Pink Floyd - Animals

Today, I’ll be looking at what I think is an underrated album from Pink Floyd. A certain Animals.

Animals

Animals was released on January 23, 1977 in a terrible place between Wish You Were Here and The Wall. By this point, Roger Waters wanted complete control, and with David Gilmour busy with real life, Waters had almost full control of writing. Dogs was the only song on Animals which wasn't solely credited to Waters, being a Gilmour-Waters composition (Although Gilmour says that song was 90% his.)

It wasn't only the album that was creating tension. The live tour is notoriously famous for spawning the concept for The Wall, and an overall tense situation between band and fan. The final concert for the tour, on July 6, 1977 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, saw the full extent of the problems, as Waters spat on a bunch of rowdy fans in the front row. In the end, Gilmour refused to play the normal encore, and a riot ensued as equipment was hauled off stage while a small jam continued.

The true message of the album seems to be the main turnoff for people. The lyrics place certain society classes within capitalism in the form of animals and then proceeds to tear them apart. The finale has the sheep, the mindless drones of America, overpowering the dogs, the combatic higher class. A part of me understands how uncomfortable some people can be when their favorite band goes from something like Wish You Were Here to judging their way of life. However, at the same time, the rest of me thinks that’s complete nonsense. The album takes place in a certain point of view, and with that point of view comes brilliantly written lyrics, no matter what the subject. Besides, you should look at albums like these in a more broadened sense instead of it being strictly about society. If you took the time to dissect the lyrics enough to feel like it compares to your life, hasn't it done a good job?

The main draw for me comes with the music itself. Animals has a total of five songs, with the three main songs going over 10 minutes long. Each song has a certain feeling to them that makes them feel unique to each other, all while keeping this long presence that keeps you entranced for the whole album. The album also starts and ends with a track titled Pigs on the Wing, which sets you up and brings you down gently (or if you have the 8-track version of the album, bring you to a fantastic solo done by Snowy White.)

Dogs, the longest track on the album, contains some of the most impressive solos from Gilmour. A very large portion of the song was created by Gilmour. The guitars that play together harmonize so beautifully. Wright also has his work cut out for him on this song, as he gets a solo of sorts as well as a very important part in the song, almost alongside the guitars. Even the drums bring an imposing sound that creates a masterpiece.

Pigs (Three Different Ones). Silly cowbell aside, this song is very powerful. Waters plays a unique rhythm guitar throughout the song while Gilmour provides three different solos, one in bass form, one in talk box, and one in a screeching guitar, all of which are just so strong on top of Pigs’ instrumentation. The vocals, I think, are the best on the album. They flow so smoothly and feel like they have a dominating force. I want to keep on using the word strong and powerful.

Sheep is yet again, another interesting song. Sheep is a song that just demands attention. First off, everything plays an important role in the song without ever stepping over the boundaries. The vocals come out strong and end up fading into a synth note, and Wright plays a big part in making this song stand out. His keyboard parts almost steal the spotlight from the song itself, it Floyd didn’t have a way to make everything equally interesting. In overall feel, the album intensifies it plays through, with Sheep being some of the strongest work Floyd has done.

Each songs holds up itself extremely well, especially for songs that extend past a normal song’s length. At the same time, each song together as an album provides a unique and enjoyable listen, almost like you’re involved somehow.

I have a hard time putting into words things I've spent a long time on. Lines become biased, and it’s almost unfair to pit me against this album. I just feel like it needs a tiny more bit of love. After all, some of Pink Floyd’s greatest efforts, I think, are shown on this album. Go ahead and feel uncomfortable about the lyrics, but just remember the lyrics for In the Flesh and the whole concept of The Wall album.

I give it a 10 / 10. 10 stars out of ten.