Animals

After decades of dismissing Pink Floyd for being a bit too avant-garde for my tastes, and only enjoying a handful of their more mainstream songs, I finally sat down with my partner after putting together a new hifi setup and gave them a proper listen, starting with Dark Side of the Moon and then Echoes and found that I really rather enjoyed them.I asked her what other albums she thought I would like and was told that Animals was a great album, so I bought it for her to replace her damaged first pressing and give myself a reason to continue to explore their works properly.And wow, what an album, it's short but oh so very very sweet and this reissue is a treat for the senses that make it worth every penny.The sound quality of this vinyl left my jaw scraping against the floor and was a sonic treat that I still can't quite believe.Not only does it have a punchy crisp bass that thunders, but the lead guitar work and synth in Sheep are a full frontal assault that at times leaves you overwhelmed, and yet every note comes through clear as crystal and leaves you wanting the album to be longer.This reissue is a remaster of the original, and it's been lovingly produced by audio engineers who adored the original and it shows.The quality of the printing on the gatefold is just as good as the first pressing we have, and the inner sleeves are of the same high quality card stock as the originals, and the one I have came with only the slightest crease on the bottom of the spine which I can forgive because the vinyl is pristine.If finding a first pressing for your collection of this fantastic album is difficult for you or you want a remastered version to just listen to, then this reissue is a phenomenal treat.I'm still not a superfan of Pink Floyd, but hot damn this album got me to sit up and take notice and is a release I know I'll come back to again and again.

Great quality of the sound. The album of course doesn't need any comment - simply a Masterpiece!

Great record. Easy order

Enter Battersea Power Station and the infamous Flying Pig. Animals is a bleak yet refreshing departure from the Floyd's higher selling albums of the 73-79 period. Haunting acoustic guitars, drums that echo like distant World War II guns, eerie keyboards, rolling bass (a la "early Floyd") and seething guitars paint a desolate landscape. But amazingly this album has a refreshing quality that somehow puts it in a class of its own. Roger Water's Orwellian view of Britain captures the bands eccentric and very English sense of humour, but at the same time asks serious questions about the greater scheme of things. Sheep, downtrodden and aimless. Dogs, predatory and menacing (surely not the products of the Thatcher generation!) and the bellicose, bullying and elitist "Pigs" all contribute to the albums considerable weightiness. So how is it refreshing ? Well simply put and forgive the pun - its got a real bite. Simple as that - Pink Floyd with a real edge.Dogs is the most ambitious piece. It is a genuine spine tingler. The band build real tension on this track and the rest of the album - you can almost reach out and touch it. Pigs has an almost funky feel and Sheep has the Floyd's trademark throbbing base line. Give a thought though to the keyboards which are beautifully subtle throughout - Richard Wright proving yet again that he really was a vital part of the band's chemistry and what a truly superb album on headphones - revealing both a subtle and sometimes very punchy interplay between the various band members.I never did quite work out what Pig's on the Wing was all about and the ending to Dogs seems misplaced musically if not lyrically, but I have listened to this album thousands of times and still find it stands the test of time -sometimes I think it's their best. I saw them perform it on their 77 UK tour - so it has a special place for me, but of no doubt it completes a wonderful run of three albums starting with Dark Side of the Moon, then Wish You Were Here and then Animals itself. Oh I hate to go on about it, but the art work is just wonderful.

If you're a fan of Pink Floyd then there's really not much else to add with regards to the content of this album.If not, then it's a very good starting point. The songs don't out stay their welcome, the concept itself works well, and the production on this manages to sound both pristine and grubby at the same time. The drums and bass in particular come through in the mix extremely well. Nice and punchy.More focused than The Wall, no technical meanderings such as On the Run or Ummagumma... just four very well written songs with some very nice soloing by Gilmour.Many reviews have mentioned issues with the record itself. My copy arrived in perfect condition with zero pops or crackle. Playing on a Pro-Ject Audio primary III through an Onkyo Amp and Dali speakers I found that the record sounded excellent. Lots of mid, but with the bass and treble cutting through nicely when required.No sibilance toward the end of the sides and no manufacturing errors. It's possible this was a later pressing, however it sounds as though any problems at the plant are now sorted.This would be five stars but, come on, it's not a perfect album.