Animals (Pink Floyd) - Extended Play Lounge (Episode 6)

You should read the book or just look up the descriptions of what each animal represents, for instance the dogs are the pigs' muscle in enforcement of their rule until the " sheep " rise up . More listening will help like when you hear the stone echo in sheep and then "Bleating and babbling we fell on his neck with a scream Wave upon wave of demented avengers March cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream ".

Duff

Les Claypool, of Primus, and his Frog Brigade, do a full live performance of this album, pretty cool!!

Steve Hartke

Also the Deep Purple song Mary Long…

Steve Hartke

Very nice.

yes, good point to make. it's quite different than Roger's playing. And I could be wrong but I think on The Final Cut Gilmour did all the bass as well... I think later on Roger only focused on lyrics and singing.

Marcela Hofman-Mourao

Time for Dark Side of the Moon, Doug.

Ben Aubergine

Nice take. Really enjoyed it. A disagreement here or there. But, that's the fun isn't it? Something to make the time spent over coffee or beers just that much more rewarding. Eager for more.

Hugh Jasole

This album is the reason I started to play guitar (and in 1977 I was 6…) . Started to play over and over, track by track, with an acoustic 12 strings guitar stolen to my dad. And I’ve learned every little colour or note all by ear. It’s unbelievable that’s a 45 years old album. The lyrics are still valid today.

Fabrizio Spadoni

"Nobody does music quite like this". Yep, there is only one Pink Floyd and they are the best!

Lior Haimovich

Incredible review of n incredible album. I enjoyed this so much. Pink Floyd is my favorite band of all-time, and this is my favorite album by them. It's an album of incredible music with lyrics that really make you think.

Bob Schneider

Perfect. I joined Patreon for this. Now you really need to do The Wall and we'll have a smoke together :D

nuno

In 'Pigs' and 'Sheep' Gilmour is playing bass.

Harri Hietajärvi

Thanks for this Doug. I could write paragraph after paragraph on how Animals relates to me and my life experiences, especially in a corporate career, and especially with those characterised in the piece and some I worked with in London in the 1990s. This album has compassion and such venom - and it does make it worth considering that this was written in very dark times in the UK in the 1970s. It's a time capsule back to the winters of discontent, and the struggles of life back then.

Dan Vitale

I saw Floyd in '74. They opened the first set with 3 new songs, You Gotta Be Crazy, Raving And Droolin' and Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Second set was Dark Side, encore was Echoes. And a fun time was had by all. Animals came out in '77 by which time things were a changin' and although I wasn't into punk the little red, white and blue microdots had taken me to the Planet Gong via Radio Gnome, Angel's Egg and You (they really exist, this isn't a delusion). Anyhow in an attempt to relive my deranged youth I bought Animals in the early noughties, and on hearing Dogs the penny dropped... this is You Gotta Be Crazy! and Sheep turns out to be raving and Droolin' ... Animals has become one of my favourite Pink Floyd albums, though PATGOD takes some beating, DSOTM of course. Many Thanks Doug, really enjoying the trip. Pick up a few transmissions from Radio Gnome sometime, some of the little green puff might help.

FallingLeaf

enjoyed that :)

Pat Cecil

ooh I was going to suggest this one, looking forward to watching this shortly

Pat Cecil

Animals is one of my all time favorite albums. You should also do full album listens to Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here (although you already did Shine On You Crazy Diamond on YouTube, which is a large part of that album)

BRIAN MILLER

I love your image of two people embracing and watching eachothers backs. You explained the importance of the opening and closing pieces perfectly. Even when we feel alone or crushed by society, we have to recognize those in our lives who make it a little better and share the same struggles. This theme is also evident in Dark Side of the Moon.

Austin Mucciante

I find it amazing that you went through life without ever hearing Dark Side of the Moon in it's entirety. I didn't think that was even possible unless you were Amish. (Not a judgement, just surprise) I was surprised you didn't comment on they keyboard in the second half of Dogs blending in with the barking, It's a little touch that always makes me smile. Floyd are one of those odd bands that really don't fit into a category neatly. The closest they could be filed into IMO would be Psychedelic Prog. As always, love hearing your little insights that I may have missed or not known enough about music theory to truly get.

Jason Zagar

A good friend and I used to switch up between drrums, bass and guitar and do this one front to back. Granted it was pretty sloppy but we had a blast. Glad to see you check this one out. Better late than never. Thanks as always, Doug.

Bryan Sheehan

I love this album. One of my favorite parts is in Sheep, where the singing blend into the music as its hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. I have never clicked on something so fast. You would really enjoy a full listen of the Wish You Were Here album.

