What's Exactly The Matter With Me?: Memoirs of a life in music

"I remember the night I wrote 'Eve of Destruction'. It was the night P.F. Sloan was born--the emergence of a higher form of consciousness." P.F. Sloan."He had the vibe that stars have and that commercial jet pilots used to have." S.E. Feinberg."Stardom and success lay in front of me now, followed by destruction and ultimately resurrection." P.F. Sloan."I had already been labeled a perverted harbinger of dangerous thinking by the public and by the record companies. P.F. Sloan."Are you a red, Flip? Because if you are, let me know, so we can put a bullet in your head." Jay Lasker, Dunhill Records, asking Sloan about his song "Sins Of A Family.""This new 'art' and 'creativity' thing was starting to get in the way of how things had always been done." P.F. Sloan on recording.This is an entertaining and sometimes informative look (with a number of typographical errors throughout the book) at the music business from Sloan's viewpoint. The book (with the help of writer S.E. Feinberg) is written in the first-person style which gives it an immediacy, a conversational feel. You will have to decide what you choose to believe and what not to believe--Sloan just lays it out for you to digest. There's a few pages of photographs from across Sloan's (real name Philip Gary Schlein) life, placed in the very beginning of the book. Also included is 22 pages of "The P.F. Sloan Songbook" with informative and interesting notes on Sloan's songs, and a "Select Discography", and an Index. This book gets 3 1/2 "stars" for the book itself, and another 1/2 "star" for Sloan having the chestnuts to include some things that some readers may choose to disbelieve--(the Sloan/Dylan/David Crosby meeting which included two blonde topless twins, and Zorro swinging onto the room's balcony on a rope--hmmm)--to each his own.Another instance doesn't seem to ring true--when Sloan writes about Zappa/The Turtles/Flo & Eddie, "...I suspect Frank [Zappa] told them [Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman of The Turtles]...you'll take a lot more acid and be embraced by the Grateful Dead crowd...,--when it's well known that Zappa didn't take drugs and didn't want anyone in his bands to use them either, and he didn't think to highly (no pun intended) of the whole S.F. "scene". Or this-- "I could no longer sleep at my house...my Brazilian landlord was living in a secret room under the floorboards and stealing food from the refrigerator." Or how about Sloan's description of George Harrison's visit to the Haight-Ashbury,--with Harrison getting out of his car and Phil Lesh and Sloan telling him to get in the car and leave immediately before "the zombies started pushing and trying to roll the car over with him in it. They started crawling on the car like hungry lizards. As the car sped off, the zombies looked around for something else to crawl onto...". Again, hmmm. But no matter--this book is still eminently readable about that whole period of music, focusing on the West Coast and L.A. in particular. A lot of events and people are covered by Sloan in his book, and whether you choose to believe or disbelieve what he says happened, the book as a whole is a genuine joy to read--especially if you're old enough (like me) to remember those days. Just maybe a few of those stranger events did occur--the time was right and the energy was there all around, for anyone to pick up. And Sloan's use of descriptive words and way with a phrase always makes for interesting, fun, and sometimes enlightening reading."Maybe my destiny was to sacrifice it all and wind up dead in the gutter with a crumpled poem in my hand, to be published immediately in the New Yorker upon my death." P.F. Sloan."No one will be able to leave once the door is closed." Bob Dylan talking to Sloan.The first couple of chapters deal with Sloan's early life, but the story rapidly shifts to Sloan and the music world. As such it's a look inside the always interesting, sometimes wonderful, and sometimes scary world of the music business and pop music culture, and Sloan's place (as he sees it) in it. But above all it's an entertaining read--especially for those of us who can remember the music that came blasting out of the car radio, or your "new" transistor radio in the late 50's and early 60's. You'll come across many artists you'll recognize--many who made use of Sloan's (and Steve Barri's) writing talent. Sloan said of Barri--"...he loved the simple things in life: sex, TV, and a good deli. He also loved music, too...". From pop songs, to folk hits, to surf music, Sloan was there, and his descriptions of events will bring both a smile and sometimes a look of incredulity to your face."P.F. Sloan made folk themes reachable." S.E. Feinberg."May all beings in all the worlds know peace and happiness." P.F. Sloan.I always (and still) like Sloan's music from The Fantastic Baggys, (a personal favorite) to (the original) The Grass Roots, to his solo work, plus the songs he wrote that became hits for other artists. There was just something in his lyrics (and not just "Eve of Destruction") that seemed to capture the right moment and the feel of the times. If you're old enough to remember this music this book is something you should check out. This book can easily sit on the shelf next to books like "Follow The Music", "Hotel California", "Riot On Sunset Strip", "Becoming Elektra", "Waiting For The Sun", "Canyon Of Dreams", and other books on that era of music. If you found those books interesting, informative, and just a plane fun/time machine-like look back at that whole scene, get this book. For a good selection of the songs and the artists who made them popular check out the album "You Baby--Words & Music by P.F. Sloan & Steve Barri", and look for Sloan's collection of work he did for the Dunhill label during the time when most everything in this book was happening.

