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WINGER Volume One: Atlantic Years 1988-1993 Box Set By George Dionne, Podcaster Wednesday, December 27, 2023 @ 9:05 AM
In honor of the band's 35 anniversary, BMG has packaged up WINGER's first three studio albums, plus a bonus demo collection, and released them as both a CD box set and vinyl box set entitled Volume One: Atlantic Years 1988-1993. I will be reviewing the vinyl box set. For the aesthetics and overall packaging of the box set, please watch the unboxing video that follows.
Winger
This was the album that started it all, and there isn't a bad song in the buch. Hold on, WINGER's cover of "Purple Haze" could have been left off this album. It's decent, but seems like filler. The mega-hit "Seventeen" is what brought fans to this album, but for my money "Madalaine" is the pinnacle track on the album. From the guitar work, to the multi-part harmonies, this song is as infectious as it gets.
"Headed For a Heartbreak" was the huge ballad on this album, but I would argue that "Without The Night" has more emotional impact. That's not a knock on the former, all the songs on WINGER's debut are of equal weight. The songs that weren't released as singles, easily could have been. "State of Emergency" and "Hangin On" are quick, witty, and catchy.
4.8 Out Of 5.0
In The Heart of The Young
There is some really good music on this album, but WINGER doesn't really show much growth. It's as if they tried writing the same album again. Of course, there was probably some record label influence on why it turned out this way. "Can't Get Enough" is an instantly catchy tune and so is "Easy Come Easy Go".
The ballad "Miles Away" is a formable tear-jerker. Outside of the singles that were released, the rest of the material is just average. "You Are The Saint, I Am The Sinner" and "Under One Condition" stand out from the pack.
3.8 Out Of 5.0
Pull
There's a universal consensus that this is WINGER's best album. It's hard to argue with that. WINGER sheds the glam and gets heavier and gritty with Pull. The vocal melodies and killer guitar work remain intact, and the songwriting gets a little deeper. "Blind Revolution Mad" mixes up tempos and tones that add depth to the track.
"Down Incognito" features great vocal melodies by Kip Winger, backed by, I don't want to say a Grunge sound, but certainly more of an ALICE IN CHAINS-type sound. "Junkyard Dog" harkens back to the first WINGER album, and the B-side material is just as strong as the A-side material, with "Who's The One", "No Man's Land", and "Like a Ritual" being standouts.
5.0 Out Of 5.0
Demo Anthology 1988-1993
With that being said, how often do you go back and listen to demos? If you're like me, you may listen to them, maybe 1-2 times. You're always going to be drawn to the originals. It is cool to hear how the songs developed into the final product, and with WINGER's demos, it's no different.
"Madalaine" is a bit slower than the final product, some words are different, and the guitar licks are not quite as killer. The demos for "Hungry" & "Seventeen" are pretty close to the versions you know and love, with lesser production. The somber ending of "Headed For A Heartbreak" is shorter with an alternative guitar solo.
"Miles Away" is stripped down to mostly piano up to the first chorus. Kip still delivers an impassioned vocal for the demo version of "Blind Revolution Mad". I sure am glad they removed that weird sound from the beginning of "Down Incognito".
3.0 Out Of 5.0
WINGER's first three studio albums have been available on vinyl for quite some time. The real focal point of Volume One: Atlantic Years 1988-1993 is the addition of the Demo Anthology vinyl. Is that one album worth the $100 trigger pull? Sadly no, but if you don't already have these albums, then that purchase price is looking much better.
It would have been nice if BMG put out a colored variant for this collection instead of standard black vinyls. Of course there are collectors who only do black vinyl and collectors that only do colored vinyl. It also would have been nice to include all the demos that have been released in the past, and bump this set up another vinyl or two to make things complete.
Even as a WINGER fan, I have to chuckle a little about this being Volume One. I just don't see Volume Two manifesting. The next four albums that followed, IV (2006), Karma (2009), Better Days Comin'(2014), and Seven (2023) were released on smaller labels, were released in a single/streaming driven industry, and would likely have to be financed by the band itself. I just don't see the same interest in the next four albums as the first three (though I'll take a vinyl version of IV out of all of them).
Overall Rating: 4.2 Out Of 5.0
Related content:
2023 - WINGER Seven review HERE
Unboxing Video:
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It should be noted that WINGER has released their demos before, about 15 years ago. It was much more expansive than what's available here. The prior demos collection, with the same cover, had 38 songs. This current version only contains the demos of what one would call WINGER's greatest hits. This is the first time the demos have been available on vinyl.