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Winger - Better Days Comin'


Stefan

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'Midnight Driver' is kinda okay, I prefer 'Rat Race' and 'Tin Soldier' is also not really satisfying.

I'm throwing an early shout here, based on 3 songs, this album might be worse than 'Karma' and 'Pull', if not the first two albums, or even on par with 'IV'

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'Midnight Driver' is kinda okay, I prefer 'Rat Race' and 'Tin Soldier' is also not really satisfying.

I'm throwing an early shout here, based on 3 songs, this album might be worse than 'Karma' and 'Pull', if not the first two albums, or even on par with 'IV'

 

I kinda agree with you, I'm not blown away by these tracks either. Don't get me wrong, they're good, but the new disc will not top 'Pull' (I doubt they ever will top it).

 

Time will tell how high it will be in the Winger catalogue.

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New video:

 

 

What the f*ck? That is dreadful. Nice is you like jazz fusion, but I was hoping for Winger. I've hated the two songs I've heard so far, but I won't give up on it until I've heard the full thing. This definitely sounds a lot more like 'IV' than any of their good albums, though. :(

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I think I need to check out 'IV' as I love all three tracks so far.

 

Really looking forward to the album.

 

You never heard it? You lucky bastard. 'Rat Race' doesn't sound too much like 'IV.' That one just sounds like any fast paced throwaway filler on any number of "hair metal" discs out there, but that song above definitely sounds a hell of a lot like a 'IV' b-side.

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I use to HATE IV but grew to "like" it over time. It's till their worst by far but Reb does describe the new one as a cross between IV and Karma. Still waiting on my damn Japanese copy....

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Really. The first 2 songs were just great rockers & Tin Soldier is an intelligent slightly proggy number. I got em on first listen but I'll spin the hell out of this. Love Winger & really need to hear IV....why the earth isnt it on Spotify? Weird.

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  • My Little Pony

Like I've said since it dropped, I love "IV," so if this sounds a bit like that, which it certainly seems that way, I'm all over it like a fat kid on a Smartie.

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Really. The first 2 songs were just great rockers & Tin Soldier is an intelligent slightly proggy number. I got em on first listen but I'll spin the hell out of this. Love Winger & really need to hear IV....why the earth isnt it on Spotify? Weird.

 

Do they reject music that is too terrible for Spotify? If so, that's what happened. Seriously I know some guys have programed themselves to like that trainwreck somehow, but the disc is a fully fledged f*cking nightmare.

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So I got the chance to listen to this album in its entirety and I'm on my way to the third spin. My opinion earlier that this is gonna be worst than Karma and Pull apparently true, probably have the small chance to compete with the first two but that's only if you can appreciate IV, otherwise, this can be the second worst after IV. Now, for me, IV is still an okay album but their worst (rated around 74%) and Karma is their best (around 95% or more), Pull is around 85-87%, 'Better Days Comin' is sitting around 82%-83%.

 

We all heard the first three songs, 'Midnight Driver' is 8.25 if you can get past the slightly-dodgy verse because the chorus is awesome, 'Rat Race' is even better at 8.75, the heaviest track so far, and 'Tin Soldier' is clearly a IV-influenced, progressive-tinged track, and I can only give it 7. I love the mixed tempo on this album, you get the fast paced in 'Midnight', 'Rat', 'So Long China' (which is so perfect I rated it 10), and 'Another Beautiful Day', you get the slow ballad in 'Ever Wonder' (this one's really great for me), and 'Out of This World' (lengthy and atmospheric kinda Pink Floyd-ish but in Winger way, love it), and also mid-paced such as 'Queen Babylon', the title track, and 'Storm In Me'.

 

Now if you hate IV, then you clearly will hate tracks like 'Tin', 'Storm', and also maybe the slower songs, but if you like it, still even though 'Storm' might be the weakest, overall it's still a nice album. Production wise is excellent and musicianship is top notch, and for me a good effort but nowhere near Karma.

 

ps. Glen,funk,Geoff check your PM

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So I got the chance to listen to this album in its entirety and I'm on my way to the third spin. My opinion earlier that this is gonna be worst than Karma and Pull apparently true, probably have the small chance to compete with the first two but that's only if you can appreciate IV, otherwise, this can be the second worst after IV. Now, for me, IV is still an okay album but their worst (rated around 74%) and Karma is their best (around 95% or more), Pull is around 85-87%, 'Better Days Comin' is sitting around 82%-83%.

 

We all heard the first three songs, 'Midnight Driver' is 8.25 if you can get past the slightly-dodgy verse because the chorus is awesome, 'Rat Race' is even better at 8.75, the heaviest track so far, and 'Tin Soldier' is clearly a IV-influenced, progressive-tinged track, and I can only give it 7. I love the mixed tempo on this album, you get the fast paced in 'Midnight', 'Rat', 'So Long China' (which is so perfect I rated it 10), and 'Another Beautiful Day', you get the slow ballad in 'Ever Wonder' (this one's really great for me), and 'Out of This World' (lengthy and atmospheric kinda Pink Floyd-ish but in Winger way, love it), and also mid-paced such as 'Queen Babylon', the title track, and 'Storm In Me'.

 

Now if you hate IV, then you clearly will hate tracks like 'Tin', 'Storm', and also maybe the slower songs, but if you like it, still even though 'Storm' might be the weakest, overall it's still a nice album. Production wise is excellent and musicianship is top notch, and for me a good effort but nowhere near Karma.

 

ps. Glen,funk,Geoff check your PM

When you rate Pull lower than Karma then I can't use your opinions LOL!

