Monday Music #36: "Summer Edition" 409 by The Beach Boys and More

Welcome to Summer, I know it already started for most of yall, but today was my last official day of school. Technically, it happened to be a half day, we all just d!cked around till 11:00. Anyway, let’s get into some good summer tunes. Some of the best summer tunes, and summer car related tunes are by the classic band which came to fame in the 60s, who need no introduction, the Beach Boys. Some reject their often carefree nature as too corporate and claim their music is not worth any artistic merit. These people are petty and should be swiftly discarded, as really, the Beach Boys are a technically proficient band who can capture a certain range of emotions very well. The Beach Boys don’t just tell you about how great it is to live in the sun, drive hot rods, hang out with nice women (or chill dudes), and surf in the sun, they put you into that world. Very few artists can truly do this. Katy Perry’s California Girls just doesn’t quite give the immersion than the Beach Boy’s California Girls. So let’s talk about the first song, 409, from the beach boys. It’s a true car guys song. The singer tells about his impressive Chevrolet 409, which may or may not be an Impala SS (that car had a 409), but we do know it has Positraction and a 4 speed, and that at the drag strips, she has never been beaten. This level of characterization gives the car more personality than one can expect from most modern pop music. It’s a beautiful song, and one about cars, a common theme.

Another song, this time about a Honda Motorcycle. It may not exactly be a car, but again this machine gets its own unique characterization. He also talks deeply about how he rides it with his girl, and how he turns the light on to ride at night. Just a great, classic tune.

Our Car Club, just another one of the Beach Boys many good car songs. The songs tell the tale of a group of hot rodders starting their own car club including the Deuce Coupe mentioned in another infectious Beach Boys hit “Deuce Coupe”, a Corvette Stingray, and even a Jaguar XKE. The story goes expands with the car club getting sponsorship, collecting dues, and running rival car clubs out of town. One of the most petrolhead friendly songs

Finally, I’ll wrap it up with a song that shows the influence the Beach Boys have had on other bands. The Beach Boys. The song “Surf Wax America” off of Weezer’s debut Blue album showed how the Beach Boys had an impact on the fellow California band. While Weezer has a decidedly more alternative and has even been called an emo band at times, the songs have always focused on creating a certain feeling, and one which often aligns with the Beach Boys. Even if not all Weezer’s songs are so carefree as most of the Beach Boys, they take the same approach of creating popular, catchy music, which creates deeper emotion and feeling than other pop music. It’s not always about the lyrics, though those are essential, instead, it’s more important how music makes one feel. The Summer can not last forever, but with good music least you can savor it and take in the air behind the wheel of your fine automobile, even if it’s not a 409 or Deuce Coupe. #mondaymusic #summer #beachboys #409