Into Tomorrow - The Spirit Of Mod 1983-2000: Clamshell Box

本作は自らをMODSと定義してはいないものの、その精神や魂を継承、または影響を受けたバンド / アーティストをテーマとした4CD BOXです。
DISC 1にはPAUL WELLERがTHE JAM解散後に結成したTHE STYLE COUNCILを筆頭に、THE TRUTH、そしてSMALL WORLD、THE SCENEといったアンダーグラウンドなモッズ・バンドを収録。
DISC 2には、THE UNTOUCHABLES、MAKIN' TIMEがけん引した1985年のシーンを中心に、THE JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET、FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS、マッドチェスター・モッズの新たなスタイルを提示したTHE INSPIRAL CARPETSとTHE STONE ROSESを収録。
DISC 3には、PAUL WELLERのソロ復帰からTHE LA'S、RIDE、THE CHARLATANSら大物やACID JAZZ周辺。
DISC 4には0年代にインスパイアされたTHE AARDVARKS、THE CLIQUEやOCEAN COLOUR SCENE、そしてKULA SHAKERをミックスし、60'S R&Bスタイルをベースに現代クラブ仕様のハモンド・グルーヴを提供するBIG BOSS MANで締めくくられています。

Along with being one of the pillars of the U.K. punk scene in the mid-70s, the Jam were also at the forefront of the burgeoning mod revival that swept through the nation on a wave of Vespa exhaust. When the band split up in 1982, the revival didnt die, but as the four-disc collection Into Tomorrow: The Spirit of Mod 1983-2000 shows, it mutated and evolved in a number of different ways. Leading off with a track by the post-Jam band the Style Council ("A Solid Bond in Your Heart"), the set traces how different aspects of the mod sound carried on, whether it was Tamla-inspired, horn-driven soul like JoBoxers "Just Got Lucky" and Tracies "Far from the Hurting Kind," powerful garage rock like the Barracudas "Next Time Around," or the Small Faces-like heavy groove of the Prisoners "I Drink the Ocean." As the 80s went on, the influence spread to bands as disparate as the mod-ska group the Untouchables, the left-wing funk group Redskins, psychedelic indie pop collective Biff Bang Pow!, and even the chart-topping Fine Young Cannibals, whose "Good Thing" is a wonderful example of how the energy and excitement of the basic mod sound could be expanded into the pop arena. By the end of the second disc, and the end of the 80s, the mod sound began to split into divergent streams. On the one hand, there were bands like the Stone Roses and Inspiral Carpets who captured the experimental spirit of the best mod, the way it could combine genres to come up with something special. On the other, there were groups who took the jazzier elements of the style, as pioneered by people like Georgie Fame, and started the acid jazz movement. This collection includes many of these acts, most of whom stuck closely to funky jazz grooves designed for a sophisticated club audience. A more straightforward mod revival began to take shape in the early 90s, with Paul Weller returning to a more guitar-driven style -- as heard on "Into Tomorrow" -- and groups like the Buzz and the Shadowland donning skinny ties. Some of the biggest bands of the era, like the Charlatans and Blur (sadly not included here), incorporated elements of mod into the songs at the dawning of the Britpop era. This celebration of nostalgia and excitement led to the formation of many bands seeking to put their own spin on a very noisy, angsty version of mod. Groups like These Animal Men and Mantaray played with all the amp-rattling volume of the Who while also dashing off melodies that the kids could easily sing along with. The whole of the fourth disc shows just how widespread the influence of the mod sound became, moving from the Small Faces-cranked-to-11 heaviness of the Supergrass B-side "Melanie Davis" to the sunshine-y jazz pop of Groove Tunnels "Rainy Day," which, to go full circle, sounds like the Style Council with a few layers of lacquer applied. The collection does a really nice job of exploring all the avenues that mod traveled down after the Jam broke up; its hard to think of anything they missed (other than the groups they couldnt license). It might not always be the smoothest listening experience, as not every fan of the raucous guitar bands might be into the smooth jazzbo jams and vice versa. That being said, theres still enough flow and enough pleasant surprises along the way to smooth over any huge bumps in the road, and most every broadminded fan of the mod sound will find much here to love. ~ Tim Sendra