Best of The Animals

One of the great British bands of the 1960s, the Animals' star has been eclipsed over the years by the likes of the Rolling Stones, the Who and even the retro cultists' favourites, the Yardbirds. This authoritative Best Of serves as a reminder of just how unfair that is. The Animals caught the spirit of the blues and gave it an English force and feel in a way other, equally reverent bands never quite accomplished. Their version of "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place" sums up the industrial north of its era as well as any John Braine novel, while "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is an R&B classic to stand proudly with any of its American inspirations. There's plenty to enjoy in many of the less famous tracks, too--"I'm Crying", "Bright Lights Big City", "Baby Let Me Take You Home", the band's take on John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom". It's true that the Animals never produced the extensive repertoire some of their contemporaries achieved; but that means every bit of their coarse energy has been preserved on this collection. --David Bennun

The Animals/Animal Tracks first 2 Lps

Of the many bands that came out of the British R&B Boom of the 1960's, the Animals from Newcastle were arguably the best of the bunch. And this 2 on 1 CD from EMI - which compiles their two Columbia LPs, THE ANIMALS and ANIMAL TRACKS - gives one a good reason why. Listening to this CD, one notices that as a straightforward British R&B band, the Animals were among the more authentic because of their preference for the more leering tempos prefered by many of great American blues performers (listen to such tracks as "For Miss Caulker", "I Believe To My Soul", and "I'm Mad Again"). But like such contemporaries as the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds, they could rock out with the best of them (listen to "Around and Around" and "Roadrunner"). A must have for anyone who loves British R&B and/or happens to be a fan of the Animals. And I happen to be both.

The Singles Plus

Eric Burdon had one of the great white boy soul voice of the 60's: gritty, expressive, charged with a nicotine-fuelled bluesy rasp that lifted it far above most of his contemporaries. Songs like "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and the impassioned "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" bespoke a turbulence and emotion that was matched only by Dylan and the Stax/Volt crew. "Let The Good Times Roll" and "Club A Gogo", meanwhile, hinted at a substance-fuelled hedonism that gave the lie to UK bubblegum pop. Burdon's Animals had a roughness and charm all the more enticing for those sweaty, ill-fitting suits they always sported. Perhaps it was hailing from Newcastle that did it. --Everett True

The Animals, a group that included Eric Burdon and Alan Price, were the first major pop stars to emerge from Newcastle, a city located about 300 miles north of London, therefore far removed from where most talent scouts were searching. It is fortunate for us all that the Animals were discovered because they recorded some of the best R+B music to come out of the UK in the sixties.

Their biggest hit was House of the rising sun, a re-working of a folk song (apparently inspired by Josh White's version of the song) that gave them a transatlantic number one hit. They had five other top ten UK hits with Mickie Most the producer. These being I'm crying, Don't let me be misunderstood (a cover of a Nina Simone song), Bring it on home to To me (a Sam Cooke cover), We gotta get out of this place (the version included here is the UK version - a markedly different recording was released in America but was unavailable for inclusion in this set) and It's my life.

Apart from their singles, the Animals recorded many other covers including Boom boom, Dimples, I'm mad again (all John Lee Hooker), Around and around, Memphis Tennessee, How you've changed (all Chuck Berry), I'm in love again, I've been around (both Fats Domino), Talking about you, Hallelujah I love her so and I believe to my soul (all Ray Charles). These covers clearly demonstrate what their main influences were, but they also wrote some of their own songs.

Eric Burdon - the Animals and Beyond [DVD] [2008]

A look at the life and musical career of Eric Burdon, singer with The Animals. Performance footage includes tracks such as 'House Of The Rising Sun', 'It's My Life', 'We Gotta Get Out Of This Place', 'Monterey', 'CC Ryder' and 'Shout'.