Garrin Teed

Fantastic. I first heard this album around 2008 in high school and it blew my mind. Thanks for putting words to the feelings I had in my heart for this album and its message. One think I've always felt was thay Pink Floyd gave you experience and time to think. This day and age, I think people really should pause and feel.

Dominick Pearce

Agree for proggish material, full album listens are pretty much needed. This is why I want to hear a pro listen to Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth. it's meant to be listened to in it's entirety to really understand the project.

Steeleye 2112

A lot of us had a problem with Mary Whitehouse. Self proclaimed moral guardian who decided her way of life should be enforced on the whole of society. Still gives me chuckles when I remember how hard her campaigning failed and what a complete waste of time it all was. Thankfully everything she stood for has been washed away or very nearly.

Steeleye 2112

You know it's really good storytelling when I personally came to the same conclusion about the drowning and then resurfacing anew. I had never seen or heard that interpretation, but it just seemed clear, even without words describing it. Dogs is such an epic masterpiece.

shane purcell

With the song Dogs, I see this as a sort of 5 part song with 2 narratives. The first two parts feature David Gilmour as the narrator, where he spends time telling a would be corporate businessman how to succeed in the dog-eat-dog business world (telling him to learn how to strike at the right moment, how to win trust of people who should not trust you, how things will only get harder as he ages, etc.). The second part of the song is cautionary, as David tells this same businessman of the potential dangers and consequences of using these very same strategies for success, resulting in falling from the top of the corporate ladder (“you’ll reap the harvest you have sewn”), which they show symbolically with a dog being thrown into a river with a stone tied to it to drag it to the bottom. This is where the middle instrumental section comes in. I have always believed this section represents the drowning, which is why we hear no melody. The word “stone” echoes in a muffled way, and we also hear the muffled barks and howls of other dogs, which is how they would sound to someone who is underwater. The person to whom David is singing is fighting maintain his place in the corporate world, but he reaches the surface with a completely different perspective. When he finally reaches the surface, we are back where we started, only this time Roger’s voice appears as a response to David. The businessman is confused that this person who taught him to be ruthless and empowered him was actually setting up his fall for his own personal gain. He is responding to Gilmour for his methods and how he treats people (“everyone’s expendable and no one has a real friend” “You believe at heart everyone’s a killer”). I see this as Waters’ voice indicting Gilmour’s – he’s telling David that the ends do not justify his means, in a matter of speaking, and questions how he can use these methods. In the final section, he calls out Gilmour’s narration and accuses him of forgetting where he came from. In essence, the first narrator doesn’t really believe the corporate narrative for success, but is, in fact, just a pawn, the same as Roger’s narrator, but the initial narrator has been so conditioned by his superiors (“trained not to spit in the fan; told what to do by the man; fitted with collar and chain; etc.). I think Waters here is pointing out the illusion of success, and that at the end of the day, Gilmour’s narrator is going to die a miserable “stranger at home” (because he works long hours and never sees his family). He’s basically saying, “Yeah, I may be expendable down here with the rest of the pack, but you’re just as miserable and expendable as the rest of us.” The idea is that price of success isn’t worth the misery. I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but this is how I have always viewed the narrative of this song. Love the videos and cannot wait for more.

Scott Stone

ist a daily dog

Glenn Wo

I'm finally watching this.... I've never listened to this album start to finish, so i'm enjoying it with Doug. I just don't have the same herbal supplements as him...

Scott Friedman

And also Eloy! I would do anything for Doug to listen to Ocean!

Estefanía Sucre

This album has an interesting history with me: I was frightened of the sound of its music (specially dogs) as a 6-years old kid. As I grew up (when I was a teenager) I started to understand that as a child I sensed the whole darkness of the music (not to say the lyrics, because English is not my first language); and being sufficiently mature made me able to understand the lyrics and why the music was so dark and profoundly sad (it is a pessimistic critic about the darkest beings of our society). And I just loved the record (I even read Animal Farm, which makes you understand the references even more, tough this is a very personal Water's view on the subject). I was kinda nervous about how you were going to react to the reference to the Salm... and your reaction was so humble, that it makes me appreciate you as a person even more, Doug. Everything makes this album my Pink Floyd's favorite until now, so I thank you for this reaction. I was surprised that it won, because I'd found that many Floyd fans had never listened to this record (IDK why).

Estefanía Sucre

If anyone would like to take discussion of Animals over to the Discord, I created a thread for it in the General discussion tab.

