Is Bruce an original member? No? Well, Mike's website claims he is.

[Catbirdman]

There are many matters of taste upon which Bruce and I clash horribly, but live and let live. And it's not as though he gives a monkey's what my tastes are, nor knows WTF I even am.

There's really only one thing that comes to mind that makes me almost dislike the guy, and that's his intolerance (bordering occassinally on contempt) toward the perspective of the rabid, but well-meaning, harmless fan (obssessive types such as you might find reading this thread). It's just an impression I get, but he often appears to belittle the historical importance of the details as they relate to the whole. He (it seems) doesn't see the value in researching the details, and doesn't really have any time for those who do. Which I think is unfortunate, given the experiences he's had and the relics (such as acetates) he's handled.

[RubberSoul13]

This is for the guy that asked why he wears a hat. Now, after you're done staring at the one and onlytime Mike Love has removed his hat since 1976, it seems to me like Bruce has some weird fluffed-up trump-esque combover going on...not to mention a rather McCartney-shade of hair dye...

[halblaineisgood]

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[halblaineisgood]

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[Jim V.]

There are many matters of taste upon which Bruce and I clash horribly, but live and let live. And it's not as though he gives a monkey's what my tastes are, nor knows WTF I even am.

There's really only one thing that comes to mind that makes me almost dislike the guy, and that's his intolerance (bordering occassinally on contempt) toward the perspective of the rabid, but well-meaning, harmless fan (obssessive types such as you might find reading this thread). It's just an impression I get, but he often appears to belittle the historical importance of the details as they relate to the whole. He (it seems) doesn't see the value in researching the details, and doesn't really have any time for those who do. Which I think is unfortunate, given the experiences he's had and the relics (such as acetates) he's handled.

Yeah, it almost sometimes seems as if he prefers the "know nothing" fans to the ones who even know what "Disney Girls" is.

And I also think he looks kinda trashy when he wears the baseball caps. It doesn't work for him. The shorts I honestly don't mind, but the hats are bad. Mike Love, on the other hand, I feel that the hat is part of his being, but Bruce almost seems like he's wearing one in solidarity with the bald one.

[Lonely Summer]

This is for the guy that asked why he wears a hat. Now, after you're done staring at the one and onlytime Mike Love has removed his hat since 1976, it seems to me like Bruce has some weird fluffed-up trump-esque combover going on...not to mention a rather McCartney-shade of hair dye...

Comb-over? I don't see it, but hair dye? Perhaps. Looks like he's got a good head of hair, but yeah, maybe the hat is in solidarity with Mike. Just thank God Mike isn't wearing shorts on stage!

[drbeachboy]

Bruce does have a bald spot on the crown of his head, but he really doesn't need a hat for the same reason that Mike does.

[RubberSoul13]

Absolutely nothing to do with his hair or value to the band...but this picture is just asking for a caption...

[Pretty Funky]

Original members of the Beach Boys......and Bruce Johnston!

[oldsurferdude]

This is for the guy that asked why he wears a hat. Now, after you're done staring at the one and onlytime Mike Love has removed his hat since 1976, it seems to me like Bruce has some weird fluffed-up trump-esque combover going on...not to mention a rather McCartney-shade of hair dye...

Comb-over? I don't see it, but hair dye? Perhaps. Looks like he's got a good head of hair, but yeah, maybe the hat is in solidarity with Mike. Just thank God Mike isn't wearing shorts on stage!

Wait a minute!When did Happy The Clown start hanging with Brian, Al,  and Brooth?

[PaulTMA]

Original members of the Beach Boys......and Bruce Johnston!

It appears that Bruce's mike-adjusting habit has escalated to extent of interfering with those used by his bandmates, prompting Marks to stage an intervention.

[AndrewHickey]

For some reason I have really started to dislike Bruce likely. (Well, dislike a guy that I don't really know and have never met.) I don't like most of his contributions to the band outside of Disney Girls. Brian, Dennis, Mike and Even Carl are better songwriters. As far as his singing voice I would certainly rank him last- I mean Carl, Brian, Al and Mike and even Dennis are all superior singers. His shorts really are horrible. His political views are off-putting. (And yes I know that has nothing to do with his singing etc. - I love Kelsey Grammer even though his views I don't care for.) Is there anyone else who feels or has come to feel this way? Overall I think he is an authentic Beach Boy but no not an original Beach Boy. My two cents....

I really don't get why anyone would bother to have such a dislike for anyone they don't know, and who's never done them any harm. I disagree with his politics -- just like I suspect I'd disagree with the politics of any extremely wealthy elderly white Californian -- but that doesn't make him a bad person.

As for his songwriting for the band, a lot of people have been attacking that recently, but his good/bad ratio is about the same as any of the others -- yes, he's written some bad ones (Endless Harmony, Tears In The Morning) but he's also contributed a fair few decent and good songs. She Believes In Love Again isn't great, but it's one of the best things on the 85 album. Same for Somewhere Near Japan and the Still Cruisin' album (I don't know how much he contributed to that, but it was something -- I'd guess the middle section that Al sings). Deirdre and The Nearest Faraway Place are both perfectly pleasant. And some of the Bruce And Terry stuff is fantastic.

Honestly, even if he were every bit as talentless as some people make out, I still wouldn't be able to work up the energy to hate him, but he's a good musician (and in the Mike & Bruce tours he really does have to play and sing a lot, not just do the handclap and mic adjusting thing), he's not hurting anybody... why bother to dislike him?

[Catbirdman]

"You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out..."

[bgas]

Dave and Bruce re-enact the Vulcan Nerve Pinch! 

