ANIMALS

This is one of the 3 last great prog rock albums from the year prog as it was died (alongside Yes' 'Going For The One' and Genesis' 'Wind And Wuthering'. It's also the best. Animals is a wonderful, eclectic cacophony of music. It goes from one extreme to another, from the benevolent 'Pigs On The Wing' bookends, which are short, and admittedly fairly uninteresting acoustic tracks with Roger Waters singing. These set the theme of the album, talking about 'watching for pigs on the wing' and 'wondering which of the brothers to blame' whilst 'glancing up through the rain'.

So, part 1 closes, leading into one of the best Floyd tracks out there: Dogs. A definite favourite, lasting over 17 minutes, this dynamic, dramatic, daunting epic sounds as crisp and sharp as it did in 1977 and stands out as the best track on this album. Fantastic guitar solo, one of Gilmour's creative best. Roger Waters plays some powerful bass here also, and Rick Wright makes an excellent display of technology with the use of vocoders and other gadgetry. A truly brilliant track with an unforgettable crescendo.

Next track, Pigs (Three Different Ones), is a strangely reggae-based tune which clocks in at just over 11 minutes. Not a bad track, can get tedious if not paid full attention to, as Gilmour's offbeat guitar interludes can annoy. But the track has a great voice-box solo, and an even greater solo later on at around 9.40. Great lyrics here, at their scathing best.

The album couldn't close on a better note than the fantastic 'Sheep'. I love this track, this is the final piece of the prog rock puzzle that is Animals. This track is similar in drive to 'The Knife' by Genesis: A 9/10 minute rage-filled song of pure anger. Roger's lyrics and vocals are fantastic and perfect for this track; so adrenalin-fuelled and roaring. Gilmour's closing guitar motif is one of the best ever and is absolutely unforgettable. The album closes with a mildly anti-climactic rendition of Pigs On The Wing, but one feels satisfied and awed at having listened to this album.

Truly great: A quintessential progressive rock album from the final year of great classic prog. Needless to say, an absolute must-have for every prog fan.