Illume Eltanin

Also, the Fender Rhodes "vibrato" (actually more of a tremolo) outputs in stereo, so there's no Leslie on it in the "Sheep" intro.

Matthew Weber

Fun fact: "Whitehouse" was also the name of a British men's magazine, sort of a counterpart to Playboy or Penthouse. The power-electronics band Whitehouse chose their name as a purposeful reference to both the decency crusader and the magazine.

Matthew Weber

I loved listening to this album with you. This is a concept album and a prog LP that I know since 1979, as a young 17 years old and as a lost young men in those times.. Prog and guitar gave me a direction in life. I love it. ♥

Denis Perron

Excellent, thanks Doug. If you decide to do another, I hope 'wish you were here' takes the vote.

Ian Raine

Tangerine Dream would probably leave Doug speechless for a lot of the time because compositorial there is not very much to say, I reckon. But I'd love his reaction to it. I really would suggest Rubycon, which I consider the best album of the 5 or 6 I know of them.

Frits van Voorst

I love the Fender Rhodes, too!

Bradley Stone

Doug, thanks for this episode!... I truly enjoyed following you through the soundscapes, drinking my Bulleit and lighting up my pipe as well... - Pink Floyd can't be labeled, they are one of the few bands that can make you have a real mind trip even without a drop of alcohol or a gram of any substance - that's what I felt and experienced back in my late teen years in the 1970s... Now, let's hear your impressions of Wish You Were Here album sometime soon...

Nelson Br

Hell yeah Doug hitting the pipe, better than a cocktail any day IMO!!

Christopher Rapier

The 2nd verse is about Margaret Thatcher. The 3rd is Mary Whitehouse. The 1st I have no idea.

Peter Wethman

Part of the reason for the guitar-centric nature is their deteriorating relationship with Richard Wright at the time.

Peter Wethman

I love the transitions from Roger's vocals to the sinister synthesizers in Sheep. You'll also hear pretty strong echoes of this album (both Dogs and Sheep) on "Time Flies" from Porcupine Tree's last studio album "The Incident" which I find fascinating because that song is sweeter and more nostalgic than most of Steven Wilson's lyrics. Anyone know if this was conscious on SW's part?

Doug Maynard

This was their stark, gloomy and "rocking" album, very much built around guitars. My personaö fave on here is "Sheep". I think musically, you would also enjoy the 'Wish you were here' album.

Murdock Moriarty

Very good entertainment for a sunday afternoon ….and what can I say…sheep is still my favorite song👍😀

christoph ziesecke

Your reference to soundscapes makes me think you may want to do a reaction to Tangerine Dream and the album 'Stratosfear'.

B Mac

Enjoyed this quite a bit. Although I've heard all 3 main pieces, I never listened to this album in its entirety as I never owned it on vinyl like I have with other PF albums. However, I still don't consider this Prog. The 'soundscapes' you refer to are definitely 'Proggy', but the overall music/band just isn't. Same key, no chord changes, no time changes, Keyboards are never really up front and center, except that Fender Rhodes bit. Gilmour's solos are easy to listen to, but not really impressive. You don't walk away from this album with a knocked out wow feeling. You're definitely not singing or humming anything in your head from this like an earworm type of thing as there isn't much melody to hold onto in your head. Not even a bass riff that really stays with you. Doesn't take away from Pink Floyd though as they are a great band regardless what genre you place them in. Definitely a heavy message album where the message may have been missed by the teenagers who were consuming this when it came out.

B Mac

That spacious, textural midsection that you so enjoyed, Doug, is straight-up space rock. Floyd were very much a space rock band. Hawkwind, early Kitaro, early Vangelis, and Jean-Michele Jarre were others. But the best place for maximum space is krautrock: Tangerine Dream, Can, Guru Guru, Popol Vu, early Kraftwerk, Faust, Ashra Tempel, Kraan, Neu!… The list goes on!

Nathan-Andrew

In my past when this came out I was not a fan. Wish, Meddle, The Wall were and still are my favorite. I will give another chance with Doug helping me.

Glenn Wimberly

I quite enjoyed that. I'll admit that in softer parts that tend to just sit there, I get musical ADD and something else usually catches my attention. It didn't lose me through this. Maybe it's Doug, but Yeah for concept albums. They can usually keep my attention more.

Arrow2theACL

you should have seen the tour with the giant floating pig over the stadiums lol

Len Bimeal

"Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream." How he wrote that and made it fit so perfectly into the song is beyond me. Great lyrics.

Lars Erik Brobakken

Oddly I had never listened to this Pink Floyd Album. I have listened to everything else it just passed me by some how. I sounds very much like the Wall with some influence from Dark Side. Pink Floyd really are different to anything else and I think in many ways should be seen as higher art not popular music.

