*Official* A View from the Top of the World discussion thread

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

 

[emtee]

A week ago I was anxiously awaiting an Amazon delivery. It's been a fun and truly enjoyable week with this album. My first spin was alone with the headphones on. What an amazing ride. Now, after a week, it's really sinking in that this album is going to have legs. I think giving the first spin the undivided headphone treatment served me well.

I'm a sucker for complex rhythms, where the bass the drums are really setting the tone. Some have said that this album isn't really that heavy. I disagree. I think it's heavy as hell and that suits me just fine. Yes, there are some beautiful passages and some that are more proggy rock, but overall this album is heavy.

I can't say I hear their entire career in this album. Maybe. To me, this is a counterpart to Distance Over Time, much in the way Haken's Vector and Virus feel to me. Consequently, this album has that same feeling to me as Virus. Heavy, complex rhythms where the bass and drums are absolutely remarkable.

It's interesting to read through all the comments. I too love Innocence and Danger. I mean really love it. However, even though Maiden is one of my favorites, I forced myself to spin that album 8 times before I just had to admit it wasn't for me. Monotone, repetitive and quite honestly, boring. But this is the beauty of music. We don't all love the same things.

No way to think about ranking yet. I'm guessing it will be in the top tier with my all time favorites by the band. Time will tell. At this juncture, it feels like a solid 9/10 album. If I had one slight gripe it would be that I wish JR would maybe go for an entirely new approach. I've had enough of the wanky solos that have no hum-ability or that I can whistle along with. It's just noise to me. I guess it suits the music but it doesn't elevate it.

I still think that Mangini and Myung are the stars of this album. Insanely great performances.

[Outcrier]

I still think that Mangini and Myung are the stars of this album. Insanely great performances.

Me too. Just "said" it some posts ago.

[ACOSeasons]

I'm quite surprised by all of the positive reviews of AVFTTOTW.

I was really to disappointed, to be honest. The musicianship is world class as always, but there's a real sameness to the music.

I can hear so many parts, or slight variations of parts, of old songs cobbled together and shoehorned into new songs on this album, it's like the band has run out of ideas. It's hard to take seriously.

Invisible Monster is the most glaring example - it's basically Pull Me Under redone. And Transcending Time is just a bastardised version of The Looking Glass and Barstool Warrior rolled into one.

Answering The Call is a mix of Forsaken, Breaking All Illusions and S2N but Sleeping Giant is the biggest mash-up of them all. In that song I can seriously hear Enigma Machine, Count of Tuscany, Octavarium, Finally Free, Dance Of Eternity and The Astonishing all rolled into one.

Even on the title track, which I quite like, you can hear parts of Pale Blue Dot, Learning to Live and Dark Eternal Night.

The last two songs are pretty good and there are some other cool little nuggets on the album, but overall, a very lazy effort from the band if you ask me.

But I guess when you set the bar so high for so long, you become a victim of your own incredibly high standards!

More broadly speaking, even though they've still made some great music in the last 10 years, for instance I reckon Illumination Theory is in their top 5 songs all time, Astonishing was genius and Distance Over Time was very good too, they just have not been the same band since Portnoy left.

Since Portnoy's exit, they've lost their hard edge and are prone to too many soft/airy-fairy moments for my likings.

[erwinrafael]

The last thing I would expect the album to be described is not having a hard edge.

[erwinrafael]

I don't know if this has already been shared here but a good interview with James on loudwire:

https://loudwire.com/dream-theater-james-labrie-view-top-world-interview/

This I found interesting:

"As for recording the vocals, I flew down there. I was isolated in a hotel room for 10 days and then met John in our studio. It was the first time we’d been in the same room while I was singing since Black Clouds & Silver Linings [2009]. It was strange, and we were laughing about how it took a pandemic to get us together again. It made the process more collaborative because we could tweak things on the fly."

Also, this part which made me think what the guys are experiencing in their personal lives given the themes of the songs that finally made it to the album:

"We have so much material that we’ve never entirely developed. Instead, we put it aside in favor of things that’ve recently encouraged us, like something we’ve gone through. Each record tells that story. They’re like crystal balls that convey what was happening in the world and with us at the time."

[Wim Kruithof]

Count me among those who don't get the few posters that have said that they find the vocal melodies unmemorable or feel that there is a lack of hooks on this album.  Given how many people in the thread (myself included) who have cited specific lines as being earworms from listen #1, I have have to disagree.  Tons of memorable vocal parts on this one.

