I'll admit by about the 67th time I heard "Seventeen" during the first week of its release I was ready to be locked up -- I hated the song, loved the video, hated the song, dismissed the band soon after. Therein lies the problem with many of those image-over-words types. You're fed that one big hit or two and perception goes down the toilet.

"The Very Best Of Winger" says much for a band that did only three records from '88-'93, and we're being very accommodating to even count their last "Pull" release, a wrong place wrong time misfortunate record that non-coincidentally was probably their musical peak. Capitalizing on the nostalgic swing Rock music's been taking in recent times, Rhino's followed up the likes of Dokken and Dio "Best Of's…" Alice Cooper and so forth, and at long last it appears the time is right for Winger's reappearance.

Make no mistake, this is the first step, not the final curtain for the band that "never officially broke up" as they put it in the brief but purposeful Kip Winger-led liner notes. Fans needn't look far to figure what made the grade here -- the songs from their hugely successful self-titled debut are actually featured last. This is a surprise as their "Pull" material kicks things off -- leaving nothing to chance, perhaps, that this time it will be heard. Then of course bridging the gap comes material from "In The Heart Of The Young', their 1990 release, all clustered together in reverse sequence from the original releases.

First off though, "On The Inside," one of two unreleased bonus cuts from the "Pull" sessions, is here re-recorded by the original lineup. This one departs from any notion of formulaic fluff Rock with its Zeppelin-esque epic quality that is reminiscent of the increasing depth Winger dove further in their career.

"Blind Revolution Mad," "Spell I'm Under," "Junk Yard Dog," three of their grander moments from a better album, "Pull," that went unnoticed -- consider the same for Warrant's "Dog Eat Dog" for reference -- same idea, same poor result, but we know now to blame Grunge, not the talent that lay beneath the original work.

I was never personally big into Winger, partly because of my own prejudices against the Pop type pin-up boy stuff, though there were always a few choices from each album that impressed me. Winger had a knack for writing catchy songs, they're "fall over yourself in heartbreak or hysteria" love songs by many accounts, but you couldn't deny them their right to melody and in that they were top rung. "Can't Get Enough," "Easy Come Easy Go," "Miles Away," and of course the almighty ballad that fell usually somewhere between Bon Jovi and Survivor, two inarguable leaders at the time. And how unfortunate that "Rainbow In The Rose" never reached the recognition it deserved with its uplifting anthemic quality that put to shame the many other acclaim-buying singles that preceded it.

So mark this "Best Of" package as the rekindling of a flame that was extinguished a little too early on. Winger's comeback, based upon a musicians-first attitude, experience, and a more hospitable proving ground for yesterday's heroes held silent, will happen in a matter of time…