...But the Little Girls Understand
Encyclopedia
...But the Little Girls Understand is an 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
" both charted on the Billboard Hot 100
at #38 and #62, respectively. The song "Mr. Handleman" was released as a single in some countries, such as New Zealand. The RIAA certified the album as Gold on April 14, 1980.
's song "Back Door Man
", which has the lyrics
: "I'm a back door man. The men don't know, but the little girls understand." 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" Band members Berton Averre
and Doug Fieger
wrote all of the songs except for "The Hard Way", which was written by Ray Davies
and recorded by the The Kinks
on their album Schoolboys in Disgrace
(1976).
The album did not achieve the same strong commercial success as the Knack
's debut Get the Knack
, but it sold well enough to hit the #15 spot on the Billboard 200
album chart in 1980. The singles
"Baby Talks Dirty" and "Can't Put a Price on Love" both charted on the Billboard Hot 100
at #38 and #62, respectively. The RIAA certified the album as Gold on April 14, 1980, about two months after its release. Capitol Records
released an expanded version of the album with bonus tracks in 2002.
Critic Dave Marsh
of Rolling Stone wrote a scathing review, commenting:
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." He further wrote "All of Fieger's lyrics finally boil down to one sentiment: f - - - me, honey. (When he's feeling ambitious, he writes something like 'Can't Put a Price on Love,' which translates: f - - - me for free, babe.)"
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)." 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. 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." On the other hand, critic Chris Woodstra of Allmusic made a positive review. He called the album "a good time for those who don't take rock & roll too seriously." 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."
The album's front cover features Sharona Alperin, the young woman who had inspired the band's hit 'My Sharona
".
Albums produced by Mike Chapman
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
/new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
group The Knack
The Knack
The Knack was an American New Wave rock quartet based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international number one hit in 1979.-Founding :...
released by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in February 1980. The album reached the number 15 spot on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart in 1980. The singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Baby Talks Dirty
Baby Talks Dirty
"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...
" and "Can't Put a Price on Love
Can't Put a Price on Love
"Can't Put a Price on Love" is a 1980 song written by Doug Fieger and originally released by The Knack on the group's second album, ...But the Little Girls Understand. It was the second song released from that album that was released as a single, reaching #62 on the Billboard Hot 100, falling...
" both charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at #38 and #62, respectively. The song "Mr. Handleman" was released as a single in some countries, such as New Zealand. The RIAA certified the album as Gold on April 14, 1980.
Overview and reviews
The album's title is a reference to blues musician Willie DixonWillie Dixon
William James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
's song "Back Door Man
Back Door Man
"Back Door Man" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1961. It was released by Chess Records as the B-side to Wolf's "Wang Dang Doodle"...
", which has the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
: "I'm a back door man. The men don't know, but the little girls understand." Mike Chapman, credited as "Commander" Chapman, produced the album. Chapman also wrote a comedic description of the album in the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
, 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" Band members Berton Averre
Berton Averre
Berton Averre is the guitarist with the Los Angeles rock band The Knack. They had a #6 UK/#1 US hit with "My Sharona", which sold 10 million copies in the US...
and Doug Fieger
Doug Fieger
Douglas Lars "Doug" Fieger was an American singer-songwriter-musician. He was the lead singer of the power pop band The Knack, and co-wrote "My Sharona", the biggest hit song of 1979 in the USA, with lead guitarist, Berton Averre.-Life and career:Fieger's father was Jewish, and his mother of...
wrote all of the songs except for "The Hard Way", which was written by Ray Davies
Ray Davies
Ray Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
and recorded by the The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
on their album Schoolboys in Disgrace
Schoolboys in Disgrace
Schoolboys in Disgrace or The Kinks Present Schoolboys in Disgrace is a 1975 album by English rock group The Kinks.According to the back cover liner notes, the story which the album presents is as follows:...
(1976).
The album did not achieve the same strong commercial success as the Knack
The Knack
The Knack was an American New Wave rock quartet based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international number one hit in 1979.-Founding :...
's debut Get the Knack
Get the Knack
Get Knack is the debut album by The Knack, released in June 1979. The album was the fasting-selling debut album on Capitol Records since Meet the Beatles in 1964. It went platinum in just two months and spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
, but it sold well enough to hit the #15 spot on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart in 1980. The singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Baby Talks Dirty" and "Can't Put a Price on Love" both charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at #38 and #62, respectively. The RIAA certified the album as Gold on April 14, 1980, about two months after its release. Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
released an expanded version of the album with bonus tracks in 2002.
Critic Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host. He was a formative editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on...
of Rolling Stone wrote a scathing review, commenting:
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." He further wrote "All of Fieger's lyrics finally boil down to one sentiment: f - - - me, honey. (When he's feeling ambitious, he writes something like 'Can't Put a Price on Love,' which translates: f - - - me for free, babe.)"
Trouser Press
Trouser Press
Trouser Press was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow Who fan Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic 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
My Sharona
"My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboards Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry...
' (minus the thunderous hook)." 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. In a generally negative review, Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
stated that "little girls prefer catchy, punchy second-hand songs to varied, indecisive thirdhand ones. In fact, so do critics." On the other hand, critic Chris Woodstra of Allmusic made a positive review. He called the album "a good time for those who don't take rock & roll too seriously." 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."
The album's front cover features Sharona Alperin, the young woman who had inspired the band's hit 'My Sharona
My Sharona
"My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboards Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry...
".
Original release
All songs are by Doug Fieger unless noted- "Baby Talks DirtyBaby Talks Dirty"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...
" (Berton Averre, Doug Fieger) - "I Want Ya"
- "Tell Me You're Mine"
- "Mr. Handleman" (Berton Averre, Doug Fieger)
- "Can't Put a Price on LoveCan't Put a Price on Love"Can't Put a Price on Love" is a 1980 song written by Doug Fieger and originally released by The Knack on the group's second album, ...But the Little Girls Understand. It was the second song released from that album that was released as a single, reaching #62 on the Billboard Hot 100, falling...
" (Berton Averre, Doug Fieger) - "Hold on Tight and Don't Let Go"
- "The Hard Way" (Ray DaviesRay DaviesRay Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
) - "It's You" (Berton Averre, Doug Fieger)
- "End of the Game"
- "The Feeling I Get"
- "(Havin' A) Rave Up" (Berton Averre, Doug Fieger)
- "How Can Love Hurt So Much"
See also
- 1979 in music1979 in musicSee also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
Albums produced by Mike Chapman
External links
- ...But the Little Girls Understand at Rhapsody.com
- The Knack website