P.F. Sloan Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
It's nice to know some things don't change. More than a dozen years after his last album and 40 years since he penned the epochal pop-protest number "Eve of Destruction," P.F. Sloan is still writing worthwhile pop songs with smart, impressionistic, and somewhat off-kilter lyrics, and Sailover confirms time has been quite kind to his muse since he last entered a recording studio. Sailover is not built from the same sort of Brill Building materials as Sloan's best-known work of the '60s (either as recorded by the songwriter himself or through such clients as Johnny Rivers, the Association, the Turtles, the Grass Roots and lots more); these days, Sloan and producer Jon Tiven go for a simpler approach (guitar, bass, drums, keys) that not only emphasizes the rootsy leanings of his melodies but brings out the Dylanesque side of his songwriting, which doesn't manifest itself in extended lyrical abstraction but a clear desire to write of the personal and the political with the same draw. While Sloan has resurrected a few old favorites for this set (including "Eve of Destruction," "From a Distance," and "Sins of a Family"), the new material makes it clear the man has been keeping his songwriting chops in solid shape; "Violence" and "PK and the Evil Dr. Z" speak clearly with the same mordant wit that he's summoned in his best-known music, while the compassion and warmth of "Love Is 4Giving" and the wanderlust of the title tune prove that while he's mellowed a bit, he's also learned what to make of it. And even when he does revisit the past, the mournful weight of the new recording of "Eve of Destruction" (with guest vocals from Frank Black and Buddy Miller) and the bitter eloquence of Lucinda Williams' verses on "Sins of a Family" show that some protest songs never die, they just remain uncomfortably relevant. Sailover shows P.F. Sloan still has songs in his bag that are well-worth hearing, and he has a gift for making them work in the studio; this is the work of a man who ought to be making records more often than once every 13 years, if he's so inclined and we're so fortunate. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'(Still on The) Eve of Destruction'
Release Date 1/1/1993
Tracks 10
Label All The Best
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Originally released in Japan in 1993, P.F. Sloan's first album in about 20 years emerged in the US a few years later. The good news is that he's still in decent voice, and that the songwriting isn't bad and is often recognizably Sloan. The bad news is that the production seems to gaze full-bore at the 1990s adult contemporary market, rather than address his folk-rock and pop-rock strengths. The irony is that such production might be what the mass market is looking for in singer/songwriters, but precisely antithetical to what much of the core constituency of Sloan's cult following wishes to hear. Far be it from a mere reviewer to suggest how Sloan should arrange his music, but is only to fair to warn that those who treasure his previous solo albums will most likely not enjoy the settings in which he chooses to cloak his compositions. It works best when those synthesizers and gunshot drums are largely eliminated, as on "Spiritual Eyes," with its accordions and European sidewalk ambience. The title track is an awkward update of "Eve of Destruction" -- one more iron to toss onto the raging fire of misguided remakes of old standards. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Raised on Records was a reflection of its times, with P.F. Sloan entering a mellower singer/songwriter phase, in tune with trends of the early 1970s. It almost seems as if Sloan has been influenced by James Taylor, and to a much lesser extent other low-key performers of the ilk like Cat Stevens (not nearly so much in his songwriting as in the laidback production). Sloan's underrated singing is good, and his writing is fair, but the compositions don't have as much sting as those on his first albums. Post-mid-'60s Sloan tends to be best when the arrangements are sparsest and the melodies most bittersweet, which doesn't happen too often here, but peeks through on "The Night the Trains Broke Down," "Como," and "Midnight Girl." Remakes of his well-known mid-'60s songs "Let Me Be" and "Sins of a Family" would be a lot more impressive if they didn't have to suffer comparison with the originals (against which they fall short). By most singer/songwriter contrasts, this would be considered a respectable collection; by Sloan's own high standards, it's among his lesser releases. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With famed Atlantic engineer Tom Dowd as producer, P.F. Sloan turned his sound in a bluesier, funkier direction on Measure of Pleasure. His songs were less lyrically direct, and less melodically pop-savvy than his earlier work on Dunhill. While it could be said that his singing was getting better than ever, especially on the upper register twists in songs like "New Design," the material simply wasn't as memorable, although it wasn't bad. On tunes like "How Can I Be Sure" (not the same as the Rascals' hit) and "And the Boundaries Inbetween" (one of the best tracks), there's a folk-rock-blues-jazz fusion reminiscent of Tim Hardin, amplified by the touches of vibrating guitar (which Hardin also used in his late-'60s arrangements). There's a much more distant similarity to the late-'60s country-folk-rock-blues mixture of Tony Joe White. It's not a bad album, and Sloan fans will find it worth picking up. It's just different than, and not on the same level as, his first two LPs. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
