Get the Knack

“My Sharona” and “Good Girls Don’t” dominated radio waves at the end of the '70s as new wave finally made inroads into the heartland. The Knack did it by making great pop music, with killer hooks and catchy choruses that were tough to shake. What gets lost in all the hype (like the label’s attempt to market the band as the new Beatles) is just how good The Knack was. Guitarist Berton Averre is in a class of his own, and drummer Bruce Gary has been a sought-after session drummer. Due to the band’s accomplished musicianship, Get the Knack was recorded in just two weeks and managed to be both polished and energized. “Let Me Out” is a screamer, but the power pop sway of “Your Number or Your Name” and “That’s What the Little Girls Do” gives the band depth. Prescott Niles’ impeccable bass lines drive “Oh Tara” to the dance floor, while singer Doug Fieger’s defiant rasp makes “She’s So Selfish,” “Frustrated,” and their cover of Buddy Holly’s “Heartbeat” perfect adolescent angst. A stunning debut.