You, my reader, are going to pick an album for me to review each month. It is really simple…first, I will give you 5 albums to choose from and second, you will tell me which one of those you would like to see reviewed on the site. See…simple! Now, if you want to cast more than one vote, comment on the Twitter and Facebook post and you could get up to 3 votes on your favorite pick.
There are no longer rules for my selections. I’m just picking albums in my collection. Well, I guess that is a rule. And maybe a theme on the five. This time they are all from the same genre I guess. And what are the 5 albums you ask? Funny you should ask because I have those right here…
White Lion – ‘Mane Attraction’
Winger – ‘Pull’
Cinderella – ‘Long Cold Winter’
Poison – ‘Look What the Cat Dragged In’
Night Ranger – ‘Man in Motion’
Let me know which one you would like to see and sometime in November, I will post a review of the album that gets the most votes. You have one week to decide and from there I will start listening to the album and do a review.
We are now on to the 2nd single from the group of 6 I purchased a few weeks back. The first was Winger’s debut single for “Madalaine”. This time around we have the fourth and final single from the debut album. The single is for the song “Hungry” which was released in September 1989 a year or so after the albums release. The song didn’t do a well as their other songs only reaching #35 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Chart, but it did break the Billboard Top 100 reaching #85.
The song was written by Kip Winger and Reb Beach and seems to be about craving to be with the woman he loves. When he’s apart it makes him want her even more. He can’t eat, sleep and all he thinks about is being with her. Not at all creepy. The single I have is the standard U.S. release with the B-Side as “Time To Surrender” also from the debut album. Both songs are the album version and have not been edited.
I have been out to some stores and found 6 great picture sleeve singles and all from only 2 bands. First up is Beavis & Butthead’s favorite band to hate, Winger. The song is for the debut single from their debut album. The song is “Madalaine” from their self-titled album Winger. The single was released in May of 1988 a few months prior to the release of the album. The song went to #27 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart and was actually ignored by MTV which is a shocker. It wasn’t until their next single “Seventeen” did the band break on MTV.
The song was written by Kip Winger, Reb Beach and producer Beau Hill. They took a bunch of riffs that Reb had laying around since he was a kid and Kip helped piece them together to make the song. It is obviously about a woman who is just to tough to tame as she is too wild. Originally it was written with a slower tempo and meant to be more ballady, but Beau Hill had the idea of speeding it up and well, he was right. It works really well that way.
My copy says the B-Side is the song “Higher & Higher” which was only available on the CD version of the release. However, my copy is not the public released single. Nope. It is a promo of the song “Madalaine” and that is the song on both sides. The jacket used was the standard single jacket, but the 7″ Vinyl label was printed as promotional copy. My version has the person it was sent to stamped on both sides (or it was the stamp of someone that collected it). Not sure why it is stamped on both sides because you really only need to stamp it once to mark it as yours.
We are moving through the year quite fast I believe as it is already the end of July. And it was a hot one, both temperature and purchases. Now, I do have a handful of vinyl, but as prices skyrocket, I am focusing on the albums that mean something to me or from bands that mean something to me so the purchases have slowed. CDs are cheaper and a lot easier to obtain so I seem to be buying way more of those these days. With minor exceptions, I have been laser focused on what I’m buying. Let’s go through the vinyl first. First up is the new album from Shinedown called ‘Planet Zero’. I have all their albums on vinyl as I am a big fan so why not get the new one…
Then it I picked up a couple holy grail type albums. First was one from Kiss that had only been issued for their very limited exclusive Kissteria box set. I didn’t think I’d every own one. Thanksfully, they re-issued it on vinyl and I snagged a copy. Not their best compilation, but one that was lacking in my vinyl collection so couldn’t be happier…My list of missing vinyl is now smaller.
Welcome to another wrap-up post and this time for April. I have to say that April was a fairly quiet month and not much vinyl but a lot of CDs and Cassettes this month. There was a lot going on the Snow Clan this month so record shopping was not a top priority and it shows in the rather small month of purchases. Still though, there are some quality purchases I believe. So let us get right to it. First up, I went and saw Will Hoge in concert at the end of March (after I wrote the March Purchases Post) and I picked up his latest on Vinyl for ‘Tiny Little Movies’ and I did that because I got to meet Will and he kindly signed the album (as well as give us the set list to the show).
