Various Acts - 'This Is The Modern World' (Universal)
3/5
By: Toby L
Mods. Like all characters once encapsulated in all great, fleeting rock 'n' roll scenes, they're destined to be confusingly embraced by the casual coffee-table enthusiasts in a gross lucre-grabbing bluster some years later.
And, oh, what do we have here? A 'daring' compilation-album, 'This Is The Modern World': encapsulating the finest of the genres we think of when the word 'Mod' is thrust into our radar, inclusive(-ish) of some of its original, foundational roots. Not only named after a classic album from Paul Weller's only fantastical musical era as part of The Jam - who feature twice on this compilation - the record has the sheer audacity to compile compositions which don't even fall into the suggested bracket (we get a mish-mash of everything from '60s beat-pop; doo-wop girl-groups; classic Brit-rock bands; and whatever else 'major-label marketing-man' sees as part of the niche).
Well, let's not digress too much into a pool of purism. '... Modern World' is best treated as a casual purchase for the non-completists - a 49-track compendium of all that was rousing, sexy and soundbite-culling of the '60s through late-'70s.
We get the timeless stomp and growl of 'My Generation'; hearty yell of 'All Or Nothing'; The Spencer Davis Group's infectious bark, 'I'm A Man'; Smokey Robinson & The Miracles; James Brown; Manfred Mann (oh, cripes); the sumptuous 'In The Midnight Hour'; The Troggs; The Supremes; Curtis Mayfield; 'Town Called Malice'; and a truck-load more.
It's like the soundtrack of a badly written, British no-fi flick, only without the sodding, annoying actors in sight (bonus). But, seemingly, despite much of the faultless matter herein (especially the soul classics), there's the overhanging sense that a mere cash-in is not the most idyllic, nor intended, of circumstances in which to enjoy such modern standards.
Artists in this article: Various Acts
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