Bitter music for bitter times: Pink Floyd's "Animals"
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Shee-it, my friends, I haven't mogged for two weeks! Where does the time go? Into work and seeing lots of theatre at the Edmonton Fringe festival, that's where!Lots of music listening and purchashing has been happening this past couple of weeks, but today I want to talk about an old favourite of mine, by one of my favourite bands, and no it's NOT obscure:Pink Floyd - Animals
This album is totally under-rated due to the sentimental value of the album that came before it (Wish You Were Here) and the epic bombast of the album that followed it (The Wall). However, it is my opinion that "Animals" is superior to both (heresy, you say!). It's concise, features great interplay between all band members, lacks skronky horn solos, and most of all has so much passion that the vinyl practically melts off the platter. At least these are the things I like. Urgency in music is one of my most favourite things, and Animals has it in spades due to its frothing anger towards the Conservative horror that was unfolding in Britain in 1977. This was the same social climate that bred British punk rock, which talked about many of the same issues. I think, actually, part of this albums raison d'etre is to show the young punks a few things about how to make an angry, pointed record. All three centrepiece songs on the album are huge, lengthy excursions that take time to build up to their main point - something that punk rock never did (until Crass came along, that is). Roger Waters' lyrics are also typically both elegant and brutish at once. It's important to know when to wax poetic – "You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to" (Dogs) – and when to be brutish: "You fucked up, old hag" (Pigs).The subject matter of this album should be particularily relevant today. It blasts all the social norms that everyone today should be pissed off about, and it's a pity we don't hear "Pigs" played on air instead of "Comfortably Numb." While one could critisize it for being overly pessimistic, one would be missing the point that the entire point of this album is to speak about why everything is shit. If you want to listen to happy music, put on your Sufjan Stevens album for chrissakes. "Animals" is made to agitate. Does anyone ever criticize this album's inspiration, Orwell's "Animal Farm" for being too pessimistic?"Dogs" speaks to the cruel, heartless men who rise to the top of the social and corporate ladder entirely through opportunistic and selfish methods, destroying those who get in their way. There is no way for these people to be happy, and they die alone and in pain. What is poignant about this song is that while it condemns the actions of these kind of people, it is conscious that these monsters have been created by an equally monstrous society. If it were drummed into you at school that you were nothing but a mongrel to be disciplined at every opportunity, how do you think you would turn up?"Pigs (Three Different Ones)" speaks to the infantile, crazy, moral entrepreneurs who seek to oversee and censor everything we see. It spoke directly to Mary Whitehouse, whom is even named in the song, a right-wing Christian moral entrepreneur of the era. Pigs wish to control our thoughts, our very imaginations. They wish to monitor us on every corner, in our homes if they could. They wish for the existence of morality brigades. This behaviour is what gives birth to police states and book burnings. Mass ignorance. Pay attention to what's happening in Britain right now, and so much of this song will ring true. This song climaxes in an angular guitar solo that burns with rage, summing up in sound emotions that can't be handled with words."Sheep" is for everyone else who gets walked over by the two previous groups. The most despicable thing about the sheep is that they placidly accept their role, waiting to be picked off and dehumanized by whichever opportunistic villain is around. They are content in their ignorance, incredulous to the idea that the machinations of society have any impact on their lives. And when they finally do sit up and take notice, they are transformed by their anger and ineptitude into the very monsters that have made their lives miserable. This behaviour, over generations, is finely tuned and planned by those who want it to be so."Pigs on the Wing," in two parts, bookends the three main songs. Their meaning is more complex, it seems. The first part seems to come from the perspective of the sheep, while the second from the dogs, though perhaps they are different facets of one person. The three main songs are about individuals acting in selfish spheres, not paying attention to community - in each case there is no consideration of concerns not of the individual. Not even in the sheep. Especially the sheep. The bookends are the opposite of this. The only way to deal with this problems is to deal with them... together.Awww, isn't that sweet?All in all a powerful, uncompromising album that deserves your attention. I think you'll enjoy it!Bonus trivia points: Credited for some of the pictures on the inside of the jacket (the documentary shots of the album cover shoot), is young Peter Christopherson aka Sleazy, he of TG and Coil.
