Animals - Pink Floyd

Following on from my review of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here album, it seemed logical to more closely examine the record which succeeded it, titled Animals.

Traditionally Animals had largely escaped my close attention.  I invariably skipped over it whilst navigating their catalogue, moving directly from Wish You Were Here to The Wall.  It seemed a bit of an anomaly, a fly in the ointment, and even the record's title and artwork may have acted as deterring factors for me.

More recently, however, I have grown significantly more receptive to the album's tone and its philosophical angles. My own world-view has moved on, becoming more radical and left-leaning, more conscious of the societal forces and dynamics portrayed and critiqued here. Anyway, I quickly discovered that Animals was in fact less antagonistic and 'threatening' than I had previously imagined. It is still though a powerful and impactful work, both musically and lyrically.

One of the striking features of Animals is the direct, almost rhythmic, hypnotic character of the sound. The music comes across, to me at least, as less contrived and ponderous than some of their other work, and it complements the less cryptic nature of the words, whilst also holding the interest. These characteristics are heard in the album's first major piece, 'Dogs'. This song sets the tone for what follows. David Gilmour is on stellar form on lead guitar, and the backing formed by the rhythm section and the keyboards is vibrant and engrossing. 'Pigs (Three Different Ones)' operates in a similar vein.

In some quarters I have heard it stated that the Floyd's lyrical approach here and elsewhere smacks of 'overkill', and that in some sense the 'grandiosity' and stridency might actually dull or obscure the effect of the message, turning people off.  One's attitude to this I think depends on the listener's personal preferences. It does make a change for a band, especially a prog-rock band, to adopt direct, 'harsh' methods, and the album would not be half as memorable or enduring if it had been compromised by a dilution of the passion and vigour.

What I would say is that some of the lyrics might feel corny or trite to modern ears and eyes; some might compare them to the sort of over-earnest things that could have been written by an excitable and idealistic teenager. That doesn't mean that they lack relevance or strength, and arguably it helps if the listener concentrates on ascertaining the broader meaning behind the words rather than according great credence to the literary merits or sincerity of the lyrics themselves.

'Sheep' is the musical and poetic centrepiece of the LP.  It has a deeply impressive fluency and self-assurance which imbue it with genuine authority. The propulsive bass and the evocative electric piano part are two of the potent ingredients which form a formidable whole. This song is a major reason why I view Animals as signalling the way into the future, both musically and philosophically, rather than harking back to past statements. The production and overall effect feel more 1980s than 1970s. Even by the standards of Pink Floyd, these recordings seemed to represent a departure from a comfort zone, a reaching for liberation.

This album does not exude the sonic diversity of other Floyd works, but the very narrowness and concentrated focus of its anger and its gaze are what contribute to its authenticity and its ability to unsettle and foster contemplation. It must also be mentioned that the concerns and grievances expressed here remain as pertinent and crucial as ever, if not more so. The allusions and metaphors employed on Animals are pointed and unapologetic, and for these reasons it is probably the Floyd album which I would most like to reach the ears of younger people today. 

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

 As far as Pink Floyd albums go, Wish You Were Here is different from the other albums which surround it in their catalogue, but they were all in their own ways expressing a disillusionment with the zeitgeist, the way the world, in particular the business world, and more specifically in this case the music industry, were developing during the 1970s.  The idea of a 'tribute' to the departed Syd Barrett was also a good vehicle for projecting discontent about the power structures which underpinned and sustained "the system".  Was what happened to Syd merely a symptom of a more profound malaise afflicting Western civilization, his fate a microcosm of what our society does to so many?

Musically I think that Wish You Were Here treads a fine line between sublime confidence and self-assurance, and charges of appearing contrived and over-bearing.  On balance, I think they remained on the 'correct' side of the line, and the resultant record is thoroughly fresh, credible and vital. The messages and themes which it explores remain firmly relevant to twenty-first century audiences.  In some ways Floyd were prescient in their estimation of the forces which oppress and manipulate us. If people were listening to the message, they didn't act on it, or heed it with sufficient vigour or honesty.

One thing which occurs to me is that of Floyd's momentous sequence of albums, spanning the period 1973 until 1979, two of them (Wish You Were Here and Animals) are what I would call "modernist" or "post-modernist'.  The Wall, for all its supposedly uncompromising force, is in places quite traditional, retro even, in musical terms. The Dark Side Of The Moon is a concept album, and I feel that it lacks the hard edges and driven anger of the two studio sets which followed it.

Of course the work is 'bookended' by the two sections which make up the epic 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond', the first part's more conventional structure and tempo contrasting with the more chaotic and free-form nature of the closing 'reprise'. Despite their length, both sections maintain the interest due to the excellence and vitality of the instrumentalists' playing, and the arrangements are cleverly put together. The lyrics of the song, and the passion and sincerity of the singing, also serve to carry it along. In a feature which is characteristic of much of the album, the sound retains an organic hue, partly due to the use of 'non-electronic' instruments (acoustic piano, organ, saxophone etc), and partly because of David Gilmour's expressive, blues-inflected guitar work.

