Old Enough to Forget

Obladi obla dah, this won't take long, my how the time has gone. This month has a double shot of The Knack, a band I've gotten into lately. They were so much more than a one hit wonder. I also figured four was enough this time. Just four albums this time out, and that's enough. This was the 17th Stylus over Substance post, and I think this will be the last one. Who knows I may resurrect this format in the future ... or not. Time will tell. Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1974) The Knack -  ... But the Little Girls Understand (1980) The Knack - Round Trip (1981) Foreigner - Inside Information (1987) Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1974)  I bought this as a curiosity, and it was a curiosity I got. I'd seen so many copies in the dollar bin it just seemed too interesting to pass up. I'll be the first to admit this would have been an astounding show to see live; however, hearing it as a stand-alone experience is a little more dis...

The summer of 1979 belonged to The Knack. Produced by Mike Chapman who was half of the infamous dynamic "Chinnichap" duo with Nicky Chinn. Mr. Chapman had an ear for candy and by gum (bubble gum, baby!) with The Knack he managed to catch lightning in a bottle. The album would go double platinum in the States, and in Canada it would move over 400,000 copies. The album was a big deal. Or so you'd think. The reality is a little more complicated. Going back to my teenage years, "My Sharona" was the song that propelled the band into the stratosphere. Kids everywhere could play the opening riff, and like "Smoke on the Water" it gave the song a sense of simplicity that belied the song's complex structure and numerous changes. It's a mini masterclass in musical excellence and there are no bum notes or wasted space. You don't even have to hear all of the opening riff to "name that tune." I ate it up until it made me sick, and so did an awf...