Taking their name from Richard Lester's swinging London classic The Knack and How to Get It and their sound from the Kinks, the Knack captured a certain vibe from mid-'60s Britain -- which isn't quite the same thing as making an impact at the time. One of the charms of the Knack is that they were so of their time that they don't quite transcend their time, yet they evoke it, which is why Time Time Time: The Complete UK Singles (And More) 1965-1967 is enjoyable even if it isn't quite memorable.
What's striking is indeed how much they sound like the Kinks circa Something Else; unlike the equally Kinks-obsessed Turquoise, who delved deeply into The Village Green, there aren't many signs of wry whimsy here -- there's nothing but lean, hard-hitting, hooky pop. Which isn't to say that the Knack only reworked the driving rock & roll of "Who'll Be the Next in Line?," the Ray Davies song they covered and which opens this collection.
They could branch out, as on the terrific "Time Time Time," which glides along on swirling guitars and harmonies, a piece of pure '60s pop that still can thrill. They rarely reached this height, but they did nice covers of the Lovin' Spoonful (both "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?," which they pumped up with fuzz-toned guitar, and "Younger Girl"); "Save All My Love for Joey" is a pretty nice slice of soft, string-laced pop;
"Take Your Love" is bright, crystalline pop; "(Man from The) Marriage Guidance and Advice Bureau" plays as if the Hollies tried to write a Dylan song instead of just singing them; and Paul Gurvitz's pair of originals, "Dolly Catcher Man" and "Lights on the Wall," are very good, propulsive British psychedelic pop, suggesting the potential of Gurvitz as a songwriter.
These moments are a little fleeting on Time Time Time, as they're surrounded by perfectly fine but mildly forgettable period pieces, but they're the reason for '60s collectors to check out this likable band. (S.T. Erlewine, allmusic.com)
The band was certainly a little underrated. They had some really good songs but never made it into the front row of the big sixties bands. I second the review from allmusic in the most parts and recommend the collection. Enjoy.(Frank)
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Great band, Frank! Glad this is not the "My Sharona" band which I don't like that much. Everything pre-The Gun is most welcome,- back in 1968 we were considered progressive because we heard Adrian and Paul's "Race with the Devil" (actually, this was my first 45er on multicolored vinyl). I even wore a fringed suede jacket that my mother had embroidered "The Gun" on and was suspended from class because I did not want to take it off (now that's what I call "classroom revolution" - others called it "storm in the teacup").
ReplyDeleteBack to "The Knack": They started as "The Londoners" but were mainly working in Germany. I have a Star-Club 45er of "The Londoners" somewhere.
The Knack's "(The Man from) Marriage Guidance and Advice Bureau / Dolly Catcher Man" was issued on Piccadilly 35367 in the UK, while in the US, to avoid a lawsuit with US garage rockers "The Knack" (no, not "My Sharona"), Mercury Records released the single under the name "The Lobsters".