groove and the solo are killer. You Are The Saint And I Am The  Sinner is my favourite track, and I would say it’s the most trademark Winger track on the album with a great choppy killer hook and chorus. I still play this a lot, as well as it’s siblings.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

WINGER – Pull

March 10, 2022 /

Another milestone reached as this is the 700th review I have done from my collection, and the randomizer has served up a really good album for today.

For some reason Winger were singled out as a band that highlighted everything that was bad about rock music at that time. Partly due to a childish comment and throwing darts at a picture of Kip Winger by Metallica’s Large Oilrig in one of their documentary videos. I believe that was totally unfair and uncalled for as they were one of the better melodic rock bands around at the time.

This, their 3rd album, was the last they would record for a long time as they broke up after the tour for this record. I really love this record as the writing, arrangements, and production is just fantastic, and I think this is better than the first album – plus the band are killer musicians. Opening track, Blind Revolution Mad, has a superb opening with great acoustic intro before the groove begins. It has an awesome lead vocal, and as usual, the harmonies are epic. Down Cognito is up next and was also the title of a Kip Winger solo album. The harmonica gives a false impression as to what’s to follow, as the song has a really cool swing to the groove and a superb hook and melody. Spell I’m Under follows and has quite a slow beat, but the chorus and hook are huge, and boy are these guys killer at the harmonies! In My Veins is the hardest rockin’ track so far with a killer riff and a slow funky vibe – plus Reb Beach lays a ripping solo. He has to be one the most underrated guitarists around. Junkyard Dog brings the heavy with the big chugga riff and a superb middle eight – this is my favourite on the album.

Side 2 kicks off with The Lucky One using that acoustic intro to build the dynamics into the main power of the song – it’s a killer tune that sounds huge. In For The Kill follows and there is no let up in the quality. A slow rock groove with a killer solo, and it goes without saying that the vocals and harmonies are epic. A simple riff announces the arrival of No Man’s Land – another great tune. Like A Ritual has a dirty sleazy riff with a really cool swing to the tune and Reb’s solo is short and to the point. The album closes out with Who’s The One – a full on acoustic number which is just incredible.

Kip’s voice throughout the album is on another level and the harmonies are incredible. A great album, and a lot better than some of the band’s who were calling them out at the time.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

WINGER – s/t

July 12, 2021 /

It was always a sense of annoyance for me that Winger were held in such derision by metal fans, it’s as though they were responsible for all that was bad about late eighties rock and metal. I’m sure a lot of this has to do with videos of Large Oilrig throwing darts at a picture of Kip Winger while Metallica were recording the Black album and muttering obscenities about the band. The truth is, that this album is a great album that is well produced, well played, and well written, and Ulrich was just being his usual egotistical self.

The band did not just appear from nowhere as they had been around the scene with bands like Alice Cooper, Dixie Dregs, and Aldo Nova to name a few, and they were great musicians. Opening track, Madalaine, is a great melodic rock track with a great chorus and melody. Hungry is, again, a great track with emphasis on the melody and the hook. Seventeen is a killer track with a great riff and a superb melody and chorus. It’s a bit like déjà vu as this band can sure write a rock tune, of that there is no doubt. The obligatory ballad is next with Without The Night, but it has a great solo from Reb Beach. It has to be mentioned that there were four singles released from this album in the US, and the album was certified platinum – so I guess they were doing something right. A very slick version of Purple Haze close out Side 1 and is a good attempt at adding something different to an all time classic.

State Of Emergency opens up Side 2 and is the most outright pop track on the album – it sounds very eighties. Time To Surrender follows and the opening riff is very Dokken in its execution (Reb Beach would actually play guitar in Dokken for a brief period). The middle eight is awesome, and is the heaviest sounding track on the album. Poison Angel is the up-tempo party rock track on the album, and grooves along nicely with some killer guitar. The very VH sounding Hangin’ On is next, and again it’s all about the melody and chorus. These guys have melody oozing through their veins and make it look so easy to write tracks like this. Headed For A Heartbreak was the last single released from the record, and is the big production track of the album. It’s a power ballad but not as we know it Jim. There is a bonus track on this Friday Music version of the album, Higher And Higher. This track appeared on the CD version and it has been added here. It is a nice rockin’ track with plenty of guitar to close out the album.

So contrary to what Large Oilrig thinks, this is a great late eighties rock record and is a worthy addition to any rockers collection.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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