People often disagree about what the word "Mod" means. Sure it could be short for "modern" and thereby apply to whatever the latest trend is. However, in England and subsequently around the world a well defined subculture of mod has surfaced every fifteen years or so (1964, 1979, 1995) and appears on the rise again with bands such as Oasis and Elastica in London with countless others carrying on the tradition in Anglophile capitals of culture. What the Mod movement meant in this stricter sense is a code of style and behavior for teens who work hard and party hard. Also defined by not being Rockers, who rode motorcycles, wore leather, and listened to rockabilly, Mods looked to American soul, R&B;, and fashion. While mod clothing has changed over the years Fred Perry, high contrast looks, short hair cuts, parkas, and Italian scooters seem to provide continuity in the mod lexicon.

1. Rumble - Link Wray ("The Original Rumble") (Ace)

   Roots of Mod, rumored to be the first use of feedback guitar, the simple staccato notes, the plugging bassline, and the power chord in slow motion in 1958 paved the way for surf guitar and Townshendian dynamics of noise.

2. Night Train- James Brown (Startime) (Polydor)

   The transformations which rhythm and blues wrought on British culture are now the stuff of legend. "Night Train" captures the best of what American R & B had to offer, the bopping bass, the wailing horn riff, the verse where you travel from one American city to another and of course the extrovert sex machine singer. The song first appeared in late 1961 and will likely never disappear. James Brown plays drums on this one too.

3. Batman Theme- Neil Hefti (O.P.)

   The all time descending bass riff/pilled freak falsetto vocal classic later covered by Link Wray, The Kinks, The Who, The Jam and scads of others. Hard to remember that the original had the goofy organ solo in the middle which completely dates it, but then again the movie series dates the pop art tv show doesn't it?

4. The Ox- The Who (Sings My Generation) (MCA)

   Normally early Who anthems or the opus Quadrophenia (a retrospection on Mod) are selected, but "The Ox" fully exemplifies the Mod riot style havoc the band put across in the early days. Pete Townshend had ordered the biggest amplifier that the Marshall music store could make, and then stacked them two high to get feedback loud enough to impair hearing. This pivotal moment in rock led to the "power trio" of guitar, bass, drum obviating the need for a rhythm guitarist (opening the door for Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Led Zeppelin). With the full noise of Keith Moon's manic yet melodic drumming attack, guest pianist Nicky Hopkins hammering the keys and John Entwistle gluing it together, the freak out potential got to be very high. The guitar had never been where a 19 year old Townshend was taking it on this track, and once it got there it was in pieces.

   On the fashion front the group interpreted pop art to mean no rules: cut up the flag to make a jacket, wear bullseye t-shirts, destroy the instruments, and play as loud as possible. Very Mod concepts.

5. Song Of A Baker - The Small Faces (Ogden's Nut Gone Flake) (Immediate/Sony)

   First of all this is the mod band of all time, although the Who got to be larger as things progressed, nothing beats a Marriott/Lane composition on the modometer. I chose this one from the masterpiece "Nut" because of the East London working class tie in. Recorded at the intersection of mod with one of its many progeny British psychedelia in 1969 just before Marriot departed for Humble Pie. Regrouping with Rod "The Mod" Stewart, the Faces went on to greater success but never lost the hard R&B; mod feel.

6. All The Young Dudes- Mott The Hoople (All The Young Dudes) (Columbia)

   Also classifiable as glam rock, an offspring of Mod without mod's social inhibition (e.g. longer hair). "All The Young Dudes" came about when former ace mod David Bowie heard that Mott had disbanded. Bowie immediately stepped in to write and produce their biggest hit. "Speed Jive/ don't want to stay alive when you're twenty-five/Television man is crazy saying we're juvenile delinquent wrecks/Who needs tv when I got T. Rex." Does it get any more Mod than this?

7. Non-Stop Dancing- The Jam (In the City) (Polydor)

   In 1977 a guy playing high energy, high volume guitar pop in London was easily confused with a punk. But Paul Weller and the Jam emphasized the Neo-Mod style in their clothing and attitude and spearheaded a Mod revival in the wake of punk. "Non Stop Dancing" is a masterpiece of dance, right handed guitar and 19 year old energy. Weller has written so many hit tunes (nearly 50 top 40 songs in England), yet this one less heralded song captures the mod aesthetic, and the rhythmic drive of his best work. "Non-Stop Dancing" epitomizes Weller's groove hooks which have progressed through many forms in a career which continues to yield great mod tunes-- this one narrowly winning out over 1993's "The Weaver" for no. 7 spot.

8. Save it For Later- The English Beat (What is Beat?) (IRS)

   The Beat arrived with the Two-Tone movement in as a group with a distinct sound blending ska elements with a later day R & B approach. On 1982's "Save it For Later" Dave Wakeling borrowed a guitar tuning from the Velvet Underground. This club stylized song can't really be made sense of. A well voiced Pete Townshend covered it as a soothing sax and Indian guitar number on his Deep End concert in 1986.

9. The Warmest Room- Billy Bragg (Talking With the Taxman About Poetry) (Elektra)

   A Fred Perry sporting Bragg on the inside jacket spouts Mayakovsky? "The Warmest Room" presents the lighter side of Bragg a disciple of the working class Weller singing style. On this fine LP produced by former Faces and Who drummer Kenny Jones, Bragg dips into the mod bag of tricks including a"Maggie May-esque" full bass sound on "Room." While the communist underpinnings look dubious ten years hence as a turning point that failed to turn Taxman is a milestone of Eighties pop.

10. Morning Glory- Oasis (What's The Story (Morning Glory)?)(Epic)

    Fuzz guitar, driving melody heaven and the revolving hook "Need a little time to wake up/ Well?/ What's The Story Morning Glory" fuses the best of the British Mod traditions. "Morning Glory" just edged out opening cut "Hello" in which Noel Gallagher incorporates lyrics from Glam rock icon Gary Glitter. "Morning Glory" reincarnates the favorite riff from R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" and Neil Young's "Hey, Hey, My, My" with very postive results. Also running around the Mod circle is the last track "Champagne Supernova" with Paul Weller joining a snowbound electric guitar barrage reminiscent of the Small Faces.