Can I Say

Musically, Can I Say is a hardcore punk album. According to Ned Raggett of AllMusic: "Baker's roots in Minor Threat are clear throughout, but at the same time, the production, assisted by Ian Mackaye, is actually stronger and crisper than much of that band's work." The album occasionally incorporates call-and-response vocals. Raggett said that frontman Dave Smalley "has a vocal delivery halfway between strident pronouncement and anguished reflection -- it's not emo in the original sense of the term (or alternately the late-90s watering down of same), but it's a careful balance just the same." Lyrical themes explored on the album include the personal politics of Smalley. == Reception and legacy ==

Ned Raggett of AllMusic gave the album three and a half stars out of five, and wrote: "Can I Say helps mark a turning point between hardcore's straight-ahead origins and a more accessible approach that would eventually prime the way for punk's breakthrough in the mid-'90s." ==Track listing==

All tracks by Dag Nasty. Side one • "Values Here" – 2:23 • "One to Two" – 2:15 • "Circles" – 2:46 • "Thin Line" – 2:30 • "Justification" – 2:51 Side two • "What Now?" – 2:16 • "I've Heard" – 1:43 • "Under Your Influence" – 2:36 • "Can I Say" – 1:59 • "Never Go Back" – 2:52 2002 CD reissue bonus tracks • "Another Wrong" – 2:18 • "My Dog's a Cat" – 2:19 • "I've Heard (Live)" – 2:18 • "Another Wrong (Live)" – 2:22 • "Trying (Live)" – 2:09 • "Justification (Live)" – 3:58 Live tracks are from the February 6, 1986 show at The Electric Banana in Pittsburgh, PA. ==Personnel==

• Dag Nasty • Dave Smalley - vocals • Brian Baker - guitars • Roger Marbury - bass guitar • Colin Sears - drums • Ian MacKaye - producer • Dag Nasty - producer ==References==