Also today: I was in Rite Aid, listening to Yo La Tengo's cover of "Little Honda" on my headphones. I stopped the music when I reached the cash register, and the in-store music was the Beach Boys' original.
yo.la.tengo
I like!
No thanks!
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8 commentsReplies
khaaaaansumating said, (102 days ago)
That's very strange seeing as how I can't remember the last time I heard either version.
soulcamp said, (102 days ago)
I still find the Beach Boys version far superior. But then again, I have Brian Wilson's biography sitting on my nightstand, not Ira Kaplan's.
Branwell said, (102 days ago)
Yeah, that's another thing. I mean, I was listening to that Yo La Tengo album, so I guess it's not surprising that the song came on in and of itself -- it would have been more surprising if it didn't.
But what is the store doing playing "Little Honda"? There are at least twenty-five or thirty better-known Beach Boys songs. (Last.fm has it as their #53 most-played song over the last 6 months; that's probably not quite accurate, because I see a few songs listed under multiple titles ahead of it, and a bunch of album tracks from Pet Sounds. Oh, those Internet people, they love that Pet Sounds.) I mean, I'm not even sure I've ever heard it played on the radio -- and I listened to a lot of oldies radio growing up. (Not my choice -- my younger brother liked it.)
The whole thing is weird.
Branwell said, (102 days ago)
Well, I don't have any biographies sitting anywhere. I respect the Beach Boys, and they certainly had some great songs, but on the whole, I've never been quite able to love them. (Don't get me started on what I think of Pet Sounds... well, around half of Pet Sounds, anyway.)
And I'll concede you that the Beach Boys' version is probably better, if you concede me that YLT's cover of "Little Honda" wasn't one of their best songs anyway.
But then I have to concede you that the original wasn't one of the Beach Boys' best songs either.
But THEN I'm going to say something dismissive about "You Still Believe In Me" or possibly "Caroline, No", and that's probably going to start up a big thing I don't especially want started up. So I'm not going to go in that direction.
sound of snowsuit said, (102 days ago)
I've never heard the original, sad to say. But I love how scuzzy and awesome the Yo La Tengo song is.
soulcamp said, (102 days ago)
Little Honda was definitely not one of YLT's best, but I do like the original. Maybe that because I used to play it while driving around in my little Honda S2000. However, Little Deuce Coupe does kick its ass pretty heartily...
Ah, it's just like the old days -- when every other post I made was about Yo La Tengo.