ANIMALS

In 1977, the heyday of progressive rock was finished. Back in fashion songs of three minutes and three chords, also accessible for those who are not able to play very well, but unfortunately the evocative atmosphere of the grandeur of progressive rock was replacing by the heavy primordial essence of punk.

There are records in a way that justifies this change. At that time Genesis are veering toward an easy listening pop, Yes seem hopelessly trapped in the web of their own virtuosity, King Crimson are facing historical difficulties in finding a stable formation, and many other giants of prog as Gentle Giant or VDGG produce great music but lacks the innovative features typical of the early works. Pink Floyd, unfortunately, no exception.

The music of Animals is certainly not bad, just a bit flat, as it lacks the originality that often characterizes the masterpieces of prog. The three suites that make up the album (Pigs On The Wing is a brief acoustic ballad of marginal importance) demonstrate, in my opinion, a certain loss of inspiration: the formal structure of the compositions is very beautiful, with large use of technology, sound effects and electronic keyboards, but the atmosphere is more or less always the same, and also, as you could expect from Pink Floyd, the rhythmic variations are few and elementary, with almost total prevalence of the usual slow pace typical of the band. Dogs, of the three tracks, is the best mainly because of great performances by David Gilmour on guitar but also for the aggressive vocals. Pigs and Sheep are so-so: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is of course another matter. In these two songs something reminds the atmospheres of "Meddle", so...nothing new.

Please don't misundersand: I always like listening to Animals, is a good album, I just do not feel the thrill inside me. Rating: 6/10.

Best song: Dogs

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