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I really need to hear the entire Winger discography, from the third disc on. I am interested in hearing the new one. I like 2 of the 3 singles very much.

Really all of their albums are great with IV just being ok from my taste anyway. I have a new respect for the debit & Winger II as well. When you past past the Seventeen, Can't Get Enuff stuff (which I don't mind either) there is some really great music there. They only ever got known for their rock anthem & power ballads but they could be a little prog at times but more melodic.

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haha well Pull still has that alternative flavor of 1993 in couple of tracks, while Karma took the great things from Pull, twist it with a darker vibe of IV, put some monstrous heavy riffs and perfected it :D

 

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haha well Pull still has that alternative flavor of 1993 in couple of tracks, while Karma took the great things from Pull, twist it with a darker vibe of IV, put some monstrous heavy riffs and perfected it :D

ugg....alternative? Please explain sir! :) What tracks?

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haha well Pull still has that alternative flavor of 1993 in couple of tracks, while Karma took the great things from Pull, twist it with a darker vibe of IV, put some monstrous heavy riffs and perfected it :D

ugg....alternative? Please explain sir! :) What tracks?

 

 

Yeah. Huh?

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haha well Pull still has that alternative flavor of 1993 in couple of tracks, while Karma took the great things from Pull, twist it with a darker vibe of IV, put some monstrous heavy riffs and perfected it :D

ugg....alternative? Please explain sir! :) What tracks?

 

 

Yeah. Huh?

 

Add me to the confusion on that as well.

There was nothing alternative about Pull. It was a straight up rock monster.

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haha well Pull still has that alternative flavor of 1993 in couple of tracks, while Karma took the great things from Pull, twist it with a darker vibe of IV, put some monstrous heavy riffs and perfected it :D

ugg....alternative? Please explain sir! :) What tracks?

 

 

Yeah. Huh?

 

Add me to the confusion on that as well.

There was nothing alternative about Pull. It was a straight up rock monster.

 

 

Yeah, sorry Sir Nightrain, but add me to the list. 'Pull' is pure untainted melodic hard rock from start to end as far as I hear it. What you listenin' to, Willis?

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I can hear how Winger try to adjust the change of the 90s in tracks like 'In My Veins', 'The Lucky One', and 'Like A Ritual', which also IMHO is the weakest part of 'Pull'. I think 'Blind Revolution Mad' is also not a straight forward hard rock like they did in the 80s, you can hear the chugging riffs on the verse that's similar with the doom-y style Soundgarden adapted from Black Sabbath, but Winger's chorus and structure is much more melodic. Like that track but not so much.

Now my real faves on Pull are 'Down Incognito', 'Junkyard Dog', 'No Man's Land', and 'Who's The One'

 

And back to the new album, just read Andrew's review of the new album and he said this new one is like their greatest hits but I think 'Karma' is more like the greatest part of Winger in one album, while the new one try to combine Karma and IV and the result is weaker than Karma.

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For me there is good and bad news about this CD. On the good side, the disc doesn't sound too much like 'IV.' On the bad side, the disc is terrible, and in terms of actual quality, not far off 'IV.'

 

I do have to say, the search for the most disappointing release of 2014 can now officially be called off. Nothing will top this. I'm very sad for the band. I love their first 3 albums so much, and then 'IV' came along and really was like a hard hit to the ballsack. A massive stain in their discography. Then, against all odds, the guys actually redeemed themselves with the excellent 'Karma' disc. I truly thought that would be how the band would progress and basically pencilled this new one in as a sure thing. Well, how wrong I was. :(

 

Like I say in my sexy little mini-review below, the worst thing about this disc is that the best song sounds out of place. It sounds like the band's heart just isn't into creating that more melodic kind of stuff. And the other thing I need to comment on is the weak sound. I can't pinpoint it. I think the production job is "clearer' than 'Karma,' but the disc just sounds weak and second rate. Nothing like what you'd expect from a band that sold millions of CDs. Most people will probably be happy with the sound, but there's something just not right to me. Just sounds poor to me.

 

Anyway, I already have a review for this in the can and I make no apologies for rating this after only two listens. It's one more listen than an album like this deserves. I will cut the 5 songs I have scores over 7, and discard the rest of the album from my ears for good. Here is how I saw it:

 

1) Midnight Driver of a Love Machine - good riff, good solid opener, despite some terrible backing vocals - 7.50
2) Queen Babylon - not the best - a bit unsure of itself, but it's okay-ish - 7.25
3) Rat Race - pretty pure filler - sounds like it was recorded strictly for that purpose - 6.00
4) Better Days Comin’ - awful song, and the worst thing is it doesn't sound like they care. Just shit. - 3.00
5) Tin Soldier - almost proggy, but whatever it is, it's just terrible, disjointed crap - 4.00
6) Ever Wonder - musically a slightly more old-school sound. It's unspectacular but not a bad ballad. One of the better things on this album - 7.25
7) So Long China - by far the best song on the CD, but sadly, it sounds unnatural for them. In the past great songs have been standard for them, but on this CD this sound out of place. Very sad. - 8.25
8) Storm In Me - utterly, completely terrible dreary hard rock - I hate it - 2.00
9) Be Who You Are, Now - really awful and dreary again - 3.00
10) Another Beautiful Day (Deluxe Edition Bonus Track) - I hate the verses, some parts are okay… but again, overall it's just ugly - almost grungy at times. Can't believe this is considered a "bonus." - 5.00
11) Out Of This World - okay tune, with a pretty nice chorus - 7.00
Total - 55%
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