Kustom Kings (Bruce Johnston's project) on Sundazed - January 2013

[alanjames]

Sundazed announced the vinyl reissue of another of Bruce's projects: Kustom Kings, originally released in 1964, remastered.
It's available for pre-order, release date: January 29 2013. Check it out (including samples):
http://www.sundazed.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=2340

[Eric Aniversario]

Listening to the samples now, sounds like good stuff!  I've given up on trying to keep track of all the stuff that Bruce did over the years outside of the Beach Boys...just gonna buy it up whenever I find it!  Thanks for the info!

[Mike's Beard]

Exellent! I love Bruce's pre Beach Boys stuff.

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

Did Bruce listen to a lot of Beach Boys before becoming a member?

Super Fine 39 sure sounds like 409!

[Aegir]

I always find it strange that before he joined the Beach Boys, Bruce wrote a lot of surf/car songs... and when he joined the Beach Boys, he wrote The Nearest Faraway Place.

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

I always find it strange that before he joined the Beach Boys, Bruce wrote a lot of surf/car songs... and when he joined the Beach Boys, he wrote The Nearest Faraway Place.

That is strange, but I think that's a lovely song. Do you not like it?

[Don Malcolm]

I always find it strange that before he joined the Beach Boys, Bruce wrote a lot of surf/car songs... and when he joined the Beach Boys, he wrote The Nearest Faraway Place.

That is strange, but I think that's a lovely song. Do you not like it?

Bruce started writing songs for the BB's when the rest of the band was trying to establish its capability to function with less material from BW. He seems to have decided to focus on a pop-showtune style, which is pleasant enough but (with the exception of "Disney Girls") never really blended into the BB's sound. His subsequent career as a songwriter and producer has shown that he's pretty derivative and somewhat calculating in terms of the trends in the industry. "The Nearest Faraway Place" is pretty enough, but it's seriously MOR and shows little of the inventiveness and arranging genius that BW displayed in his instrumentals.

EDIT: But despite that opinion, I'm definitely interested in hearing the Kustom Kings material.

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

I always find it strange that before he joined the Beach Boys, Bruce wrote a lot of surf/car songs... and when he joined the Beach Boys, he wrote The Nearest Faraway Place.

That is strange, but I think that's a lovely song. Do you not like it?

Bruce started writing songs for the BB's when the rest of the band was trying to establish its capability to function with less material from BW. He seems to have decided to focus on a pop-showtune style, which is pleasant enough but (with the exception of "Disney Girls") never really blended into the BB's sound. His subsequent career as a songwriter and producer has shown that he's pretty derivative and somewhat calculating in terms of the trends in the industry. "The Nearest Faraway Place" is pretty enough, but it's seriously MOR and shows little of the inventiveness and arranging genius that BW displayed in his instrumentals.

EDIT: But despite that opinion, I'm definitely interested in hearing the Kustom Kings material.

Wasn't that sort of a tribute to Brian? I always loved how commercial Bruce was. It was a really nice contrast to Dennis.

[NHC]

This is great stuff.  The first couple of vocals seem a little softer than say 409 or Shut Down, but still quite catchy.  They seem to get a harder edge on Super 39.  Tuck and Roll has a nice hollow surf tone to it, and the title even fits the surf scene as well as custom hot rod upholstery. Clutch Rider typifies the sort of instrumental one heard in the background in the 60's teen movies.  I like Speed Shifters for its rockabilly feel. Great cover, suitable for framing alongside Little Deuce Coupe.  Definitely gotta get this one. Speaking of LDC, I had a knock-off Pickwick hot rod album in the early 60's entitled "The Deuce Coupes" and it was not anywhere as good as this. The only line I remember from any song  is "she has a body by Fisher and a face like Frankenstein".

[Aegir]

I always find it strange that before he joined the Beach Boys, Bruce wrote a lot of surf/car songs... and when he joined the Beach Boys, he wrote The Nearest Faraway Place.

That is strange, but I think that's a lovely song. Do you not like it?

I like it, but it was a great example of a song that sounds nothing like "Shut Down", for instance. My favorite Bruce band is "bob sled and the toboggans", who released the single Here We Go (The Surfer Boys Are Going Skiing), b/w Sea and Ski.

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

I always find it strange that before he joined the Beach Boys, Bruce wrote a lot of surf/car songs... and when he joined the Beach Boys, he wrote The Nearest Faraway Place.

That is strange, but I think that's a lovely song. Do you not like it?

I like it, but it was a great example of a song that sounds nothing like "Shut Down", for instance. My favorite Bruce band is "bob sled and the toboggans", who released the single Here We Go (The Surfer Boys Are Going Skiing), b/w Sea and Ski.

Haven't heard that one!
I'll have to check it out.
How many projects was Bruce a part of?
Seems like there were a lot.

[Andrew G. Doe]

http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/bruce.html

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/bruce.html

Thanks a lot, Andrew!

[kookadams]

I always find it strange that before he joined the Beach Boys, Bruce wrote a lot of surf/car songs... and when he joined the Beach Boys, he wrote The Nearest Faraway Place.

That is strange, but I think that's a lovely song. Do you not like it?

Bruce started writing songs for the BB's when the rest of the band was trying to establish its capability to function with less material from BW. He seems to have decided to focus on a pop-showtune style, which is pleasant enough but (with the exception of "Disney Girls") never really blended into the BB's sound. His subsequent career as a songwriter and producer has shown that he's pretty derivative and somewhat calculating in terms of the trends in the industry. "The Nearest Faraway Place" is pretty enough, but it's seriously MOR and shows little of the inventiveness and arranging genius that BW displayed in his instrumentals.

EDIT: But despite that opinion, I'm definitely interested in hearing the Kustom Kings material.

I concur. His pre-Beach Boys music was great, he wrote great songs in the Beach Boys even if they werent as cohesive, and then when he was put in the producer chair with the band they ended up releasing the weakest albums of their career- Light Album and KTSA.