Action Packed Kate Bait Thread About Sloan

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Action Pact the album been around for a bit now.
The four from Halifax were on the cover of Eye and the singles been on air for a bit. Thoughts?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 14 August 2003 13:04 (twenty-two years ago)

For Kate:
http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_08.14.03/music/photos/sloan.JPG

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 14 August 2003 13:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not Kate, but I can't wait to hear this. Pretty Together was half their best, half their worst album. I hope they run with the vibe of songs like "Dreaming Of You" and "The Other Man" which were greeeeeat Adult Contemporary. I'm jealous of Canadians ability to be reminded Sloan exists on a comparibly frequent basis.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 14 August 2003 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I hated "The Other Man," and thought Pretty Together was mostly a pile of dung. While I've got nothing against adult contemporary (Early Counting Crows? Yes please! Coldplay? Go go go! "For the Longest Time"? Billy, marry me!), but the descent into mindless harmonized cheese left me very cold. Sloan are a band that benefits from hints of indie - from indie rock ("People of the Sky") to indie pop ("Everything You've Done Wrong") to indie rock-pop ("Losing California"). Stripped of that wry/mentalist/underground aesthetic, there's too much indulgence and pandering (contradiction?) to them.

― Sean M (Sean M), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Bah, the less stadium rock the better, it sunk half of Between The Bridges, all of MCM and two clunkers on Pretty Together. What I really liked about Pretty Together was that Jay's songs sounded very similar to Big Star pop. Maybe Jay should take some time off for putting out a Chris Bell styled solo album.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Songs I really really really liked on Pretty Together, mainly because they sounded like their fullest, most professional, least "indie" while still punchy, affecting and catchy as all hell with little of the pointless wordplay and sloppy doldrums that sorta sink most of Between The Bridges (and most of the other songs on Pretty Together):

"The Other Man"
"Dreaming Of You"
"It's In Your Eyes"
"If It Feels Good Do It"
"The Life Of A Working Girl"

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Pah. They should have all drowned in Hali's harbour after the Blue Album. It's all been a bit rubbish since has it not?

― st cool kid of death, Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

no.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to put a warning, for Doom Patrol to keep his hatah comments to himself.

While Im at it, Hanson are playing the Guberment, aparently Radiohead stole all the kids and the ACC. Larf.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

If we're gonna pretend Sloan started really sucking after a certain point (which I don't believe), I'd personally pick "Twice Removed," which is probably still my favorite full-length of theirs.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Twice Removed is beautiful. The "la la la" dancing-on-grave at the end of "Bells On" is so so so wonderful.

― Sean M (Sean M), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:57 (twenty-two years ago)

jay is tops. his songs on between the bridges were the brilliant. i wish he'd do a solo album in that vein. 'dreaming of you' was my fave off the last album; 'false alarm' is my fave off this one. i met jay in a record store once and was totally giddy.

twice removed is also tops but i don't think they've ever made a shit album - i like the stadium rockers, the soft rockers, and the indie rockers. sloan can do almost no wrong in my eyes, though. i just can't help it. i lose all objectivity.

false alarm
i was wrong
hollow head
the rest of my life
fade away
gimme that

― brian badword (badwords), Thursday, 14 August 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

err... -'the' or +'absolute mostest' on that second sentence.

― brian badword (badwords), Thursday, 14 August 2003 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

action pact is easily the worst sloan album yet. barely any jay songs and no andrew ones!

its mostly them ploughing through more of patrick's boring four-chord been-there-done-that dirges ho hum

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 14 August 2003 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Patrick's songs suck, but they always get chosen as singles, oddly enough. Chris has the best songs, if you ask me.

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Thursday, 14 August 2003 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't think Patrick was underrated but I do now. He's made his fair share of winners.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 14 August 2003 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Pat's stuff is tops. "Money City Maniacs," "Everything You've Done Wrong," "Losing California," "I Can Feel It"... I find Jay's stuff really hit and miss: too much of it is inane chorus-inane chorus-inane chorus, which wouldn't be so bad, but I often don't find the choruses catchy enough. For every "Lines You Amend" there's a "C'mon C'mon".

Really, what's made Sloan great is the interplay of several great, but inconsistent, songwriters. During the early years, more of the lesser tracks were left by the wayside.

― Sean M (Sean M), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I love Sloan to pieces.

"Bells On" is a genius kiss off, and a great melody to boot. "Penpals", "Underwhelmed", there are just so many fantastic tunes.

The new album has not grown on me at all. Bummer.

― don weiner, Thursday, 14 August 2003 17:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Me, I likes the Navy Blues myself. Good little numbers, those. Nice, tight production. Haven't heard much since.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 14 August 2003 19:06 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.punkrecords.net/454f4ee0.jpg

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 14 August 2003 21:06 (twenty-two years ago)

(I like this action pact better, myself)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 14 August 2003 21:07 (twenty-two years ago)

action pact is easily the worst sloan album yet.

Yer crazy, mark, this is the best thing they've done in years and years. The more I listen the more this damn thing is growing on me, and I was really just humouring the album because the last few I've heard from them have been extremely dull. There's just something about the way they're balancing the rock riffs with the poppiness here that just sounds right: not lunkheaded and not too saccharine.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Thursday, 28 August 2003 02:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I was expecting to loathe Action Pact, because Andrew's 'In The Movies' and 'The Great Wall' ruled Pretty Together, and he's really my favourite, but I'm really enjoying it. My faves-

I Was Wrong
Hollow Head
The Rest Of My Life
Nothing Lasts Forever Anymore

False Alarm begins SO beautifully, and has a GENIUS guitar hook, but the chorus just doesn't do it. I was so sad, because the beginning hook was so key.

