ANIMALS

Their most progressive album, containing their most progressive song, "Dogs", and it does follow the progression of their ever developing sound, but it also has some qualities that mainly belong to itself, like the playing being their most energetic and the sound in general having a more heavy prog feel to it, and "Dogs" having a very interesting blend of that sound and a somewhat contemporary jazz-rock influence. Each of the three main songs, "Dogs", "Pigs (Three Different Ones)", and "Sheep" have their own part that may seem to drag on a little too long, but those sections are more than made up for by the rest of the compositions, being some of the most creative and technically interesting to listen to music they've ever come up with. All of the guitar solos are phenomenal, from the slow-bending dual leads on "Dogs", and the extended solos in the song, to the ending solo at the end of "Pigs", and those heavy chords at the end of "Sheep", the bass playing is some of Waters' best for the band, especially the melodic lines in "Pigs (Three Different Ones)", and the drumming is very urgent and propelling, and the keyboard work sets the scene for the lyrics ideally, which are philosophically based, with some great lines in every song, whether or not you agree with the philosophy. (I happen to agree, sadly, but I'm glad there's hope in "Pigs On the Wing Part 2"... and I also happen to believe there's more to us than what we're trapped in right now...) Pink Floyd's Animals is another one of those albums you really should examine if you're at all into prog and/or Pink Floyd.