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Animals is a concept album
Concept album

In popular music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical". Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being musical improvisation or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing to narrative....
 by English
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 progressive rock band Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd are an English Rock music band who initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock and space rock music, and later, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music....
, released on 23 January 1977 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 and on 2 February 1977 in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. The album proved to be a success in the UK, where it reached #2 in the era of punk rock
Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock....
. It was also a success in the U.S., reaching #3 on the Billboard album charts
Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling Albums and extended play in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine....
 (#1 and #2 were Hotel California
Hotel California

Hotel California is an album released by the United States rock music band Eagles in late 1976 . It is the first Eagles album without founding member Bernie Leadon and the first album with Joe Walsh....
 by The Eagles, and the soundtrack to the Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand is an United states singer and film and theatre actress. She has also achieved note as a composer, political activist, film producer and film director....
 film A Star Is Born
A Star Is Born (1976 film)

A Star Is Born is a 1976 rock music film telling the story of a young woman, played by Barbra Streisand who enters show business, and meets and falls in love with an established male star, played by Kris Kristofferson, only to find her career ascending while his goes into decline....
). Although it was on the American charts for only six months, it has continued to sell solidly, and is now ceritified quadruple platinum by the RIAA
RIAA certification

In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and single sold through retail and other ancillary markets....
.
nimals is loosely based on George Orwell
George Orwell

Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an England author. His work is marked by a profound consciousness of social injustice, an intense dislike of totalitarianism, and a passion for clarity in language....
's Animal Farm
Animal Farm

Animal Farm is a novel by George Orwell. Published in England on 17 August 1945 in literature, the book reflects events leading up to and during the History of the Soviet Union before World War II....
.






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Animals is a concept album
Concept album

In popular music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical". Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being musical improvisation or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing to narrative....
 by English
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 progressive rock band Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd are an English Rock music band who initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock and space rock music, and later, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music....
, released on 23 January 1977 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 and on 2 February 1977 in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. The album proved to be a success in the UK, where it reached #2 in the era of punk rock
Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock....
. It was also a success in the U.S., reaching #3 on the Billboard album charts
Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling Albums and extended play in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine....
 (#1 and #2 were Hotel California
Hotel California

Hotel California is an album released by the United States rock music band Eagles in late 1976 . It is the first Eagles album without founding member Bernie Leadon and the first album with Joe Walsh....
 by The Eagles, and the soundtrack to the Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand is an United states singer and film and theatre actress. She has also achieved note as a composer, political activist, film producer and film director....
 film A Star Is Born
A Star Is Born (1976 film)

A Star Is Born is a 1976 rock music film telling the story of a young woman, played by Barbra Streisand who enters show business, and meets and falls in love with an established male star, played by Kris Kristofferson, only to find her career ascending while his goes into decline....
). Although it was on the American charts for only six months, it has continued to sell solidly, and is now ceritified quadruple platinum by the RIAA
RIAA certification

In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and single sold through retail and other ancillary markets....
.

Background

Animals is loosely based on George Orwell
George Orwell

Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an England author. His work is marked by a profound consciousness of social injustice, an intense dislike of totalitarianism, and a passion for clarity in language....
's Animal Farm
Animal Farm

Animal Farm is a novel by George Orwell. Published in England on 17 August 1945 in literature, the book reflects events leading up to and during the History of the Soviet Union before World War II....
. Various castes in society are represented as different types of animals (Dogs as the businessmen, sheep as the powerless pawns, and pigs as the ruthless leaders). Although this album attacks Capitalism
Capitalism

Capitalism is an economic system in which wealth, and the means of producing wealth, are private property and controlled rather than commonly, publicly, or state-owned and controlled....
, in the book various animals (mainly pigs, sheep, dogs, etc.) represent different roles assumed by individuals in a Communist society.

