"Celebrated Summer" is a song by

Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continuous members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notability as a hardc ...

from their album ''

New Day Rising ''New Day Rising'' is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Hüsker Dü. It was released in 1985 through SST Records. Musical style As with its predecessor, ''New Day Rising'' continued to deviate from the fast-paced hardcore p ...

''. It was written by guitarist

Bob Mould Robert Arthur Mould (born October 16, 1960) 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 (American band), Sugar in the 1990s. Early ...

. The song was released as a

promotional single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...

given to radio stations in December 1984, along with the album's title track, "New Day Rising". It was never released as a regular single.Husker Du Annotated Discography/Record Company Promo/DJ Material
/ref> The song is known for its opening guitar riff, as well as its twelve-string

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

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 (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

, although the song "Never Talking To You Again" from their previous album, ''

Zen Arcade ''Zen Arcade'' is the second studio album by American punk rock band Hüsker Dü, released in July 1984 on SST Records. Originally released as a double album on two vinyl LPs, ''Zen Arcade'' tells the story of a young boy who runs away from an u ...

'', 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?". 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".

Critical reception

In a retrospective review, 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 AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

. 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."

Tributes

In 1996, the song was covered by the

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...

band

Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...

. The song was covered by singer songwriter

Mark Kozelek Mark Edward Kozelek (born January 24, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer and occasional actor. He is the vocalist and primary recording artist of the indie folk act Sun Kil Moon and was a founding member of the i ...

as part of ''

The Finally LP ''The Finally LP'' is a compilation album by Mark Kozelek. The CD was released on December 9, 2008 via Caldo Verde Records. From the press release: The compilation includes a country-tinged version of "Lazy" by Low, "Bedtime Lullaby," which f ...

'' released in 2008. In 2005, a punk/hardcore record store opened in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

naming itself after the song.

Track listing

A side # Celebrated Summer (Mould) B side # New Day Rising (Mould, Hüsker Dü)

Notes and references

Hüsker Dü annotated discography

External links

* " Celebrated Summer at

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

{{authority control 1984 songs Hüsker Dü songs Song recordings produced by Bob Mould Songs written by Bob Mould SST Records singles