Jay def. had the best songs on Between the Bridges.

― derrick (derrick), Thursday, 28 August 2003 05:12 (twenty-two years ago)

two months pass...

I think Chris's were the best on Between the Bridges. "Marquee and the Moon" is such a good song.

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Thursday, 30 October 2003 06:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Way to start a Kate-Bait thread WHILE KATE WAS ON HOLIDAY AND HAD NO ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AT ALL!!!

Sigh. I've not heard it yet. I kinda don't want to listen to it at the moment because I'm hating all music. And besides, I hear there are no Andrew songs, and the Andrew songs were what made Pretty Together.

― kate (kate), Thursday, 30 October 2003 09:15 (twenty-two years ago)

"False Alarm" is definitely the highlight for me. The hook is so brilliant I don't care how many times they abuse it in the song. And unlike Derrick I can't wait for the chorus to come back around every time. It's the best Sloan song since "Money City Maniacs."

"Nothing Lasts Forever Anymore" is my 2nd favorite. Other songs seem to percolate and fade, these two are the ones that have consistently held up.

The more I listen the more I like it overall, but it's mid-pack for a Sloan album. Considering how high the high is I'll more than take it.

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Thursday, 30 October 2003 19:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw them live several weeks back, and False Alarm finally clicked. fuckin' brilliant. One of the best points of the night, along with I Was Wrong. Also, a mellow rendition of I Am The Cancer. My ultra Sloan fan friend and I seemed to be the only ones in the crowd that were really happy about that, let alone recognize it. When did people stop buying Smeared as part of their Sloan collection? so sad.

I thought they were going to break up after this tour, as Jay seemed bored during the Pat riff-o-ramas, Pat seemed bored during the clever Chris songs, Andrew only did two songs, and blasted his way through both(people of the sky, sensory deprivation)... not a happy band, it seemed. My ultra Sloan friend saw them the next night in Abbostford, however, and reported back that they were much happier. Sloan lives, it seems!

What is needed is a Sloan rarity record. Or a 4-disc greatest hits, with each member getting their own disc. I made my own Andrew hits album, and it's damn good.

― derrick (derrick), Friday, 31 October 2003 08:34 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

OH YEAH!!!!

Sloan are playing at The Underworld in Camden on 31st January! Sloan in London! Hurrah!

I forgot that The Kissing Time told me about this, until Charlie forwarded me the email.

― Beauty and the Beastliness (kate), Thursday, 12 January 2006 16:01 (twenty years ago)

CANADIAN INDIE ROCK ICONS – SLOAN - TAKE LONDON
One Night Only - January 31st at Camden Underworld
Influential Canadian rockers Sloan will perform a special one-off gig in London on January 31st at the Camden Underworld. This gig marks Sloan’s first return to London since 2000. The London stop will be on the heels of two gigs opening for The Rolling Stones in the USA, and a tour of Spain with Swedish rockers The Soundtrack of Our Lives.
Sloan’s ever-evolving brand of smart, hooky alternative rock, inspired by everyone from The Velvet Underground and The Beatles to AC/DC and Kiss, has amassed shelves of critical praise and one of indie rock’s most devout followings, not to mention damn near hero status in their native land.
In 2005 Sloan’s album “Twice Removed” was named “Top Canadian Album of All Time” by Chart Magazine - beating classic albums by the likes of fellow Canadians Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, as well as younger guns, such as The Arcade Fire. Sloan’s recently released singles collection “A Sides Win: Singles 1992-2005” is available on import, and includes a 2 hour DVD.
Sloan are - guitarist/vocalist Jay Ferguson, bassist/vocalist Chris Murphy, guitarist/vocalist Patrick Pentland and drummer/vocalist Andrew Scott. Their last foray into the UK prompted much praise from all sections of the press:
“Sloan’s thang is mountain-sized guitar-pop that dashes till it gasps to every chorus, great songs piling up upon one another until your head is left swimming in the melee. Songs so obviously perfect that it seems ludicrous Sloan aren't the huge stars they play like. Unimpeachable hooks and justified, quietly humble swagger.” NME
“fabulously groovy guitar playing and stacks of heart-stopping harmonies” Telegraph
“joyous guitar solos and heavenly, three-part ‘yeahs’. A curious rocking delight” ****Q
“Canada’s finest punk-pop band Sloan have an instinctive grasp of harmonies and guitar licks” Uncut
“Very Big Star, very Teenage Fanclub, very nice thanks” GQ
“Sloan have the amazing ability to sound like every band from the 70s, 80s and 90s you’ve ever liked” The Fly

Known for their joyous free-wheeling rock show performances, Sloan never let you down, whether you are a devout fan, or a first timer. Clearly this is a one-off show that is not to be missed.

Tickets & Info: www.theunderworldcamden.co.uk , www.ticketweb.co.uk , www.sloanmusic.com

― Beauty and the Beastliness (kate), Thursday, 12 January 2006 16:02 (twenty years ago)

eight months pass...

the new sloan album is fantastic! it sounds like 'one chord to another.' it's the first one that sounds like sloan since 'between the bridges'. SO MUCH BETTER than 'action pact'! i like sloan again!

the gimmick is that it's 30 songs long, and most of them are less than 3 minutes long. it's not contrived though. it sounds like sloan. the last two sounded contrived, and this is just sloan, playing lots of songs. hooray!

― derrick (derrick), Friday, 29 September 2006 23:49 (nineteen years ago)

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