ANIMALS

After they had released two of the most commercially successful albums in rock history, Pink Floyd seemed to be treading water with ANIMALS. The multi-coloured world of DARK SIDE and WISH was replaced with a grimmer, more austere, guitar and vocal dominated approach. 'Pigs', the first song on ANIMALS' original B-side (with its opening apparently 'borrowed' from Dutch band Focus), was easily the least adventurous tune the Floyd had recorded ever since the much underrated OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. Whenever 'Dogs' (ANIMALS' longest track) slowed down and the band settled into the kind of steady, foursquare tempo that had blighted too many of their earlier albums, you felt they were merely marking time.

But oh, how gorgeous were those FAST bits from 'Dogs'! Their lyrics were probably the most memorable Roger Waters had ever written, and the way he sang them... you couldn't deny the power! To top it all, Gilmour illustrated them with some of his angriest, most masterful guitar solos. (I couldn't tell you how often I played air guitar to that particular track!) As for the album's remaining tunes... We all agreed 'Sheep' was a near-masterpiece (a shame it really took you no further than the second half of 'Shine on You Crazy Diamond'...) while 'Pigs on the Wing' (Pts. I & II) sounded wonderfully melancholic but slight.

Nowadays, if I ever listen to ANIMALS, it's strictly for 'Dogs'; Waters' bitter sarcasm seems as appealing as ever. But when that annoying bit with the barking and the old-fashioned string synthesizer comes on, I reach for the fast forward button.