Could have been so much better
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That there is a link between American R&B and British male fashion is inescapable - and this book seeks to draw a line from the immediate post war years to the present. If you were part of any of the movements described here you will find much to bring a smile to your face - but for those who missed it, you won't find any pictures to enlighten you. It is an incredibly perverse choice for a book about how people look - and that sets the tone for the book.
Hewitt has clearly researched his topic, and the sections on the original Mod movement are very interesting, but may frustrate those who lived outside London. There are many anecdotes which come with a very elitist tone - but doesn't this deny the huge number of working class kids who followed the trend without ever being a "face". Succesive style are given the same treatment.
So we move From Mods and Motown, through Skinheads and Ska, via Northern Soul and the 2 Tone thing to Casuals and ???? - yes Casuals - exactly how did they follow the modernist tradition? and what was their musical link? It doesn't work I am afraid.
I can't help feeling that this book has Paul Weller's name on it to create credibility. Hewitt seems to have fallen between 2 stools - he portrays Mod and it's successors styles to be an elite lifestyle choice, but at the same time he is telling a story which is inescapably working class and thus accessible, in some form, to all.
Buy this by all means, but there are better books on Mods in particular - and they'll have pictures too.
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well done
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Very interesting book about what Mod is all about and at the end Paul Weller ist the only real Mod ever. Hope he'll write his biography as soon as possible.
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LOVED THE BOOK...but casuals, mods?? please
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Loved this book ( despite like everybody else involved at some stage in the soul movement who despises Hewitt)some good references to Mods, Skinhead, Northern Soul, Soul boys, etc. Right until the chapter on "casual". Casuals!!!! how can they even be in this book . The history of the culture, going back to late 50s modernist to Northern Soul and SOul boys is about fashion and music and individualism. Somehow Hewitt completely misses the point and links the whole thing together with a culture that was about football violence and sportswear, no music!! what was he thinking. If he wanted to link the 80s to the scene then many other "movements" that were not very mod but had lots to do with clothes and music could have been chosen.Hewitt somehow manages to link the general youth culture to mod, casuals had more in common with Teds and Ton Up Boys than Mods. What a fool...Probably comes with fooling around with those, non original ( who Mods would have despised for being not original ) Oasis boys.............A good book until the last chapter....Probably the only chapter Hewitt has actually written rather than re written "originators" words.
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Not great, but it'll do
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Thankfully Paulo and Paul finally got round to putting something out about this subject. Thoroughly enjoyed the section about Northern and skinheads (thankyou Jim Ferguson, your words echo sentiments of mine which are rarely voiced). Some sections are a bit thin and can be scanned over, but the passion and conviction of a number of contributors cannot be overlooked. Not as good as "can you love a poorboy" by Hal Bernal, but definitely as good as "Cool Jerk" by the Capitols
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stick to what you know Paolo
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i'm grudgingly giving this 3 stars for the the post-war jazz and sixties mod stuff. the, ahem, 'casual' section is laughable and gives the (never challegened) impression that the same old characters were the only ones involved. note for Mr Hewitt (and all the other London-centric journos out there) the appalling moniker 'casual' was NEVER used outside the environs of the M25 and even then not past '84...
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