Action Pact [Extra tracks]

Sloan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 11, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Koch Records
• ASIN: B0001Z4PFU
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #130,597 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A BIT DOWN, BUT ROCKIN' ALL THE SAME!!, August 20, 2003

By 

D (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Action Pact (Audio CD)

At first listen, "Action Pact", Sloan's 7th studio LP, is barely identifiable as the follow-up to 2001's Pretty Together; all the songs are fast and rockin', with guitars cranked
to new heights and fabulous vocal harmonies strewn all over the place. Also, it is indisputably the band's "fastest" album to date, with its quick-tempo song assemblage clocking in at just under 40 minutes. Nevertheless, as listeners work their way through the disc, they'll discover an unhappy quality that is inundated throughout the recording; this is a characteristic that Action Pact and Pretty Together share, at least to a certain extent.

On A.P., Sloan appears to have developed the tones of Pretty Together, with the addition of a sonic touch that is perhaps slightly reminiscent of their early 90s origins, as well as mid-80s rock. Some of the results are undoubtedly sloan-esque (see "Gimmie That", "I Was Wrong" and "Reach Out"), while others seem to have departed from what has come to be known as the "sloan sound" (it is almost debatable, for instance, whether
"Backstabbin'" was actually written by Patrick Pentland or the collective members of KISS and AC/DC!).

The cohesiveness of Action Pact seems the obvious culprit for the creation of the different sound. Working with producer Tom Rothrock in Los Angeles may have indeed altered the likeable "Sloan democracy," even though the band members seem closer than they ever have before. The idea of having a Chris & Patrick powered album was a good one, but when the tones of Pretty Together are joined with strong 80s influences and new-wave punk (as is the case on "Hollow Head" & "Who Loves Life More?"), this choice becomes questionable. In fact, Action Pact
can actually seem downright depressing after a full listen-through, as too many of the songs have minor undertones. Even
Jay Ferguson's songs are less mellow and more down than usual - "False Alarm" may as well be a long-lost Smeared tune. Moreover, it is a great tragedy that there are no psychedelic songwriting contributions from drummer Andrew Scott (though
on this album he still drums very well!).

Unlike Pretty Together, Action Pact is definitely NOT sugary pop, although 2 of Chris Murphy's tracks (both the first single "The Rest of My Life" and the Travis-like "Nothing Lasts Forever Anymore") seem to be obvious progressions from nostalgic P.T. songs, and serve to provide a nice break from the other songs on the record. That said, the abudance of good-time rockers on Action Pact still makes for a great listening experience! While it may seem a bit "too much" at first, each individual song is thoroughly enjoyable, and A.P. is another great work from the greatest Canadian rock band. If new to the Sloan catalogue, however, I would recommend that you begin your Sloan journey with either One Chord to Another, Navy Blues or Between the Bridges before taking this pact for action.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LIVE ON!!!, July 27, 2004

By 

ANTI-BUSH HIPPIE (Austin TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Action Pact (Audio CD)

I recently saw sloan with jet. When Sloan played a better show than jet did(and jet rocked), I decided to check them out. This is the first sloan album i have bought. The entire album is great, my favorite tracks are live on, ready for you, and fade away. Sloan reminds me of the beatles, all four of them sing, they even sound like the beatles at times, but heavier. The bassist plays guitar, the guitarist plays bass, the lead singer/guitarist plays drums and the drummer sings/plays guitar. They are unbelievable musicians, and i plan to own their entire catalog in a short time. BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Road Album Ever?, August 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Action Pact (Audio CD)

This CD is totally upbeat and unlike other Sloan records it contains no experimental songs. What you get is straight ahead rock n roll, guitar bass and drums. Every song is uptempo and sounds best loud. I expect 4 or 5 hits in Canada. The release of a Sloan record is always a treat and Action Packed is no different.