I first heard of P.F. Sloan when I heard the Association's song about him written by Jimmy Webb. P.F. Sloan was clearly one of the truly gifted songwriters and producers of the 1960's. This book - an assemblage of stories and memories from numerous meetings between Sloan and co-author S.E. Feinberg - is a fascinating look back at the career of this eclectic, exceptionally talented music man and the evolution of the LA music scene of the 1960's. The man behind "Eve of Destruction" and "You Baby" clearly was a musical wunderkind and a man of many talents. The book told in first-person gives you insights into the man as well as all the music he made, produced and in numerous instances sang (uncredited at the time). For example, he is the falsetto in place of Dean Torrence on a number of Jan & Dean's biggest hits. With all his phenomenal stories, you come away not knowing if it's all true or not. Did he really stumble into the Rolling Stones' recording session and play in place of Brian Jones on "Paint It Black"? Who knows but honestly it's such a fun read, who cares? P.F. Sloan, who died at age 70 in 2015, lived a difficult but important, interesting life. This book captures his essence. I'm glad Mr. Feinberg took the time to tell this man-behind-the-music's remarkable story.

This book has been one of the most delightful for me to read because of my own memories of listening to some of the best music ever produced, through a transistor radio, under blue skies, and playing on green grass while I was a youngster; somber because of my processing the written words of P.F. Sloan concerning the people who at times in his life had abused him, abandoned him and had stolen from him. Still, he does not write as a victim, but one who is blessed by God. His spirit kept telling him of a better way, which was to forgive rather than attempt to punish others for their transgressions.I found all of his recollections to be believable, as stated in the book. There seems to be no reason for him to lie to anybody, as he had lived the events and interacted with many well-known people. He had sought his fortune in the cutthroat music business, had tried to fit in so he could work well with others, and had known the significance of many of his song's messages in promoting peace and avoiding conflict, coming back again and again to the music producers with an inspiring persistence.The book gives insight into P.F Sloan's struggle with mental illness and the dire need for all of us to offer assistance and validate the feelings of those in that struggle. One has to listen carefully while reading some parts, other parts flow with the ease of a brook. I felt sad but richer when the book ended, as I do while listening to his more somber and message-filled music compositions.

Back in the late 60s I am sure I was the only kid in my universe who knew who PF Sloan was. The connection was The Searchers' hit Take Me For What I'm Worth. I noted the songwriter on the label. One magical day browsing through record bins I discovered one of his LPs and then I began to understand who he was. With no internet back then information moved really, really slowly but over time I realized he had written some very great songs! Did not know he had written Eve of Destruction a few years prior. I was privileged to see him perform live in Greenwich Village in 1968 or thereabouts. Great seats, tiny venue, a real thrill.This book is an excellent read. If you're a PF Sloan fan you will very much be interested in what you read. It's great to see that he's back taking well deserved curtain calls! In the current videos I have seen of him he seems well grounded, sincere and real. Nice to see. I guess he was eaten alive back in a wild time of both success and excess - but he has made it back. Good to see you back Flip!

Born in the 1960s, it wasn't until the early 1980s when I purchased a series of EPs from Australia that I became aware of P F Sloan. Without realising at that point, I already had many of his compositions. Delving a little deeper to discover his back catalogue, he soon became one of my favourite singer songwriters.I have always been dubious about "factual" books, usually taken from conversations with friends and family and written by someone I have never heard of. With so many contradictions between accounts I now prefer quick access music reference books. However, earlier this year I came across with great excitement "What's Exactly The Matter With Me" co-written by P F Sloan.Taken from extensive conversations with P F Sloan, it is written in a chronological and very easy to read up close manner. I felt as if I was actually there experiencing with him the highs, lows and in betweens along the way. A lot of well known names are mentioned, as you would expect, but this book also reveals the boy and man as he navigates the journey to who he has become today.To me, the book concludes that there was never actually anything the matter with Phil. He comes across as a caring and sensitive person. Perhaps his lifestyle has been a little more excessive than that of us normal folk but we all can relate to more than one thought or experience from his life.Whether you're a fan of P F Sloan's or not, this well constructed and fascinating book is definitely worth a read. I may be bias but I've had some books for years on favourite artists that I still have to finish. I'm on the third reading of this book. Like a new favourite record, I just can't bring myself to filing it away.

Excellent and interesting book with many amusing stories and fascinating insights. PF Sloan is a real character, a very talented and intelligent man whose career in music has been a strange and bumpy ride. Very entertaining and unique read. Highly recommended.

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Great book. Possibly some liberties taken describing some events but a great read nonetheless.