And then came the release of Aldo Nova’s new album which is a 10-song E.P. (okay, since when did 10 songs make an E.P.) which is a collection of 10 songs off his forthcoming 22 song Rock Opera – The Life & Times of Eddie Gage. 3 weeks later, Aldo also put out Reloaded 2.0 which is a collection of old songs redone or reimagined with one new song…some of these he released a while back on an E.P. called Aldo Nova 2.0…so same concept with a few extra tracks.
I also was out shopping and found a lot of cassettes and they are scattered throughout the pictures as I found a lot of stuff by the same band so I grouped items together with the bands…not in all cases. We will start off with GNR’s Lies and Blue Murder’s self-titled both on cassette…
And then I found some Whitesnake cassettes as well as a Store Promo of a single…great finds for me…
If that wasn’t enough, I found a couple of Billy Idol cassettes and I can’t believe but I already have a duplicate with Whiplash Smile. You’d thing I would know what I have since I have so few, but the cover was so different, I didn’t realize they were the same so now I have two Whiplash Smiles. The other cover is a full length picture and a white label, this was a partial picture with black…at least I didn’t have Don’t Stop.
Kiss is one where I pretty much have all the vinyl (with a few minor exceptions) so I’ve started grabbing the CDs and cassettes as well (and 8 Tracks). Here are a couple more CDs added and a really cool cassette that I didn’t know if I’d find.
And then there were a couple more CDs that I came across from Winger and Ratt I still needed. Plus, I haven’t been able to find on vinyl so the CD will do for now…
Then I was out at Noble Records (one of my favorite stores) and I found a collection of Scorpions Promo CD Singles, so they are now part of the ever growing Scorpions collection that you will all see in due time when we start The Scorpions Collection Series real soon…
The last couple of items I think are really cool. First up is the Japanese Edition of Danger Danger’s debut album with a set of bonus tracks which are live cuts of songs on the album…
Then I bought the next item from Israel, but it isn’t an Israel pressing. It is the UK/Europe pressing which is a 2 CD Special Edition bonus tracks and live tracks.
The last set of discs are for Matt Nathanson. He is another artist I have all the vinyl, but not all the CDs, so we are remedying that as well. And one of these isn’t on vinyl to begin with so I really needed it…
And that is everything. The vinyl purchases were really weak this time around and I will admit it is getting harder to find what I want and at decent prices so we might see a drop in vinyl purchases as a result. I hope that doesn’t stay the trend, but we will see. Here is everything in one big shot…
And that is all. Thanks for stopping by and I can’t wait to see what May will bring us!!
2021 is upon us and it is always fun anticipating what new albums are and will come out in the year. There are quite a few we already know about, but some haven’t been officially announced or even a date set yet.
Last year, there were a few artist I was hoping would release an album that might have or might not have released one. It is always fun to hope for new music from these bands, but were disappointments. Here is who I was hoping for new albums from last year and what actually happened…
Def Leppard – We did get the Def Leppard Box Set for The Early Years and the Live Box Set London to Vegas, BUT NOPE!! STILL NOTHING NEW!!
Kiss – NOTHING!!
Van Halen – NO!Sadly, this won’t happen with Eddie’s passing. I am now hoping for archive music.
The Winery Dogs – NOTHING!! Still keeping my hopes up
Guns ‘N Roses – NOTHING!!! Rumors, Rumors, Rumors!!
Talisman – after getting a song to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the death of Marcel Jacob in 2019… NO ALBUM, we did get more Jeff Scott Soto music though.
AC/DC – YES!! We got POWER UP and it is awesome!!
Motley Crue – I thought with a Big Tour in 2020 with Def Leppard & Poison…is a new album far behind??? NOPE – No Music, No Tour thanks to Covid!!
Poison – Same as Motley statement above!!! No Music, No Tour thanks to Covid!!
