...But the Little Girls Understand

Last updated
...But the Little Girls Understand
Little Girls Understand.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 15, 1980
RecordedDecember 1979
StudioMCA-Whitney Studios, Glendale, California
Genre Power pop
Label Capitol
Producer Mike Chapman
The Knack chronology
Get the Knack
(1979)
...But the Little Girls Understand
(1980)
Round Trip
(1981)
Singles from ...But the Little Girls Understand
  1. "Baby Talks Dirty"
    Released: January 1980
  2. "Can't Put a Price on Love"
    Released: March 1980
  3. "I Want Ya"
    Released: 1980
  4. "It's You"
    Released: 1980
  5. "How Can Love Hurt So Much"
    Released: 1980
  6. "Mr. Handleman"
    Released: 1980

...But the Little Girls Understand is the second studio album by power pop/new wave group the Knack, released by Capitol Records in February 1980. The album reached the number 15 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart in 1980. The singles "Baby Talks Dirty" and "Can't Put a Price on Love" charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 38 and No. 62, respectively. [1] The song "Mr. Handleman" was released as a single in some countries, such as New Zealand. [2] Guitarist Berton Averre has stated that "Mr. Handleman" was the first song he and lead singer Doug Fieger wrote together. [3] The RIAA certified the album as Gold on April 14, 1980. [4]

Contents

Overview

The album's title is a reference to blues musician Willie Dixon's song "Back Door Man", [1] which has the lyrics: "I'm a back door man. The men don't know, but the little girls understand." [5] Recording was done at MCA-Whitney Studios in Glendale, [6] where Mike Chapman—credited as "Commander" Chapman—produced the album. Chapman also wrote a comedic description of the album in the liner notes, including the line "The songs are an assortment of feelings expressed redundantly as only the Knack can. This record is very dear to me and my bank manager." [1] Band members Berton Averre and Doug Fieger wrote all of the songs except for "The Hard Way" [1] which was written by Ray Davies and recorded by the Kinks on their album Schoolboys in Disgrace (1975). [7] [8]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Robert Christgau C− [10]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]

The album was a commercial disappointment, failing to match the immense commercial success of the band's 1979 debut Get the Knack . The album did, however, sell well enough to hit the No. 15 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart in 1980, propelled by the singles "Baby Talks Dirty" and "Can't Put a Price on Love" which both charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 38 and No. 62, respectively. [1] The RIAA certified the album as Gold on April 14, 1980, [4] about two months after its release. [1] Capitol Records released an expanded version of the album with bonus tracks in 2002. [12]

Critic Dave Marsh of Rolling Stone , known for his utter disdain for most artists of the era, [13] wrote a scathing review, commenting:

The music can't redeem the lyrics–not only because such dehumanization is irredeemable, but also because the music is lame. Indeed, the Knack are the most nefarious sort of hacks. They're terribly competent and they have a seemingly inexhaustible storehouse of clichés... the Knack's greatest achievement is to make hard-rock clichés sound completely gutless... Fieger's puling vocals suggest that, for him, the ultimate agony would be to imagine that somewhere in the world there exists a woman who might find him sexually unattractive. Compared to Doug Fieger, Rod Stewart is a paragon of sexual humility. [14]

Specifically addressing some of the songs on the album, Marsh wrote "In Fieger's lyrics, women are literally commodities whose chief purpose is to be brutalized. The kid in 'Baby Talks Dirty' is a foul-mouthed windup doll, and in 'Mr. Handleman,' the tame calypso that's the new LP's catchiest number, the protagonist is pimping for his wife–a situation the group views with dispassion, if not outright approbation." [14] He further wrote "All of Fieger's lyrics finally boil down to one sentiment: f*ck- me, honey. (When he's feeling ambitious, he writes something like 'Can't Put a Price on Love,' which translates: f*ck me for free, babe.)" [14]

