Absolute Animals 1964-1968 [Original recording remastered]

The Animals | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Raven [Australia]
• ASIN: B0000CG8I7
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,091 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. House Of The Rising Sun

2. Boom Boom

3. I'm Crying

4. Baby Let Me Take You Home

5. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

6. Bring It On Home To Me

7. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

8. It's My Life

9. Inside, Looking Out

10. Don't Bring Me Down

11. See See Rider

12. Help Me Girl

13. When I Was Young

14. San Franciscan Nights

15. Monterey

16. Sky Pilot Parts 1 & 2

17. Ring Of Fire

18. Good Times

19. Coloured Rain

20. Animal Interviews

Editorial Reviews

Absolute Animals 1964-1968 (2003 Remastered Edition) is Quite Simply the Best, Most Comprehensive Single CD Animals Compilation Available in the World, Covering the Legendary Band's Output from Beginning to End, Incorporating the First Era of R&b-styled Classics and the Second Era of Spacey, Psychedelic Excursions. All their Classic Hits Are Present. With 20 Tracks at 78 Minutes Duration and featuring Extensive Liner Notes, this is a Must for Animals Aficionados and Lovers of Enduring and Quality Music Alike.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive collection of one of the most important British Invasion groups., January 9, 2004

By 

Paul Tognetti "The real world is so much more... (Cranston, RI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Absolute Animals 1964-1968 (Audio CD)

I had been searching for a comprehesive collection of The Animals for something like 20 years but I never managed to find one that I liked. The only collection I ever saw that included all of their hit singles was a 2 CD set from Britain that contained far more material than I wanted at a price I was unwilling to pay. At long last, in 2003, Australia's Raven records saw fit to release "Absolute Animals: 1964-1968". This impressive single disc collection includes all of the M-G-M hits from the original 1964-1966 Animals as well as hits by the new incarnation of the group known as Eric Burdon and the Animals from 1967-1968. These are all the original recordings you would remember from the radio.

Enjoy once again some of the group's earliest hits including their fabulous debut single "The House of the Rising Sun" which went all the way to the top of the charts in the summer of 1964. Also are included are Top 20 hits like "It's My Life", "See See Rider" and "When I Was Young" from 1967, Perhaps my favorite Animals tune of all time is the 1966 hit "Help Me Girl" which is also included here. After a couple of personnel changes in 1966 and 1967 the group would re-emerge with a somewhat different sound and would be known as Eric Burdon and the Animals. It was this group that produced such great hits as "San Franciscan Nights", "Monterey" and "Sky Pilot" which are all part of this collection as well.

As a collector I am very pleased to report that "Absolute Animals: 1964-1968" also comes with a neat 12 page booklet describing the history of the group and what various group members are up to today. I had the pleasure of seeing Eric Burden perform at a local festival a number of years ago. He still looked and sounded pretty much the same. If you are an Animals fan or a collector I would snap this one up while it is still available. Kudos to Raven records for a long overdue and well thought out anthology of an important British Invasion group. Very highly recommended!

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All the essential sixties hits, June 1, 2005

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Absolute Animals 1964-1968 (Audio CD)

The Animals, a group that included Eric Burdon and Alan Price, were the first major pop stars to emerge from Newcastle, a city located about 300 miles north of London, therefore far removed from where most talent scouts were searching. It is fortunate for us all that the Animals were discovered because they recorded some of the best R+B music to come of the UK in the sixties.

Their biggest hit was House of the rising sun, a re-working of a folk song (apparently inspired by Josh White's version of the song) that gave them a transatlantic number one hit. They had five other top ten UK hits with Mickie Most, these being I'm crying, Don't let me be misunderstood (a cover of a Nina Simone song), Bring it on home to me (a Sam Cooke cover), We gotta get out of this place and It's my life.

Alan Price departed for a solo career even before the rest of the group split with their producer. After the split, they switched to another record label, where they had some success using the name Eric Burdon and the Animals, including two more UK top ten hits (Don't bring me down, San Franciscan nights) and several lesser hits.

This collection contains all the essential hits from the original Animals and from the later recordings by Eric Burdon and the Animals. As such, it provides a great introduction to the group. Committed fans may prefer to ignore this and go instead for Complete Animals (covering everything they recorded with Mickie Most) and a separate compilation for Eric Burdon and the Animals. Nevertheless, this compilation will be sufficient for most people. In any event, Alan Price's solo recordings must still be acquired separately - they have never appeared on any Animals compilation.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dark Sound, Big Hits, December 7, 2006

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PHILIP S WOLF (SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA. USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Absolute Animals 1964-1968 (Audio CD)

In the Summer of 1964, The Beatles Ruled Supreme, They controled the Pop Charts and Changed the Direction of Popular Music Forever. Then Something Different came along, with the First Notes from THAT Organ, the Sound of The Animals was Born. If you weren't there, it's hard to Imagine today how Big a Deal this New & Gritty Music was. But it was Un-Leashed onto our Little Tinty-Sounding Transister Radios on Glorous AM Waves. "House of the Rising Sun", was Dark, Brooding and Very,Very Cool. These Five Guys From Newcastle were Schooled in American Blues and this Music had an Edge that was lacking from the other Brit-Beat Groups.

From 1964 thru 1966 The Animals used their time well. With Ten Singles Cracking the American Top Forty this Group was Right behind the Fab Four in Popularity. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "We Gotta Get Out of this Place", "It's My Life" and "Don't Bring Me Down are all featured here and it's Still All Good.

In 1967 with the Departure of all the Original Members besides Eric Burdon, The band Became "Eric Burdon and The Animals". The Sound was Different as well with The new tunes "Monterey", "San Francisco Nights" and "Sky Pilot" reflecting what was on Eric's mind during this Period. Too Bad the Song: "Sandoz" isn't included here because that would REALLY show you what Eric was doing during Much of 1967-68.

With 19 Songs, this is the Best Single Disc Collection of this Amazing Band out there right now, Raven Records, Australia has again done a FINE JOB. If you were to own One CD from the Animals this One would do the Job quite well.

A Very Important Part of Sixties Music, The Animals, ABSOLUTELY ... FOUR STARS !!!