Well, want to put this out in front of you as it`s an album that was overlooked by the Knack and now that Doug Fieger is rocking the heavens with his Beatley melodies, I want to slip this is front of you. It`s not a great album - that would be the first one, perfection that is. In fact, it gets a middling 3 stars from AllMusic Guide but if your a fan and missed it, it`s well worth picking up while it`s still in print: "Normal as the Next Guy lacks the tight snap of the Knack`s best-known work, and while the album`s easygoing mid-tempo pop perhaps befits the group`s more adult perspective, it lacks a certain enthusiasm. And when the band does try to call up a harder sound on the mock-eccentric title track, it just doesn`t wash (and Doug Fieger sounds a lot more menacing when he isn`t trying to convince listeners he`s crazy). Significantly, Normal as the Next Guy succeeds best when the Knack strays farthest from their formula; the twangy undertow of "Spiritual Pursuit" shows these guys listened to some James Burton licks somewhere down the line, and the closer, "The Man on the Beach," is a tribute to Sunflower-era Beach Boys tunes (written by guitarist Berton Averre) that`s all but faultless in both concept and execution. Normal as the Next Guy suggests the Knack`s days as a cheerfully snotty pop band are over, but they could still have some pleasant surprises up their sleeves if they keep trying to expand their boundaries. "- AMG.
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