Wish You Were Here v Animals

• Wish You Were Here (Sep. 1975) 5/5

My second fave after DSOTM. Animals is on #3

You know?, one of the many mistakes I often make when I listen to music is that I separate every song into it´s different parts. I do really pay attention to every detail, somethimes even loosing the main purspose of listening, which is enjoying the music.

 I used to think of Animals as a great album, with those three impressive and extended songs hard to dig in a few listens. But then, one day I wanted to write a review. I listened to every song no less than 7 times, (after listening to them for years).

  I used headphones and heard the songs from an MP3 so I could go on either direction (back and forward) with the timming bar. I listened to every second of music and wrote down my impressions of every single minute of it. This way, I discovered a few things, and it´s funny to think of a song in terms of minutes and the lenght of every passage, the lenght of every "lost" second and the times a theme or chirus is repeated during the song. In the end, it´s a ridiculous thing to do, because finally, a song is either enjoyed or not for what it is as a whole.

  Well, anyway I did it. The three main songs in Animals have something in common. Each one consist of a main theme, which is rather appealing and well composed, with some very innovative details here and there, like that Waters´ singing that turns into a guitar by Guilmour. Well, that´s one thing, then comes the middle section which usually extends for too long and become repetitive and sometimes monotonous. After the middle section comes the reprise of the main theme played in the beginning of the song. So, in the end it seems like you´ve listened to a very large and complex song not very understandable.

  In reality, you´ve listened to a theme that goes from 3.5 minutes in Pigs to 8.5 minutes in Dogs, a repetitive middle section of at least 3 to 4 minutes and the repetition of the exact same main theme.  If you add the length of the main themes which are the real creative and original parts of the album, you have 16 minutes of effective music ¡¡.

  Something else I consider a flaw in Animals, is that the songs are hardly identifiable from each other. It´s probably just me, but no matter how many times I´ve heard them in the past, if I don´t listen to them for a period longer than 3 months, I have a hard time coming up with the name of the song. The moods, textures, sounds, concepts, and general feeling are just too similar. However, I love this album and may listen to it with joy.

  Yet, “Wish you were here” is my favorite Floyd album. In particular,  “Shine” is my fav. Floyd song. This one presents such passion, such feeling and such implicit energy that keeps me amused for as long as it lasts. It is a song for which I have no reservations calling “a beautiful song”. The songwriting and the conviction with which it was played is impressive as well as the different moods and textures it shows.

  Then, “Wish you were here” is a wonderful song very inspiring. A classic. “Welcome to the machine” is a little monotonous but interesting and “have a cigar” has a hooking chorus very entertaining.

 Well, my vote is for “Wish you were here”

Hard choice!!!

I choose WYWH where I believe Floyd was at its best although Animals is great also!

Animals

I think WYWH has some weaker material in the middle. Animals keeps me interested all throughout.

WYWH:  A

Animals A-