Customer Reviews

Best of

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Like many early British Invasion bands (the Yardbirds, the Who, Rolling Stones and Them), the original Animals were a hard-driving R&B band featuring the gritty vocals of Eric Burdon and the trademark organ playing of Alan Price.

This 15-track collection hits the group's highlights from its two-year stay on Britain's EMI. [Note: Although all the Animals' hits throughout the Sixties were distributed by MGM in America, the band switched labels in the UK to Decca in 1966. That's why the Decca singles "Inside Looking Out" and "Don't Bring Me Down" are not on this set. Also, this album was originally released in February 1966--four months before "Don't Bring Me Down" was even released.]

The centerpiece of this collection is Alan Price's four-and-a-half-minute arrangement of "House of the Rising Son," and despite its length shot to the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. It would be the band's only No. 1 single.

Unlike most of the British Invasion bands with lengthy chart careers, the Animals seldom wrote their own material. The only exception is the Burdon-Price collaboration "I'm Crying." For the rest of their material they turned to the likes of John Lee Hooker ("Boom Boom" and "Dimples"), Fats Domino ("I'm in Love Again"), Sam Cooke ("Bring It on Home to Me) and Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil ("We Gotta Get out of This Place") among others.

By 1967 the rest of the original Animals were gone. Burdon formed a new version of the Animals and entered his psychedelic phase ("Montery," "Sky Pilot"). But this Abkco release features the original lineup and as such, the group's best material. If you want more of the original band's work, consider Complete Animals. At 40 tracks it includes virtually all of the Animals' first three U.S. albums along with various B-sides and unreleased material. But if you're on a budget, The Best of the Animals will do just fine. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Why can't record companies get is straight???...or am I the only one on the planet who knows that this CD's version of "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place" is NOT the version we all heard on the radio in the 60's, nor is it the version which is included on the vinyl edition of this very album... For those who don't know, in the ORIGINAL version of the song, Eric B. sings: "My little girl you're so young and pretty"...not "Now my girl you're so young and pretty...", which is what he says on the wimpy version of the song which is on this CD. The original has much better production and much better vocals. This CD's version is the one you'll hear on oldies radio...since most DJ's don't know the difference either. Message to the record company: stop pulling this garbage--there are folks who know the difference and we want the ORIGINAL version...not some crummy version you paid Eric to re-record for God-only-knows what reason.

The Animals were one of the best groups of the British Invasion. So why aren't they as highly thought of as, say, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who or The Kinks? Because unlike those other groups, The Animals didn't have a great songwriter within their group. In fact, only one song on this "Best of" was actually written by the group. But regardless of who wrote them, these are great songs. This album (originally released in 1973), features all The Animals chart hits through 1965, plus some well selected album tracks. This is terrific stuff. One thing I need to mention is that, despite the writing credits, "I'm in Love Again" is not the old Fats Domino hit, but is a different song entirely. Also, for those of you who care about such things, this CD is in mono. I highly recommend this CD, especially to fans of the British Invasion.

I remember the first time I heard the Animals, it was the summer of '66. I was just out of gradeschool and attending a friend's backyard party. Somebody had a copy of "The Best Of The Animals". When they put that record on and "House of the Rising Sun" came out of the loudspeakers I was hooked. I had never heard what you would call rock music before that night. I had only heard top 40 pop and the Beatles before that. But this group was different. This was some seriously good blues based rock and R&B. I didn't know what it was called at the time, I only knew I loved it. I never forgot this album, and when I got old enough and saved a few bucks up, this became one of the first records to start my extensive record collection. And since I've worn out a couple vinyl copies of this, it's nice to finally have the CD version. And it sounds as good to me today as it did 35 years ago. When you have as high a caliber of musicians as these guys were, with a phenominal lead singer who was born to sing the blues, the music is always going to hold up well with time. Besides the popular "Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", most of my favorites by the Animals were written by the old blues greats. I loved their refreshing updates of the John Lee Hooker songs "Dimples" and "Boom Boom". But my favorite cover that the Animals did was Al Kooper's "Bury My Body". That's a great song with a sped up organ line in the middle that reminds a little of the song "Shout". The album closes with "Bring It On Home To Me", a great R&B song written by Sam Cooke. This is just a great album all the way through. It has a lot to offer, and it's a good place to start listening to the Animals.

"Best of the Animals" would be 100% wonderful except for one thing: "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" on this 1987 CD is not the same version that appeared in 1967 or on the original 1960s Best of the Animals vinyl album (with Eric Burdon's wonderful roars and inflections). So why did the record company replace it with the 1987 dud? And prospective buyers won't know this because you can't listen to an excerpt first. The other songs are the original 1960s hits -- House of the Rising Sun, I'm Crying, It's My Life, etc., so I don't understand the "switch and bait." Fans, go and burn your own copy and get the genuine original!

I Love The Animals for two reasons: The lead singer bears my first name (Burdon) and the driving keybording of Alan Price (who has to be in the pathion of Rock's greatest keyboard players). I am writing this review because I think I have the answer regarding 'Music Fan From California''s concern over why they don't have the original version of "We Got To Get Out Of This Place" (I hope that he reads this) on CD: If you want to hear the original version, you have to look up an import CD called "The Animals, Vol. 2" which is a collection of their songs from 1965 that includes the album version AND the original single version (EUREKA!) of "Place". I think that about solves the problem

Although the cover of this is identical to the 1966 Album - this is NOT a reissue of that album. That album had 11 songs - two of which are NOT on this issue, which has 15 songs. It's a very good album and very representative of this oeriod of their output, but it should not be mistaken for a reissue of the 1966 MGM release.

The original american hits, by Eric Burdon & his Animals. Songs included like "House Of The Rising Sun", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "It's My Life", "Dimples" and "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place". In a CD compilation originally recently released in 1965. Lineup of performances is strong, sound quality is good not indifferent. Best of The Animals covers every territory to a much finest effect with superior sound and a few liner notes with it includes the british bands own historical personal profile interview of themselves!

First, there were the Beatles, then there were the Animals. Period. That's how it happened. Yet, for some reason, Eric Burdon & the Animals have been lost by the mainstream music media for some 20 tears.

This album is a great collection of songs from the group's first albums. It is important to own because it reminds us (those who were there), and informs some (those who weren't born yet) of the incredible influence of American rhythm & blues (Black Music)on the musicians who made up the British Invasion of 1964.

My personal favorite has always been hard to nail down- since I find Burdon's vocals so incredible. There are a number of big hits on this album, and they represent the "Best of.." the early Animals. You gotta hear it to understand.

Two songs stand out for all Vietnam Veterans, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" and "House of the Rising Sun". In two reunions of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, I had the pleasure of hearing the voices of 1000 veterans and family rattleing the rafters of the ballrooms in Orlando and Nashville Renaissance hotels singing these songs. At the Orlando Hotel there was a piano bar where a young lady sang requests. One of the pilots ask her to do "We Gotta Get Out of This Place". She didn't know it but was advised by theold warrior to learn it if she really wanted to earn some tips. The next night and for the rest of the reunion, the young singer sang it three out of every five songs and her tip glass was exchanged for a beer mug and remained full. This album brings back memories both glad and sad. Eric attended the reunion in Fort Worth but sadly I was unable to make that one.