ANIMALS

Rating between 3,5 to 4 stars, Pink Floyd´s Animal was the right album at the right time. Although I cannot say this is a ´typical´ PF CD, it is nevertheless VERY good. Certainly the band was sensing the winds of change and they were bold enough to change. It would be much more comfortable and easy for them to just follow the path The Dark Side Of The Moon and Wish You Were Here opened. Fortunatly they knew it better. The punks may have aimed at PF as their main target for what they called ´boring old farts´. But the band didn´t take notice and their survived the late 70´s unscathered (what can not be said of many other rock acts, big or not so big). Besides, this album is evertyhing but boring.

Animals proved that Pink Floyd could tackle darker, down to earth issues, with a rockier sound, and still come out sounding as pure Floyd. I remember when this album was released and the controversity it aroused. Oppotunism? No, because it stood well the test of time and I rate Dogs as one of their biggest classics. it certainly was a very well timed album, a semi-blueprint that would lead them to greater success with The Wall, some two and a half years after.

Certainly it caught fans by surprise: the music was quite heavy (for PF standards) and the lyrics were much less spacey. they dealt with what was happening in England and much of the world at the time. It was a remarckable piece of work. But they risked a lot. Fortunatly the album was a hit (albeit a smaller one than the two previous) and the tour drove packed houses. I saw them live in Anheim in 77, it was the first time I saw such a big name live. It was thirlling!

Although I still think the production was not as good as their earlier two albums, I think it was right for the time. The dominance of Roger Waters is quite evident here, and it would doomed the band some years afterwords, but here it worked well, even at the expense of some keyboards and guitar trademarks.

Not the best album for a newbie, I guess, And yet a fine record that every PF fan must have. Different, dense, dark and absolutely great!