Customer Reviews

Pull

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Winger is easily the most maligned metal band in history. Wiped out by Nirvana, ridiculed by Beavis and Butthead, singled out for hostility by Metallica. In part, they deserved it. The pretty boy dancing in the videos, the big hair, Kip's unfortunate turn in Playgirl magazine. "She's Only Seventeen" will haunt them forever.

Forget all of that. Forget that you even know what these guys look like or sound like. This album contains what is arguably 10 of the most well crafted metal songs of the 90's. Incredible musicianship (as always), pop-sensible songwriting, and choruses and riffs so memorable it would make Lennon and McCartney proud.

Stop and consider who these guys are without all the hairband MTV hoopla. Kip Winger - Alice Cooper's bass player. Red Beach - classically trained virtuoso who stepped up to fill the gigantic shoes of George Lynch in Dokken. Rod Morgenstein - drummer of the 70's prog-fusion masters The Dixie Dregs (not to mention drummer for Jelly Jam with John Myung (Dream Theater) and Ty Tabor (King's X). These are three incredibly accomplished musicians and one of the tightest trios ever assembled. It shows on every tune, as does the hit making magic of the Winger/Beach writing team.

HIGHLY recommended for Winger fans, and necessary for the Winger haters. Grunge had wielded it's grimy sword by the time this band redeemed itself from it's hairspray past. This album stands above all others as an example that the image is nothing, the songs are everything.

This is the best album by Winger. At first spin you will not believe that this sound is coming from this band. It is heavier than their first two releases and EVERY song is good. Winger was going in the right direction with the release...too bad that they never got the respect that they deserve. Pick this one up. You will be glad you did.

Winger... man, they just never get or got enough respect. Yes, this is the band that gave you "Seventeen" and it was a bit lyrically cheesy. Or perhaps you didnt like the boringly standard ballad "Miles Away". But, even from prior albums there were brilliant songs like "Under One Condition" that were unique and tragically overlooked as singles. Pull takes that concept into a full album of incredible songs... and even took Winger into some of the heaviest songs they ever laid down. Most importantly the songs are complex musically and lyrically without ever losing the ability to easily grab you. The musicianship is also absolutely top notch. Blind Revolution Mad, like many songs on the album, will tease you with its lighter intro before opening up into a straight out rocker. In fact, I think on first listen some might be taken back by just how much acoustic guitar is prevalent on this album (I know I was at first)... but, just stick with it... because once you absorb this album, you will never look back on the acoustic work as a negative in this case. Junkyard Dog nearly reverses the slow to heavy form on some of the other songs with being nice and heavy most of the song only to mellow out more in its ending (which is essentially a whole other song)... but it is done in a way that is extremely cool. The Lucky One remains my all-time favorite song lyrically... its just a clever way of constructing the message without being overly intellectual as some try to do in order to make their lyrics "impressive". It's also a beautiful song... and you can feel the pain in it. No Mans Land is another favorite of mine... nice and heavy, and driving, and yet very melodic... pretty much exactly what I prefer in a song. Down Incognito, the main single is a great song as well. Heck, there is no song on this album that isnt either great or very very good... hence why I think it is a perfect album. In for the Kill is another that starts slow and then still has a powerful chorus. Like A Ritual is cool more for its instrumentation... and I love the tribal drums in it. Speaking of that, I have to shout out to Rod Morgenstien's drumming... it is spot on perfect throughout the album... it completely accents and adds to the songs without overpowering them like so many drummers do. Placing your drum skills into a song is better than showing off everything you can do in every song. His cymbal work is top notch. The production on this CD is also great... it sounds excellent. I cant say enough good about it. I wish they would reunite as I think Reb and Kip together create better than when they are apart. Without Reb, Kip loses some edge... and Reb just doesnt write as well on his own as he does with Kip.

Ah, Winger. The poster boys for chick-friendly hair metal in the 80's. I think their fate was sealed when the wimpy neighbor kid Stuart - who always sported a Winger t-shirt - was introduced on MTV's Beavis and Butthead cartoon. I'll let you in on a little secret though: Winger was good, and I mean really good. Every member of the band was a highly skilled musician, and they had the perfect grasp of what made the late 80's melodic rock sound work.

1993's Pull was the band's third album. It didn't have any MTV-ready hits like "Seventeen", and by 1993 no one was really paying attention to this kind of music, but that didn't stop the band from releasing what is probably their finest album. Pull showcases a tighter, more mature Winger. Pull is a very well written melodic rock album, reminiscent of bands like Bon Jovi and Mr. Big that knew when it was time to outgrow their hair metal phase. Songs like Down Incognito, Spell I'm Under, the Lucky Ones, and Like a Ritual are worlds removed from Winger's early days, and show just how far Kip Winger and Reb Beach had developed as songwriters. In a perfect world, Pull would have been the album that made people take a second look at Winger. Instead it came and went with little fanfare while the music industry was replacing spandex and hairspray with flannel and angst.

If you're an 80's rock fan, you really need to get this album. Forget what you think you know about Winger (especially if it's primarily the video for Seventeen). They're a better band than anyone thinks.

NOTE: Wounded Bird reissued Pull in 2005. The reissue does not include any bonus material, and it has not been remastered, so if you have an older copy of the album there's no need to replace it.

This album came out in 1993--a year by which metal had truly been overtaken by the grunge thing. No one even noticed when this thing came out. All I ever heard on radio was "Down Incognito"--and that was only a few times. It just goes to prove that the corporate powers that be don't have a clue about real talent. I love all three of the Winger albums, but to me they progressed musically with each album. This album was their most serious album for sure, but it just rocks. "Blind Revolution Mad", the opening track, was an instant hint that this album was going to be different. "Spell I'm Under" is a ballad--but a different and more powerful sounding one than preceding Winger ballads. Several have raved about "Junkyard Dog (Tears On Stone)". I agree wholeheartedly--this is one amazing rock track. All of these tracks are in fact worth a listen. A surprisingly mature effort from a band that has always been a joy to listen to. Sometimes when a hard rock effort puts out a "mature effort", it simply means they have lost their edge. Not so here. Great and unique effort for a band that deserved a lot more credit than it ever got.

