When Pink Floyd reunited and toured without Roger Waters in the late 1980s, they avoided playing anything from the 1977s Animals Album. Speculations as to why ran high. For one thing, guitarist David Gilmour didn’t particularly like Waters’ somber lyrics. Despite this, he and the band reportedly toyed with the idea of adding “Sheep” to the setlist. Rumors also circulated that “Dogs” was occasionally pulled out at sound checks. sure, Animals Songs are in regular rotation at Roger Waters shows. But the fight rages on. When the album was remixed in 2018, Gilmour and Waters argued over the liner notes. Luckily, that little snag eventually settled and the much-anticipated Animals 2018 remix has finally found its way onto the market.
Longtime Floyd engineer James Guthrie’s remix showcases layers, textures and nuances of Animals that one could only speculate if they were there at all. It’s always an acoustically enhanced adventure with Pink Floyd, and previous remixes tend to reveal hidden subtleties. Here Gilmour’s guitar is brighter, Waters’ bass is boomier and Nick Mason’s drums are punchier. The reverberation of the vocals also seems to ring out a bit more. What is most apparent, however, is the maneuverability of Rick Wright’s keyboards. The subtle touch Wright offered is easy to overlook, but the remix shows just how important his various voicings and tones were to Pink Floyd’s sound. One swipe through “Sheep” and you’ll feel the crispness of Wright’s approach to the Fender Rhodes as it nestles against your eardrums. When Gilmour’s guitars smash through, you might feel compelled to raise a glass and say hello to your sound system.
Animals found much of his inspiration in George Orwell’s classic 1945 satirical novel animal farm. While its predecessors – 1973’s The dark side of the moon and 1975s I wish you were here – are rampant affairs that deal with the insanity and fate of the band’s original visionary, Syd Barrett. Animals casts a wider net and faces politics and capitalist greed head-on. When the album came out, it was without any potential hit singles, although much of the material found its way to FM radio. The remix reiterates that it was not intended for radio; it’s more about occupying the headspace and atmosphere.
In the late ’70s, Pink Floyd, one of the forerunners of progressive rock music, was hugely popular. The 1977 In the flesh The following tour featured the swimming pig (nicknamed “Algie”) from the Animals Album covers, among other surreal special effects. It was mainly played in major football stadiums in the US and Europe. Pink Floyd played to their biggest audience. It was the only time the main members of the band – Waters, Gilmour, Mason and Wright – ever played Animals together on stage.
It’s a shame Gilmour never let “Dogs” out of his cage when he took the reins from Pink Floyd. The remix places the guitarist’s bluesy unique attack on his instrument front and center. This is especially poignant with the 5.1 mix. If you think The dark side of the moon and I wish you were here were made for the surround sound spectrum, get ready after the throw Animals to the Blu-ray Disc player. The pounding acoustic that opens “Dogs” will have you reaching for the gravy as you salivate with every single turnaround.
animals 2018 remix, Available on CD, LP, Blu-ray, SACD and Vinyl, is rounded out by the Pigs trilogy – Pigs On The Wing (Part One), Pigs (Three Different Ones) and Pigs On The Wing ( Part Two)” – that’s pure Roger Waters. “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” is particularly venomous in its attack on the big wig elite (“Pig spot on your fat chin, what do you hope to find down in the pig mine?”). The remix ensures that the cowbell and talk box compete with your speakers.
Sure it would have been nice to get an outtake or two – or maybe both parts of “Pigs On The Wing” with the guitar bridge in between made exclusively for the 8 track cassette release. What are you going to do? Along with the remixed stereo, surround and original 1977 mix, there is new, updated cover art and a detailed booklet with photos and the agreed accompanying lyrics. So we can only hope that the ongoing feud between Gilmour and Waters will come to an end and more remixes (like The wall in 5.1) are in our future.
~ Shawn Perry
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