+ 1 for sure.

Haven't seen anyone mention no Mangini lyrics this time. I liked Room 137 and you'd think he'd want to do more.

I did mention it but can't see I feel disappointed, since his first lyrics (Room 137) is by far the worst track on Distance Over Time. I could not connect with the lyrics for one sec. I do wonder why Rudess never wrote a single lyric on any of the albums though.

[JRuless]

Amazing album. The apotheose of the Mangini era. Overall, the Mangini era is the DT I like. I was quit disconnected through the SC/BC years. For instance I think TDEN is the worst song done by the band by far. Something about 'taste' I suppose. I started the DT journey with Six Degrees. Such foundation has a steering ability on what I like. Selection of songs per album in Mangini era I feel most connected to: Outcry - Behind the Veil - Ravenskill - At Wit's End. I'm not quit sure which song to add from a View..titletrack maybe...or A Sleeping Giant. We'll see. If DT continues this road it would be fine for me. 70's proggy style - More rock than metal - Melody. Fine. Thats my fan-profile 

[gzarruk]

Haven't seen anyone mention no Mangini lyrics this time. I liked Room 137 and you'd think he'd want to do more.

I did mention it but can't see I feel disappointed, since his first lyrics (Room 137) is by far the worst track on Distance Over Time. I could not connect with the lyrics for one sec. I do wonder why Rudess never wrote a single lyric on any of the albums though.

He's been asked about that before. He basically said that when he joined DT, the band's lyricists were already stablished and he didn't feel it was one of the tasks that was expected/required of him when joining. I guess he just never really looked into it after that.

[Dream Team]

Never thought I’d say it but JP is probably toward the bottom as far as most valuable. He has really written himself into a corner with riffs and leads. Those constant simple chugs during verses - hey why not try different chords with cool voicings? As far as solos, maybe solo lower on the neck Adrian Smith style or something, anything different. Maybe incorporate some Schenkerisms or Rothisms. SOMETHING.

Songs are really good though.

[Wim Kruithof]

gzarruk, in the past I can follow that principle, with Portnoy and Petrucci picking most of the lyrics... and Moore and Myung where on the side, as well as LaBrie. But since the band has changed and even Mangini wrote a song... to me it's pretty strange Rudess didn't even do one song. He can't possibly write more worse than Mangini did with Room 137.

[Glasser]

Never thought I’d say it but JP is probably toward the bottom as far as most valuable. He has really written himself into a corner with riffs and leads. Those constant simple chugs during verses - hey why not try different chords with cool voicings? As far as solos, maybe solo lower on the neck Adrian Smith style or something, anything different. Maybe incorporate some Schenkerisms or Rothisms. SOMETHING.

Songs are really good though.

Then it wouldn’t be JP, he does what HE does and it’s perfect. He knows just when to shred and play melodic. As for chord progressions I think it’s balanced just right (IM structure as well as SG). Once again, only my opinion. I absolutely LOVE everything about the new album. On that note, I’m looking forward to your new album and the freshness it delivers, Dream Team (I’m only messing with you) 

[rab7]

I don't know if this has already been shared here but a good interview with James on loudwire:

https://loudwire.com/dream-theater-james-labrie-view-top-world-interview/

This I found interesting:

"As for recording the vocals, I flew down there. I was isolated in a hotel room for 10 days and then met John in our studio. It was the first time we’d been in the same room while I was singing since Black Clouds & Silver Linings [2009]. It was strange, and we were laughing about how it took a pandemic to get us together again. It made the process more collaborative because we could tweak things on the fly."

Also, this part which made me think what the guys are experiencing in their personal lives given the themes of the songs that finally made it to the album:

"We have so much material that we’ve never entirely developed. Instead, we put it aside in favor of things that’ve recently encouraged us, like something we’ve gone through. Each record tells that story. They’re like crystal balls that convey what was happening in the world and with us at the time."

What I find interesting is when he said Mangini's "wings were clipped" the first 3 albums

[Dream Team]

Never thought I’d say it but JP is probably toward the bottom as far as most valuable. He has really written himself into a corner with riffs and leads. Those constant simple chugs during verses - hey why not try different chords with cool voicings? As far as solos, maybe solo lower on the neck Adrian Smith style or something, anything different. Maybe incorporate some Schenkerisms or Rothisms. SOMETHING.

