Pink Floyd – Animals (Vinyl) Original New Zealand Pressing
CBS Records (1977)

2 reviews for Pink Floyd – Animals (Vinyl) Original New Zealand Pressing
CBS Records (1977)

1. 

   4 out of 5

   AMG – April 25, 2015

   Of all of the classic-era Pink Floyd albums, Animals is the strangest and darkest... Of all of the classic-era Pink Floyd albums, Animals is the strangest and darkest, a record that's hard to initially embrace yet winds up yielding as many rewards as its equally nihilistic successor, The Wall. Arriving after the warm-spirited Wish You Were Here, the shift in tone comes as a bit of a surprise, and there are even less proper songs here than on either Wish or Dark Side. Animals is all extended pieces, yet it never drifts -- it slowly, ominously works its way toward its destination. For an album that so clearly is Waters', David Gilmour's guitar dominates thoroughly, with Richard Wright's keyboards rarely rising above a mood-setting background (such as on the intro to "Sheep"). This gives the music, on occasion, immediacy and actually heightens the dark mood by giving it muscle. It also makes Animals as accessible as it possibly could be, since it surges with bold blues-rock guitar lines and hypnotic space rock textures. Through it all, though, the utter blackness of Waters' spirit holds true, and since there are no vocal hooks or melodies, everything rests on the mood, the near-nihilistic lyrics, and Gilmour's guitar. These are the kinds of things that satisfy cultists, and it will reward their attention -- there's just no way in for casual listeners.
2. 

   5 out of 5

   Geoff – April 25, 2015

   Dig the flying pig! Waters is so uncompromising here, and Gilmour delivers some of his most impressive guitar work! Dig the flying pig! I absolutely love 'Wish You Were Here', 'The Dark Side of the Moon', 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn', 'Meddle', 'Obscured by Clouds', 'The Wall', and all -- but 'Animals' is my favourite Floyd LP!!! Genius songwriter, Roger Waters is so uncompromising here, and in in such menacing mood, while David Gilmour delivers some of his most impressive guitar work (especially on "Dogs", which he mainly wrote). Two of the songs on the album ("Sheep" and "Dogs") had been rattling around since 1974, as the band had performed them live that year, tentatively titled "Raving and Drooling" and "You've Got to Be Crazy". They didn't fit the theme and sound of ''Wish You Were Here', so became the basis of 'Animals'. Issued in 1977, it was certainly Pink Floyd's darkest release up to that point, evoking creepy visions of George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'. My dog and I must have listened to this album hundreds (thousands?) of times... he loves the barking and I can never tire of hearing it! Amazing!