The Animals
Animalisms

Although they are giants, now over 50 years away from their planetary successes, "The Animals" are among the most undeservedly overlooked of our times; if we ever wanted to highlight their value again, it would be enough to induce the most musically distracted to a "therapeutic" rediscovery of them, certain that we would find complicity in this sense among those who grew up on bread and blues...

If we go back to the sixty years of the "British Invasion", when many were singing the blues, no white singer had a soul as black as Eric Burdon; regarding that "Animalism", there would still be much to say and then also to listen to, but suffice it to remember, to give the right weight to my emphasis, that the charismatic Guru of this Band made in GB, protagonist of a magnificently solid rock, was musically a son of blues, rhythm&blues, and gospel, of the basics Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and other black American Bluesmen, like Sonny Boy Williamson with whom he also shared the stage.

We are in '66, two years after their debut, in a world where Music was more authentic and richer than today, close to the revolutionary artistic innovations of those moments, where people thrilled to the rhythm of their “The House of the Rising Sun”, “Please Don’t Let Me Be Missundestood”, and many other Hits, when this rebellious and passionate Ensemble, before turning towards psychedelia and dissolving in the decade, produced this splendid “Animalism”.

"The Animals", an epochal band, incredibly gritty and blues, that feared no comparison on stage; perhaps "worse" than the socially “dangerous” Rolling Stones, and endorsed by one of the most devastating stage impacts of the era, it lent its "wildness" to the nascent rock blues, thanks to the deep and powerful voice of its Frontman, and bolstered by the compelling and fluid keyboards built as a counterpoint to it.

Amidst an almost complete turnover of the original lineup, even while still covering excellent Songs, with magnificent blues and soul reworkings, in this Album they finally play their own Music, thanks to precious arrangements, also by third parties, like those signed by Frank Zappa; after all those years, today the Album in question is as valuable as a revitalizing balm for nostalgics, capable of also attracting the most reluctant newcomers to that world/root of our rock, seemingly distant yet still subliminal.

If those who read, rather than starting a thoughtful listen, lazily indulge in this brief sonic Bignami of mine, I refer them to some tracks listed below, which are my favorites, but are likely also the most appreciated from this Album, where Our Man and his splendid Band wonderfully display their musical power.

For this purpose, alternate during your listening authentic musical gems, bluesy, slow and elusive ballads, hard songs, such as “Rock Me Baby”, “Hit the Road, Jack”, “Gin House Blues”, “Outcast”, “Louisiana Blues”, “Smoke Stack Lightning”, and “Lucille”, reflecting on the fact that these tracks are dated over 50 years ago, and the game is quickly done..., because, by doing so, the Great, Rebellious and Passionate "Animals" will easily return to your ears, and then to your mind...