 

[Sheriff John Stone]

Absolutely nothing to do with his hair or value to the band...but this picture is just asking for a caption...

David: Who was the original Beach Boy? Say it, say it...

Bruce: Owwwwwww!!!!!

Brian (oblivious): Bruce....Bruce.....Hey, Bruce.....

Mike (to the crowd): And the second part of the Chicken dance is flap-flap...

[Mr. Cohen]

When Bruce says that it was amazing that Friends even went to 100-something, when he would've just been happy if it went to 1,000-something, I realized that he shouldn't be considered a member at all. What a jerk! He hates Friends, and then writes "The Nearest Faraway Place". What a joke!

[drbeachboy]

What is even more amazing is how much he loves the Wild Honey album. With the type of stuff that he wrote after Friends, you would think that it would have been just the opposite.

[RubberSoul13]

What is even more amazing is how much he loves the Wild Honey album. With the type of stuff that he wrote after Friends, you would think that it would have been just the opposite.

I've never really heard him say he loves it, whenever it comes up he raves about "how much fun it was to make".

[Moon Dawg]

When Bruce says that it was amazing that Friends even went to 100-something, when he would've just been happy if it went to 1,000-something, I realized that he shouldn't be considered a member at all. What a jerk! He hates Friends, and then writes "The Nearest Faraway Place". What a joke!

 AGD could probably correct me, but it is my longstanding belief that Bruce's involvement with FRIENDS was virtually zip. Not a single songwriting credit among all those "team ups" and I'll be damned if his voice can be heard anywhere in the mix. Bruce has as much presence on FRIENDS as he does on CARL & THE PASSIONS. Know what I mean?

 To second some of the other posters, Bruce's contempt for the hardcore fans came through clearly last year, from his interviews to the backstage preconcert meetups. He does seem more at home with the kind of fan who might know The Beach Boys via FULL HOUSE.

[Pretty Funky]

Dave and Bruce re-enact the Vulcan Nerve Pinch! 

 

 

[Wah Wah Wah Ooooo]

Absolutely nothing to do with his hair or value to the band...but this picture is just asking for a caption...

Brian: G**Dammit, Mike and I are wearing the same shirt again.
Mike:  Well, this is the shirt I wore when I wrote "Kokomo." It went to #1.

[Jim V.]

When Bruce says that it was amazing that Friends even went to 100-something, when he would've just been happy if it went to 1,000-something, I realized that he shouldn't be considered a member at all. What a jerk! He hates Friends, and then writes "The Nearest Faraway Place". What a joke!

 AGD could probably correct me, but it is my longstanding belief that Bruce's involvement with FRIENDS was virtually zip. Not a single songwriting credit among all those "team ups" and I'll be damned if his voice can be heard anywhere in the mix. Bruce has as much presence on FRIENDS as he does on CARL & THE PASSIONS. Know what I mean?

 To second some of the other posters, Bruce's contempt for the hardcore fans came through clearly last year, from his interviews to the backstage preconcert meetups. He does seem more at home with the kind of fan who might know The Beach Boys via FULL HOUSE.

I don't want to make it about politics, but I wouldn't doubt maybe that Bruce considers the people that like the more esoteric material to be drug using liberals, whereas the people that found them via Full House and only like "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Kokomo" share true, goodhearted American values. This might sound ridiculous, but Bruce is the same guy that got testy with an interviewer because the interviewer asked something like, "does it feel good to make people feel better during these tough times?" and instead of agreeing I'm pretty sure he took this as an affront or something. And followed the interview up with this genius declaration:

"those Europeans are so...so indoctrinated by socialism. They don't realize that they just hate success. He tried to push me in a social direction the whole time. I figured him out, you know. So I kicked his ass for ten minutes, with a smile on my face."

Seems like dude reads politics into areas where it might not be, and so I wouldn't doubt he might have interjected politics even into what parts of the fan base of his band that he cares for.

Now let me say, I don't think that Beach Boys fans break down into these areas as evidenced by this board. I love the early material and the later material and I don't think politics plays much into it. The group has made great music and I think all different kinds of people can enjoy it.

[Myk Luhv]

I don't doubt Bruce's skills as a singer and musician, and probably an arranger and producer too. He's surely the only person in The Beach Boys aside from the obvious to achieve something like that level of commercial success. I also think his contributions to this group, purely as a musician and especially singer, are excellent. I don't like his songwriting though: I feel like he's probably formally rather good at it but, to me, his songs lacks spirit. They're also way too sentimental and dangerously close to easy-listening at times for my tastes. Plus, his commentary on "Disney Girls" from 50 Sides of The Beach Boys -- where he basically admits the song is reactionary and conservative -- makes him seem like more of a stick in the mud than even Mike!

[Jim V.]

Plus, his commentary on "Disney Girls" from 50 Sides of The Beach Boys -- where he basically admits the song is reactionary and conservative -- makes him seem like more of a stick in the mud than even Mike!

Ya know, "Disney Girls" is reactionary and conservative, just like Bruce! And that's ok. He apparently never did drugs, was always really straight laced. He was born – adopted in truth – rich and it shaped his views. I'm not particularly conservative, but I like "Disney Girls" because I can relate to the premise of wanting to "get back to when things were simpler or better or whatever."

My only problem is that he fetishizes the '50s in a way a lot of older white Americans do, forgetting about the Cold War, the Korean War, segregation, etc. That's where Bruce loses me.

[Mikie]

As far as his singing voice I would certainly rank him last- I mean Carl, Brian, Al and Mike and even Dennis are all superior singers. His shorts really are horrible. His political views are off-putting.

I can get past the voice and even his walking across the stage in his white shorts smiling and clapping his hands, but his political views are unconscionable.