Songs are really good though.

Then it wouldn’t be JP, he does what HE does and it’s perfect. He knows just when to shred and play melodic. As for chord progressions I think it’s balanced just right (IM structure as well as SG). Once again, only my opinion. I absolutely LOVE everything about the new album. On that note, I’m looking forward to your new album and the freshness it delivers, Dream Team (I’m only messing with you) 

A lot of the solos seem to have the same melodic hooks that he’s been using in a never-ending quest to recreate the Razor’s Edge solo. That’s it, not trying to claim I can play guitar like JP  .

[TAC]

I don't know if I totally agree Dream Team.

I think JP is perfect as he is, honestly. Trust me, I'll take Schenkerisms all day long. His playing style is very distinct, but what you are talking about are cornerstones of Petrucciisms. I think his solos on the new album are great. His melodic solo in the title track is incredible, and I have never given The Razor's Edge solo another thought. In fact, they wrote something completely different to close AVFTTOTW.

I hear tons of Gary Moore in those solos.

[Trav86]

Never once have I ever listened to anything JP has played and thought it wasn’t good enough. Or thought it wasn’t right, boring, overused. Not once since I first heard him in 1999. I’m not exaggerating.  I’ve felt that way about other members, but not Petrucci.

[KevShmev]

I think JP is perfect as he is, honestly. Trust me, I'll take Schenkerisms all day long. His playing style is very distinct, but what you are talking about are cornerstones of Petrucciisms. I think his solos on the new album are great. His melodic solo in the title track is incredible, and I have never given The Razor's Edge solo another thought. In fact, they wrote something completely different to close AVFTTOTW.

I hear tons of Gary Moore in those solos.

JP is, fair or not, judged by pretty high standards, one he set by being so amazing now for 30+ years.  We don't expect greatness out of JP when it comes to playing and soloing; we expect pure awesomeness!! 

[Spiritus]

gzarruk, in the past I can follow that principle, with Portnoy and Petrucci picking most of the lyrics... and Moore and Myung where on the side, as well as LaBrie. But since the band has changed and even Mangini wrote a song... to me it's pretty strange Rudess didn't even do one song. He can't possibly write more worse than Mangini did with Room 137.

Could it be also as simple as not caring or even wanting to write lyrics. Maybe he doesnt have any interest in that. He speaks with his instrument. Now I am only assuming this, I dont actually know if he ever expressed any interest to lyric writing

[TAC]

gzarruk, in the past I can follow that principle, with Portnoy and Petrucci picking most of the lyrics... and Moore and Myung where on the side, as well as LaBrie. But since the band has changed and even Mangini wrote a song... to me it's pretty strange Rudess didn't even do one song. He can't possibly write more worse than Mangini did with Room 137.

I thought KevMo wrote a lot of lyrics, no?

According to Wiki, he's credited for half of I&W, and a couple of tracks on WDADU.  Heck, he even has 3 on Awake, and he was leaving the band.

MP only has The Mirror and a co-write on Take The Time.

[Glasser]

gzarruk, in the past I can follow that principle, with Portnoy and Petrucci picking most of the lyrics... and Moore and Myung where on the side, as well as LaBrie. But since the band has changed and even Mangini wrote a song... to me it's pretty strange Rudess didn't even do one song. He can't possibly write more worse than Mangini did with Room 137.

I thought KevMo wrote a lot of lyrics, no?

According to Wiki, he's credited for half of I&W, and a couple of tracks on WDADU.  Heck, he even has 3 on Awake, and he was leaving the band.

MP only has The Mirror and a co-write on Take The Time.

Yes, this is why I will always feel Kevin is in a way, very much a part of what molded the DT of today! Their chemistry was so magical. (I miss Kevin tbh). I actually remember being at a rehearsal and Kevin started playing Winger, headed for a heartbreak on acoustic guitar and Charlie sang it, it was actually good!

[TAC]

Goddamn Glassman, way to ruin what started off as an awesome post.

[Glasser]

Goddamn Glassman, way to ruin what started off as an awesome post.

 

[nick_z]

Goddamn Glassman, way to ruin what started off as an awesome post.

 

One day you'll have to tell the whole story (no stone left unturned!) behind the Winger hatred, for the forum newbies (like me) 

[Glasser]

Goddamn Glassman, way to ruin what started off as an awesome post.

