Pink Floyd - Animals
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Free Music Notes for Animals
Free Music Review: Roger Waters unleashes himself
Hit: 5 Stars
Of all the Pink Floyd albums, Animals will always be my favorite. Its Orwellian criticism of society strikes a lot of mental and emotional chords, and so does its captivating melodies and special effects, combining to bring Animals a sense of unmatched consonance in the band's incredible discography. It offers a frightening and bleak depiction of social strata dominated by bureaucratic and businesslike dogs, a generation of ruthless and preeminent pigs, and a lower caste of docile and obedient sheep. These are strong allegories, and their frightening reality is reinforced by grim and hypnotic music.
Contrary to what a lot of reviewers and critics think, complete control was not wrested out of the band by Roger Waters; that would come an album later. But it does represent a wider force at work, since Roger is the fierce and violent engine that imbues every song with his creative vision. David Gilmour practically wrote the song Dogs, and since Dogs occupies such a large part of the album, he is represented accordingly. Richard Wright influenced the composition of the songs, and who knows what Nick Mason did. It's important to realize that Waters took complete creative control here, and the output might be stronger than anything in the catalogue.
The album opens with Pigs on the Wing (Part 1), a little acoustic song that wrestles with pain and disinterest, a little breath before the real intake begins. The beginning of Dogs signals the ominous start of the bleak allegories with a burgeoning guitar, vicious lyrics, and a synthesizer that wilts and shakes with the rest of the song. It's completely memorable, and it includes my favorite use of synthesizer in any song: the words `dragged down by the stone' end with the word stone being repeated over and over again, and it sounds like a drowning man with an ebbing heart. Then the dogs bark and a man whistles, and everything seeps into darkness with a recitation of despair. It's amazing.
It's followed by Pigs (Three Different Ones), another great song with another great opening, and my favorite song on the album. The lyrics are even more caustic than the first song, and throats are torn left and right as Waters unleashes himself and screams at everything he hates in the high-minded people of the world - the ignorant censors, the dishonest politicians, and the malevolent oppressors are all given their due. The pig squeals are appropriate and contribute to the black humor of the song.
Finally, there comes Sheep, with an even larger reserve of hatred, and they deserve it. Waters deconstructs their obsequious fear and bites them even harder with a robotic satire of the Lord's Prayer (With bright knives He releaseth my soul / He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places / He converteth me to lamb cutlets). I hold a well of hatred in my heart for ignorance and blind obedience - the song is a short and effective therapy session.
The album ends with Pigs on the Wing (Part 2), which exhales the existence of love and brings the album to an agreeable and fulfilling close. And it really feels like exhalation - if the album ended on anything else, it would leave a tight knot in the stomach. If you don't own it, buy it - it's worth it to hear the pain and understanding in its walls.
Free Music Review: Absolutely brillant album
Hit: 5 Stars
Anybody who wants to be in a rock band, should listen to this album. This is rock at it's best. Well crafted, well executed, just an amazing album. Yes, it might not be Floyd's most accesible material, but it is rewarding. If you liked Dark Side, you might not like this, but it has the same writing quality and music genius to it. Obviously, I like this album. Free Music Review: a ferocious turd
Hit: 3 Stars
Thishere is music for ferocious turds.
Grandmas beware!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
steer clearrr from zis mess.
animals are nerdy!!!!!
Hektor Af!
Free Music Review: As good as Dark Side, and Wall
Hit: 5 Stars
Pink Floyd is probably the best artistic music group to come out of the Twentieth century, and this album is as good as anything in their discography. The album transcends pop music, and has become an underrated iconic work of art portraying modern humankind. But I could also say that about most of their albums. For me, this one paints pictures in your head about who you really are in this society, and leaves you feeling empty, wondering what it is we are missing. Not to try and bring you down, but by displaying this metaphor, Pink Floyd helps us to understand we are not alone in our misery. By releasing this album, as well as many others, they show us what they are feeling, and it is the same emotions we are feeling. I usually consider myself a Sheep, but have often related to the Dog story as well. Especially the line, "And when you lose control, You'll reap the harvest you have sown. But it is not beyond me to become a Pig in this contemporary age. Which animal do you resemble?
The music is great, but most people don't get the long, meloncholy metaphorical compositions. Everybody likes quick snappy songs that you can dance to, and very few understand that music is probably the most emotional and powerful artform in existence. This music takes time to listen to. It is an album to play whenever, whether you are working, driving, relaxing, self medicating, sleeping, this is the soundtrack to your life. Pink Floyd was so ahead of their time in everything they did; they still sound futuristic here in the twenty-first century.
If you like music as an artform, this is for you, if you like mindless music industry products, go buy the latest American Idol winner's CD. In my humble opinion, it is better than The Wall, and Dark Side of the Moon, but not by much.
Free Music Review: A different direction, but still five stars
Hit: 5 Stars
Animals is another Pink Floyd masterpiece. Stylistically and lyrically it is clearly a Roger Waters opus. However, I suspect that without David Gilmour's contributions the LP would have been just as interesting but not nearly as listenable or enjoyable. I do miss the spacey psychedelic sounds of the band's previous output going back to 1967. On the other hand ten years had passed since Piper and one cannot really quibble if the band decided to explore new territory. I don't quite understand why Animals is not considered by the majority of fans to be the equal of the two records that preceded it and the one that followed. For me each of the records is unique and brilliant. How often in Rock Music history has one artist or band managed the feat of creating four supreme efforts on the trot? The Beatles (Rubber Soul through to White - five records), Springsteen (his first four or six or seven), Stones (Banquet through Exile - five including the very fine live Ya-Yas), Dylan (1963-1969) and Van Morrison (Astral through Saint Dominic) are a few that come to mind.