Artist

The Knack

Los Angeles, United States • 1978 – 2010

The Knack is a music group from Los Angeles, United States, active 1978–2010. Their discography on Gatefold includes 14 records.

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Albums tracked

108

In collections

1978

Since

Biography

There are several bands called The Knack. 1. The Knack were an American new wave/power pop band from Detroit, Michigan, based in Los Angeles. They rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", which was an international hit in 1979. The power pop of "My Sharona", coupled with the band's retro 60s look, earned the band comparisons to The Beatles (though the band members themselves viewed the 'New Beatles' label as tongue-in-cheek). Many music critics hated disco

The Arc of The Knack

The pivots — what forced The Knack to reinvent.

The Instant Backlash
After their debut went gold in thirteen days, Capitol rushed the band back into the studio with Mike Chapman to record ...But the Little Girls Understand. The recording session was fueled by exhaustion and arrogance. They recycled the exact same beats and teenage-lust tropes. Critics pounced on the title and the artwork, accusing the band of calculation and misogyny. The record sold a million copies but killed their momentum.
The Art-Rock Pivot
Desperate to be taken seriously, the band hired Jack Douglas, the producer behind Aerosmith and Cheap Trick, for 1981's Round Trip. They abandoned the tight three-minute pop formula for synthesizers, horns, and sprawling progressive rock arrangements. Berton Averre got to show off his genuine jazz-fusion guitar chops. The public ignored it completely. Fieger walked out of the band during the supporting tour, ending their first run.
The Hard Rock Resurrection
A decade after crashing, Fieger and Averre reformed the band and hired metal producer Don Was for 1991's Serious Fun. They swapped the skinny ties for heavy guitar riffs and big stadium drums. Drummer Pat Torpey of Mr. Big joined the lineup, giving them a heavy metal backbeat instead of Bruce Gary's classic Motown bounce. The album sank under the weight of the burgeoning grunge scene, but it proved they could still write a killer hook.

Influences

The Who — Berton Averre specifically modeled his stuttering guitar solo on 'My Sharona' after Pete Townshend's work on 'I Can't Explain.' You can hear the massive, ringing power chords and Keith Moon-style drum fills all over 'Get the Knack.' Bruce Gary even auditioned for The Who after Keith Moon died.
The Kinks — The Knack recorded a direct cover of 'Hard Way' on their second album to pay tribute to Ray Davies. You hear that same cynical, British music-hall songwriting style in Fieger's vocal delivery on 'Good Girls Don't.' They lifted the sharp, descending guitar riff structure directly from Davies' mid-sixties playbook.
The Beatles — The band famously copied the Meet the Beatles album cover art and the monochrome Apple Records aesthetic for their debut. You hear it in the tight, two-part vocal harmonies between Fieger and Averre on tracks like 'Oh Tara.' The entire songwriting formula relies on the early Lennon-McCartney verse-chorus-verse pop structure.
Buddy Holly — Doug Fieger frequently cited Holly's vocal hiccup as his primary singing influence. You hear that exact vocal tic throughout 'My Sharona' and 'Frustrated.' The band also relied heavily on the simple, driving Stratocaster-and-bass rhythm section that Holly popularized.
Suzi Quatro — Before forming The Knack, Doug Fieger played in a band called Tucky Buzzard and co-wrote songs with Quatro's producer Mike Chapman. Quatro's tough, leather-jacket pop-punk hybrid on Rak Records laid the foundation for The Knack's aggressive, uptempo approach to AM radio pop. You hear that driving, bass-heavy stomp on 'Get the Knack.'