Aldo Nova – He kept talking about a 2CD set, but he never got around to releasing it?? NOPE..still talking. He has released some songs, but still no album!!
Matt Nathanson – No New Music but we got a Live album and a Christmas album
Needtobreathe – YES!!! We got the incredible OUT OF BODY and it was one of their best!!
Okay, are there albums I want to see this year from some of my favorite bands that haven’t been announced or in some cases even rumored? Of course there are. These are the bands I want new albums from this year…but it might not happen.
Def Leppard – I don’t care if I get new music, but give me The Collection Volume 3 at least!!!
Kiss – I will keep this on the list until I die!!
The Winery Dogs – Still keeping my hopes up
Guns ‘N Roses – Rumors, Rumors, Rumors!!
Aldo Nova – He keeps talking about a 2CD set, but will he get around to releasing it??
Matt Nathanson – Loved what we got last year, but time for new music!!! I believe he finished recording it, but haven’t heard anything for a long while.
2020 is upon us and it is always fun anticipating what new albums are and will come out in the year. There are quite a few we already know about, but some haven’t been officially announced or even a date set yet. From what I have gathered around the internet, here are the bands that should have new albums out in 2020, but no dates announced yet. The ones I would give a try (and my kids) will be highlighted in Blue. The ones with Dates Announced are at the bottom of this post. The list is building up nicely!!
Winger is a band from the late 80’s and came in at the tail end of the hair metal movement. They saw much ridicule from Beavis & Butthead and I have to admit it was pretty funny. However, this band might have been poked fun on due to the cheesiness of their debut album (come on you know it was, but it was good too); the band was actually very, very talented. These guys…Kip Winger, Rob Morgenstein, Reb Beach & Paul Taylor were not hacks (and now John Roth). They were trained and talented musicians who chose to follow the crowd on their first album until they started really finding who they were as a band.
They were together from 1987 to 1994 and then took a break, a hiatus or whatever you want to call it. They each went their separate ways and joined other bands or did solo albums or did whatever the hell they wanted. The got back together briefly in 2001-2003, but didn’t release any albums. Then in 2006, they came back on the scene and have released 3 more albums for a grand total of only 6 albums. Those six are what we will rank here in the post.
The title of the list is Worst to First and for this band that is misleading because nothing is really bad. In fact, I like all of their albums, i just like some more than others. I would still recommend them to anyone. I will shut up now and get to the list. I hope you enjoy….
THE WORST – ‘Winger IV’ (2006):
Like I said above, THE WORST is actually pretty darn good so it is a little misleading. This album was their comeback album after a 13 year hiatus between albums. It is quite a departure from their first three albums from the 80’s & 90’s as it is a very modern rock album. There were some great songs including “M16”, “Four Leaf Clover” and “Blue Suede Shoes”.
Musicianship wise, it was spot on and there is no arguing their talent. The reason it is my least favorite of the bunch is the songs themselves. They lacked memorable choruses and were missing some sort of hook to capture my attention. For me that was the only thing lacking from the album. I still listen to it on occasion, but not as much as the others.
#5 – ‘Better Days Comin” (2014):
The band’s most recent release is “Better Days Comin'” and a step up from “IV”, but has a lot of the flaws of that release with a lot of the songs missing that hook; that thing to grab you and pull you in deep. I said a lot of the songs, but not all. There was one song in particular I think is awesome and that is “Midnight Driver of a Love Machine”. It truly rocks and couldn’t be a better way to kick off the album.
That wasn’t the only song worth having. You have the title track as well as “Rat Race” that will keep your attention. The overall album is a little uneven, but still got it. I like it also because it is both modern with a little throwback at times to earlier stuff. Definitely worth a listen.
#4 – ‘Winger’ (1988):
The debut album that put Kip and the boys on the map. Slap dab in the middle of the hair band era, Winger played the game like all the others and focused on looks over substance…at least on this one. If you think I am being mean, I am not. Songs like “Seventeen” and “Headed for a Heartbreak” are typical of the genre and that isn’t all bad. How 80’s was it, well Beau Hill was the producer and that should tell you all you need to know.
