Animals [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

To date I have got Dark Side, the 2 cd version, Meddle, Atom Heart Mother and Animals from the Pink Floyd remasters. Of the 4 albums that I have heard so far this has got to be the most impressive in terms of remastering. It has benefitted most from the work carried out at Das Boot Studios, not what I would have expected considering the age of the recording, in having the music presented better than ever before.

For a start the acoustic guitar work on the opener Pigs On The Wing just sound so much better, more realistic, natural, better filled out in the lower mid range eq and more obviously wooden in nature. Rogers singing is cleaner clearer and yet less harsh than the Shine On Boxset version I have.

Dogs is just an amazing tour de force. David Gilmour wrote the music for this and his guitar work is at a peak, better and more varied than anything he did before or since. This track has great shifts in dynamics moving through a series of movements like an orchestral piece. Again the use of acoustic and electric guitars sound so much better, being separated into individual instruments playing together rather than an amalgamated sound that approximates both together. Lyrically, care of Rog, this track is a damning of the business approach to life in a clear and unambiuous way.

Pigs, again vitriolic and direct, gains a lot from the remastering. The harmonies in Rogers overdubbed vocals really 'sing' and are distinctly clearer than the 1994 version. The sound of the pigs themselves is more resonant and natural. For me this track is the highlight of the album thanks to the jaw dropping range and quality of guitar work on show. There are acoustic guitars in the mix, along with various electric guitars processed differently and then the killer solo featuring the guitar being fed through a Dunlop Voice Box to allow DG to emulate the pigs and to give the solo greater emotive range.

Sheep, again the recorded animals sounds are so much more natural than before, and the ping ponging sound of Rick Wrights keyboards is so much more apparent and enjoyable. Rick Wrights contribution to this album is of the highest order. I reckon it is the best example of his skills as a musician, using various synth, organ and piano sounds to lift the songs to a new level.

I also thing that the pitch on the previous issue was wrong. I am fairly sure everything here is presented a third or a half tone down on the last one, without affecting the tempo. I think there must have been a software problem or a careless techie behind this fault. The new album has a better defined mid to lower end and is much more musically tight, for lack of a better term. The animals and birds all sound right this time, not processed or tweaked.

So, for fans of Floyd, do not hesitate, get this and enjoy an album, that I have literally avoided on cd for years due to its harsh presentation, sounding better than I would have imagined it could.

edit - this album features some of the finest keyboard playing that Rick Wright did with Floyd. He, to use a football term, plays a blinder, getting the keyboard to morph into Rogers voice, Daves guitar and so on.......taking what is a rough run through of Dogs and Sheep on the Wish You Were Here bonus cd and turn them into the superb polished monoliths that are here. His playing and ability to conjure up powerful moods is overlooked too often in favour of David Gilmours guitar work and Roger Waters Lyrics.

All I can say about this terrifying album has already been said in the other reviews here. The only word missing from any of those reviews is 'AWESOME'. The sound on the three long tracks 'Dogs', 'Pigs (three different ones)' and 'Sheep' is violent, aggressive and strong. The lyrics were the most powerful to date from Roger Waters. Only his anthologies on 'The Final Cut', 'Radio KAOS' and 'Amused to Death' come close. Even though Animals makes uneasy listening it is compulsive. It is often on my CD player when the wife's out so the volume can be raised a little.

If you are new to Floyd but own 'Echoes' or 'A Collection Of Great Dance Songs' then check out 'Sheep' more closely. The sound/feel of this one track is the same as on Dogs and Pigs. The two ballads on the album, Pigs on the Wing 1 and 2 only amount to 3 minutes of this 42 minute magnum opus and are rare because they are love songs. Love songs on a Floyd album indeed, next there will be comedy. The last time one could laugh with Floyd was back in '69 when they were taking the mick of the Scots in 'Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict'.

This is a very bleak, miserable album, cold and desolate but I love it. Nick Mason adds sombre drumming, almost funeral beat in the mid part of Dogs. His traditional cymbal playing is here which just brings enough life to each piece. David Gilmour pours his soul out on any of the guitar solos. Richard Wright's grand piano is fragmented and broken (it's meant to be) so its superb construction makes for an even colder feel. To me, Wright has never matched his piano (not keyboards) playing here. But come the showdown of each piece everyone gels and the finest Hard Rock is produced.

The cover is again by Hipgnosis but Roger had a lot to do with it but not fully credited for it so he fell out with them. Hence, Scarfe on The Wall. Even though the pig on the cover is painted in a real inflatable was used but broke away causing air traffic chaos until it landed in Kent. The photo inside the booklet are more comprehensive than the original LP version and include colour. This does not detract anything from the original artwork. The building used on the cover is Battersea Power Station, London. It is now a shell of its former self but it radiates a menacing coldness which suits this album perfectly.

Musically I cannot liken this to any other album (by any artist). It is simply stunning and unique. This is what George Orwell's 1937 novel "Road To Wigan Pier" set to music would have sounded. Others (Bowie and Rick Wakeman icluded) have tried their hand at an Orwellian approach but this is the best.

Thanks for reading this.

Stuck halfway between the exalted "Wish You Were Here" and the controversy-beset "The Wall", "Animals" remains a relatively publicity-shy Floyd album. Released during the rise of punk rock, it conceded nothing to the new attitude. Just three tracks comprise all but three minutes of the album. Much as I like much of the punk and new wave music, I've never wavered in my liking for "Animals". The track "Dogs" may be seventeen minutes long, but it consists of sustained energy and Roger Waters' vitriol. It is also superbly crafted, allowing the band to stretch out without losing control. As ever, Waters' articulation of his feelings about the human condition, in this case the social workplace, is more incisive than anything produced by more recent songwriters. "Dogs" is a potent combination of the violent and the eerie.

"Pigs", which opens side two, is memorable for some inspired lyrics, such as "You radiate cold shafts of broken glass". It's also widely remembered for its attack on Mary Whitehouse. The pauses between phrases add suspense to your anticipation of what's about to follow. There's a feeling that Floyd are tightening someone's noose.

"Sheep" provides a wonderful climax to the album, driven by a galloping rhythm reminiscent of the bass on "One Of These Days" from "Meddle". There's a macabre interlude in which the "Lord's Prayer" is subverted and an air of maniacal, bloodthirsty laughter. The tiny songs which bookend "Animals", "Pigs On The Wing" (1 and 2) at first appear insignificant, but against the tension of the rest of the album they provide a gentle release.

"Animals" is in the same league as the previous two albums and far better than "The Wall". If you like any of those albums, you'll probably like this.