Make It New: The Knack – “Get the Knack” (1979)

Trying to define new wave as a genre has grown increasingly difficult the further into Make It New that things have gotten. On the one hand, it’s a subversion of sound that is different from the mainstream. It embraces weird ethos and concept albums that miraculously became the new Top 40, guiding rock music for the next decade in exciting ways. However, the list has room for artists like The Knack who in some respect fit the bill, but are also a tad off the mark. They are once again borrowing from an “outdated” sound, but they have a more conventional approach than the dozens of artists explored so far. The Knack feels more reminiscent of general rock than a subgenre, where even their subject matter has droll accessibility that, while fun, doesn’t really strike one as eccentric.

A common complaint that The Knack received around “Get the Knack” was that they weren’t authentic. The album cover was said to plagiarize The Beatles’ “Meet the Beatles” with many of the songs following familiar British Invasion chord progressions. Singer Doug Fieger would be the first to admit that this was intentional. Given that this was 1979, he claimed that most of his audience wasn’t able to appreciate the wave of 60s artists that redefined rock ‘n roll. Assessment from there is left for interpretation, though their debut album has plenty of infectious hits that, if nothing else, suggest that they had something to offer within this nostalgic gimmickry.

Like most of Make It New, Fieger got his start in another band called Sky. Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller would producer their album, though they wouldn’t experience any chart success. Believing that he needed a new start, he moved to Los Angeles, CA and began assembling what would become The Knack. With demos and tapes floating around, they gained a reputation by playing at venues on The Sunset Strip where they’d have drop-in appearances by people like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Ray Manzarek (The Doors). As a party band, they had everything set for success. This would eventually lead to a 10 record label battle that eventually landed them on Capitol Records with the highest paid contract to that point. Even then, their initial album was produced for $18,000 in two weeks. They were produced by Mike Chapman who had just finished Blondie’s “Parallel Lines” the year prior. Success seemed imminent.

A funny tangent to make is that The Knack weren’t the first Los Angeles-based Knack to be signed to Capitol Records. To go back to 1965, the label hired The Knack known best for “Time Waits for No One,” though their lack of success meant that they were over within years. Similarly, there was another Knack from Britain that has also become a footnote. Somehow Fieger’s Knack has outlived them all, and it helps when considering the level of success they acquired all at once. While most of their fame came in a very short burst, calling them a one hit wonder would be inaccurate. Even if they never reached the levels of “My Sharona” ever again, they still had a few hits worthy of consideration.

Whereas most bands covered so far had massive success, none of them had the luck that The Knack did with “My Sharona.” Fieger claims that the song was written when he began dating Sharona Alperin who became his muse. The melody was inspired by The Spencer Davis Group and Smokey Robinson and reflected how in love he was with her. To prove this wasn’t just coincidence, Fieger allowed Alperin to appear on the cover for the single holding a copy of “Get the Knack.” It was certified gold and became the fastest selling debut single by Capitol Records to reach that status since The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Given that “Get the Knack” would also become one of the best-selling debuts of the time with two million sold, they were set up to be something incredible. More importantly, “My Sharona” was considered to be one of the definitive songs of 1979.

To be completely honest, this is one of those songs that has defied time to become one of the essential hits. It’s a track that knows chord structure very well and uses call and response effectively. The lyrics have this infectious longing that is driven purely by hormones and a name that itself is melodic. By the time of the concluding two minutes, it’s able to get away with a breakdown that goes on a little long, going into Fieger moaning with passion as he tries to turn balladry into a rowdy good time. It’s the perfect level of repetitive, never quite reaching an annoying status. If anything, it’s the type of song that can go for two or six minutes without feeling out of place. “My Sharona” may be a bit overplayed at this point, but it’s got that jubilance that is undeniable.

If there’s any complaint to be had with The Knack, it’s that they never quite felt sincere as a group. Whereas most pop acts have gotten away with expressing puppy love, the band fell under fire for lyrics that were considered creepy. This especially is clear on “My Sharona” where the chorus features the unsubtle lyrics:

Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind

I always get it up for the touch of the younger kind

Fieger has suggested that this song is from the perspective of a 15-year-old boy, but even then, the 27-year-old singer’s relationship with a 19-year-old Alperin was a little suspicious. Many wanted to “Knute the Knack” as their other songs laid on affection for youth. The singer would admit that this was intentional in hindsight. Still, given that most Top 40 music of the time embraced youth and desire, the accusations are both fair and also a bit overblown. Even with the hormonal undertones in their work, they were far less suggestive than other artists of the time. These were just vapid poppy rock tunes that were meant to dance and party to. There wasn’t any real depth to it.

