By the time 1981 rolled around, Doug Fieger and The Knack were
\nabout as fresh to music lovers as month-old bread. They had
\noutlived the pop smuttiness of songs like “My Sharona” and “Good
\nGirls Don’t,” going from The Wonders-with-a-hard-on to dirty old
\nmen.<\/p>\n
Too bad that the musical attitude shifted against The Knack;
\ntheir third album,
\nRound Trip<\/i>, was a major improvement over the embarrassment
\nof
\n…But The Little Girls Understand<\/i>, and should have marked a
\nnew beginning for the group. Instead, it only served as their first
\nswansong.<\/p>\n
The album starts out a little slow, but not poorly, with
\n“Radiating Love,” a song that has more Cheap Trick influences in it
\nthan The Beatles. “Soul Kissin'” could be called a remake of “My
\nSharona,” but Fieger is able to keep things unique with this track
\nwithout making it a blatant copy.<\/p>\n
Where
\nRound Trip<\/i> really catches fire is in the
\nfunk\/jazz-influenced “Africa,” which allows the whole band the
\nchance to cut loose and display their talents without hiding behind
\nthe cock-rock wall. Tracks like these really make me wish that more
\npeople had given The Knack a chance in the early ’80s; I honestly
\nthink that songs like “Africa” would have kickstarted things for
\nthe band had it been given the proper attention.<\/p>\n
Much of the remainder of
\nRound Trip<\/i> continues in the surprisingly pleasing pattern,
\nthough the world of funk\/jazz is sadly left behind. “Just Wait And
\nSee” is another track that sounds like the fictional band The
\nWonders, and is incredibly enjoyable. “We Are Waiting” again gives
\nthe band a chance to experiment without falling into the patterns
\nof old; this track does take a little time to get used to, but is
\nwell worth the effort.<\/p>\n
The second half of
\nRound Trip<\/i> contains still more surprises (“Another Lousy Day
\nIn Paradise,” “Boys Go Crazy”), but I will admit that by the time
\n“Art War” finishes off the album, you’re ready for a break. At
\nleast Fieger and crew knew when to call it an album.<\/p>\n
So why didn’t
\nRound Trip<\/i> do better in 1981? First, the band still had to
\ndefeat a large wave of fan backlash; remember that people used to
\nwear “Knuke The Knack” shirts. Second, the musical tide was
\nbeginning to turn in a big way, and the only thing the music
\nindustry seemed to know at this time was upheaval. It would be some
\ntime before one particular genre caught fire, and The Knack – like
\nmany bands – got caught in the undertow.<\/p>\n