ANIMALS

I was fourteen years old in 1977. Until then, I had played in the warm and safe environment of the pleasant bubblegum pop of my childhood. Until then, music for me was something to which you tapped your foot, nodded your head or mouthed meaningless (to my immature mind at least) lyrics. Until then, music didn't make me think. In 1977, one record, ONE RECORD, changed all that. Changed the way I listened to music, changed the way I perceived music and more importantly changed the way I perceived the world. My schoolfriend, one afternoon after school, played me a copy of 'Animals' by Pink Floyd and in the space of a little less than an hour, the world turned upside-down and inside out. Quite simply, at times during that first audition, it frightened the very daylights out of me. 'Animals' is that good! Even listening to it now, almost thirty years (and thousands of albums) later I still hear all of the elements that snapped me from my childhood innocence. The album begins with the acoustic 'Pigs on the Wing', a folky tune that gave me no warning of the assault to follow, the kind of song we all dream of being able to just pick up a guitar and strum out. If only I had paid more attention to the lyrics, which introduce the themes of the album, I might have had at least an inkling of what was to follow, for then, Pink Floyd unleash the 'Dogs'. 'Dogs' has a real atmosphere to it that is powerful yet somehow retains a degree of subtlety. It is dark and despondent, with a tangible sense of the selfishness, menace and self-perpetuating nature of a 'dog eat dog' culture. The music throughout matches the lyric superbly, Mason and Waters piloting the piece through the varying calm and swell with sureness. Wright's atmospherics are sublime and Gilmour's guitar work is to my mind some of the finest ever recorded. 'Dogs' is a superb number, as good to listen to today as it was then, though with a far more personal appreciation and relevance now, after the experience of adult life. Next we are given 'Pigs', my least favourite of the three major tracks upon 'Animals' but an excellent song nonetheless. An eerie opening sees a repeated organ phrase with embellishments from synth and guitar before we launch into what is basically a straightforward rock song. A rock song lent a 'horror-movie' feel by biting lyrics and clever work from Wright and Gilmour. Mason's rhythm is again surely done but I must agree with one of the other reviewers' observations that 'Pigs' has a superb bass, which rocks the whole thing along. After 'Pigs' we are led babbling and bleating to near-slaughter as 'Sheep'. I have to tell you that at age fourteen, 'Sheep' was as rude an awakening musically, as you could imagine and still to this day remains my all-time favourite Pink Floyd offering. Whereas 'Dogs' is subtle, to a degree, 'Sheep' rips away its own pastoral introduction with the ferocity of a savage beast. The opening lyric "Harmlessly passing your time in the grassland away, only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air." has to be the most sinister description of ignorance in rock music, as guitar slashes and organ chords from Gilmour and Wright menacingly mock Water's words. There's nothing 'harmless' going on here, all Hell's about to break loose, your worst nightmares are coming to pass and as Water's himself warns, "No! This is no bad dream!" Some people may find the ensuing twist upon the Psalm disturbing and irreverent, but I believe that's why it succeeds, as it contrasts nicely with the fury of the preceding section yet retains the full degree of menace that 'Sheep' was meant to convey. The finale once again reverts to the ferment of earlier and the very final guitar riff which continues to fade is simply magnificent. A stark warning to those who will listen. As you've probably realised I adore the track 'Sheep', most probably because it's more visceral than 'Dogs', it touches me at a more basic, instinctive level. I have to think about the meaning of both 'Dogs' and 'Pigs', they disturb me intellectually, 'Sheep' is just harrowing. A reprise of 'Pigs on the Wing' closes the album beautifully, this time with a sense of hope replacing the selfishness of the opening track. 'Animals' may not be the best progressive rock album ever, even I don't believe it to be so. It's not even a really good example of some of the supposed pre-requisites of the genre. As such you would be far better listening to Karn Evil Nine by Emerson Lake and Palmer, almost anything by King Crimson and the close of Supper's Ready by Genesis to see the sheer majesty, technical wizardry, musical inventiveness and emotiveness that progressive rock can display. However, 'Animals' remains a 'must-hear' album, a sort of punk album of progressive rock whose music and lyrics drip acidly, searing the world about them. You might not like it, but I hope you will.