'Welcome To The Machine' harks back in some respects to The Dark Side Of The Moon, with its portentous, effects-laden opening, but soon develops a life of its own. A track which is perhaps ahead of its time, and although some might be tempted to deride it as 'Pink Floyd by numbers', the drama and grandeur of the musical backdrops and the undeniable validity and importance of the sentiments expounded here make it a compelling and gripping musical spectacle. The music, the words and the vocals combine to paint an unsettling and, one would hope, thought-provoking picture.

With its 'funkiness' and general mien , 'Have A Cigar' anticipates some of the material to be found on the later Animals LP. Another sardonic take on the absurdities and "evils" of the music industry, I don't find it as interesting or as inspiring as the other numbers on the album, and it never really goes anywhere, exuding a rather airless lethargy. OK, the song's subject matter is crucial and central to the album's 'concept', but I think people who eulogise about the song are indulging in some wishful thinking.

If 'Have A Cigar' is comparatively turgid, then the title track is a refreshingly uplifting and invigorating, the poignant lyrics notwithstanding. The sincerity and heart-felt nature of the song comes shining through. Again, the utilization of 'ordinary' instruments, such as acoustic guitars, mixed with some tasteful synthesizer work, means that the component parts have space to breathe and thrive, and something rather marvellous is what emerges.

One of the elements which comes across loud and clear to me is that this is an album which has conviction and polish. The Dark Side Of The Moon examined some Big Ideas, but its general impact was to some degree ameliorated by its format, in that many of the songs were almost vignettes. Wish You Were Here is less cryptic or abstract in its approach; the social critique is more channelled and the tone is harsher, more bitter and angry.  The group deserved credit for showing the courage and assertiveness to persist with this project, and their determination and belief is crystal clear in the quality and the cohesiveness of the finished work.

I would even go so far as to say that Wish You Were Here is the point at which Pink Floyd came into their own, and found their real voice. This "voice" only really remained vibrant and consistently intense for another two studio albums after this, but what a legacy was left behind. 

Wish You Were Here remains compelling and important.

The Wall - Pink Floyd

It recently occurred to me that I had hitherto resisted the impulse to listen to Pink Floyd's album "The Wall", in its chronological entirety. Perhaps the prospect even scared me slightly. When, however this gap in my experience was rectified, I was confronted with a few thoughts and revelations.

"The Wall" is a concept album, or rock opera, which follows the protagonist "Pink" in his journey from childhood, to isolation and alienation from society, and out again, the character being based partly on Syd Barrett, partly on Roger Waters himself. My recent and "morbid" interest in this work may stem in part from my own personal experiences in recent years, and my attempts to rationalize these life changes.

One of the things which struck me right away was how comparatively little out-and-out  "prog-rock" features on the record. By necessity the "rock opera" format demands shorter songs and some vignettes to tie the whole thing together, and the relative conciseness of the pieces evokes a mainstream rock feel.  If anything, the strongest direct, or indirect, musical influence which I can detect here is from British art/glam rock from earlier in the Seventies, primarily David Bowie and even Be Bop Deluxe and Queen. Some of Roger Waters' vocals even sound rather Bowie-esque. Songs like "In The Flesh" and "The Thin Ice" carry these traits.

Having listened regularly to the famous tunes ("Another Brick In The Wall Pt.2, Comfortably Numb, Hey You, etc), interest centres more on the pieces which flesh out the album and the story.  There are some recurring motifs, like in any opera of any kind, but the self-contained material is strong, confident and diverse - songs such as "Mother" and "Goodbye Blue Sky".  Also, the better-known compositions acquire a greater pertinence in the overall context of "The Wall"; "Hey You" is a good example of this; its meaning grows more acute, and more chilling.

When closely analysed, the music and the lyrics are not quite so overblown or pretentious as I have sometimes liked to tell myself. Some people might contend that the closing stages, the denouement as it were, is a little over-the-top or extreme, and whilst I would not disagree, it is difficult to deny its impact. The sound affects and speech excerpts which punctuate the record are scarcely original, but they do succeed in augmenting the intended atmosphere.

It is intriguing to note that Floyd, a target for the vitriol and derision of the punk revolution, were in this project exploring, albeit on a more grandiose scale,  subjects which punk also sought to address, such as alienation and the deleterious effects of aspects of human society and human nature.  "The Wall" is to me another vital document of British popular culture of the second half of the 1970s, a period when economic stagnation and psychological and spiritual disenchantment went hand in hand.

I am sure that a lot of people find that aspects of "The Wall" at least strike a chord with regard to their own lives, and supply ample food for thought. I myself can identify with the alienation/isolation angle at least. The "bricks" analogy is rather well done, so the concept itself is quite coherent. The "Pink" character is himself a rock star, but it does not take much for the listener to perceive metaphors in the unreality and artificiality of rock stardom which are more universally applicable.

Few will arrive there by the same route, but I think that most of us who have endured such isolation and angst yearn to have some kind of "epiphany", which takes us back to where we were before. If life can indeed be cyclical, the peaks and troughs are awfully long and deep.

"The Wall", for all its bleakness and occasionally excessive earnestness, is an absorbing musical and social statement.