Trouser Press remarked that the band "replicated the sound" of their debut album, and described "Baby Talks Dirty" as "anemic" and an "inferior replicant of 'My Sharona' (minus the thunderous hook)." [15] Trouser Press also remarked on the bad taste of some of the album's lyrics, giving "Mr. Handleman's" wife-pimping lyrics as an example. [15] In a generally negative review, Robert Christgau stated that "little girls prefer catchy, punchy second-hand songs to varied, indecisive thirdhand ones. In fact, so do critics." [16] On the other hand, critic Chris Woodstra of AllMusic has retrospectively given a positive opinion. He called the album "a good time for those who don't take rock & roll too seriously." [1] Critic Steve "Spaz" Schnee of AllMusic has also stated that ...But the Little Girls Understand is "unfairly dismissed as an inferior rehash of the debut." [17]

The album's front cover features Sharona Alperin, girlfriend of Doug Fieger, the young woman who had inspired the band's hit "My Sharona".

Track listing

Original release

All songs are by Doug Fieger unless noted: [1]

  1. "Baby Talks Dirty" (Berton Averre, Doug Fieger)
  2. "I Want Ya"
  3. "Tell Me You're Mine"
  4. "Mr. Handleman" (Berton Averre, Doug Fieger)
  5. "Can't Put a Price on Love" (Berton Averre, Doug Fieger)
  6. "Hold on Tight and Don't Let Go"
  7. "The Hard Way" (Ray Davies)
  8. "It's You" (Berton Averre, Doug Fieger)
  9. "End of the Game"
  10. "The Feeling I Get"
  11. "(Havin' a) Rave Up" (Berton Averre, Doug Fieger)
  12. "How Can Love Hurt So Much"

Chart positions

Album

YearChartPosition
1980 Billboard 200 15
1980 Kent Music Report (Australia) [18] 32

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [19] Platinum100,000^
United States (RIAA) [20] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Knack</span> American band

The Knack was an American rock band based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with its first single, "My Sharona", an international number-one hit in 1979.

<i>Get the Knack</i> 1979 studio album by The Knack

Get the Knack is the debut album by American rock band the Knack, released in June 1979. At the time, the album was one of the most successful debuts in history, selling over one million copies in less than two months and spending five weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Bologna</span> 1979 single by "Weird Al" Yankovic

"My Bologna" is the debut single by American musical parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic, originally released in December 1979. It is a parody of the Knack's hit song "My Sharona". Yankovic originally wrote the lyrics while he attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California; the original version of the parody was recorded in a bathroom across the hall from the radio station at which Yankovic worked. The title refers to Bologna sausage, specifically the Oscar Mayer brand popular in the United States. Yankovic sent "My Bologna" to Dr. Demento, who aired the song on his nationwide radio program, The Dr. Demento Show. The song was a hit on the program, and eventually gained the number one spot on Dr. Demento's "Funny Five" countdown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Sharona</span> 1979 single by the Knack

"My Sharona" is the debut single by the Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger, and it was released in 1979 from their debut album, Get the Knack. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, where it remained for six weeks, and was number one on Billboard's 1979 Top Pop Singles year-end chart.

<i>Chipmunk Punk</i> 1980 studio album by The Chipmunks

Chipmunk Punk is an album by the Chipmunks, as well as being the first album released by Ross Bagdasarian Jr., after he took over the voices of the Chipmunks after the death of his father in 1972. Despite the title of the album, none of the songs listed are considered to be in the style of real punk rock music. It was released in June 1980. The album peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard 200. It was certified gold by the RIAA on October 14, 1980, becoming the Chipmunks' first gold record. In 2005, it was re-released on CD, although the CD was only available through the official Chipmunks website. In Canada, the album reached No. 59.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Fieger</span> American singer-songwriter

Douglas Lars Fieger was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the rock band the Knack. He co-wrote "My Sharona," the biggest hit song of 1979 in the U.S., with lead guitarist Berton Averre.

Bruce Gary was an American musician who was best known as the drummer for the music group the Knack. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards as a stage performer, producer, and recording artist.

