Search - The Knack: On Stage at World Cafe Live on DVD

Fun DVD by top class rock band

G. Px | Los Angeles, CA United States | 05/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hi friends,

I'm an above average, borderline hardcore Knack fan, so keept that in mind with what I say.

This DVD is part of a series of World Cafe live discs, which I see is also broadcast on PBS.

The show is filmed very well in letterbox format, with numerous cameras for a wide variety of angles and closeups on each member. The editing is also very conscious of the musicianship, so when there's hot guitar solos, drum fills or bass magic, that's what you see on screen. The moving cameras and zooms/pull outs add to the excitement and are very fluid. Well lit, and the sound is very well recorded, you can pinpoint all four instruments and vocals at anytime.

The set list consists of hits, favorites and fun covers.
-Pop is Dead
-Baby Talks Dirty
-Boys Go Crazy
-Oh Tara
-Just Wait and See
-Good Girls Don't
-Harder On You
-Heartbeat
-It's Not Me
-No Matter What
-Tequila/Break On Through
-Frustrated
-Selfish
-My Sharona

There are bonus interviews as well on the disc, some of which are integrated in between songs during the live performance feature. These interviews, however, never interupt the songs in any manner, so each song appears in their entirety.

Overall a great DVD, the energy level is quite stronger than the Rock and Roll Funhouse disc since this is a proper live concert, and the band plays towards the crowd and not the cameras. I love the Knack, they're such a tight and powerful rock band, even 30 years later, and are much much more than just My Sharona. Being such a great live band, this disc would be excellent for the casual Knack fan to see them in top gear."

Get the Knack again!

P. M. TILTON | Fargo, ND | 08/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The only thing preventing me from giving this DVD 5 stars is that the sound level for Berton Averre's guitar is way too low. At times, you can hardly hear him, even when he's ripping through a magnificent solo.

That aside, what's not to like about seeing the Knack perform their music live with gusto? Their musicianship is superb -- they're able to play live sounding as good as they do on CD in a studio. I have all their major CD releases, and there ain't a bad song in the bunch. The 14 songs in this DVD concert are all terrific, and I only wish there were more songs than just this 14... especially from the SERIOUS FUN album, which is (maybe) my favorite Knack album.

I would have liked to have seen a longer, more substantive interview session, too. What's here is good, just not enough. Ah, well... you can't have everything!

The Knack have been described as a "power pop" band. Doug Fieger says that they're really just a rock-n-roll band, not part of a "new wave" movement, as they'd been touted back-in-the-day. Just 4 guys playing guitars & drums and singing songs about relationships with girls... only better than most bands out there. Certainly better than the over-produced stuff making its way to the radio and to the music video channels.

The Knack is one of my all-time favorite bands, and I'd love to see them perform live (in person). They almost made it to my area, but had to cancel due to a broken hand, or something like that! ARGH! I have to settle, for now, with seeing them in this excellent DVD concert.

"

Better than Fun House, but no carnegie hall!

J. McDonald | 02/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Knack are a great, under appreciated Rock group! This is an excellent live concert with a great interview as well. It certainly makes up for the less than spectacular "Rock 'n Roll Fun House" concert DVD released a few years ago.

It's still a shame that their absolute BEST concert video has yet to be released on DVD, "The Knack - Live at Carnegie Hall" - a concert that has only been released to VHS and Laserdisc. I would love to see a DVD release of "Carnegie", with the fully restored footage of the cut songs (including "Don't Look Back", a song written specifically for the group by Bruce Springsteen) and also the complete "video" collection (a few of which can be seen, in part, within the Getting the Knack documentary).

You cannot go wrong with this purchase! A great concert by a GREAT Rock 'n Roll group!

JM"