WINGER — Winger (review)

WINGER — Winger album cover Album · 1988 · Glam Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Negoba
Solid Heirs to Journey's Throne

People often forget that Journey started as a group of young Santana alumni and that the players were actually really talented musicians. Super-slick pop can seem easier than it is, and Winger got a lot of flack for putting out a VERY slick product. But although it seemed like this band was another group of faces propped up by a savvy producer, it was actually a single face and four studio level musicians. All had done session work before, with Rod Morgenstern having a big gig with Steve Morse's Dregs. Reb Beach had been a fave of mastermind Beau Hill already. In fact, Winger the band was Hill's creation and such deserves a bit of the jabs.

But for those of us who like glam metal with plenty of guitar chops, Winger was a tantalizing band. Reb Beach had developed post-Van Halen tapping to a level that virtually only Satriani and Vai had achieved at that time. What's more, his incorporation of the techniques into the monstrously active and tasty solo to "Headed for a Heartbreak" but him on the guitar map forever. He gets some great spots throughout the album, but this solo is his legacy. I saw Winger on this tour as part of a triple bill, the first rock concert I attended. Beach's solo was one of the more impressive I've ever seen. But I digress...

The songs are good hard pop rock, with much more in common with Journey than even AC/DC and certainly little in common with Iron Maiden. But the chops of the players and especially the shred guitar are what elevated the album to more metal-minded interests.

Bottom Line: Pop Metal with a Great Shredder
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Negative Music Hardcore Punk
HAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night Progressive Metal
NIGHT VERSES
Buy this album from MMA partners
Witches Burn Alive Stoner Metal
LOVE YOUR WITCH
Buy this album from MMA partners
I Doom Metal
KAPUTTH
Buy this album from MMA partners
Kingdom Of Guilt Metalcore
THE WARRING TRIAD
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

ScapeGoat Official Lyric Video
FIREFLAME
Bosh66· 2 days ago
FireFlame - The Last Ride (Official Video)
FIREFLAME
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Fervence - Hezekiah (Official Music Video)
FERVENCE
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Fervence - The Silent Wall
FERVENCE
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Fervence - Corrosion (Visualizer)
FERVENCE
Bosh66· 2 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed