Often people who write to me wonder how I choose which albums I
\nreview for “The Daily Vault,” and often my answer is the same:
\nRandom pull. I just wander through the Pierce Archives, and look
\nfor titles that stand out in my mind for one reason or another.<\/p>\n
On one such walk through the Archives recently, the debut effort
\nfrom Winger caught my eye. It had been a long time since I had
\nlistened to this album (actually, I think I hadn’t touched it since
\ncollege), and I wanted to re-discover why some people reacted so
\nviolently against this band, a la Stuart on “Beavis &
\nButt-Head”.<\/p>\n
And despite some metal fans painting these guys in a negative
\nlight, their music really wasn’t that bad – but this tape leaves a
\nlot of expectations unfulfilled.<\/p>\n
For starters, guitarist Reb Beach was quite a showman on his
\naxe, though sometimes it seemed like he was pumping too much flash
\ninto his playing when it didn’t seem appropriate. (There are only
\ntwo guitarists whom I could listen to non-stop flash – Dave Uhrich
\nand Joe Satriani.) Lead singer\/bassist Kip Winger had a decent set
\nof pipes, but more often than not he seemed to embrace a bit of a
\ncock-rock style that belied the band’s wholesome sound. Keyboardist
\nPaul Taylor and drummer Rod Morgenstein almost sound like their
\ntalents are being underutilized with Winger.<\/p>\n
As for the music, things start off great with “Madalaine,” a
\nsong that pushes the limits of what was once described as “metal”.
\n(I’ve been wathcing some poor souls get into a discussion-cum-flame
\nwar about what is metal and what isn’t. Three words: Get a hobby.)
\nThe vocal harmonies and guitar work are what power this track as
\none you’ll remember for some time.<\/p>\n
But the problems creep in on the other well-known hit
\n“Seventeen,” a tale of young lust. (I don’t get it – The Knack get
\npissed on, and this one goes without any comment?) One has to
\nwonder why Winger took a successful songwriting style and cluttered
\nit with tales about doin’ the nasty with the prom queen. I’m no
\nprude, but it did ruin the mood for me.<\/p>\n
For that matter, I question the includion of Jimi Hendrix’s
\n“Purple Haze” – what, they didn’t have enough originals to pad out
\nthe album? (Or maybe this track was recorded in the hopes of
\ngetting it on the
\nStone Free<\/i> tribute album… I don’t know.) Even guest
\nguitarist Dweezil Zappa can’t help this track.<\/p>\n
After all the strengths the music put forth on the first side of
\nthe tape, the second half of the album – save maybe for “Heading
\nFor A Heartbreak” – is formula hard rock. All flash, no substance –
\nno interest. Too bad.<\/p>\n
The biggest problem with
\nWinger<\/i> was that this band had the songwriting skill and the
\nchops to really become something special – possibly a hair band
\nwith some musical bite to it. Unfortunately, the lyrics (and, on
\nside two, the singwriting itself) proves to be Winger’s downfall –
\nthey never again attained the glory they had with their two initial
\nhits.<\/p>\n
Kip Winger is now recording solo, and Rod Morgenstein is busy
\nwith Jordan Rudess on their side project. What we’re left with is a
\ndebut album that could have been something great – but ended up to
\nbe a stereotypical early ’90s metal album.<\/p>\n
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