Curated by Acid Jazz Records and Modcast founder Eddie Piller, “British Mod Sounds of The 1960s Volume 2: The Freakbeat & Psych Years” is the follow up to the hugely successful “British Mod Sounds of The 1960s”, featuring 95 original tracks across a 4CD set - a deep dive into the post-Mod scene in '60s Britain. Featuring a selection of classic and rare tracks, tracing the scene from early '65 to the dawn of a new decade.

Even before Demon's well received 2022 box set 'British Mod Sounds of The 1960s' was released conversations were being had around a follow-up, though rather than just offering a straight if slightly diluted second volume, compiler Eddie Piller decided to put together a collection exploring "What the Mods did next". Once again, long conversations (and the occasional heated debate) were had to ensure the quality of music and attention to detail were second to none. Anything less just wouldn't be the Mod way.

The British Mod bands that had made the first half of the decade so exciting were still around but inevitably their influences had changed. No longer content with re-hashing American R&B, the scene split in multiple directions, not all of it forward looking - some hardened their up-tempo sound and gradually evolved into what we would come to know as Freakbeat. Others bought in psychedelic, esoteric or Eastern influences. A third strand explored a more pastoral or Folk based route. Simply put, songs and hair got longer.

Before the decade was out the choices for the discerning listener included Jazz-Rock, Proto-Prog, Whimsy, Heavy Rock, and Psychedelic Soul - even sounds derived from Cockney music-hall made an appearance.

'Volume 2: The Freakbeat & Psych Years' tracks the development of the original Mod mainstays (the Small Faces, The Who, The Action, The Kinks), with a generous selection of future superstars (David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Steve Howe of Yes are all represented here), alongside a few artists so obscure, so rare, that they never got to release a record in the '60s, but Eddie has tracked down the tapes nonetheless.

Stylishly packaged (of course) and including a new sleeve note by Richard Norris, author, musician, producer and DJ, who worked at pioneering psychedelic reissue label Bam Caruso in the '80s, produced Joe Strummer's Mescaleros, but is perhaps best known as one half of Techno duo The Grid and the critically acclaimed group Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve.

Disc: 1
1 Get Yourself Home - The Fairies
2 No Good Without You Baby - The Birds
3 Call Again - The Poets
4 You've Got What I Want - The Sorrows
5 When the Night Falls - The Eyes
6 Unto Us - The New Breed
7 I Take It We're Through - The Riot Squad
8 Scratch My Back - Jan Panter
9 Save My Soul - The Wimple Winch
10 Taxman - Loose Ends
11 My World Fell Down - The Ivy League
12 Happenings Ten Years Time Ago - The Yardbirds
13 Mud in Your Eye - Fleur De Lys
14 Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness) - The Truth
15 Tic Toc - Scot of St James
16 I'm Not Your Stepping Stone - The Flies
17 Disturbance - The Move
18 I Must Be Mad - The Craig
19 Day and Night - The Drag Set
20 Tell Me (Have You Ever Seen Me) - Apostolic Intervention
21 The Gospel According to Tony Day - David Bowie
22 My White Bicycle - Tomorrow
23 Midsummer Night's Scene - John's Children
24 Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad - Caleb
25 Come On Down to My Boat Baby - The Gods
26 The Sunday Song - Alex Harvey
27 Excerpt from a Teenage Opera - Keith West

Disc: 2
1 Encapsulated Marigold - Our Plastic Dream
2 In My Dream - The Action
3 Madman Running Through the Fields - Dantalian's Chariot
4 Flight from Ashiya - Kaleidoscope
5 Listen to the Sky - Sands
6 Montagu Terrace (In Blue) - Scott Walker
7 Michael Angelo - The 23rd Turnoff
8 Listen to Mary Cry - The Fairytale
9 Meditations - Felius Andromeda
10 Anniversary of Love - Ice
11 Dream On My Mind - Rupert's People
12 Red Sky at Night - The Accent
13 Life Is Just Beginning - The Creation
14 I Can See for Miles - The Who
15 Rambling Pony - Fleetwood Mac
16 Matrimonial Fears - The Cymbaline
17 Vacuum Cleaner - Tintern Abbey
18 Coloured Rain - Traffic
19 It's Been a Long Time - Andy Ellison
20 Garden of My Mind - Micky Finn and Aphrodite
21 Nite Is a Comin' - Warm Sounds
22 Children of Tomorrow - Mike Stuart Span
23 Rainbow Chaser - Nirvana
24 (He's Our Dear Old) Weatherman - Mark Wirtz

Disc: 3
1 Moonshine - The Spencer Davis Group
2 Shades of Orange - The End
3 Father's Name Is Dad - The Fire
4 Tales of Flossie Fillett - Turquoise
5 London Social Degree - Billy Nicholls
6 10,000 Words in a Cardboard Box - Aquarian Age
7 Pictures of Matchstick Men - Status Quo
8 The Morning Sunshine - The Idle Race
9 A Step in the Right Direction - The Montanas
10 Dandelion Seeds - July
11 See Through Windows - Family
12 The Devil Rides Out - Icarus
13 Your Way to Tell Me Go - Plastic Penny
14 8 1/2 Hours of Paradise - The Elastic Band
15 Floatin' - Vamp
16 Hey You - Paul West & Compass
17 Escalator - Sam Gopal
18 Groovin' Slow - Sound Barrier
19 Buffalo Billycan - Apple
20 Gone Is the Sad Man - Timebox
21 Mr Armageddon - Locomotive
22 Rock My Plimsoll - Ossie Layne Show
23 The Cooks of Cake and Kindness - The Californians

Disc: 4
1 Barricades - The Koobas
2 Evil Woman - The Troggs
3 Love Is the Law - Graham Bond
4 Children of the Sun - The Misunderstood
5 Me, You and Us Too - Small Faces
6 I'm Alone Today - The Fruit Machine
7 Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In) [feat. Julie Driscoll] - Brian Auger
8 Superlungs My Supergirl - Terry Reid
9 Black Mass - Jason Crest
10 Magic Potion - The Open Mind
11 Diamond Joe - Quiet Melon
12 Wrist Job - Humble Pie
13 Same Way from the Sun - Mighty Baby
14 Elegy - Colosseum
15 Castles in the Sky - Blonde On Blonde
16 Neville Thumbcatch - Peter Wyngarde
17 This Time Tomorrow - The Kinks
18 My Fixation (Edit) - Satisfaction
19 Song for the Bearded Lady - Nucleus
20 Car Chase - Graham Dee