Animal Tracks: The Story of The Animals [Paperback]

Sean Egan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2001

Definitive biography of the band behind hits like trans-Atlantic #1 “House of the Rising Sun” that briefly rivalled the Beatles and Stones for popularity, before relocating to San Francisco and re-emerging as a hitmaking Acid Rock band. Hours of new interviews contribute to this gripping portrait of a hugely talented group of musicians who never quite fulfilled their potential.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

It is hard to deny the importance and appeal of the original Animals and especially their blues-rock classic "House of the Rising Sun," a rare instance of a rock version that improved on its folk original, Leadbelly's "In New Orleans." Alan Price's organ playing distinguished the Animals then, and all too soon he left the lineup. Egan digs into the original band members' 1940s-50s upbringing in the gritty northern English seaport of Newcastle. Their story is the familiar one of so many '60s British rockers, that of disaffected art school teens embracing black American music and hitting the big time. Egan closely follows the original band to its 1968 implosion and notes subsequent attempts to reconstitute it. The rest of the book belongs to the patience-trying Eric Burdon and the Animals. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Helter Skelter Publishing (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1900924188
• ISBN-13: 978-1900924184
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,609,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Animal Behavior, December 17, 2001

By 

"donnelly117" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Animal Tracks: The Story of The Animals (Paperback)

Along with the Yardbirds, the Animals were the great overlooked band when it came to 60s biographies. No more. Yardites were finally rewarded last year with Greg Russo's exhaustive tome, ULTIMATE RAVE UP. Here, Sean Egan chronicles Newcastle's finest in a lucid and engaging bio that highlights the Geordies' thrilling music, clashing personalities and disaster-prone management. Good points: a thorough run-through of the band's history, freckled with commentary about their records, interesting road stories and a rock solid analysis about why the Animals were unable to build upon their massive early success. (Hints: Mike Jeffery; a lack of songwriting talent). The insightful interviews with John Steel, Hilton Valentine, Vic Briggs, Dave Rowberry, Zoot Money and Eric Burdon are the best part of this book. Bad points: Not enough photos; no commentary from Alan Price (though that's not Egan's fault, Price refused); and Egan's silly conclusion that the New Animals made better music than the originals (be honest - do YOU prefer "San Franciscan Nights" to "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"?). Perhaps Price's instincts were sound - all of his ex-bandmates trash him, especially Burdon and Steel. On the other hand, Price's hoarding of the "House of the Rising Sun" royalties looks all the more suspicious when he refuses to defend himself. The erratic Burdon comes off as alternately charismatic, gutsy, obnoxious, backstabbing and goofy - sometimes all of the above on one page. Chas Chandler's role as the band's muscle and soul is contrasted by the others' assertion that he really couldn't play the bass that well. Hilton Valentine's LSD collapse is addressed tactfully, while John Steel comes off as the most likeable Animal - a laid-back guy with a talent for putting things in perspective. Given how volatile they were, it's amazing the Animals were able to get as far as they did. These guys made the Who look harmonious. If you're a fan of the band (or 60s Brit-rock), this book is for you. Just don't expect a happy ending.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive History of The Animals, October 17, 2003

By 

Stephen Triesch (Shoreline/Seattle USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Animal Tracks: The Story of The Animals (Paperback)

This book follows The Animals from their Newcastle beginnings to their 1994 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including discussions of The Animals changing lineups, evolving musical styles, and tempestuous reunions. To me, this book was far more interesting than either of Eric Burdon's biographies, both of which spent too much time talking about his partying and too little time talking about the music. And isn't the music what it's all about?

Of particular interest to me are the interviews with band members describing their opinions of the various songs the band recorded, the songs they liked and disliked, how the songs were selected, and who contributed what to the arrangements. Also of interest are discussions of the infighting and ego-clashes that ultimately destroyed the band before its time.

Author Sean Egan is not shy about weighing-in with his own evaluations of particular songs, and I found myself disagreeing with him in many cases (as when he proclaims that the British take of "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" is superior to the version released in America). But disagreeing about songs is part of the fun, right?

Band members Hilton Valentine and John Steel come across as thoroughly likeable and down-to-earth, Chas Chandler as possessing a steady business-sense which didn't flower until after the band's demise, Alan Price as somewhat prickly and distant (he did not make himself available for interviews), and Eric Burdon as charmingly-but-maddeningly vain and unpredictable, often throwing a wrench into the band's best-laid plans.

I've focused on the early Animals, but the book follows the band through the Eric Burdon and The Animals psychedelic era and beyond. This book goes a long way towards filling a void about a band that's had far too little written and said about it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dispassionate, informative, readable., October 17, 2001

By 

David Hutton "occasional reviewer" (Bedford, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Animal Tracks: The Story of The Animals (Paperback)

If you have an interest in the history of the Animals, from their Alan Price Combo days thru the "new" Animals, and to the two reunion albums of the original band, you'll enjoy this book. It covers all the appropriate bases, and has extensive comment by the band members (or most of the band members, I should say, since a few did not cooperative with the author, particularly Alan Price, who does not come off too well at the hands of his bandmates). The author seems to have a very objective view of the band's output on record. I found myself agreeing with his comments on songs and albums (some of which are very positive and some very negative--the Animals were, if anything, uneven) probably 95% of the time, and where we disagree, the differences were minor (he complements Inside Looking Out, just not as much as I would, etc.). One or two caveats--there are many typos and the prose is pretty prosaic. The book is very much focused on the band, and does not offer very much insight into the times and settings, so it is definitely geared towards fans of the group. If this is you, I recommend the book.