Can I Say

This record (and 7 Seconds "Walk Together, Rock Together") changed my life. Totally opened my eyes from what I was listening to at that point and showed me a different world. Never went back, as it were. Can I Say (and Wig Out at Denkos) still totally holds up today.

Circles is the best

I love this album. It may be one of my favorite albums of all time. It revived me of my love for music and is a huge influence for me. There are all these little musical or even non-musical moments that just make this one of the best records ever made. Part of what makes it perfect is that it isn't perfect.

Love it.

I have only heard rumors of this band, and the more I delve into my giant set list of the true originators of punk, the more I find bands like this. To me, this is most likely one of the top five greatest punk albums of all time. Spin magazine wasn't even close when they put out an issue years ago of the 50 greatest punk albums of all time. Minor Threat I think were in there as well as Fugazi, but I am almost certain they missed this one. I mean Dead Milkmen weren't even on the list. Big Lizard should have been on that list. Not all punk is heavy! And Bleach should have been in place of In Utero. OK so why is this album one of the greats? Guitar, Guitar, Guitar. This is the blueprint of all punk bands guitar sound. It all comes from here. Most of it anyways, if you really wanted to rock you would combine them, Bad Brains, The Stooges, MC 5, Pera Ubu, Black Flag, Minor Threat, The Misfits (new and old), Rage against the Machine, freakier stuff from Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd, and then throw in influences from Celtic Frost and MotorHead for good effect and couple it all with the most biting and evil, left leaning political and social commentary you can come up with! And most importantly, pull no punches! This is what the true 80s underground was all about. It's time for music to mean something again.

#'s 1 thru 7 absolutely rip...haven't heard it in 20 years but i'll dust off the skateboard after downloading today

Never again will music be as real and pure as it was back then...what I would do to be young again with my board and some good tape like Dag Nasty on my way to skate some drainage pipes or some new terrain with good friends.

Punk done as only the residents of D.C. could. How these kids came to embody a truly unique American sound, as homegrown as American music comes, is a bit of mystery, given that so few were (at the time) bonafide musicians. Values Here, Circles, Can I Say, Under Your Influence are this band at its best. Although some prefer the original frontman to Dave Smalley (who fronted the band on later releases), anyone who questions Smalley's cred need only listen to his cover of The Clash's "Death or Glory." A more earnest man you will be hard pressed to find. But back to this record, you need to buy it if heart-felt punk rock moves you, or if you are even just curious about how good it all was.

this is soild mid 80s hardcore punk. i love every minute of this album!

i first heard this in the summer of 88 and it was on a tape that was circulating around my town. the tape was unnamed and finally we were able to figure out who it was. funny story when i was told that it was dag nasty, i could not remember it the next day and thought the person said agnostic....agnostic front i guess....i bought a few of their records before correcting myself ( agnostic front is a great band too) i bought "can i say" on vinyl in 88 and wore out the record. this was the only thing i listened to for several years until i discovered nirvana's bleach. this is an absolute must!!!