John Sawyer

Personally I really love The Final Cut and I think it is highly underrated. Not so fussed by Tigers Broke Free being on the album it sort of intrudes but that may be because I owned the original album in the 80s and got used to that.

John Sawyer

Perhaps it's time to add Roger Waters to the list of nominees for the EPL and then hope that everyone votes for Amused to Death. If this does come to pass then I think going back to breaks at the end of the vinyl sides would make better sense as a lot of the tracks do flow into each other.

John Clark

“Spacious” is the perfect word to describe Floyd. Loved that reaction. At some point you have to do “Dark Side of the Moon” and “Wish you were here” to complete the Trinity. Three of the best albums ever recorded.

Deepak Singh

Animals was the album where Roger really started to write from his personal beliefs and experiences. This continues on The Wall, but I think some of his most personal (and stunning) lyrics are on The Final Cut. It’s also the most sparse of Pink Floyd’s work, often considered a Waters solo album, although Gilmour has his moments. It’s one of the most stark albums that I think has ever been released and I’m particularly interested in your reaction to that album. Include the song When the Tigers Broke Free (you could add that to the Wall since it was in the movie).

Randy Hammill

Watch Roger’s performances of Dogs and Pigs… from his last tour. Theatrical and heavily political.

Randy Hammill

Real pigs, plus Roger.

Randy Hammill

The bass at the start of Pigs… is Gilmour. Pigs on the Wing is all Roger (acoustic and vocals). On the 8-track there’s a guitar solo between both parts by Snowy White who toured with them for this album and frequently with Roger after he left Floyd. I highly recommend checking out one of the many recordings of this tour. Oakland is generally regarded as one of the best, and Montréal is the show where Roger spit on a fan trying to climb on stage, and sparked the concept for The Wall. There is a lot more Of Gilmour’s guitar live, his tone was amazing, and had some really fiery playing. Especially on Pigs… Dave didn’t play the blues encore at the Montréal show, just Snowy.

Randy Hammill

Your thoughts on and reaction to "Dogs" and "Pigs on the Wing" (parts 1 and 2) were right up my alley. I also can't help but think that the album works even better if you're listening to it while watching a major storm heading your way! 🙂

Garance A Drosehn

The great thing about classic Floyd of the pre-Wall era is that they weren’t in a hurry. They give the music time to develop. This is the case on things like A Saucerful of Secrets, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, Careful with that Axe Eugene, Atom Heart Mother, Embryo, Echoes, portions of Dark Side, Shine on You Crazy Diamond and Dogs. Most of these songs would be extended in concert as well, especially pre-Dark Side.

Randy Hammill

Such a great analysis of the lyrics. I’ve always loved Dogs but had never given the whole record a listen.

Gary Thobaben

That's a solid recommendation right there. Looking forward to checking it out tomorrow afternoon.

Andrew Lamont

My friend and I did a cover of Dogs because of the dynamics. It’s a sleeper album not a lot of ppl know but it’s up there in my fav PF albums.

Mark Saxon

I absolutely love your reaction...explainations and evaluation abd experience to the "Berlioz of Rock Music!" From a personal standpoint, I have debated that to me Pink Floyd may have progressive leaning due to their production and sound/space but actually, they started out and continue to be a Psychedelic band. Again ..... Pink Floyd music is indigenous to herbal preparations.....hence the space and allowance to the listener to become suspended in their own "Visions." I think y'all can read between the lines. I believe in the seventies we simply called this "head music." It is great stuff. Prog? Not really... Psychedelic ~ most definitely. My basis..... Doug nailed it......up.until The Wall which was sent to Micheal Kamen without the bands knowlege for orchestrations which the band had no say in the matter....., Pink Floyd is less orchestral and more blues. Bam! Blues is Rock based.....they add space and color hence prog leanings (and as it so happens) "Animals" is the most space like.......I believe "Wish You Were Here" is more thematic album. Not criticism....simply my opinion. Cheers........Zippo's lighted...swaying......."FreeFore" (Pink Floyd reference) Cheers..........Water bubbling......inhale.....hold..... ***COUGHCOUGHCOUGH*****....RINSE REPEAT.....Reload.........

Paul Mouradjian

I'm a huge fan of "Pigs on the Wing" (parts 1 and 2), and "Dogs". I also loved "Pigs, Three Different Ones" back when this album was released. But now I think the fact that this song is directed at three specific people means that the song is kinda stuck in the timeframe it was released.

Garance A Drosehn