Introduction: Dressed right for a beach fight

The Who’s 1973 album Quadrophenia and Franc Roddam’s 1979 cult classic film based on the album are now inseparable from Mod identity, and in part responsible for the style’s staying power. If Mod as a style has been central to the development of cultural and subcultural studies in Britain, then Quadrophenia-- the album and the film-- is Mod’s canon. Quadrophenia brought Mod to the consciousness of the greater public and the world, and the cult status of the film means that it continues to introduce Mod style to subsequent generations. The introduction to this volume summarizes the articles included in the book, and makes a strong case for Quadrophenia’s continuing fascination.