Animalisms

by The Animals

Overview

During their first two years of recording, the Animals had never quite succeeded when it came to recording LPs -- good as some of the songs on their first two albums, done for EMI, had been, there was this sense that single were what this band was really about. Then, newly signed to English Decca, they delivered Animalisms, a truly transcendent collection of a dozen songs, mostly superb covers interspersed with some good originals, principally by Eric Burdon and Dave Rowberry. Burdon was never singing better and the group had developed a bold, tight sound that seemed to lift his soul shouting to ever higher levels of passion and conviction. "Outcast," "Maudie," "You're on My Mind," "Clapping," "That's All I Am to You," "Squeeze Her - Tease Her," "I Put a Spell on You," "She'll Return It," and "Gin House Blues" all rate among the best work the band ever did, passionate, gorgeous, and exciting R&B down to the last note, with Burdon at the peak of his career; and "Sweet Little Sixteen," though a relatively minor song here, was their best Chuck Berry cover to date, highlighted by Rowberry's flashy piano (doing some Jerry Lee Lewis arpeggios) and Hilton Valentine's boldest guitar work yet, combining the lead and rhythm parts in a hard chopping, twanging virtuoso performance. Ironically, the Animalisms album (which was issued in America two months later in somewhat altered form, as Animalization) appeared just as the group was about to enter its final phase of existence -- they'd switched drummers from John Steel to Barry Jenkins during the period in which these tracks were recorded, and Burdon would soon decide to dissolve the lineup. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	07/06/2018
Label:	Secret Records / Sunspot Records
UPC:	5036436114122
Rank:	71614

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Animals   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Alonzo Tucker   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Bo Diddley   Composer
Chas Chandler   Composer
Jackie Wilson   Composer
Chuck Berry   Composer
Larry Weiss   Composer
Barry Jenkins   Composer
Fletcher Henderson   Composer
Eric Burdon   Composer
Chandler   Composer
Ernie Johnson   Composer
Carole King   Composer
Fred Jay   Composer
Ma Rainey   Composer
Joe Tex   Composer
John A. Lomax   Composer
Scott English   Composer
Screamin' Jay Hawkins   Composer
McDaniel   Composer
Alan Lomax   Composer
Al Smith   Composer
Gerry Goffin   Composer
Winfield Scott   Composer
Dave Rowberry   Composer
J. Lomax   Composer
Luther Dixon   Composer
John Lee Hooker   Composer
Otis Blackwell   Composer
Art Harris   Composer
Sticks McGhee   Engineer
Henry Troy   Composer
Willie Dixon   Composer
E. Johnson   Composer
Edgar Campbell   Composer
Chris Welch   Liner Notes