ANIMALS

"Animals" (1977); my favorite album by Pink Floyd (and that says a lot)! It was released when punk had its time. It had to live up to the prior extremely popular releases of the band; "The Dark Side of the Moon" (1973) and "Wish You Were Here" (1975). Well, Floyd were under pressure. What did they do? They created the hardest and most aggressive album in their career. The theme of the album caught me immediately; animals as metaphors for the classification in the capitalistic society. The lyrics are some of the best from Roger Waters; I studied them carefully and I think Waters is a genius when it comes to writing (even though the idea was "stolen" from George Orwell's popular novel "Animal Farm"). But Waters isn't the only genius in Pink Floyd; in my view, they all are! Listen to the keyboard that kicks of "Sheep"; amazing work by Richard Wright, the great drum rhythm throughout the album by Nick Mason and the absolute astonishing guitar play by David Gilmour.

I'll give a short song-by-song review:

"Pigs on the Wing, Part 1": a short, but beautiful acoustic piece. This is a brilliant song to begin the album and with its simple construction, it gives a great contrast to the longer songs.

"Dogs": the most progressive song on the album. It describes the businessmen who destroy themselves and their surroundings with their big ego. Probably David Gilmour's best work as a guitarist; the mix between acoustic and electric sounds is phenomenal. Besides, his vocals are great, especially in the intro. As the rest of the album, the lyrics are outstanding; I like the description of the dogs' ignorance. "Pigs (Three Different Ones)": I used to think this was the weak track on Animals. Well, now it's still my least favorite of the three longer parts but it's indeed not bad! I love the catchy guitar riff in the intro. Waters' lyrics here are aggressive and funny in a way - well, he makes no secret of his disgust for the ruthless leaders of the society. The peak of the song is the guitar solo at the end; one of my favorite guitar passages by David Gilmour.

"Sheep": my favorite song by Pink Floyd. The sheep are the hardworking rebels. When my dad introduced me to Pink Floyd, he emphasized that the more he listened to "Sheep", the more he was convinced that it's the best and most creative song the band ever made. At the time I didn't understand that statement, but indeed I do now. The figurative and atmospheric keyboard intro from Richard Wright, the almost spitting vocal by Roger Waters, the Gilmour guitar passages between Waters' vocals and the finishing guitar riff together with simple but great drum play, is what makes "Sheep" the best song on the album. "Pigs on the Wing, Part 2": the same construction as the first part. This is a great and relaxing ending.

The atmosphere of this album is truly unique and the ensemble playing of the band is impressing; a masterpiece of progressive music.