Having dedicated their first three albums to the surfing craze, the Beach Boys shifted gears to accommodate a new fad that was racing up the charts: Hot Rod Music! Released less than a month after Surfer Girl, Little Deuce Coupe updated the Beach Boy’s image from ‘surfers’ to ‘hot rodders’ almost overnight and established the group as the forerunner in the new car craze. Although its title number had already appeared on their previous LP, it didn't hinder this album from charting at number 4 on the Billboard Top 100, an impressive three spots higher than Surfer Girl, ensuring that the group would continue to pursue their love - automobiles.

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Originally regulated as the b-side of ‘Surfer Girl,’ the ‘Little Deuce Coupe' managed to peak at #28 in October of ‘63. Brian Wilson’s sweet ‘Ballad of Ole’ Betsy’ follows. ‘Be True to Your School’ is the album’s only non-car-related track, though it still fits nicely here. Incidentally, ‘..School’ would be eventually re-recorded for release as a single, resulting in another top 10 hit for the boys.  ‘Car Crazy Cutie’ is a strong underrated track that was rewritten as ‘Pamela Jean’ for the Survivors, an unsuccessful side project of Brian’s and friend, Bob Norberg. ‘Cherry Cherry Coupe’ features some proficient hot rod jargon from lyricist Roger Christian, while ‘Spirit of America’ is a dedication to driver Craig Breedlove. Both ‘409’ and ‘Shut Down’ had already appeared on the albums 'Surfin’ Safari' and 'Surfin’ U.S.A.' respectively, and are representative of some of the most memorable car tunes from the era. Like the title song, ‘Our Car Club’ had also been on 'Surfer Girl,' while ‘No-Go Showboat’ is a new composition, noticeably more complex than the preceding numbers. A loving homage to James Dean, ‘A Young Man Is Gone’ is set to the familiar tune of ‘Their Hearts Were Full of Spring’ and demonstrates Bran’s uncanny vocal arranging capabilities. The final track, ‘Custom Machine,’ boasts a progressive chord sequence and some creative lyrics a’ la Wilson.

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Despite some repeats from earlier releases, Little Deuce Coupe is one of the best hot rod albums out there and plays like a ‘best of’ compilation, featuring many of the most memorable tunes from the group.