Celebrated Summer
Encyclopedia
"Celebrated Summer" is a song by Hüsker Dü
from their album New Day Rising
. It was written by guitarist Bob Mould
. The song was released as a promotional single given to radio stations in December 1984, along with the album's title track, "New Day Rising."
The song is known for its opening guitar riff, as well as its twelve-string acoustic guitar
breaks towards the middle and at the end of the song. This was something that was very different for a band labeled as hardcore punk
, although the song "Never Talking To You Again" from their previous album, Zen Arcade
, had also been recorded with an acoustic guitar.
The lyrics of the song recall summers past with lines like "Getting drunk out on the beach or playing in a band / Getting out of school meant getting out of hand" as well as its chorus of "Is this your celebrated summer? / Was that your celebrated summer?".
The song was called "a prime example of Hüsker Dü's unique ability to effectively combine wistful, even tender moments with the hardest elements of rock & roll" in a review on Allmusic. The reviewer added that "Celebrated Summer" is "a step toward the mainstream — unflinchingly melodic and well-produced — but it never compromises the passionate spirit of the band nor the ferocious energy that fuels them."
In subsequent live performances of the song after Hüsker Dü's breakup, Mould changed the wording of the chorus from "celebrated summer" to "celebrated summertime."
In 1996, the song was covered by the heavy metal
band Anthrax
.
In 2005, a punk/hardcore record store opened in Towson, MD naming itself after the song.
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
from their album New Day Rising
New Day Rising
New Day Rising is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Hüsker Dü, released in 1985 on SST Records. Though less ambitious than prior album Zen Arcade, New Day Rising, in some ways, helped set the template for alternative rock for the next decade...
. It was written by guitarist Bob Mould
Bob Mould
Robert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:...
. The song was released as a promotional single given to radio stations in December 1984, along with the album's title track, "New Day Rising."
The song is known for its opening guitar riff, as well as its twelve-string acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
breaks towards the middle and at the end of the song. This was something that was very different for a band labeled as hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
, although the song "Never Talking To You Again" from their previous album, Zen Arcade
Zen Arcade
Upon its release Zen Arcade received positive reviews in many mainstream publications, including NME, The New York Times and Rolling Stone. In his review for Rolling Stone, David Fricke described Zen Arcade as "the closest hardcore will ever get to an opera .....
, had also been recorded with an acoustic guitar.
The lyrics of the song recall summers past with lines like "Getting drunk out on the beach or playing in a band / Getting out of school meant getting out of hand" as well as its chorus of "Is this your celebrated summer? / Was that your celebrated summer?".
The song was called "a prime example of Hüsker Dü's unique ability to effectively combine wistful, even tender moments with the hardest elements of rock & roll" in a review on Allmusic. The reviewer added that "Celebrated Summer" is "a step toward the mainstream — unflinchingly melodic and well-produced — but it never compromises the passionate spirit of the band nor the ferocious energy that fuels them."
In subsequent live performances of the song after Hüsker Dü's breakup, Mould changed the wording of the chorus from "celebrated summer" to "celebrated summertime."
In 1996, the song was covered by the heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
.
In 2005, a punk/hardcore record store opened in Towson, MD naming itself after the song.
External links
- "[ Celebrated Summer]" at Allmusic