Dag Nasty - Wig Out At Denko's

Dag Nasty are best remembered as the main band that Brian Baker worked on in between his Minor Threat days and joining Bad Religion, and for their 1986 debut album Can I Say, a concise and powerful record featuring a sound distinctly derived from the eastern US coast hardcore sound, and Dave Smalley's very melodic vocals that went hand in hand with the direction that several protagonists in the Washington, DC scene were taking since the "Revolution Summer". For me, this is a shame, because while Can I Say is a fine record, Dag Nasty's catalogue consists of several great records, most of which aren't entirely congruous with their first album.

The band's sophomore effort, Wig Out At Denko’s is my personal favourite. Smalley had left the band before the tour for Can I Say, and the band decided to recruit Peter Cortner, who had briefly played in a band with Joe Lally, who went on to play with Baker's Minor Threat bandmate Ian MacKaye in Fugazi (and, briefly, Colin Sears, who left to return to Dag Nasty), who produced this record. Degrees of separation and all that. Cortner's voice was lower and less of a presence than Smalley's, and this appears to have contributed to a slightly slower, moodier pace on Wig Out At Denko’s at times, a trend expanded upon on 1988's Field Day. Unlike Field Day, Wig Out... maintains a significant dosage of the heavy guitars from their earlier work, giving it a recognisable energy.

I remember reading in an interview of Cortner in the Big Takeover where he cited the last four tracks of the original ten, along with the opener, as being the ones that sounded most like Wig Out At Denko’s. "The Godfather" kicks off the album, and as Cortner suggested, this is distinctly not Can I Say material. Longer than anything on that record by virtue of not being shorter than three minutes, it begins as still recognisable Dag Nasty material. The guitar's there, but a little more sparse and negative. Colin Sears' drums are still driving, but just a smidgen more sparse and the tempo seems a little slower. Cortner's entrance is a fairly softly sung verse, and while it strains at times, it's clear that he isn't going to mimic his predecessor on this track. The lyrics here are a little more narrative than the previous record's more direct, dictating content. (On a side note, this song contains one of my worst misheard lyrics in terms of "that couldn't possibly make sense" - I was convinced that "the biggest train of all, speeding closer towards the bridge" was actually "speeding closer towards the fridge"). When "The Godfather" crashes out, we're greeted with some rapid guitar thrashing, and suddenly we're in Can I Say territory. That can be easily explained, for "Trying" was conceived before Can I Say, featuring lyrics that ended up on that album's first song "Values Here". Here we have those lyrics removed, and the remaining lyrics largely recycled. "Trying" seems out of place on the album, though you wouldn't know it at this point, and Cortner seems out of place on the song (if you heard the demos of Cortner singing Can I Say material, he doesn't seem to fare too well there either). Consequently, the song comes out as one of the two low points on the album.

"Safe" appears to be in the same vein as "Trying", featuring relentless drumming, angry guitar, and some shouting vocals. Twenty seconds in, however, all bar Baker stop, and he and then the rest of the music all spread out a little. It's still a reasonably hard rocking number that leans towards older material, particularly during the chorus, but Cortner sounds like himself again rather than a Smalley substitute, and the slight but only slight reining in of the music during the verses makes "Safe" one of the album's most powerful cuts. "Fall" follows in a similar vein, and is very nearly as good. There isn't much vocal difference between the verse and chorus. Doug Carrion's bass is a little more noticeable here, though Baker's guitars continue to dominate the mix.