David Gilmour
David Gilmour

David Jon Gilmour Order of the British Empire , is an England musician, best known as the guitarist, lead singer, and one of the main songwriters in the band Pink Floyd....
 and Roger Waters
Roger Waters

George Roger Waters is an England rock music musician. He is best known as the bass guitar player and one of the main songwriters in the English rock band Pink Floyd from 1964 to 1985....
' "Dogs" (which had the working title of "You Gotta Be Crazy") and "Raving and Drooling", a Waters song which would later become "Sheep", were created at the same time as "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", and originally intended for Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here (album)

Wish You Were Here is a concept album by Pink Floyd. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios between January and July 1975 and released on 15 September 1975 , the album would later be regarded as one of Pink Floyd's greatest albums and was ranked 209 on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list....
. Their creation process was similar to the method the band used during the late sixties and early seventies. They would adapt and expand their compositions by performing them live, and later in the studio find a more coherent form and concept for the whole album, with Waters writing the lyrics. Animals was the last Pink Floyd album created in this way, as the subsequent The Wall
The Wall

The Wall is a rock opera presented as a double album by the England progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in late 1979. It was subsequently performed live, with elaborate theatrical effects, and made into Pink Floyd The Wall ....
 and The Final Cut
The Final Cut

The Final Cut may refer to:*The Final Cut ? a 1983 album by Pink Floyd*The Final Cut ? a 1983 "video EP" by Pink Floyd*The Final Cut ? by Omar Naim, starring Robin Williams...
, were primarily conceived by Waters and worked out in the studio with some input from Gilmour. Although Richard Wright
Richard Wright (musician)

Richard William "Rick" Wright was an English piano, keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound....
 did not contribute much compositionally, he had some influence on the arrangement of the songs, including solo playing on "Dogs" and "Sheep". As with "Welcome to the Machine
Welcome to the Machine

"Welcome to the Machine" is the second song on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here . It is 7 minutes and 31 seconds long. It is notable for its use of heavily processed synthesizers and guitars, as well as a wide and varied range of tape effects....
" and "Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here (song)

"Wish You Were Here" is the title track on Pink Floyd's 1975 in music album Wish You Were Here . The song's lyrics encompass writer Roger Waters' feelings of alienation from other people....
" on Wish You Were Here, Waters wrote "Pigs on the Wing
Pigs on the Wing

"Pigs on the Wing" is a two-part song by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd from their 1977 in music concept album, Animals , starting and wrapping up the album....
" and "Pigs (Three Different Ones)
Pigs (Three Different Ones)

"Pigs " is a song from Pink Floyd's 1977 in music album Animals . In the album's three parts, "Dogs ," "Pigs," and "Sheep ," pigs represent the people whom Roger Waters considers to be at the top of the society, the ones with wealth and power ; they also manipulate the rest of society and encourage them to be viciously competitive and cut...
" to tie together the other songs in the album's concept. His dominance in the writing credits and the discrepancy with the actual creation process is directly related to the increasing tensions within the band.

The three core songs are bookended by a pair of love songs written by Waters for his then-wife Caroline: "Pigs on the Wing, Part 1
Pigs on the Wing

"Pigs on the Wing" is a two-part song by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd from their 1977 in music concept album, Animals , starting and wrapping up the album....
" and "Pigs on the Wing, Part 2". Both are in stark contrast to the misanthropic middle three songs, and suggest that companionship can help us overcome our flaws – though the final lines suggest that the singer is or was once one of the dogs. For the 8-track cartridge
8-track cartridge

Stereo 8, commonly known as the eight-track cartridge, eight-track tape, or eight-track, is a magnetic tape sound recording technology, popular from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s....
 release, which looped, Parts 1 and 2 were linked by a guitar bridge performed by Snowy White
Snowy White

Snowy White is an English people guitarist, primarily known for having played with Thin Lizzy and with Pink Floyd and, more recently, for Roger Waters' band....
 (subsequently available on White's 1996 album "Goldtop: Groups & Sessions"), and the 17:08 song "Dogs" was cut into two tracks.

This album is the point at which it is generally claimed that Waters began to assert himself creatively on the rest of the band. And while it is true that 90% of the album's writing credits belong to Waters, the song that Gilmour shared half the credits for was almost half the album. Speaking of Animals in an interview in the September 2008 edition of Mojo, Gilmour said, "Roger's thing is to dominate, but I am happy to stand up for myself and argue vociferously as to the merits of different pieces of music, which is what I did on Animals. I didn't feel remotely squeezed out of that album. Ninety per cent of the song 'Dogs' was mine. That song was almost the whole of one side, so that's half of Animals.".

