The other day I was driving my oldest son home from the Blue Line El stop. He is a Junior in HS and he always has his headphones on listening to jams. I asked him, "What're listening to, Winger?" He laughed. It was a familiar laugh, one of ridicule. My own son, dissing Winger!!!!!
Well then I took to Facebook and posted about it, and of course I get the classic music snobbery that Hair Metal gets in general, however someone brought up that they thought Warrant was better than Winger. I struggled with this, so I hit the books....
THE ERA
Both bands had their heyday from around 1988-1992 or so. This was the end of the Hair Metal era. Some people will tell you that Hair Metal is a derogatory term for that time period, and that may be so. I just think of it as another way to say "Pop songs played with metal type riffs" My reason for pointing this out is that they both are perfect for comparison as they were peers of the time.
THE BANDS
Winger's front man was of course, the bass playing Kip Winger. His parents were jazz musicians, and he was classically trained. Guitarist Reb Beach was trained at the Berklee College of Music. CREDIBILITY!!!
Warrant's front man was Jamie Lane. He died of acute alcohol poisoning in 2011. SYMPATHY!
THE HITS
Both bands basically had eight chart topping hits!
Winger-From the Lps "Winger", "In the Heart of the Young", and "Pull"
1. Madalaine
2. Hungry
3. Seventeen (MASSIVE HIT) 26 on the charts!
4. Headed for a Heartbreak (MASSIVE HIT) 19 on the charts!
5. Can't Get Enuff (GOOD HIT) 42 on the charts!
6. Miles Away (MASSIVE HIT) 12 on the charts!!!!
7. Easy Come, Easy Go (MASSIVE HIT) 41 on the charts!
8. Down Incognito
Warrant-From the LPs "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinkin' Rich", and "Cherry Pie"
1. Down Boys (MASSIVE HIT) 27 on the charts!!!
2. Heaven (MASSIVE HIT) 2 ON THE CHARTS!!!!
3. Big Talk
4. Sometimes She Cries (MASSIVE HIT) 20 on the charts!
5. Cherry Pie (MASSIVE HIT) 10 on the charts!
6. I Saw Red (MASSIVE HIT) 10 on the charts!
7. Uncle Tom's Cabin
8. Blind Faith
It looks pretty even, but Warrant had higher chart positions. Hmmmm....
THE ALBUMS
"Winger" is excellent with the aforementioned hits plus standouts "State of Emergency" and "Time to Surrender"
"In the Heart of the Young" is solid, but not groundbreaking but it does have "Rainbow in the Rose" and the virtuoso "Baptism by Fire"
"Pull" is pretty much the same as the last one, I like "Spell I'm Under" and "In for the Kill" but nothing to really defend on a mountain.
"Dirty Filthy Rotten Stinkin' Rich" is really nothing much after the hits. There is a lot of filler on this LP
"Cherry Pie", however, is EXCELLENT. The title cut is the worst song on the album! Every cut, is solid! I was kind of taken aback by that actually.
THE MORALITY
You see, Warrant is unapologetic in labeling a woman a "Cherry Pie". That won't fly in today's age!
In "Seventeen", Kip at least understands that she is too young.."Daddy says she's too young, but she's old enough for me" . After careful consideration, he makes his choice. Winger has the courtesy to consult the father BEFORE banging his daughter...that's integrity...
METALLICA FRICTION!
Winger trades some barbs with Metallica after Lars Ulrich TASTELESSLY throws a dart at a pic of Kip Winger in their video "Nothing Else Matters", Winger correctly states that Metallica is incapable of playing with the technical proficiency of Winger, however replied, and I quote "And I'll challenge those chumps to that any day of the week, but we could play their music with our hands tied behind our back"
Awesome..because Metallica blows.
THE VERDICT
Warrant has had more chart success. Winger has technical chops. Warrant has the best overall album of the five talked about (Cherry Pie). Winger has the best song (Seventeen..check out the break after the solo!)
However, there is a tiebreaker...both Kip Winger and Reb Beach have played in Alice Cooper's band. (Kip before Winger, Reb, after Winger)
This is what breaks the tie of a tight race.
Your winner...by a .009 gauge guitar string....WINGER
Sunday, March 1, 2015
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