ANIMALS

I cannot understand why this album got so many controversial reviews back then in the 70's, and some more in the 80's as here in Greece there was always a lot of conversation about Pink Floyd albums in the domestic music magazines. In my opinion this is another great album by Pink Floyd. Released within the punk explosion which teared apart everything whether it was good or bad, Animals was the answer, or if you like the aspect of progressive rock for many problems that afflicted society and people in general at those times. It was the Cold War season, there were still aftershocks of the first petrol crisis which affected the global economy, called as stagflation with so many people unemployed, there was the crisis in middle east etc...a moody, dark and pessimistic season...ring a bell...? For me Animals has all this dark atmosphere and pessimism inside its music and in my humble opinion is edgier, more endoscopic...more punkier than punk-which was just a waste of energy and power(a good way the system provides for appeasement of social indignation...today we are wasting power in front of our wide tv screens), excuse my derailment. As for the music this is really big music-Dogs is one of those epics that you never get bored when listening to it-excellent guitars and vocals work by Gilmour, exceptional lyrics provided by Waters, majestic sound scape by the great late Wright, especially in the middle section of the song-i would say an agony middle section- and so powerful drumming by Mason-the end of the song is just unbelievable...i dare to say a heavy metal end. Pigs and Sheep are another two gems of great music with Sheep being a little better and with an slightly more optimistic ending. Forgive me for, in general , no music review, but i believe that Animals was and still is in terms of diachronic political and social conclusion, a great musical statement.