ANIMALS

An extremely bitter portrait of society, this album could be considered to some extent as Roger Waters' first solo effort: the lyrical themes and expressions (as it will become more apparent on The Wall) are typically his. The three central epics depict the main classes society is divided into according to Waters' view, using a somewhat "Orwell-like" approach identifying them as different species of animals.

Besides this, musically it is almost perfect! The sturdy foundation built by Waters' bass guitar and Mason's drums blends perfectly with Wright's hypnotic keyboard textures and the harsh and crunchy guitar riffs provided by David Gilmour.

No place for virtuoso here, it's all about atmosphere and expression. Of the kind that leave you breathless! Crystal clear production enhances the quality of this record, and the consistent use of effects and devices contributes to maximize the ominous ambience, and the listener slips away hardly noticing that the three focal tracks clock at much more than 10 minutes each!

The result is an outstanding masterpiece, the most convincing and energetic floydian effort ever!

Outstanding tracks: All (special mention to Sheep, maybe the best Pink Floyd song!)

Disappointing tracks: None

"Pigs on the Wing (1)" (Waters) - An acoustic guitar-driven hors-d'oeuvre that sets the mood on a sarcastic note. A prodding for solidarity, somehow mockingly sung by the nasal voice of Roger Waters: it gives a hint about the tone the lyrics will follow as the record goes on, but it gives no clue about how the themes will be musically represented.

"Dogs" (Waters/Gilmour) - The first epic (and the longest track appearing on a Pink Floyd release since Echoes, if we consider Shine on You Crazy Diamond's two parts separated) talks about greedy industry barons and businessmen which act without a qualm, and whose deeds are inspired and prompted by greed only. It is the main contribution by someone else than Waters in this album (Gilmour basically conceived the whole main music part and the chord sequences). The audio ambience is somehow reminiscent of Welcome to the Machine, although set at faster pace: bright and springy verses countered by slower, beautiful electric guitar interlude that leads onto the cadenced middle section: a wonderful showcase for the instrumental and vocal talents of David Gilmour ("the bad blood slows and turns to stone..." always gives me the creeps). The following section is built upon the electronically-inducted echo of the word "stone" and treated howling/baying samples: it features some eerie and ominous keyboards wisely layered by Rick Wright, before giving way to the reprise of the acoustic pattern of the initial section. The powerful closing section, with its repeated hooks ("Who was.../Who was...") is somehow premonitory of the sonorities the band will adopt in their following album.

"Pigs (Three different Ones)" (Waters) - This track deals with the "men (or women) of power", with their tyrannic ways and their ideas of being better than everyone else and representing the truth incarnated. Musically it comes out as bigger sibling to [i] Have a cigar[/i], sharing the same bitter approach and angry, syncopated rhythm. Waters passionately delivers a set of lines that rank among his most ingenious, directly aimed at some real-life persons he completely disagreed (and presumabily still does) with. The great creativeness displayed throughout the album is represented here by the hypnotic organ pattern at the beginning, accompanied by electric guitar flares and audio effects. Another outstanding moment is the central section, with Gilmour's talk box imitating the squealing of pigs, and the following voice-driven solo, with Wright's keyboards crescendo in the background. Rick Wright himself proves to be the right keyboard player in the right place, with his savvy choice of the right timbres (the piano backing up the bass walk in the second part of each verse is pure genius). The closing free solo that merges into the pastoral babbling of grazing sheep from the following track is a suitable ending for this song.

"Sheep" (Waters) - Rick Wright's Fender-Rhodes piano solo at the beginning, backed with Waters' rising bass fingering, is maybe my favourite moment in Pink Floyd's discography. The shifting of the melody from Dm to Am, then to Bm and back again to Am is simply perfect, as is the entering of Nick Mason's drums with their backwards effect. The rhythm of the verses is excited and prancy as Roger Waters gives in to his socialist attitudes and prompts the masses to rise from their subjugated status. The middle section is a jewel in the jewel: the ominous bass sets the mood while the keyboards rise and provide a perfect background for the vocoder-treated revisitation of the "Lord is my Shepherd" psalm (that Hammond dim7 chord hit is simply nerve-tingling) while the babbling of the sheep gets louder and louder until the crazy vocal interpretation of the last verse leads to the majestic finale where David Gilmour's guitar rhythm takes the lion's share.

"Pigs on the Wing (2)" (Waters) - The story ends as it began: with a repetition of the short introduction, in which Waters himslef answers on a positive note to the warning presented in the first track. If you find someone share your life with, you can team up and face the misfortunes of life, especially those brough about by dogs, pigs and the like!