Animals

Release date: January 23rd, 1977
Recorded at: Britannia Row Studios, London

Although "Animals" only contained three very long tracks bookended by the brief acoustic love songs "Pigs On The Wing" Parts 1 and 2, it didn't sound altogether out of place in 1977, the year of punk.

This is because it contained the group's most strident music to date and expressed a worldview that was both self-laceratingly ironic and (superficially, at least) nihilistic. Despite containing music that was very much harder than that found on any previous Floyd record, "Animals" notched up impressive sales.

The concept belonged to Waters, but two of the four beasts here had been heard before under different names: Sheep was a re-working of Raving And Drooling. Dogs was a makeover of You Gotta Be Crazy. Waters and Gilmour were beginning to tussle for control, sharing production credits and engaging in a lengthy wrangle over the album's publishing royalties which wasn't settled for 10 years.

Nick Mason: "This was a bit of a return to the group feel, quite a cheerful session as I remember. We did it in our own studio, which we'd just built. By now Roger was in full flow with the ideas, but he was also really kepping Dave down, and frustrating him deliberately."

Roger Waters: "I didn't like a lot of the writing on Animals, but unfortunately I didn't have anything to offer. I think I played well but I remember feeling not very happy or creative, partly because of problems with my marriage. This was the beginning of my writer's block."

David Gilmour: "On Animals I was the prime musical force. Roger was the motivator and lyric writer."

The cover of "Animals" is a combination of two photographs -- the dismal power station from one day, and the floating pig from the day it flew away -- one day it simply wouldn't float; the next day it floated too well, broking away from its morring and reached a height of nearly 10,000 feet before headind back down to Earth, scaring quite a few pilots in the process.


Tracks:

1. Pigs on the Wing [part 1] (Waters)

   [01:25] Vocals by Waters.
   Dogs (Waters, Gilmour)

   [17:03] Vocals by Gilmour, Waters (from "Gotta admit...").
   Pigs (Three Different Ones) (Waters)

   [11:25] Vocals by Waters.
   Sheep (Waters)

   [10:25] Vocals by Waters.
   Pigs on the Wing [part 2] (Waters)

   [01:23] Vocals by Waters.

Total Playing Time: 41'41

Musicians Featured:

1. David Gilmour: Vocals, Guitars
   Nick Mason: Drums
   Roger Waters: Bass Guitar, Vocals
   Rick Wright: Keyboards, Vocals
   
   Snowy White: Guitar