Pink Floyd

Recently I was listening to some of the music of Pink Floyd, and I came to reflect on how my perception of the group has developed over the years.

When I was growing up, I had not even heard of Pink Floyd, because they were not a "singles band". It was only when "Another Brick In The Wall" ascended the British charts that I really became aware of their existence. I thought that they must be some mysterious newcomers, although looking back their music scarcely conveyed that impression.

In my early adolescence I purchased "The Dark Side Of The Moon" on vinyl. Until then, the more cerebral echelons of rock music had been largely alien to me.  Perhaps because some of the lyrical content was beyond my youthful comprehension, the record proved a disappointment, as I focused primarily on the musical content, and the relative absence of instrumental virtuosity puzzled me. To me, the album failed to match up to the mythology which had grown to surround it in my mind.

Further down the road, with a more widely developed sense of discernment, I was able to appreciate "Dark Side" and their other celebrated works, including the material from the Syd Barrett era. I could never really get into the albums which followed "The Wall". The music to me had become overly ponderous, and some of the lyrics excessively earnest. Some edge was also lost with the departure of Roger Waters.

Even in their most creative and cogent phases, Floyd were treading a fine line, between leaving much to the imagination of the listener, and straying into too grandiose and preachy an approach. An air of mystery worked best, and this was sometimes lost when the message grew too literal. Half of the fun and the challenge is working out "what are they really getting at here?".  Such an effect is more readily accomplished when sufficient remains unsaid.

I consider that Floyd were at their most vital and compelling when their songs induced feelings both of uneasiness and curiosity, in their capacity to lay bare the raw essence of the human condition - "Wish You Were Here", "Us And Them", "The Great Gig In The Sky".

"The Dark Side Of The Moon" succeeded because it examined the whole gamut of the human experience (death, time, money, insanity, war etc). It was not a stunningly original idea, but it was more grounded and concentrated than the average concept album of the time, and they pulled it off with a collection of concise, poetic and affecting statements. It was profound, but coherently realized and accessible, distilling the often strident statements of Seventies rock down into something which sounded convincing, sincere and digestible.

A thing which I have found over the years is that Pink Floyd's music, or at least some portions of it, have an appeal to those people who would otherwise have little truck with progressive rock or "album" rock. Perhaps the topics of alienation and despair, and the anti-authoritarian outlook, have led such individuals to embrace their work, and deem it credible and "cool".  "The Wall" in particular appears to have drawn in quite a broad constituency.

Although their 1970s releases tend to garner the most attention and airplay, some of their most intriguing and influential work can be found on those albums which came in between the Barrett epoch and the "classic" years.  Records such as "Meddle" and "Ummagumma" are well worth checking out. I know that some people still think that "Bike" is their masterpiece. I find it increasingly difficult to disagree; it is a perfect slice of English psychedelia!

It is also worth noting that Pink Floyd's influence, in a way, has burned rather strongly over the past decade or two, through various groups consisting of serious young men with big statements to make.

Electric Light Orchestra

I have what is fashionably described as an "eclectic" taste in music, and therefore regularly find myself defending some artists or genres against the derision of other people.

An example of this trend would be the Electric Light Orchestra. It seems that rather than heap contempt on ELO, many critics see them as figures of fun or ridicule, as if they are just too inoffensive to warrant genuine scorn.

My initiation into ELO's work was via my brother,who was a keen fan of theirs when he was a youngster. Natural suspicion of one's sibling's tastes instilled some resistance in me, and I largely ignored their music for many years.

It is only in the past two years or so that I have re-discovered ELO's catalogue, due to the wonders of the internet. I now find myself enthusing over their earlier work, particularly that recorded in the period 1973-76.

I find that the albums On The Third Day,Eldorado,Face The Music and A New World Record successfully incorporate the best elements of the band, namely Jeff Lynne's infectious Beatlesque melodies and also the more experimental or progressive direction which was hinted at on their first two records.

When first introduced to ELO's music, I gravitated towards their work from the period 1977 through to the early 80s, probably because it was more readily accessible and available. However, on reflection I find those later albums to be somewhat lacklustre and over-produced. Also, the orchestral backing became excessively syrupy. The earlier LPs may have lacked polish in parts, but they had a grit and spontaneity largely absent from Out Of The Blue and Discovery.

ELO's output in the 1980s did not fully return them to the heights of the middle of the previous decade, but there were signs that Jeff Lynne was returning to his roots in rock n roll and pre-Beatles pop. The single All Over The World, from the 1980 Xanadu soundtrack, was an absolute gem, and showed that Lynne still retained his songwriting sensibilities.

My view possibly differs from other fans, but I feel that the band peaked artistically around the time of Eldorado and Face The Music. The albums either side of this showed them first discarding some blemishes and excesses, and then afterwards pointing the way towards a blander and less inspired phase.

Perhaps one of ELO's problems with the arbiters of taste was that they were not "prog" enough to be ranked alongside the likes of Pink Floyd, Genesis and Yes, and not sufficiently "rock and roll" for those who prefer their music more rootsy.

However, for those who relish intelligent and melodic rock music, ELO's mid-70s efforts, and also some of their other work, are definitely worthy of some attention.