The Wipers, C or D? (and several others, too)

So which of their later albums are worth getting? I've heard one of Greg Sage's solo albums from around mid-80s and that was OK but I don't think I have ever heard any later Wipers.

This sunday a WIPERS COVER BAND SUPER GROUP IS PLAYING IN MPLS!!! : ) :)

Three Old Guys Play The First Five Songs Off The Wipers' Over The Edge Record And The Song Youth Of America---which features Zak Sally (Low), Freddy Votel (Cows, TVBC, Skoal Kodiak) and Dale Flattum (Steel Pole Bathtub).

^^best band name ever!

I would go to that in a heartbeat.
I've been seeing these new Wipers vinyl reissues, which is cool, but they cost 25 dollars, which is not. I've got the three cd box and Land of the Lost on lp.

This cover the Wipers stuff is a trend:

http://www.thefader.com/2009/08/20/at-the-bar-with-southern-comfort-vivian-girls-telepathic-love/

lol yeah but the old dudes are so old they can actually like play their instruments and shit

I don't actually think there's a bad wipers record. sure after the first three it's basically the exact same formula on every song, but like the ramones it's a formula where if it's played well it NEVER gets old.

I have been listening to Is This Real in my car for the last three weeks. It is excellent all the way through but i find it hard to articulate why apart from "These songs are so good". Maybe they are like a Chekov short story- no wasted notes.

No wasted notes, yes, but also epic (not just the long songs), which is a tricky combination to pull off. Interesting, though, to listen to the "bonus" material on the triple-cd box--none of which are nearly as compelling as the tracks that made it to vinyl. So someone, I assume Sage, had a good ear for his best material, and for sequencing. Which isn't true of many (most?) artists.

Oh yes. I wasn't talking about Youth of America but I suppose the comparison still stands.

Best of Wipers & Greg Sage on spotify now is just evening chocolate ear candy now. Love how one song makes ya appreciate space between notes and next is just balls out. Worth a revisit for tempos and timing alone.

Why is Dud even an option

You know what's awesome? Greg Sage's "Straight Ahead" solo album. Wonderfully moody and almost ambient. Why is this out of print and seemingly unknown?

lol I described it as "OK" 10 years ago upthread but yeah it is awesome, although I can only picture the title track in my head at the moment.

Wipers POX, chronological

Better Off Dead (off the 1978 single - this song is incredible, and i wish i had found it earlier! everything that they did well was there, right at the beginning.)q
Alien Boy
Mystery
Window Shop for Love
No Fair
Youth of America
Telepathic Boy (from the 1982 Alien Boy single)
Over the Edge
Doom Town
So Young

it is hard for me to overstate how much i'm currently enjoying the last 3 in that list, all from Over the Edge. Youth in America, both the song and the album, seems to be the consensus pick for wipers, and i can't disagree as a starting point. it's the most consistent as well. but 'Over the Edge' starts off with an obliterating trio of songs. it's really cheesy to think or way but they rock so hard it's unbelievable. THESE GUYS ROCK HARD, GUYS. but they totally do. you can hear sage's vocal cords ripping apart in the title track. if you're ever going to overcrank your stereo to the point of damaging the speakers, this is the song to do it on. there's a connection between the intro of 'Doom Town' and that one part in sonic youth's 'Hey Joni' when lee ranaldo says "Kick it!" - they come from the same place. (there's also a straight line between the same part of 'Doom Town' and the hook of Men's 'Bataille' - the Men straight up ripped them off there). 'So Young' should have been a massive hit. it's anthemic as fuck and it's amazing how full and powerful it sounds despite it coming from a power trio.

I like the later stuff much better for some reason

The Circle owns
The Herd owns
Straight Ahead owns
Star Sail owns

Youth Of America is undeniable however

Into this band for sure. Finding them after the Hot Snakes was cool cause I got to have a eureka moment w/r/t the origins of their 'downstroke warlordism.'

But there's always been two major obstacles holding me back from further developing my fandom: (1) the vibe is so unrelentingly bleak and humorless that even when I'm achieving peak personal enjoyment, I struggle to ignore my happy fundamental self calling me a poser for pretending to be more depressed than I really am. Willfully cultivating angsty teenage loser moods is pretty nagl for a grown man imo. I just like guitars! (2) name always always always makes me think of wiping butts

timely revive, I listened to the entire 3CD in the truck last week

"Better Off Dead" is goddamn incredible and it bums me out so much that Greg didn't put that single on the box set

Is This Real still my fave for the concise approach, I feel like Youth Of America is maybe 4 minutes too long, and the note about the extra tracks being not as good is otm. Great stuff, though, I listened to all of it with pleasure.

"When It's Over" is the most hypnotic song ever released.

"Doom Town" always reminds me of "Dirty Boots" for some reason.

Things I didn't know: Sam Henry was in a pre-Dead Moon band https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Henry_(musician)#The_Wipers and gives drum lessons http://www.samhenrydrums.com/

I haven't listened to the Wipers in ages but for some reason or other Over The Edge is my number one jam today

Song, album or both?

The title track is an all-timer for me, but the while things is great

The instrumental breakdowns after the “over the eeeeeeeeeeedge!” parts are just everything to me

started with the song, is now the album

If I ever get into a fistfight I’m going to ask the other person to wait a minute while I put the title track on speakers

excellent guitar work throughout, sort of a thin mean sound that occasionally catches you off guard with little expressive bits

Haven’t listened to this in ages but I should

for me Wipers sound is the perfect intersection of neil young/melvins/husker du. so basically the perfect band.

basically, sad ass urban 80s lonerism

...so perfect for these times.

the wipers are so needed in these times of no toilet paper

definitely a lot of sad asses around

I would characterize the wipers (at least their first few) as “sad” so much as doom and gloom. Which yes, is very 2020 right now

would _not_ characterize, I meant

Doom and desperation

DOOM TOWN

I was revisiting the first Sonic Youth EP the other day, and when the sung melody of "She Is Not Alone" came on, I was like, "Wait...where is that melody from?!" I eventually realized it's the opening notes of "Youth of America". Knowing that SY was a fan of the Wipers, first I thought they might have (subconsciously?) borrowed that melody; but the "Youth of America" album apparently came out in Nov 1981 (per Wikipedia), and SY had been playing "She Is Not Alone" live in 1981 (before November) before going into the studio (Dec '81, Jan '82) for the EP. So maybe it's just a coincidence?

Interesting observation. Though I must admit that i do not hear any resemblance of the two song tunes at all. Sonic Youth is much more drum and percussion oriented (those cowbells!) than guitar oriented as on later releases. Or let's say the guitar is played in a rather rhythmic way. They seem still to be searching for their own sound.

Best band ever

^. sucks all the vinyl reissues in last few years have been so expensive though.

so classic, for much more than the first three records that get all the attention