Mods & fawkers..

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so.. I just had a thought a quick bit ago about the appeal / hype and obvious cultural significance of the 60's, 70's (and perhaps a bit of the 80's) UK, and thus resulting, worldwide mod scene. we all know it, jungle, dnb, dance music in general & such wouldn't be hear with out it of course. "the first raves.. Mod dances".. etc. DAVID RODIGAN ALL DAY!!!! etc, etc, etc Smile

this is my deal, lets talk about music.. go figure:

I heard a Jam tune in the car, and this is what came to mind:

I personally like some touches of the more rocking early, British mod related music - its rock'n'roll right? and i do acknowledge ska & Caribbean influences all day. I just wonder at the then appeal of white kids sometimes badly interpreting black rnb from the time, ya know what I mean?

the appeal of Paul Weller for instance. songs sure, punk influence, of course, "rnb" singer.. imo, not so much. Thumbd 80's pop sensation, sure, its history! his later Jam & further Style Council stuff where he blatantly showcases his attempt at white dude revisionist rnb is what his fame is more known for, asides from his attire, haircut, sunglasses, and tapered hems on this pants at any given time. I mean, I wasn't born in the UK, and I don't have such a romaticist vision of mod music & culture, but at times, imo, the legendary hype of specific mod eras often comes from bad attempts of reinterpreting straight up, black American rnb. its a part of music history, and continues to this day. fact. (its just auto-tuned now.. lol)

so, my initial quandary is, do you think mod identified music was worth the hype?? thoughts, opinions?? lol.. strange I know. *sigh* if this post made any sense to you, its all good heh. these are literally just some thoughts I had after hearing a Jam song within the hour, on the way home, after a 10 hr work shift, going on only 3 hours sleep. Paul Weller does that kind of shit to me. you know how we do.


so.. feel free to discuss.. or not. Smile
As for The Jam, it was their first two or three albums that counted, and which have lasted. Or more specifically, the singles that generated from them... In the City, All Around the World, The Modern World, News of the World, (I Wish I Could Be Like) David Watts, 'A' Bomb In Wardour Street, Down in the Tube Station at Midnight... They were both poppy and energetic (driven by Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler) and that still comes across. As Paul Weller got more pretensions, The Jam started to go downhill, even as their popularity increased. And the Style Council were just appalling.

As for mod music in general, I've never thought much of it. It's all so... I dunno... anodyne. All surface. Just throwaway music. Unless you count The Kinks as mod? Ray Davies wrote some great songs Smile
Did the 70s mod revival bands like the Jam actually have any crossover with the soul all-dayers and things? I always got the impression they were more about recreating a bit of mod style for punk / new-wave kids than actually being involved with whatever incarnation the grassroots taking-speed-and-dancing-to-soul-for-hours scene was going through at that point...
Statto Wrote:As for The Jam, it was their first two or three albums that counted, and which have lasted. Or more specifically, the singles that generated from them... In the City, All Around the World, The Modern World, News of the World, (I Wish I Could Be Like) David Watts, 'A' Bomb In Wardour Street, Down in the Tube Station at Midnight... They were both poppy and energetic (driven by Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler) and that still comes across. As Paul Weller got more pretensions, The Jam started to go downhill, even as their popularity increased. And the Style Council were just appalling.

As for mod music in general, I've never thought much of it. It's all so... I dunno... anodyne. All surface. Just throwaway music. Unless you count The Kinks as mod? Ray Davies wrote some great songs Smile


^^ i agree. i guess that's what i'm getting at. as i mentioned, early mod musics where kids reinterpreted then current American black rnb was an affection. it doesn't sound complete, there's no grit to it. i think music has reinterpreted straight up dirty blues better, it translates in soo many ways. there's power to it, its not about image, anybody can get thick with it, ha. i think mod identified music showed a first glimpse of pop music in a palatable way in the UK - take away the issue of race, white kids are now Smokey Robinson, ya know? much is the same way as white singers and bands in the US did the same with rnb, and maybe even earlier doo-wop, as black music wasn't aired commercially on early television, or radio. it was the white reinterpretations that were promoted.

if anything, what i get out of mod identified music is a more straight up rock appeal for myself when i hear glimpses, rather than the soul, rnb angle, which is where it falls short. 60's garage might be a bit more significant imo. as 60's garage turned punk, and later influenced the energy of 70's mod revival bands and of course, punk itself.

the thing about The Jam is that hearing "This is The Modern World" lp for the first time as a kid, totally resonated. I REMEMBER those songs. It's my fave Jam lp, and its a record that I can say "oh.. i love The Jam". i listen to much of the other Jam catalog and i think.. "ugh.. this is utter garbage!!" lol. and i guess that's what I think of Paul Weller. mostly garbage lol, but definitely an influence never ending. he's an amazing singer behind a kicking rock song, and that's how I like my Weller moments. Style Council were horrible. "Life from a Window" is one of the greatest ever.. LOOOOVE that song. its honest music. POWER POP is important, and it describes my appeal to The Jam, and then later punk of course. that's what I get out of the legacy of mod identified tunes that i like.

Power pop bliss. Smile
Statto Wrote:As for The Jam, it was their first two or three albums that counted, and which have lasted. Or more specifically, the singles that generated from them... In the City, All Around the World, The Modern World, News of the World, (I Wish I Could Be Like) David Watts, 'A' Bomb In Wardour Street, Down in the Tube Station at Midnight... They were both poppy and energetic (driven by Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler) and that still comes across. As Paul Weller got more pretensions, The Jam started to go downhill, even as their popularity increased. And the Style Council were just appalling.

Exactly mirroring my thoughts on Weller. Early works of The Jam were great.
Music critic for the Tally Ho

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