 

One day you'll have to tell the whole story (no stone left unturned!) behind the Winger hatred, for the forum newbies (like me) 

I’m a newbie so I have no idea. Kevin and Charlie did in fact do this acoustic on the fly.

[Kotowboy]

Since Portnoy's exit, they've lost their hard edge and are prone to too many soft/airy-fairy moments for my likings.

Whilst Portnoy formed Adrenaline Mob - probably the most embarrassing supergroup ever. Despite calling it his new band - he wisely jumped ship ASAP.

Then he made Sons of Apollo - and him and Derek acting all TOUGH and MACHO was even more embarrassing.

So i'll take DT's career since 2011 over anything Portnoy has done since then.

[TAC]

Goddamn Glassman, way to ruin what started off as an awesome post.

 

One day you'll have to tell the whole story (no stone left unturned!) behind the Winger hatred, for the forum newbies (like me) 

OK...from Page 15 of the very first TAC Roulette which if you have a few minutes of your life that you don't need back, check out the Epic Winger Round.

THE WINGER ROUND!!!


A lot of people have asked me what's the deal with Winger. My name is TAC and this is my story.

OK..Hope you guys won’t find this too long, but I have to start the Winger Round with my true discovery of Alice Cooper.
I happened to be home from college on the weekend of Halloween 1986. It was my Freshman year. MTV was airing Alice’s show from Detroit that night. Now I wasn’t into Alice at the time. In fact, this was his comeback after being out of the spotlight for 5 years. Anyway, not sure why, but I just had to watch. You might call it Special Forces at work.
I was blown away, not just by Alice, but by his incredible band of top notch metal musicians. This was Heavy Metal Alice, and the metalized versions of Welcome To My Nightmare, Billion Dollar Babies, and The Ballad Of Dwight Fry and others were incredible. Found out they were playing a couple of weeks later in Worcester and I bought tickets. Saw the show. Mind blown.
I bought his new album Constrictor.  Going through the album credits, I see among others, the bass player’s name is Kip Winger. Yup, he’s the bassist in the touring band too. Among the touring band (which also included Kane Roberts and Ken Mary!), was a keyboard player name Paul Taylor.
Alice came back to the area again, playing the Providence Civic Center on 2/17/87. I snapped some great pics of this show, including one this of his bass player:



A few months later, Alice’s new album, Raise Your Fist And Yell, was released. Again, the band on the album is Roberts/Mary/Winger/Taylor. This album is incredible, and if you’ve never heard it, check out Roses On White Lace. Saw Alice at the Boston Garden on 11/17/87. The 3rd time seeing him in a year.
This time, he had another bassist playing, but essentially had the same band. Got this shot with Paul Taylor at the after show party:



(For the record,  I’m 19 in this picture. I actually had a can of Heineken in my other hand.)

Now I went full bore on Alice Cooper while in college, but I’ve always been fascinated about the incredible talent he always puts around him.
So a year or so later, I read that Kip Winger and Paul Taylor would be teaming up with Rod Morganstein (who I already know is a beast) and a hot shot new guitarist named Reb Beech, I was teeming with anticipation. This will have to be great, I thought.

As soon as the album is released I run out and buy the tape. OK it has a cheesy cover, but there’s no way this is going to suck, could it?
As soon as I started listening, I thought the manufacturer put the wrong tape in the cassette. WTF was this horseshit? I was just getting back into thrash, listening to Helloween, Slayer, Metallica a lot during this time. Not to mention Iron Maiden, Queensryche..

But this is such cheesy and fake hair metal. Say what you want about Poison, and yes I think they sucked too, but at least I felt a certain genuineness about them. With Winger, it was so fake. Such posing. They simply became the poster children for all that was wrong in music at that time. Hair Metal, to me, jumped the shark with Winger. I felt they made a complete mockery of the whole scene. I KNEW they were better musicians than this. And I didn’t appreciate the expectations and the money I spent on this piece of shit.

Winger’s first album was literally the most disappointed I have ever been in an album. For the first time I felt truly let down by music. It made a scar.
To me, they just would always represent all that was wrong in music. I know through time, they would make a number of albums. And there are people I respect on this forum and others that like them and say they have some great music. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. I’ll never know. That is, until now.

[Dedalus]

THE WINGER ROUND!!!


A lot of people have asked me what's the deal with Winger. My name is TAC and this is my story.

