Sail Away (Eye of the Zombie)

Background

"Sail Away" is the closing track of Eye of the Zombie, the fourth solo album of John Fogerty.  Like all songs on the LP, "Sail Away" was recorded at The Lighthouse in North Hollywood, California, and engineered by Jeffrey Norman. The album reached #26 in the USA.

Between Centerfield and Eye of the Zombie, Fogerty moved from Bay Area to Los Angeles. His office at Warner Brothers was downstairs in the basement, where he wrote in the evening and nights. He also wanted to be more current and increase the use of drum machines and synths on the album. Fogerty had a guitar and a couple of synthesizers in his office.

Fogerty left the optimism of Centerfield behind and changed his mood on Eye of the Zombie. "I wanted to do a record that was darker, a little moodier," he said in an interview by The Orlando Sentinel in October 19th, 1986. Fogerty admitted in his autobiography (2015) that the dark, spooky mood of the album was also a consequence of his legal and personal problems in mid-80's.

As an escapist ballad ("Leavin' all of this pain behind, gonna sail away"), the album closer is probably the most approppriate description of the state of mind of John Fogerty at that time.  The song is one of the two Eye of the Zombie  tracks Fogerty admits he's is happy with, the other one is "Change in the Weather" (John Fogerty, Fortunate Son, 2015).

Personnel

Lead guitar, keyboards, vocals: John Fogerty

Drums: John Robinson

Bass: Neil Stubenhaus

Backing vocals: Bobby King and Willie Green Jr.

Eye of the Zombie was the first album during his solo career when Fogerty didn't play everything by himself. 

Collector's notes

Paired with a non-album cut "I Found a Love", "Sail Away" was also released as a 7" single (Bellaphon 100-07-430) in Germany. It came out in March 1987, half a year after the release of the long-player. The 45 rpm failed to chart. The disc is probably the most collectable John Fogerty single. 

Trivia

Creedence Clearwater recorded a song titled "Sail Away" for the album Mardi Gras in 1972. It's a different song, written by Stu Cook. 

Live versions

John Fogerty played "Sail Away" live on Rockin' All Over the World Tour in autumn 1986 in the USA and Canada. The world premiere took place in Memphis, Tennessee, on August 27th, 1986. Like all numbers on Eye of the Zombie, except "Change in the Weather",  "Sail Away" disappeared from the programming of John Fogerty for good after the tour was over.  

Critical reception

"Musically, the song is greatly appealing, with its drifting, understated verses and soulful choruses (the latter are nicely embellished by Bobby King and Willie Green Jr.'s background vocals). The tune is clearly meant to reinstate the spiritual calm of "Goin' Back Home," but its message — that extraterrestrial escape on a "silent ship" is the only way to deal with the grim world Fogerty envisions on the rest of the LP — is flatly dispiriting, a cartoon updating of gospel music's yearning for redemption." -Anthony Decurtis, The Rolling Stone, November 20th, 1986. 

"This is the "Someday Never Comes" of the Fogerty catalog - the subdued, tender song that I love. The peaceful, serene mood is wonderful, and Fogerty's surprisingly gentle voice is supported marvelously by the deep background singers. The keyboards and bass are interesting enough that the fade-off doesn't seem to drag on pointlessly. Until the next Fogerty record, I'll be waiting for the silent ship...." -Matt Loewen.

"--- a gentle, sad and moving ballad with reggaeish influences; maybe the latter is the reason it keeps reminding me of 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door'. Actually, that's no surprise: both the melody and the lyrical matter of the two are very similar. And even if the song could hardly be ranked among John's best creations, for an album that starts with 'Eye Of The Zombie' that's a darn good ending. I certainly could do with a less technophilian arrangement (the stupid robotic synths opening the song are absolutely unnecessary), but it still stands out several heads above all the other material on here." -George Starostin.

previous | next