<i>Cracked Brain</i> 1990 studio album by Destruction

Cracked Brain is the fourth full-length studio album by German thrash metal band Destruction, released on May 1, 1990. It is the band's only album to feature André Grieder of Poltergeist, replacing Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer, who was fired after the initial sessions for the album. Also featured is a cover of The Knack song "My Sharona".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Girls Don't</span> 1979 single by the Knack

"Good Girls Don't" is a 1979 hit single written by Doug Fieger and released by the rock band The Knack, off their album Get the Knack. It was the follow-up to the group's number-one hit single, "My Sharona". "Good Girls Don't" was a No. 1 hit in Canada. It reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, #10 in Record World, and #11 in Cash Box, as well as No. 66 on the United Kingdom chart. It also reached No. 20 in New Zealand. The song has since been covered by a number of artists, including The Chipmunks, Ben Folds, The Chubbies, and The McRackins.

<i>Serious Fun</i> (The Knack album) 1991 studio album by the Knack

Serious Fun is the fourth album by power pop/new wave band the Knack released by Charisma Records on January 16, 1991. It was their fourth record; a comeback after a decade-long separation. It was accompanied by a public reunion and tour. Although the album did not achieve either commercial or critical success, it resulted in the hit single "Rocket O' Love," which reached number 9 in Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart.

<i>Round Trip</i> (The Knack album) 1981 studio album by the Knack

Round Trip is the third studio album by power pop/new wave band the Knack, released by Capitol Records in 1981. It received generally unfavorable critical reviews, and stalled at #93 in the Billboard 200. It contained the single "Pay The Devil ". "Boys Go Crazy" was issued as the single from the album in Australia. It was also issued as a follow-up single to "Pay the Devil" in the U.S. and was expected to be "chart bound" on the Hot 100, but it did not chart. The band broke up a few months after its release, with their label dropping them due to failed expectations. They remained disbanded until a 1986 reunion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby Talks Dirty</span> 1980 single by The Knack

"Baby Talks Dirty" is a 1980 Top 40 single written by Doug Fieger and Berton Averre from the Knack's second album, ...But the Little Girls Understand. Like the album it was taken from, "Baby Talks Dirty" fell short of the success of its predecessors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Put a Price on Love</span> 1980 single by The Knack

"Can't Put a Price on Love" is a 1980 song written by Doug Fieger and Berton Averre. It was originally released by American pop group The Knack on their second album, ...But the Little Girls Understand. It was the second song from that album that was released as a single, reaching #62 on the Billboard Hot 100, falling short of the performance by its preceding single, "Baby Talks Dirty", which reached #30 in Cash Box and #38 in Billboard. Overall, it was the fourth single which The Knack had released, and was the first such release which did not reach the Top 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pay the Devil (Ooo, Baby, Ooo)</span> 1981 single by The Knack

"Pay the Devil " is a song written by Berton Averre and first released by the Knack on their 1981 album Round Trip. It was also released as a single, and reached #67 on the Billboard Hot 100. It continued the descending patterns of the Knack's singles from "My Sharona" which reached #1 to "Good Girls Don't" which reached #11 to "Baby Talks Dirty" which peaked at #38 to "Can't Put a Price on Love" which only reached #62. However, it was the last Knack single to chart at all until "My Sharona" re-entered the charts at #91 in 1994 in the wake of its appearance in the soundtrack of Reality Bites. "Pay the Devil" was later included on Knack compilation albums The Retrospective: The Best of the Knack and Very Best of the Knack.

<i>Zoom</i> (The Knack album) 1998 studio album by the Knack

Zoom is the fifth studio album released by the Knack in 1998. It marked a second attempted comeback by the Knack, after their first attempt in 1991 with Serious Fun fizzled. Terry Bozzio served as the drummer on the album in place of Bruce Gary. The album received positive reviews, including one that described it as the Knack's best effort since their debut album. The album was re-released several years later as Re-Zoom with three bonus tracks.

