POP MUSIC REVIEW : Comeback Beckons to P. F. Sloan

Say this about P. F. Sloan--he can still craft a pretty decent pop song. The ‘60s veteran, who kicked off a comeback effort with an appearance at the Troubadour on Monday, devoted most of his set to a selection of tunes from an upcoming album. In addition to the newer material, he performed remakes of his 1965 hit “Eve of Destruction” and the 1966 television theme “Secret Agent Man”--initially recorded, and also sung on Monday, by Johnny Rivers.

Of the new songs, “Beethoven’s Delight,” “Brothers in the Wind” and “Love Go Easy” indicated the wide range of styles that Sloan has at his disposal.

Unfortunately, Sloan’s eccentric performing mannerisms too often jarred uncomfortably against the more attractive qualities of his songs.

Constantly in motion, full of nervous tics and movements, chewing gum incessantly, he frequently interrupted the flow of the music with long, out-of-focus stories that were disconnected to the point of disassociation. As the evening wore on, he occasionally added aggressive harangues in support of a vague sociopolitical agenda.

Sloan’s tunes were recorded by a wide range of ‘60s artists, and some of them, including Rivers, Jan Berry of Jan & Dean and Howard Kaylan of the Turtles, appeared in the opening portion of the show.