The album itself is hit or miss as the singles were great, but the album had a lot of filler and I did not like the cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”. This is only at #4 for its nostalgia than anything else. The sad thing is that the cheesy songs masked the fact that these guys are some of the most talented from that era.
#3 – ‘Karma’ (2009):
‘Karma’ is by far the best of the second half of Winger’s career. The song is a blend of the band’s earliest albums, but mixed with a modern sound and songs that are actually intelligent and more what the band is capable to do. The songs are memorable, catchy and they have that hook that gets you moving.
Songs like “Deal with Devil”, “Stone Cold Killer’, “Pull Me Under” and “Come a Little Closer” are what keeps you playing this on repeat. Their are hints of Kip’s solo sound on a few songs and overall it is spectacular. When playing these back for this post, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this one. It has been on rotation for awhile now.
#2 – ‘Winger II’ (1990):
The sophomore slump didn’t happen with this one. They picked up where they left off, but with a significant difference than the first. They had some real songs on here and actually, I think I like all the songs. The songs like the original debut were “Can’t Get Enuff”, “Miles Away” and “Under One Condition”. They did love the ballads back then and Beau Hill was again at the helm.
Where the album shines though are the deep cuts. They finally had songs that made you think a little like “Rainbow in the Rose” and “In the Day We Will Never See”. The most bizarre song that even had Kip rapping a little was also one of the highlights for me called “Baptized By Fire”. All in all, a solid album from beginning to end.
#1 – ‘Pull’ (1993):
Yes, the best album by the band. If you disagree, I am sorry buy you are wrong…how does that feel because I am not sure (I am kidding!!!…no really how does it feel??) In a time when Hair bands were dead, thanks to the Grunge era, this album went pretty unnoticed which is sad because it is so great.
Why do I like it? Well, it was the heaviest album up to that time. It was more modern (for that time period anyway) and it was nothing like the first two. The whole album completely rocked and it made you even think at time (I tell you these guys are really smart).
The songs that really did it for me were “Blind Revolution Mad”, “Junkyard Dog”, “In for the Kill” and “In My Vein”. Then there was “Down Incognito” which might be one of my favorites if it wasn’t for “Who’s the One” which probably is my favorite. These two songs acoustic are great is well, but that is on another album (a Kip solo album).
And there you have it, the Winger albums in order of how I rank them for the worst to the best. Let me know what you think. Where did we differ and where did we agree. What is fun about these list is how differently each album impacts people. What I like, you might not, but we like the same band and that is all that matters really.
I hope you enjoyed. If you want to listen to any of them or buy them, just click below…
Kip Winger finally re-releases his solo albums after a time period where they were out of print. The big difference this time is he has released them only in a box set simply called the Solo Box Set Collection. The set includes 5 CD including his 4 solo album as well as a bonus CD of bonus tracks from all the Japanese editions of his albums and one new song.
Before Kip started with his solo albums, you would know he was in the band Winger, obviously. Winger’s last studio album prior to the solo albums was 1993’s ‘Pull’ (and one of my favorite Winger albums). After this album, the band sort of dissolved and wasn’t doing anything anymore. Then in 1996 Kip started his solo career. That solo career produced 3 studio albums, 1 acoustic album and now some Classical pieces that he did not include in this set.
Before we get into the music, let’s talk about the set itself. It comes in a very sturdy box that was nice and thick, well made and should last a long time. The one thing you notice is the sad figure on the cover. I am sure it is some famous painting or something, but I do not know who it is or what the story is with the picture. Another thing you notice is Kip’s name. He now puts C.F. Kip Winger as his name. He has been doing that with his Classical pieces he has written and now it is spilling over into his other solo work. The C.F. are his initials for his name Charles Frederick Kip Winger. Maybe “Kip” didn’t sound professional enough for the classical music scene.
White Lion – ‘Mane Attraction’
Winger – ‘Pull’
Cinderella – ‘Long Cold Winter’
Poison – ‘Look What the Cat Dragged In’
Night Ranger – ‘Man in Motion’
2 Loud 2 Old Music 