<i>Normal as the Next Guy</i> 2001 studio album by the Knack

Normal as the Next Guy is the sixth and final studio album by American rock band the Knack, released in 2001. It marks the fourth comeback attempt by the band after its second album, ...But the Little Girls Understand, failed to achieve the success of the band's début album. AllMusic critic Mark Deming noted that the album finds songwriter and lead singer Doug Fieger having resolved his issues with women, but has not "found a subject that appears to compel him nearly as much as the treacheries of girls once did." Therefore, Deming feels that compared to older songs by the band, the songs on Normal as the Next Guy "may be more pleasant, but they're not as interesting." The Rolling Stone Album Guide gave the album a 3 star rating, as high as the group's début Get The Knack, and higher than any other Knack studio album.

<i>Rock & Roll Is Good for You: The Fieger/Averre Demos</i> 2012 studio album by The Knack

Rock & Roll Is Good for You: The Fieger/Averre Demos is an album by The Knack which was released on September 11, 2012. It includes demo recordings made by Doug Fieger and Berton Averre made between 1973 and 1975. Most of the songs are performed by just Fieger and Averre, both singing and playing guitar, but some songs include the full band. Two of the songs, "Good Girls Don't" and "That's What the Little Girls Do," were released in more polished form on the Knack's debut album, Get the Knack. Other songs whose demos appear on Rock & Roll Is Good for You later provided elements for other Knack songs. For example, "Corporation Shuffle ," described by Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine as "a nifty bit of fuzzy, snarky rock & roll in the vein of the Move," provided the basis for "Terry & Julie Step Out," a song from the 1998 album Zoom.

This is the discography of American rock band the Knack.

"(She's So) Selfish" is a hit song written by Doug Fieger and Berton Averre that was first released by the Knack on their #1 debut album Get the Knack in 1979. It also appeared on a number of live and compilation albums. It was intended for release as a single, but was prevented by its "scatological" lyrics. It was inspired by the same woman who inspired the band's #1 single "My Sharona." It was praised by critics for its hooks and style, but criticized for its nastiness and sexism.

"Your Number or Your Name" is a song written by Doug Fieger and Berton Averre that was first released by the Knack as the second track on their No. 1 debut album Get the Knack in 1979. It also appeared on a number of live and compilation albums.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Woodstra, Chris. "...But the Little Girls Understand - Overview". Allmusic . Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  2. "Mr. Handleman". charts.nz. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
  3. Averre, B. (2007-01-15). "Mr. Handleman?". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Gold and Platinum - Search". RIAA . Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  5. "Willie Dixon - Back Door Man Lyrics". LyricsTime.com. Archived from the original on 2010-06-02. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  6. Riegel, Richard (April 1980). "Knuking The Knack Inside Their Own Reactor" . Creem . Retrieved June 13, 2019 via Rock's Backpages.
  7. "The Hard Way". AllMusic . Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  8. Gilliam, R. "The Hard Way". AllMusic . Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  9. AllMusic review
  10. Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau's Consumer Guide". Robert Christgau . robertchristgau.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
  11. Westwood, Chris (15 March 1980). "Knackered". Record Mirror . p. 21.
  12. Woodstra, Chris. "...But the Little Girls Understand (Bonus Tracks) - Overview". AllMusic . Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  13. Suttle, Tim. "New Book Rips U2's Bono as a Lap-dog for Neo-liberals".Patheos. May 9, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 Marsh, Dave (April 3, 1980). "...But the Little Girls Understand". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on January 6, 2007. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  15. 1 2 Robbins, Ira; Sandlin, Michael. "Knack". Trouser Press . Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  16. Christgau, R. "Robert Christgau's Consumer Guide: The Knack". robertchristgau.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  17. Schnee, Steve "Spaz". "Round Trip - Overview". AllMusic . Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  18. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 69. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  19. "Canadian album certifications – The Knack – But The Little Girls Understand". Music Canada.
  20. "American album certifications – The Knack – But The Little Girls Understand". Recording Industry Association of America.