Customer Reviews

Complete Animals

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Instead of waiting for a representative American release of the early Animals stuff, I decided to try this import. I heartily recommend this compilation to US fans; it is a healthy two CD set, and all of it sounds pretty much necessary (and great) if you are an Animals fan; you may even (like me) discover some fabulous stuff of theirs you were never aware of; it is wonderful and does not overlap the American best of their second half of their career at all, so between them you have it pretty much covered (okay, real fans may want to throw in the later wild stuff, Love Is, Every One of Us, The Twain Shall Meet, etc.)

The Animals were a beloved "alternative" to the Beatles during the first British Invasion. They issued only three American studio LPs in their original configuration with organist Alan Price. This collects all the "hits." But the Animals were also an album band, which gives this compilation its strengths.

Everyone knows the immortal "House of the Rising Sun" & the awesome "We Gotta Get Out of this Place." But you'll dig the rest of this stuff, most of it snappy yet tough R & B. It also includes the hilarious & true "Story of Bo Diddley."

The Animals carried on in this vein for a few albums after Price quit the band. Those cuts, which include "Inside Looking Out," "Hey Gyp" & the Zappa-produced "All Night Long" are well worth seeking out. Then Burdon took complete control of the Animals name & headed for the psychedelic colonies in America. But that's another story & another music.

Bob Rixon, WFMU

If you like music by the animals - you'll love this CD. There are a total of 41 songs and there isn't a bad one among them. There is a level of clarity to the music that you just can't get from old tapes or albums. I thoroughly enjoy this CD and would recommend it to anyone.

Excellent album for a mix of the "classic" Animals sound and some of the more bluesy material. Once you fall in love with this album and "The Story of The Animals" (another compilation album) try other albums like "Animalisms" and "Roadrunners". If you like the material from the late 60s (more psychedelic sounding) then try "Love Is", "Never the Twain Shall Meet", "Winds of Change", and "Every One of Us"