Many figured that the last they heard from
Winger was 1993's coolly received
Pull, as the group splintered shortly after the album's release in the face of grunge's brief reign and Beavis & Butthead deeming the group un-hip. But with just about every '80s band reuniting in the much more hair metal-friendly climate of the early 21st century, it was only a matter of time until the
Winger gentlemen reappeared. And in 2006, three-fourths of the original
Winger lineup returned, with the appropriately titled
IV. Although original keyboardist/guitarist
Paul Taylor is nowhere to be found,
Winger's other main three -- singer/bassist
Kip Winger, guitarist
Reb Beach, and drummer
Rod Morgenstein have all reclaimed their rightful positions. Instead of trying to completely overhaul the
Winger sound for the 21st century, the lads stick closely to the expected
Winger musical template, which switches between heavy rockers (the album-opening "Right Up Ahead"), pop with a melodic yet-hard edge ("Four Leaf Clover"), and the obligatory power ballad ("On a Day Like Today"). The only difference between
Winger 2006 and
Winger 1988 is that the subject matter is more current events-based, as evidenced by such tracks as "M16." Still, if you liked
Winger before, there's no reason why you won't like them on
IV. [The CD was also released with a bonus track.] ~ Greg Prato