Review of Knack, The: Live From The Rock ´N´ Roll Fun House

Introduction

For the uninitiated, The Knack were formed in 1978 and had success with their debut album "Get The Knack", primarily on the strength of the hit single "My Sharona". The success didn`t last long however, and after three albums, the band split up.

Yep, you`ve guessed it, rather than being original material this DVD is yet another rock-group reunion gig. The songs are dressed up in a retro pop TV show called "The Rock `n` Roll Funhouse", presented by the "legendary" Jimmy Lemenjello, and featuring some "witty" interludes.

Video

The video comes in full-frame and is of a reasonably good standard, with little or no grain, no compression problems, plenty of colour and adequate detail.

The visuals are particularly uninteresting, following the traditional "four blokes on stage with instruments", with no stageshow and very limited lighting. Obviously filmed for video, the TV studio setting is bright, and results in a total lack of atmosphere. Very occasional shots of the crowd are included to remind you that there are not just cameras in front of the band.

Audio

The sound comes in a choice of Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 - I listed to several songs in both and came to the conclusion that the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix was preferable as it was a little less harsh, despite suffering from compression of the cymbals.

The 5.1 mix makes good use of the available channels, with the sound filling the room nicely.

Musically, "My Sharona" is of course a classic, and there are a few other reasonable songs on the disc, although the songs are very samey, with little variety from track to track. Not having heard much of the Knack`s original material except for "My Sharona", I can`t pass judgement on the quality of the performance, but it is certainly competent.

Features

As with many other music discs, the extras are completely underwhelming, with just a gallery and discography on offer.

The menus are colourful and easy to navigate.

Conclusion

I`m not a fan of reunion shows - bands are better remembered from their original time period - and the music is better remembered by buying a CD from that original time period.

So, having got that of the way, how does this Knack disc stand up to scrutiny? Well, the video and sound are both above average and as ever with music discs, the extras don`t warrant the time spent creating menu entries. Content wise, some songs are ok in moderation, but an hour of very similar material pushed the limits of my tolerance.

In summary, The Knack are remembered for "My Sharona", and the rest is easily forgettable.