OK..Hope you guys won’t find this too long, but I have to start the Winger Round with my true discovery of Alice Cooper.
I happened to be home from college on the weekend of Halloween 1986. It was my Freshman year. MTV was airing Alice’s show from Detroit that night. Now I wasn’t into Alice at the time. In fact, this was his comeback after being out of the spotlight for 5 years. Anyway, not sure why, but I just had to watch. You might call it Special Forces at work.
I was blown away, not just by Alice, but by his incredible band of top notch metal musicians. This was Heavy Metal Alice, and the metalized versions of Welcome To My Nightmare, Billion Dollar Babies, and The Ballad Of Dwight Fry and others were incredible. Found out they were playing a couple of weeks later in Worcester and I bought tickets. Saw the show. Mind blown.
I bought his new album Constrictor.  Going through the album credits, I see among others, the bass player’s name is Kip Winger. Yup, he’s the bassist in the touring band too. Among the touring band (which also included Kane Roberts and Ken Mary!), was a keyboard player name Paul Taylor.
Alice came back to the area again, playing the Providence Civic Center on 2/17/87. I snapped some great pics of this show, including one this of his bass player:



A few months later, Alice’s new album, Raise Your Fist And Yell, was released. Again, the band on the album is Roberts/Mary/Winger/Taylor. This album is incredible, and if you’ve never heard it, check out Roses On White Lace. Saw Alice at the Boston Garden on 11/17/87. The 3rd time seeing him in a year.
This time, he had another bassist playing, but essentially had the same band. Got this shot with Paul Taylor at the after show party:



(For the record,  I’m 19 in this picture. I actually had a can of Heineken in my other hand.)

Now I went full bore on Alice Cooper while in college, but I’ve always been fascinated about the incredible talent he always puts around him.
So a year or so later, I read that Kip Winger and Paul Taylor would be teaming up with Rod Morganstein (who I already know is a beast) and a hot shot new guitarist named Reb Beech, I was teeming with anticipation. This will have to be great, I thought.

As soon as the album is released I run out and buy the tape. OK it has a cheesy cover, but there’s no way this is going to suck, could it?
As soon as I started listening, I thought the manufacturer put the wrong tape in the cassette. WTF was this horseshit? I was just getting back into thrash, listening to Helloween, Slayer, Metallica a lot during this time. Not to mention Iron Maiden, Queensryche..

But this is such cheesy and fake hair metal. Say what you want about Poison, and yes I think they sucked too, but at least I felt a certain genuineness about them. With Winger, it was so fake. Such posing. They simply became the poster children for all that was wrong in music at that time. Hair Metal, to me, jumped the shark with Winger. I felt they made a complete mockery of the whole scene. I KNEW they were better musicians than this. And I didn’t appreciate the expectations and the money I spent on this piece of shit.

Winger’s first album was literally the most disappointed I have ever been in an album. For the first time I felt truly let down by music. It made a scar.
To me, they just would always represent all that was wrong in music. I know through time, they would make a number of albums. And there are people I respect on this forum and others that like them and say they have some great music. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. I’ll never know. That is, until now.

A fun read... 

[Kram]

Since Portnoy's exit, they've lost their hard edge and are prone to too many soft/airy-fairy moments for my likings.

Whilst Portnoy formed Adrenaline Mob - probably the most embarrassing supergroup ever. Despite calling it his new band - he wisely jumped ship ASAP.

Then he made Sons of Apollo - and him and Derek acting all TOUGH and MACHO was even more embarrassing.

So i'll take DT's career since 2011 over anything Portnoy has done since then.

Compared to AMOB and Son's of Apollo, no doubt, that stuff's terrible - but compared to his output with Neal Morse since then (TA, NMB, Flying Colors, etc.), it's pretty close for me.

[nick_z]

OK...from Page 15 of the very first TAC Roulette which if you have a few minutes of your life that you don't need back, check out the Epic Winger Round.

THE WINGER ROUND!!!


A lot of people have asked me what's the deal with Winger. My name is TAC and this is my story.

