b o b

With this album, Roger Waters really started taking control of the band, coming up with the concept for the album and writing all the lyrics and most of the music. Gilmour and Wright still add a lot of their own personal touches on guitar and keys though, so the disc still has the "feel" of a Pink Floyd album, rather than a Waters solo album. The band had been playing two of the three major songs on this album for quite a while in concert: "You've Gotta Be Crazy" and "Raving and Drooling" became "Dogs" and "Sheep" respectively, although the lyrics were modified for the studio versions. The reviews that already exist on Ground and Sky as I write this have covered the album pretty thoroughly, so I'll just mention that this disc contains what have to be Water's most pessimistic lyrics ever: "You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to, so that when they turn their backs on you you'll get the chance to put the knife in". I bet Roger's lots of fun at parties. Overall, this is a great disc, easily as good as Dark Side and Wish You Were Here. I'm not sure why it doesn't seem to have the "classic" reputation that those albums do - possibly just because of its ultra-dark lyrics. review by Bob Eichler — 8-8-00 —

j o e

Like so many other prog and prog-related bands, 1977 found Pink Floyd beginning, metaphorically speaking, their descent from the peak of the mountain. Still, the band managed to pull off another reasonably strong album in Animals. Roger Waters, wielding an increasingly tighter control over the band, presents yet another bleak vision, this time an Orwellian meditation that people can at their core be categorized into three animals, each with their own despicable qualities: dogs, pigs, and sheep. Although there are some goofy, over-the-top moments anticipating The Wall (e.g. the vocoder recitation on "Sheep"), there is also a modicum of musically-evocative Floyd here, like Wright's unforgettably dark organ riffs and Gilmour's squealing pig-guitar on "Pigs (Three Different Ones)," or the very crafty vocal-to-moog disintegrations on "Sheep." Book-ending these black clouds is Waters' fragile "Pigs on the Wing," simultaneously both a warning and a prayer. review by Joe McGlinchey — undated —

e r i c

There is not much wrong that Pink Floyd could do in my book. "Animals" is anti-establishment all the way, and Waters is as angry as you can find him anywhere else in the Floyd catalogue. The music, although spacey at times, is also very heavy for what Floyd usually produced up to that time. The songs really are driving, with the bass and the drums just pounding away aggressively. Gilmour rhythm playing slices through the mix, and his lead work is tasteful as usual. Wright uses organ, piano, and synth here to make statements and lay low before the band attacks you with force. "Pigs on the Wing 1" opens with acoustic guitar and vocal, not preparing you for the onslaught coming. "Dogs" has a serene feel, featuring great guitar work from Gilmour and long instrumental passages; very spacy. "Pigs" opens with pig noises and keys, again with an excellent guitar solo in here. "Sheep" opens with spacy electric piano, and features an excellent effect where the vocal fades and the synthesizer picks up the note and carries it. The ending is driven by an excellent rythymn guitar section, and album ends with the acoustic "Pigs on the Wing 2" that reprises the music from the first with a few different lyrics. There is no sense in analyzing the meaning here; just listen for yourself, this is a teriffic CD. This is the heaviest and harshest Floyd record in my opinion and I love it. review by Eric Porter — undated —

b r a n d o n

Animals sees the Floyd in a much more aggressive mode than we have seen them before. Of particular note are the bass lines, which are generally much more interesting than in previous albums (witness the ending to "Pigs") - rumor has it Gilmour played a lot of them rather than Waters. Although by this time the band was increasingly controlled by Waters, keyboardist Wright makes some great, if subtle, contributions to the record, especially in "Sheep", and naturally Gilmour's guitar soloing is great, particularly in "Dogs". Criticism of this album is generally aimed at its concept, which is overly obvious (especially when compared to other Floyd works) and isn't developed particularly well, resulting in a somewhat disjointed album as a whole. Also, the three songs in the middle might drag on a bit too long for some - particularly the "stone" section in "Dogs" or the guitar/vocoder section in the middle of "Pigs". Neither criticism is a big deal in my book: the concept isn't overbearing enough to ruin the music, and the songs themselves have plenty of good stuff offsetting what fluff there may be. While not considered one of the "classic" Pink Floyd albums, Animals remains one of my favorites by them, and its somewhat unconventional sound makes me think that prog fans in general will also find it to be one of Waters and company's more enjoyable efforts. review by Brandon Wu — undated —