Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted [LP]

by The Animals

Overview

Cut 11 years after the Animals' original lineup recorded their last LP and six years before their more well-remembered reunion tour, this oft-overlooked album is just short of a lost classic; it lacks the intensity of their 1983 studio effort, Ark, but it is more substantial musically than that album and fits in very neatly with their preceding work, as though they'd scarcely skipped a beat. Recorded under the auspices of the late Chas Chandler's Barn Productions, the album was highlighted by a dramatically bluesy rendition of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," boasting superb playing by Alan Price. Hilton Valentine's soaring guitar pyrotechnics light up "Fire on the Sun," perhaps the flashiest performance of his career for this most introspective of '60s British blues axemen, and "As the Crow Flies" has the group returning to its roots, as a dark, brooding rendition of the Jimmy Reed song that gives room for Chandler, Valentine, Price, and John Steel to show off their '60s-era blues chops in a more expansive form. After a promising start, the gospel number "Many Rivers to Cross" falls apart a bit, but "Just a Little Bit," with its rippling organ break, the group original "Riverside County," and the pounding finale, "The Fool," make the rest of side two eminently enjoyable, although, coming out in the midst of the punk and disco booms, the LP never had a chance to be heard by more than the most dedicated fans. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	02/10/2015
Label:	Secret Records
UPC:	5036436093229
Rank:	71327

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Animals   Primary Artist
Chas Chandler   Bass
Eric Burdon   Vocals
John Steel   Drums
Hilton Valentine   Guitar
Alan Price   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Bob Dylan   Composer
Jimmy Reed   Composer
Chas Chandler   Composer,Producer
Earl Washington   Composer
Clyde Otis   Composer
Curtis Mayfield   Composer
Eric Burdon   Composer
Shakey Jake   Composer
Chandler   Composer
Doc Pomus   Composer
Casino Steel   Composer
Jimmy Cliff   Composer
Percy Mayfield   Composer
Jerry Leiber   Composer
Naomi Ford   Composer
Mick McKenna   Tape Operator
Mike Stoller   Composer
Thorton   Composer
Buster Brown   Composer
Hilton Valentine   Composer
Tony Joe White   Composer
Sanford Clark   Composer
Ralph Bass   Composer
Alan O'Duffy   Engineer
Alan Price   Composer
Shakey Jake Harris   Composer
Fats Washington   Composer
Barry Plummer   Photography
John Thornton   Composer
Chris Welch   Liner Notes
Terry O'Neil   Cover Photo,Photography
Jo Mirowski   Cover Design
Paul Hardman   Mixing