Customer Reviews

Greats 1: Knights Vs. Kickstand

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I picked the Kickstands LP up as a lark about 5 years ago at a thrift store in Joliet while visiting my mom. The cover art made me laugh and I noticed immediately this was basically a surf rip-off of the Beach Boys-but cashing in on the motorbike craze of the 60's instead of surfing.

At first listen I found the vocals and some of the song writing annoying "he's got long black hair running down his neck, his bike's not clean cuz he doesn't give a heck" for example. I then set it aside except when I wanted some music for while I worked on my bike. However, the songs did begin to grow on me and I find the instrumentals quite catchy and solid, mood-setting compositions! "Riding South" is probably my favorite track of all, along with "Two Wheel Show-stopper".

If the Kickstands don't grab you right away, they will, and that's a good thing. In actively listening you'll find the musicianship is quite good (these guys were studio musicians for other popular artists of the time that got together to produce an album). If you're looking for vintage surf with a hokey twist, look no further...

As for the Knights...well...sounds like a pep rally at the Brady Brunch high school. Basically, I'm embarassed to be caught listening to it. The surf edge from the Kickstands release is lost to a very cheesy marching band horn section. The Chuck Berry cover of "School Days" and the Bill Haley cover of "Rock Around the Clock" are embarassing and painful to endure. The hard edge and stomping backbeat of the original sound is lost...Pat Boone did better.

How does one rate The Knights vs The Kickstands - since both bands are really a group of 1960s Hollywood studio musicians known as the Wrecking Crew - and since Gary Usher wrote and produced most of the songs. But for my 2 cents and an In-N-Out burger, I think Gary flat-out lost steam with The Kinckstands. Not a Terrible Herbst outing, just not a great set of heavies. The Knights came much closer to the pounding rhythms of the groups that helped make Gary Usher a Southland legend, namely The Hondells and The Super Stocks.

Highlight for me has to be a slightly stripped-down version of The Hondell's great "Hot Rod High" by The Knights. It doesn't challenge The Hondells or Super Stocks versions for the checkered flag - but it doesn't choke, either, thanks to a tight rhythm section and some sweet, driving saxophone.