Music Appreciation - My Sharona
Burned out in radio air play, the full version by The Knack is a sleeper, and a killer tune in retrospect.
Since my audience seems to lean seasoned1, I suspect you have some memory of this song when it captured the airplay in the late 70’s and early 80’s. It seemed to be on every station multiple times a day.
Literally it was everywhere.
But the radio mix was shortened from the album recording, and what hit the cutting-room floor was one of the best pop-ish solos ever recorded2.
I never owned the album, but I heard it so often that I was completely burned out on the song. Classic radio overplaying.
Then, probably 5 or so years ago, one of the music people I followed on Twitter brought my attention to the full song. Tracii Guns, the axe-slinger for the 80’s metal band LA Guns, pointed out the kick ass nature of this sleeper solo, so I gave it a good listen.
And HOLY SHIT, it is a smoking solo. First, the framework of the song is a catchy beat, tight playing of all instruments, and it is well structured. Second, the solo is well architected, it builds in tempo and intensity, before third, it just goes off.
Give it a listen and wait for the lead break starting at about 2:40, and it just builds until the song closes at near 5 minutes.
Lemme know what you think.
Yeah, that is a euphemism for “skewing older” - sue me.
That is a bold statement, but I believe it is justified.
This is a great article. My niece was about 5 when it came out, and after my younger brother’s
I am very familiar with the album version of the song. I (along with a few friends) was a disc jockey in a club. We never played the radio edit version. It was one of those songs that prompted all to up off their ass and pack the dance floor!