Winger's Pull to me is still their best. Their first two followed the same heavy metal trends, but this third one had more depth. And the songs were catchy. Can't tell you how many times I've played Down Incognito, No Man's Land, In For the Kill, The Lucky Ones, and some others. The opening song Blind Revolution Mad takes some artistic chances and has the best songwriting. But another favorite is Spell I'm Under, one of the '90s best ballads. The atmosphere and drama of the song is just phenomenal and could even rival any of the Scorpions power ballads! Kip Winger sounds fabulous vocally in this song. Why this album was overlooked in 1993 is beyond me, because I still get a copy of it when it's sitting on the $2 CD or cassette racks in music stores. This is masterful rock! Mike Shipley should also be commended for producing this album, a year after Def Leppard's hit album Adrenalize. It's good to hear that Kip and his band are still performing and still perform some songs from this album.

I can't believe that this album only got a few brief moments of airplay! I think that Radio PD's & MTV got scared off by the name "Winger". Like Winger or not, this album is one of the best hard rock albums of the 90's. For starters, Reb Beach finally gets the Production Dept. out of his way so he can deliver blistering guitar solos but keep them all in check with wicked rhythm undertones. Don't forget that Rod Morganstein & Co. have one of the tightest rhythm sections ever laid on tracks. On "Junkyard Dog" Kip Winger pounds out a bass line that will astonish you, only to be outdone by Reb Beach's "Drop D" tuned rhythm guitar. The vocals are also a major change from the two previous albums. On "Spell I'm Under" Kip, Reb, & Rod sound like they each could front the band. If you buy this album, you will be very suprised at the mature production and the dissappearance ( there is a God ) of the "arena rock" sound of the late 80's. I think that you will agree that "Pull" is one of the most underrated albums ever put out. Guitar lovers take note!

OK, I know what you're thinking: Winger? Gimme a break! Despite being (unjustly) lampooned by such esteemed music critics as Beavis & Butthead, Winger remains one of the best and sadly most underrated hard rock bands of the past couple of decades. WIth the possible exception of Mr.Big and Extreme, Winger took hair-metal to an all-new level.
That said, Pull is not your standard, big haired, brainless 80's party metal album. Firstly, it was recorded in 1993. Secondly, it's hard rock, plain and simple. Kip Winger's voice is at its grittiest best and Reb Beach riffs, shreds and strums with ease, nicely complementing Rod Morgenstien's inspired drumming (check out 'Like A Ritual' for more on THAT!).
The album ranges from brilliant rock anthems such as the album opener- the blistering 'Blind Revolution Mad' to relatively quiter, but equally inspired acoustic driven tracks such as album closer 'Who's The One' (easily one of the best sings WInger has ever recorded). In between these is some of the finest hard rock you will ever hear. Trust me.
Each song is good, and one would be hard pressed to find this album's weak link. Winger delivers blockbuster after blockbuster with 'Spell I'm Under', 'In My Veins', 'Junkyard Dog' and the album's big hit, 'Down Incognito'. This is definitely not the same Winger that gave you 'Miles Away' and 'Headed For A Heartbreak'.
This album would have been one of the biggest hard rock albums of all time in the 80's. Unfortunately, it was released in 1993, at the height of the grunge craze. Regardless of this, 'Pull' remains an outstanding album by an accomplished set of musicians (there is NO WAY IN HELL this album sounds like it was produced by a 3 member band) and deserves to be a part of any rock fan's collection.
So do yourself a favour and BUY THIS ALBUM. Trust me. And in the one in the million chance that you actually dont like it, feel free to drop me a line telling me what an idiot I am- before buying the latest Britney Spears album.

WINGER'S FIRST TWO ALBUMS HAD SOME UNDENIABLY GREAT SONGS (I.E. MADELAINE, HEADED FOR A HEARTBREAK, SEVENTEEN, HANGIN' ON, WITHOUT THE NIGHT, STATE OF EMERGENCY, RAINBOW IN THE ROSE, UNDER ONE CONDITION, IN THE DAY WE'LL NEVER SEE, ET CETERA ET CETERA), BUT THIS ALBUM REALLY CAPTURED WHAT THE BAND WAS CAPABLE OF AS SONG WRITERS AND THEY ALSO PUT ON ONE HELLUVA SHOW FOR THIS TOUR! SONGS LIKE "BLIND REVOLUTION MAD", "SPELL I'M UNDER", "WHO'S THE ONE" AND "JUNKYARD DOG (TEARS ON STONE)" HIGHLIGHT THIS AND HAD THEY GOTTEN THE AIR PLAY THEY DESERVED, WOULD HAVE MADE NEW WINGER FANS. THIS ALBUM IS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES A BAND ACTUALLY CHANGED THEIR SOUND DRAMATICALLY FOR THE BETTER!

I have to disagree with the other reviewer who said "it's great like Winger's other CDs". I have "Pull" as well as their first two, and there's no comparison. The first two were pretty much standard hair metal. GOOD hair metal, but that's definitely what it was.

With "Pull," Winger finally showed their true talent. This CD actually borders on "progressive metal," which is a compliment to any band typically labelled as hair metal. Serious chops, great songwriting, yet still catchy.

Their first two CDs are a "guilty pleasure" that I now rarely listen to, but "Pull" is a great CD that I've recommended to many friends, and is the one Winger disc that still gets somewhat-regular play.