This album is totally under-rated due to the sentimental value of the album that came before it (Wish You Were Here) and the epic bombast of the album that followed it (The Wall). However, it is my opinion that "Animals" is superior to both (heresy, you say!). It's concise, features great interplay between all band members, lacks skronky horn solos, and most of all has so much passion that the vinyl practically melts off the platter. At least these are the things I like. Urgency in music is one of my most favourite things, and Animals has it in spades due to its frothing anger towards the Conservative horror that was unfolding in Britain in 1977. This was the same social climate that bred British punk rock, which talked about many of the same issues. I think, actually, part of this albums raison d'etre is to show the young punks a few things about how to make an angry, pointed record. All three centrepiece songs on the album are huge, lengthy excursions that take time to build up to their main point - something that punk rock never did (until Crass came along, that is). Roger Waters' lyrics are also typically both elegant and brutish at once. It's important to know when to wax poetic – "You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to" (Dogs) – and when to be brutish: "You fucked up, old hag" (Pigs).The subject matter of this album should be particularily relevant today. It blasts all the social norms that everyone today should be pissed off about, and it's a pity we don't hear "Pigs" played on air instead of "Comfortably Numb." While one could critisize it for being overly pessimistic, one would be missing the point that the entire point of this album is to speak about why everything is shit. If you want to listen to happy music, put on your Sufjan Stevens album for chrissakes. "Animals" is made to agitate. Does anyone ever criticize this album's inspiration, Orwell's "Animal Farm" for being too pessimistic?"Dogs" speaks to the cruel, heartless men who rise to the top of the social and corporate ladder entirely through opportunistic and selfish methods, destroying those who get in their way. There is no way for these people to be happy, and they die alone and in pain. What is poignant about this song is that while it condemns the actions of these kind of people, it is conscious that these monsters have been created by an equally monstrous society. If it were drummed into you at school that you were nothing but a mongrel to be disciplined at every opportunity, how do you think you would turn up?"Pigs (Three Different Ones)" speaks to the infantile, crazy, moral entrepreneurs who seek to oversee and censor everything we see. It spoke directly to Mary Whitehouse, whom is even named in the song, a right-wing Christian moral entrepreneur of the era. Pigs wish to control our thoughts, our very imaginations. They wish to monitor us on every corner, in our homes if they could. They wish for the existence of morality brigades. This behaviour is what gives birth to police states and book burnings. Mass ignorance. Pay attention to what's happening in Britain right now, and so much of this song will ring true. This song climaxes in an angular guitar solo that burns with rage, summing up in sound emotions that can't be handled with words."Sheep" is for everyone else who gets walked over by the two previous groups. The most despicable thing about the sheep is that they placidly accept their role, waiting to be picked off and dehumanized by whichever opportunistic villain is around. They are content in their ignorance, incredulous to the idea that the machinations of society have any impact on their lives. And when they finally do sit up and take notice, they are transformed by their anger and ineptitude into the very monsters that have made their lives miserable. This behaviour, over generations, is finely tuned and planned by those who want it to be so."Pigs on the Wing," in two parts, bookends the three main songs. Their meaning is more complex, it seems. The first part seems to come from the perspective of the sheep, while the second from the dogs, though perhaps they are different facets of one person. The three main songs are about individuals acting in selfish spheres, not paying attention to community - in each case there is no consideration of concerns not of the individual. Not even in the sheep. Especially the sheep. The bookends are the opposite of this. The only way to deal with this problems is to deal with them... together.Awww, isn't that sweet?All in all a powerful, uncompromising album that deserves your attention. I think you'll enjoy it!Bonus trivia points: Credited for some of the pictures on the inside of the jacket (the documentary shots of the album cover shoot), is young Peter Christopherson aka Sleazy, he of TG and Coil.
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