Which isn’t to suggest that “Get the Knack” is devoid of value. As mentioned, they were trying to recreate The British Invasion with a contemporary sound. This came early with such fun songs like “Your Number or Your Name” which cleverly looks for a way to get in contact with a girl he loves. The lyrics are fun and capture how the band was able to capture memorable hooks, especially given that it has been compared to Hollies and The Who. The next song “Oh Tara” showed their talent for balladry as they sing a song in a slower key, 

Another fun thing is that along with having an alarming relationship with women, The Knack also had a few conflicts with the censor boards. With “(She’s So) Selfish,” Capitol Records wanted to make the Bo Diddley-inspired song into a hit single. With a catchy chorus and a vocal style that was sarcastic and playful, there were lyrics that wouldn’t play all that well with radio friendliness, notably the part that goes:

When she takes you by the short hairs

It's the only thing she'll leave you down there

No fuck-a me fuck-a me today

No fuck-a me fuck-a me today

Given that The Dallas Observer considered it a ‘teen-beat anthem,” it made sense to want to push it, even though The Knack refused to cooperate. They believed that cutting out the lyrics would be the equivalent of selling out, tearing apart their rebellious image, and taking away what works about the song. With that said, there was an edited version released in Canada where Fieger wrote on the tape “NOT MASTER! NOT TO BE USED! ONLY CANADIAN RADIO!” 

Similarly, “Good Girls Don’t” is designed to be reminiscent of The Beatles’ “I Should Have Known.” The inappropriate lyrics meant that Fieger claimed that he was reflecting the 14-year-old experience. The sexual lyrics, including “sitting on your face,” were brought into questioning. With that said, like “My Sharona,” The Knack had a knack for making these controversial songs fun to dance to and have a good time. Given that it leads into their biggest song, the centerpieces of the album definitely highlight why the “Knute the Knack” campaign had steam. While it would fade, it didn’t excuse other songs like “That’s What the Little Girls Do” that showed how juvenile their perspective remained.

Again, “Get the Knack” isn’t all that terrible of an album and in fact embraces the youthful vigor so well that it’s undeniable. I am unsure how successful it is at recalling another era like Soft Boys or The Vapors. If anything, the songs are more reminiscent of later Tom Petty music in places. Even Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) has listed it as one of his favorite albums. In some ways, it felt like the record that defined the era while never quite leading to a superstardom that one would expect. A lot of more successful bands sound like this, and yet The Knack are mistaken as a one hit wonder, occasionally revived as in the 1990s with Reality Bites (1994) that lead them to perform their first TV gig on The Tonight Show. 

To cover the bases of stereotypes, The Knack’s immediate career is very familiar to most Make It New subjects. Whereas “Get the Knack” was a success and their follow-up “…But the Little Girls Understand” had a few hits, they were running out of steam quickly. By 1981 with “Round Trip,” they disbanded on the belief that their success was waning. There would be a brief stint in the late 80s and another album release of “Serious Fun” in 1991, but the label Charisma Records went under when the founder died. They would reband intermittently over the remaining years until 2010 when Fieger died of lung cancer. Still, their music continued to inspire audiences and remains one of the quintessential nostalgic tracks of the era.

While I don’t know that The Knack’s public reputation would suggest that they were a great band, I will personally say that their live performances made me a convert. In the Mid-2000s, I attended an Orange County New Year’s Eve (OCNYE) where they had a mix of indie, modern, and retro acts on various stages. It’s where I would see Blondie, The Violent Femmes, Berlin, and The English Beat at different points (I went over two years, so I’m unsure who was when). 

One year I went and saw a side stage that featured The Knack on the same bill as The Romantics. Whereas I found the latter act to be looking worse for wear (but still fun), The Knack impressed me. They were essentially a party band and while “My Sharona” remained their centerpiece, the rest of their setlist was a nice mix of familiar songs and upbeat tracks that made the brief set time an enjoyable experience that lead me to check out “Get the Knack.” Even if they never quite rose to favorite status, I could understand what drew people like Springsteen and Petty to want to watch them live. They were fun. So long as you’re just going for the energy, it’s quite an exciting way to pass the time. 

It is why even if I can notice that “Get the Knack” is in some ways a rickety album with questionable lyrics, I can’t deny that they were very good at making rock music. Do I think they’re fitting for this new wave conversation? Not really. They don’t offer enough that feels out of place from Top 40 rock to the point that they defined 1979 better than most on here. While I’d argue that they are borderline as predatory and uncomfortable as Bow Wow Wow could be, they have enough of an impersonal tone to not make their lustful desire sound like an abuse of masculine dominance. If anything, it reflects the power of great songwriting, where a kitschy melody makes all the difference. These songs won’t change the world, but they will capture the feeling of being at a party and being swirled up in emotions. It’s why “Get the Knack” has an everlasting quality even if it’s nowhere on par with The British Invasion it sought to recapture. It’s fun, and sometimes that’s all that’s necessary to become immortal.

Coming Up Next: Gary Neuman – “The Pleasure Principle” (1979)