Search - The Knack - Live from the Rock 'n' Roll Fun House on DVD

Lory R. (melikedvd) from RICHMOND, CA
Reviewed on 8/12/2013...

What a fantastic, simple way to record a great Power Pop band to save their music for now and the future. No frills, just a fine performance of their old and newer songs. Yes, it's just a live performance by the Knack on a white stage for an hour, not a music video with colorful images or stories. Too bad other bands of the 70's & 80's haven't done this.

There seems to be a misunderstanding about this DVD. Yes, it's clearly a live performance with a background, fill track. Rock bands have been doing this at live performances for many years. You can thank or blame The Moody Blues for inventing this back in the 1960's, so they could afford to play concerts with their full back-up. I attended a Moody Blues concert back then and was shocked by the violins, ect. back-up. Later it became common practice to keep touring costs down. In fact, a band I was part of back in the 80's, called Tommy Tadlock & the Lockettes recorded my bass track ahead of time, so they could play small houses with out me. The clubs just didn't pay that much. So what you get here is a true LIVE PERFORMANCE.

1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Incredible live performance!

Jeffrey L. McGraw | Manchester, MO United States | 04/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"if youve never seen the knack in person here is the next best thing. they are excellent musicians and there songs have incredible hooks! most people only remember "My Sharona", but the knack have dozens of other great songs.....i highly recommend this dvd to all fans and anyone into good power pop music!"

Serious Fun music, not for the overly serious

Jeffrey L. McGraw | 06/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There seem to be a lot of so-called "experts" reviewing this DVD that
A) didn't see the actual DVD, they saw it broadcast on satelite TV, which had extra interviews not on the DVD,
B) don't "GET" the Knack and their attempt at recreating in a hokey way the shindig/hullaboo type TV shows of their childhood ala the beatles on Ed Sullivan COMPLETE with stark lighting and cheesy staging. This is typical, since many so-called 'critics' didn't 'get the knack' in the first place. The 1st album, including "my sharona", was a concept album written from the point of view of a 16 y/o boy.
C) don't play an instrument and appreciate how hard it is to nail it perfectly, especially when singing! If all Doug Fieger needs is 10 seconds of dubbed corrections out of 13 or so songs, that's pretty impressive. To them, someone needs to say, "It was all done tongue in cheek, you guys! As a 16 y/o when that first knack album came out, I can attest to its accuracy in terms of what was important to and in the mindset of a 16 y/o in 1979. I did notice the OCCASIONAL synching problem with the vocals only, but from what I read most "live" concert videos do this, going back and fixing weak spots. Actually, on most, they overdub the lead guitar a lot too, and Berton Averre seems to be so good they didn't need to do this, at least not to a noticeable degree. Also, some of the video special effects (split screens, slow motion, etc) required re-snyching the video with the audio, so that might have caused some of the problems. Anyone who says the Knack can't play or sing or who leaves the impression this was some sort of lip-synched forgery is way off base. Their multi-platinum debut Album, GET THE KNACK, was recorded live in the studio with minor extra tracks for backing vocals and solos, etc, for just $18,000 in a few days. Try getting any modern era act to do that! They made their reputation playing clubs, these guys can play. I could have done without the awkward and overly brief Jimmy Lemonjello character as well, but it was no big deal. The lack of extra features or interviews was my biggest disappointment in this DVD. The guitar/bass mix was fine. Geez, it's live, not a studio recording. Most live acts are a thump of bass and a badly played guitar scratching in the background. I heard every note lead Guitarist Berton Averre played and could follow the bass line easily. Drummer "Holmes Jones" was fantastic, with a hard hitting, energetic style. I've never seen anyone twirl sticks in between beats and play at the same time like that! He looks like a mad Bethoveen at the piano. Other than a slightly too-fast riff on My Sharona, he was great. There are a lot of Knack haters out there, but then again there are a lot of pretentious people who see paint splashed on a canvas and call it modern art, so keep that in mind. Sometimes you just want to have fun listening to music. The Knack is all about having fun."

"Live"? from the Rock 'n' Roll Funouse, hmmmm....

Jon Eliot Richardson | Port Orchard, WA USA | 06/04/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"First of all The knack have been criminally ignored for the last two decades! They are so much more than "My Sharona". I have everthing they have done and always like to encourage more product to be released by this amazing band. I was so thrilled with idea to finally have a Kanck DVD, that i ignored D. Ray
Morton's very accurate review. Part of the performance seems out of synch. It seems like they have overdubbed their performance. Why they would do this I do not know. they should have just redone the thing in someone garage and that would have spared us "Jimmy Lemonjello", Fieger's "Alter-ego". Really could have done without that.
I will say that if you are fan and have never seen them live, this DVD gives you a pretty good idea of what they are like. Song selection is OK. The disc is lean on extras. Some behind the scenes stuff would have been cool. Still, at least their is a DVD of The Knack out that will hopefully spur those who haven't seen them live to check one of America's greatest rock bands live."