The Knack

If they had recorded nothing other than the pounding, anthemic tale of young lust called “My Sharona,” the Knack would deserve to be in some mythical Power Pop Hall of Fame. But, thankfully for us, their legacy is much more than simply that one (absolutely marvelous) song. Their debut, “Get the Knack,” is one of those near-perfect records that dole out the power and the pop in equally lethal doses. Aside from “Sharona” and its follow up single, the potent “Good Girls Don’t,” the album included such ridiculously catchy gems as “That’s What the Little Girls Do” and “Your Number or Your Name,” along with a rockin’ cover of “Heartbeat” by one of the band’s spiritual musical forefathers, Buddy Holly. Pretty much a greatest hits collection right out of the box, it was. Although the two immediate follow up albums to “Get the Knack” weren’t as commercially or artistically successful, there were still gems scattered throughout, such as the Phil Spector-influenced “The Feeling I Get” from …”But the Little Girls Understand.”  And their final two studio records (1998’s “Zoom” and 2001’s “Normal as the Next Guy”) were both chock full of primo power pop tunes that too few people bring up when discussing the band’s legacy. Add to all this the fact that the Knack were all top notch musicians – the late Bruce Gary in particular was a freaking monster behind the drum kit – and it’s quite clear that they belong in the PPHOF. RIP, Doug and Bruce…

John M. Borack,
Contributing Editor, Goldmine Magazine