ANIMALS

If you've scrolled this far down on the album's page, then you've probably already read the entire Pink Floyd band biography as well as the allegorical and sociopolitical/philosophical/whatever significance of the album's lyrics countless times. So I'm going to skip over that preamble and cut to the chase with the music.

"Animals", as we all know, represents a shift into much darker territory that Pink Floyd's earlier spacey musings had seldom touched. Whether this was a response to the punk movement or a reflection on English society at the time, I think it was a well- needed change. Floyd's previous releases, "Dark Side" and "Wish You Were Here", while containing some strong music, were on the whole very monochromatic and, frankly, sterile. This is not the case with "Animals". For the first time in a while, Pink Floyd has actually decided to expand past their typical tepid productions and create an album that rocks.

The meat of this album, of course, is contained in the three long pieces. Let it be said that "Dogs" is a masterpiece. Containing a very quick opening by Pink Floyd standards, it is here that Floyd realize how essential tension and release are to creating cathartic music. And man does it work. Ranging from tense ostinato-ed verses that give a sense of paranoia to spacey psychedelic interludes to more straightforward rock-oriented sections, the change of pace in "Dogs" is paramount at setting up Gilmour's best solo of his career, played not just once over the course of the song, but twice. Yes, that vast, expansive, Floydian wall of guitar sound that we all know and love, but this time accentuated so much more when put in the proper context. One other strength of "Animals" worth noting is that the use of sound effects is very effective. While dogs barking and pigs snorting could come across as a complete corn-ball cliche, on "Animals" they actually blend very well into the overall sound, heightening the atmosphere of the album.

There are only two real points of contention on this album as far as I'm concerned. The first is the inconsequential "Pigs On The Wing" pieces, which are not terrible, but certainly not necessary. The second is the tendency for "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" to overstay its welcome a tad with its very repetitive riff. While the song contains some very strong moments, such as one of Gilmour's most explosive solos closer to the end, it's enough for me to demote "Animals" from full masterpiece status.

Minor flaws aside, this barnyard triptych is one of Pink Floyd's best offerings. It's also worthy of the title "Pink Floyd for those who don't like Pink Floyd". 4 solid stars.