Greg Sage: Straight Ahead 1985 + Sacreifice (For Love) 1991 + V.A: Fourteen Songs For Greg Sage And The Wipers 1993

 

Wipers was a punk rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1977 by guitarist and vocalist Greg

Sage, along with drummer Sam Henry and bassist Dave Koupal. The group's tight song structure and use of heavy distortion were hailed as extremely influential by numerous critics and musicians. They are also considered to be the first Pacific Northwest punk band. Sage founded Wipers in Portland in 1977 along with drummer Henry and bassist Koupal, originally just as a recording project.
                                      

The plan was to record 15 albums in 10 years without touring or promotion. Sage thought that the

mystique built from the lack of playing traditional rock 'n' roll would make people listen to their recordings much deeper with only their imagination to go by. He thought it would be easy to avoid press, shows, pictures and interviews. He looked at music as art rather than entertainment; he thought music was personal to the listener rather than a commodity.

GREG SAGE

                                             

Greg Sage (born October 21, 1951) is an American songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, regarded as an important influence on many punk rock and post-punk artists. Sage is best known as the principal

songwriter and vocalist/guitarist of the influential Portland, Oregon-based band Wipers.
The mood of Sage's lyrics is frequently dark, and rife with references to confusion and severe alienation. His song structures often take unexpected turns and are typified by fractured melodic passages punctuated by massive, intricate guitar parts, and use of heavy distortion. He usually plays on a 1969 left-handed Gibson SG with attached Bigsby tremolo.

GREG SAGE - STRAIGHT AHEAD  1985

                                  

Straight Ahead is the debut solo album of Wipers frontman Greg Sage. It was released in 1985. Half the album consists of just Sage accompanied by his acoustic guitar. Finally, the Wipers' incredible frontman

finds a new label to release his records, and in this case, he tries a solo outing instead of convening a fourth Wipers album to go with the three stunning ones they did from 1980-1983. Side one is Wipers-type guitar songs from an uncharacteristic folky approach, and fans will likely lap them up with the same joy that they did the output of Is This Real?, Youth of America, and Over the Edge, which every fan needs.
                         

This is what we expect from Sage, in terms of his characteristically involved guitar playing pegged to more simple riffs, a formula that still works so well for him. Side two, though, now that's a totally different kettle of fish, one no one could have expected. How to describe it? Let's call it all strange-

echo-soundtrack experiences/insights on the human race. There are no drums; it's almost like a soothing but spacey guitar orchestra, the man testing the outer limits of the moods a mere six strings can manage without other sounds' interference. It all adds up to another interesting look into a true and obvious talent. Get his Wipers LP too, though, you need everything this man does.
By Jack Rabid

Greg Sage – Straight Ahead
Label: Gift Of Life – GIFT 022
Format: CD, Album, Reissue  1990
Country: Germany
Released: 1985   
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock

TRAXS

                          

01. Straight Ahead    4:12
02. Soul's Tongue    2:45
03. Blue Cowboy    3:10
04. Your Empathy    2:58
05. The Illusion Fades    2:37
06. Seems So Clear    1:35
07. On The Run    2:12
08. Astro Cloud    4:08
09. Lost In Space    3:25
10. Let It Go    3:08
11. World Without Fear    5:05
12. Keep On Keepin' On    4:22

Cover – Henry Small
Drums – Dean Johnson (tracks: A1, A2, A4, A5, B1), Pat Baum (tracks: A3, A6, B3, B4)
Mastered By – E_
Photography By – Josh Mong
Recorded By, Producer, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar [Ventura With Electric Pick Up], Bass, Bass [Fuzz], Percussion, Written-By – Greg Sage
Sleeve – Sage

MP3 @ 320 Size: 91 MB
Flac  Size: 258 MB

GREG SAGE - SACRIFICE (FOR LOVE) 1991

                       

Sacrifice (For Love) is the second solo release of Wipers frontman Greg Sage. It was recorded and released in 1991. It contains a cover of the Yardbirds' "For Your Love.

Greg Sage – Sacrifice (For Love)
Label: Restless Records – 7 72539-2
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock

TRAXS

                        

01. Stay By Me   2:51
Songwriter – Greg Sage
02. Sacrifice (For Love)   3:32
Songwriter – Greg Sage
03. Know By Now   3:24
Songwriter – Greg Sage
04. Forever   3:21
Songwriter – Greg Sage
05. The Same Game   3:40
Songwriter – Greg Sage
06. No Turning Back   2:59
Songwriter – Greg Sage
07. Ready Or Not   3:07
Songwriter – Greg Sage
08. For Your Love   3:58
Songwriter – Graham Gouldman
09. This Planet Earth   3:11
Songwriter – Greg Sage
10. Dreams   5:42
Songwriter – Greg Sage

MP3 @ 320 Size: 83 MB
Flac  Size: 236 MB

VARIOUS - FOURTEEN SONGS FOR GREG SAGE AND THE WIPERS 1993

                     

The first edition came out in coloured vinyl without picture covers for the individual 7" records.

Newer editions (4000 copies) are on black vinyl (this) and all four records come with b/w picture sleeves within the silver boxset.
This box also featured an insert with a brief Wipers discography listed.
On the back of each sleeve is written "Printed In Canada" inside a small oval. The insert came in different colours and textured paper.

From the insert: "In 1977, a band called the Wipers hit Portland, Oregon like a tornado. The Rhythm section forced you to dance, the guitar sound was raw and yet at the same time melodic and the vocals expressed the struggling, confusion and anger felt by all. For over ten years, Greg Sage and the Wipers have continued to be a source of inspiration. We offer these songs as a way of thanks." Tim/Kerr Records released this compilation in 1993 in a CD.
                      

Various – Fourteen Songs For Greg Sage And The Wipers
Label: Tim/Kerr Records – TK91CD10 TRIB 2
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1993
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk, Grunge

TRAXS

                                

01. Napalm Beach – Potential Suicide  4:12
Engineer – Drew Canulette
02. M99 – Astro Cloud   3:38
Engineer – Tom Robinson
03. Nirvana – Return Of The Rat   3:09
Engineer – Barrett Jones
04. Poison Idea – Up Front   2:49
Engineer – Bob Stark
05. Dharma Bums – On The Run   2:59
Engineer – Drew Canulette
06. Crackerbash – I Don't Know What I Am / Mystery   4:39
Engineer – Drew Canulette
07. Hole – Over The Edge   2:48
Engineer – Brian Foxworthy
08. The Whirlees – Land Of The Lost   5:21
Engineer – Drew Canulette
09. Nation Of Ulysses – Telepathic Love   1:24
Engineer – Mike Lastra/Producer – Slayer Hippy
10. Honey – No One Wants An Alien    3:23
11. Hazel – Tragedy   2:01
Engineer – Mike Lastra/Producer – Slayer Hippy
12. Calamity Jane – Alien Boy   3:23
Engineer – Mailon Brousseau
13. Saliva Tree – Soul's Tongue   3:45
Mixed By – Mike Lastra, Slayer Hippy/Producer, Engineer – Mike Lastra
14. Thurston Moore - Keith Nealy – Pushing The Extreme   3:15
Engineer – Greg Talenfeld

MP3 @ 320 Size: 106 MB
Flac  Size: 309 MB