With momentum starting to build on Wig Out..., we're thrown a real odd one. Supposedly a consequence of the album running a bit short, a song meant to be a mimic of Bad Brains' stop-start "Re-Ignition" appears here with an acoustic guitar and a relaxed vocal delivery. Surprisingly enough, it works rather well, and you easily forgive it for not rocking out and slowing everything right down. In fact, you'll wish it stayed that way, as the album's other real disappointment, "Simple Minds" is a fast, thrashy, largely tuneless number both musically and vocally. The only thing worth taking from the track is the line "like being in bed with a porcupine, a thousand pricks against one", an amusing simile that sounds even more ridiculous given the earnest ferocity with which Cortner tries to deliver it. What follows are the rest of the songs that were hinted at being more akin to the band's newer sound. The title track starts fairly aggressively, with rolling drums and a scream, but the guitar seems annoyed rather than particularly angry. The vocals aren't trying too hard, and the refrain is quite poppy. The solo works about as well as any Baker solo, despite not being very quick at all compared to on most other Dag Nasty records, and the first half of this one.

We're eventually treated to the album's finest (and longest) cut, "Exercise". A hollow guitar/vocal intro sets the tone, and gives way to cruising rock akin to "The Godfather" but with a more full-bodied guitar sound and better hooks. The drums just keep on driving, and a rare bass solo is given a little room, which is a welcome cameo. "Dag Nasty" (the song) is much more upbeat, though the lyrics and occasional sneering guitar keep the track sulky enough to be another good Wig Out... number. Another bass solo comes here, and while it's nothing special, there's a very curious sound of a woman crying in the mix. Who put that there? Was it you, Ian? It's very odd, but it certainly gives "Dag Nasty" some extra character. The album closes on the slow, moping "Crucial Three". Almost a shame to end on such a sombre note as the album's built up in strength again, but it's no throwaway mood piece. Sears' drums calm right down, and Baker's guitar rings out, as Carrion's similarly attenuated tune plods underneath. A choppy guitar solo steals the show and, along with the preceding few tracks, demonstrates a more mature, less predictable band, that overcame the issues of multiple personnel changes, a change in musical direction, and an apparent lack of material to punch out an album that, while being short (there are EP's longer than this, like Sugar's Beaster) and perhaps having too many weak songs out of a small number to be considered a classic, still serves up some great rock.

Some silence at the end of "Crucial Three" (why? I hate that!), and quite a few bonus tracks. Egads, this dilemma again. We're given most but not all of the demos recorded before the album (I think "All Ages Show" was recorded then as well) featuring Roger Marbury, the band's previous bassist. Less polished but decent performances of "Safe", "Trying" and "Fall" don't particularly outdo the album versions, but aren't disgraced either. "Roger" is an amusing punk rock "Ghostbusters" theme. "Mango" is an instrumental that eventually surfaced with Dave Smalley providing vocals on the temporarily-reformed band's 1992 album Four On The Floor. Smalley completes the song, but this version isn't without its merits. While a minute or so shorter, it is more than just a song without vocal. More intricate drum fills are scattered through the song, and the echoing guitar fills are more interesting here. Finally, two live acoustic throwaways finish off the bonus round. "When I Move" was acoustic anyway, and "I've Heard" is just plain weird, being spoken rather than sung. All in all, not the weakest complement of bonus material, but not great, and not a selection that I would say you have to listen to along with the album proper, by any means. Wig Out At Denko’s proper is a short album with some inconsistency and failings, but is well worth a listen whether you're familiar with the band's other work, or a fan of related bands like Bad Religion (with or without Baker) and the Descendents (with or without Carrion). I'd even recommend it as an introduction to the band, as it shows off a less boisterous Dag Nasty while still providing hallmarks of their well-received debut.

Personal picks: Exercise, Safe, The Godfather

Picks for others: Exercise, The Godfather, Dag Nasty

Relative weaknesses: Simple Minds, Trying

Tracklist

01 - The Godfather

02 - Trying

03 - Safe

04 - Fall

05 - When I Move

06 - Simple Minds

07 - Wig Out At Denko's

08 - Exercise

09 - Dag Nasty

10 - Crucial Three

Bonus tracks

11 - Safe [Demo]

12 - Trying [Demo]

13 - Fall [Demo]

14 - Roger [Demo]

15 - Mango [Demo]

16 - When I Move [Live]

17 - I've Heard [Live]