Pink Floyd
Animals

THE REVIEW

"Animals" is a concept album released in 1977 where Roger Waters' dominance in composition begins to be noticed. This somewhat underrated album should definitely be counted among the best, and it has been rated as the best guitar album by Pink Floyd by critics and fans. The lyrics in the album, unlike other albums, have never been so critical and filled with hate towards English society and are inspired by George Orwell's famous novel ''Animal Farm''.

The fundamental core of the album is a cruel portrayal of society divided by the bassist into dogs (social climbers), pigs (wealthy and right-thinking), and sheep (people subjugated by power). The album opens with the first part of "Pigs on the Wing" which, like the second part, does not present narrative scenes but is constructed in verses and sung in the first person. The first part is a very brief love song, with which the bassist indicates in mutual affection and interest the key not to give in to the evils of the surrounding world; a song with just voice and acoustic guitar and very brief. The second track of the album is "Dogs", a track entirely supported by an acoustic guitar rhythmic accompaniment on which other parts are gradually superimposed. The rhythm varies only in the long instrumental break, a moment of suspension where electric guitar and barking dogs alternate. The last major variation in the overall layout of the song happens when the last verse is shown, followed by a Gilmour solo. This is the longest track on the album. With the next track "Pigs (Three Different Ones)", Waters warns against the other side of power, those who seem to fight but actually share the pie with the dogs. The track begins with pig grunts followed by a synth and guitar introduction, followed by one of Waters' rare bass solos. The tempo is slow and funky, essentially unchanged throughout the track. The chorus, one of the best parts of "Pigs", is enhanced by a riff of electric guitar and solid drum accompaniment.

The fourth track, "Sheep", is introduced by a pastoral atmosphere dominated by chirping and bleating. After a long keyboard production, and coinciding with a total change of atmosphere, the music comes to life and the first verse begins. Heavier and rockier sounds accompany the first two verses. A long instrumental section follows, entrusted to keyboards and electric guitar, in which, modified to sound like bleating, are the voices of the sheep reciting a distorted version of Psalm 24 ('the Lord is my shepherd....''); in live concerts, the reading was entrusted to drummer Nick Mason. The track ends with the recapitulation of the verse in an increasingly instrument and electronic effect-laden musical atmosphere, closing with a finale that fades into a series of bleats. The sheep mentioned in the track are the portrait of the people, exploited by dogs and pigs, and Waters reproaches them for their cowardice in bowing to power and its threats.

The final track is the second part of "Pigs on the Wing", which, apart from the lyrics, is identical to the first, and in this Waters declares the awareness of one about the love felt by the other.