Write a Review
Critic's Review
Chris Woodstra & Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
The Knack attempted to update the Beatles sound for the new wave era on their debut. A good idea that was well executed, but critics cried "foul" when millions sold after Capitol's pre-release hype (it went gold in 13 days and eventually sold five million copies, making it one of the most successful debuts in history). Get the Knack is at once sleazy, sexist, hook-filled, and endlessly catchy -- above all, it's a guilty pleasure and an exercise in simple fun. When is power pop legitimate, anyway? Includes the unforgettable hits "My Sharona" and "Good Girls Don't." [The remastered edition of Get The Knack is roughly comparable to Beat Goes On's two-on-one CD of the group's first two LPs, although the BGO version would have to get the nod -- albeit not by much -- in terms of sound quality. The 24-bit remastering here is superior to the old CD version, but BGO does more with what they've got, for a lot more presence and a hotter sound. Then again, the bonus tracks on this disc kind of make it essential for serious fans of the group, especially in the absence of a career-defining collection. The highlights include the songwriting demos for "My Sharona" and "That's What the Little Girls Do," essentially unamplified run-throughs of the lyric and basic chords, plus the group's rehearsal of Nick Lowe's "I Knew the Bride When She Used to Rock and Roll," which missed making the album by inches.]