OK..Hope you guys won’t find this too long, but I have to start the Winger Round with my true discovery of Alice Cooper.
I happened to be home from college on the weekend of Halloween 1986. It was my Freshman year. MTV was airing Alice’s show from Detroit that night. Now I wasn’t into Alice at the time. In fact, this was his comeback after being out of the spotlight for 5 years. Anyway, not sure why, but I just had to watch. You might call it Special Forces at work.
I was blown away, not just by Alice, but by his incredible band of top notch metal musicians. This was Heavy Metal Alice, and the metalized versions of Welcome To My Nightmare, Billion Dollar Babies, and The Ballad Of Dwight Fry and others were incredible. Found out they were playing a couple of weeks later in Worcester and I bought tickets. Saw the show. Mind blown.
I bought his new album Constrictor.  Going through the album credits, I see among others, the bass player’s name is Kip Winger. Yup, he’s the bassist in the touring band too. Among the touring band (which also included Kane Roberts and Ken Mary!), was a keyboard player name Paul Taylor.
Alice came back to the area again, playing the Providence Civic Center on 2/17/87. I snapped some great pics of this show, including one this of his bass player:

A few months later, Alice’s new album, Raise Your Fist And Yell, was released. Again, the band on the album is Roberts/Mary/Winger/Taylor. This album is incredible, and if you’ve never heard it, check out Roses On White Lace. Saw Alice at the Boston Garden on 11/17/87. The 3rd time seeing him in a year.
This time, he had another bassist playing, but essentially had the same band. Got this shot with Paul Taylor at the after show party:

(For the record,  I’m 19 in this picture. I actually had a can of Heineken in my other hand.)

Now I went full bore on Alice Cooper while in college, but I’ve always been fascinated about the incredible talent he always puts around him.
So a year or so later, I read that Kip Winger and Paul Taylor would be teaming up with Rod Morganstein (who I already know is a beast) and a hot shot new guitarist named Reb Beech, I was teeming with anticipation. This will have to be great, I thought.

As soon as the album is released I run out and buy the tape. OK it has a cheesy cover, but there’s no way this is going to suck, could it?
As soon as I started listening, I thought the manufacturer put the wrong tape in the cassette. WTF was this horseshit? I was just getting back into thrash, listening to Helloween, Slayer, Metallica a lot during this time. Not to mention Iron Maiden, Queensryche..

But this is such cheesy and fake hair metal. Say what you want about Poison, and yes I think they sucked too, but at least I felt a certain genuineness about them. With Winger, it was so fake. Such posing. They simply became the poster children for all that was wrong in music at that time. Hair Metal, to me, jumped the shark with Winger. I felt they made a complete mockery of the whole scene. I KNEW they were better musicians than this. And I didn’t appreciate the expectations and the money I spent on this piece of shit.

Winger’s first album was literally the most disappointed I have ever been in an album. For the first time I felt truly let down by music. It made a scar.
To me, they just would always represent all that was wrong in music. I know through time, they would make a number of albums. And there are people I respect on this forum and others that like them and say they have some great music. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. I’ll never know. That is, until now.

Loved reading this  I might actually have a few more minutes and go read what came of that epic round 

[Glasser]

Hmmmm! So I can assume you were hoping that the debut Winger album was going to sound like Kill ‘me All meets Keeper of the Seven Keys? Then I understand your disappointment. Well when I first heard the debut album I was impressed by most of the songs. Kip was known for “Seventeen” and the MTV video to capture all the “poser chicks” lol!! I actually looked past all that and heard an amazing vocalist that wrote catchy as hell tunes. I love Winger. Please don’t ban me. 

[TAC]

Hmmmm! So I can assume you were hoping that the debut Winger album was going to sound like Kill ‘me All meets Keeper of the Seven Keys? Then I understand your disappointment.

Oh hell no, definitely not. But I did expect it to rock. Maybe something similar to Raise Your Fist And Yell music wise.
I had no idea really, but what I heard was NOT what I expected. At all.

[TheLordOfTheStrings]

My biggest takeaway from this album is that I'm never ordering from Century Media again.

[wolfking]

Best thing about this whole thread that flashback. 

[Glasser]

Hmmmm! So I can assume you were hoping that the debut Winger album was going to sound like Kill ‘me All meets Keeper of the Seven Keys? Then I understand your disappointment.

Oh hell no, definitely not. But I did expect it to rock. Maybe something similar to Raise Your Fist And Yell music wise.
I had no idea really, but what I heard was NOT what I expected. At all.

I listened to Life and death of the party from Constrictor a shit ton back then. Great tune.

[TAC]

That album is mostly excellent. The Great American Success Story was clearly written about Rodney's Back To School.

That 86-87 tour was outstanding.