The giant, helium
Helium

Helium is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert monatomic chemical element that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table and whose atomic number is 2....
-filled pig (referred to as the Pink Floyd Pig) seen on the cover was actually flown over Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station

Battersea Power Station is a now disused Fossil fuel power plant located on the south bank of the River Thames, near Battersea in London. The station comprises two individual power stations, built in two stages in the form of a single building....
 for the photo shoot under the direction of Storm Thorgerson
Storm Thorgerson

Storm Thorgerson is an English graphic designer....
. On the first day of shooting, a marksman was on hand in case the pig broke free. However, according to Thorgerson, this was considered an "insurance problem", and he was not hired for the second day of shooting. On 3 December 1976, during the second day, a gust of wind broke the pig free of its moorings. Because there was no one to shoot the pig down, it sailed away into the morning sky. A police helicopter was sent up to track the pig, but was forced to return after following the pig to an altitude of 5,000 feet. The CAA lost radar contact on the pig near Chatham in Kent, at a height of 18,000 feet and flying East. It finally landed in a farmer's field, without much damage. They then repaired the pig, and flew it up for a third time. The resulting pictures were not deemed suitable on their own (as the clear, blue sky from day three was thought to be much less evocative), and the final image was made as a composite of the power station picture from day one and the pig from day three.

The album had custom picture labels, using drummer Nick Mason's handwriting as a typeface
Typeface

In typography, a typeface is a set of one or more fonts, in one or more sizes, designed with stylistic unity, each comprising a coordinated set of glyphs....
, as did the lyrics on the liner sleeve. Side one's label depicted a fish-eye lens view of a dog and the English countryside. Side two's was similar, but featured a pig and sheep instead of the dog.

Originally released on Columbia Records
Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders....
 in the U.S. and Harvest Records
Harvest Records

Harvest Records was a record label created by EMI in 1969 to promote progressive rock music and to compete with Philips Records Vertigo Records and Decca Records Deram Records labels, initially under the direction of Malcolm Jones and Norman Smith ....
 in the UK, Animals was then remastered in 1992 for its inclusion on the Shine On
Shine On (Pink Floyd)

Shine On is a nine compact disc box set by Pink Floyd which was released in 1992 to coincide with Pink Floyd's 25th anniversary as a recording and touring band....
 box set. The remaster was subsequently released on its own by EMI in 1994. In 1997, Columbia Records issued an updated remaster in the United States, Canada, Australia, South America and Japan. Animals was again re-released in April 2000 by Capitol Records
Capitol Records

Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood, California and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group....
 in the US, and on the EMI label in Japan, Canada, South America and Australia again using the 1992 Shine On
Shine On (Pink Floyd)

Shine On is a nine compact disc box set by Pink Floyd which was released in 1992 to coincide with Pink Floyd's 25th anniversary as a recording and touring band....
 remaster along with the artwork from the 1994 EMI Europe reissue.

Quotations

- David Gilmour, May 1992, Pink Floyd: The 25th Anniversary Special, Westwood One.

– Richard Wright, November 1994, BBC Omnibus Pink Floyd Special 1994.

Track listing

All songs written by Roger Waters
Roger Waters

George Roger Waters is an England rock music musician. He is best known as the bass guitar player and one of the main songwriters in the English rock band Pink Floyd from 1964 to 1985....
 except where noted.
All lead vocals performed by Roger Waters
Roger Waters

George Roger Waters is an England rock music musician. He is best known as the bass guitar player and one of the main songwriters in the English rock band Pink Floyd from 1964 to 1985....
, except "Dogs" with lead vocals by David Gilmour
David Gilmour

David Jon Gilmour Order of the British Empire , is an England musician, best known as the guitarist, lead singer, and one of the main songwriters in the band Pink Floyd....
 and Roger Waters
Roger Waters

George Roger Waters is an England rock music musician. He is best known as the bass guitar player and one of the main songwriters in the English rock band Pink Floyd from 1964 to 1985....
.

Original LP and CD versions


Side one
  1. "Pigs on the Wing 1
    Pigs on the Wing

    "Pigs on the Wing" is a two-part song by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd from their 1977 in music concept album, Animals , starting and wrapping up the album....
    " – 1:24
  2. "Dogs" (Gilmour, Waters) – 17:06


Side two
  1. "Pigs (Three Different Ones)
    Pigs (Three Different Ones)

    "Pigs " is a song from Pink Floyd's 1977 in music album Animals . In the album's three parts, "Dogs ," "Pigs," and "Sheep ," pigs represent the people whom Roger Waters considers to be at the top of the society, the ones with wealth and power ; they also manipulate the rest of society and encourage them to be viciously competitive and cut...
    " – 11:28
  2. "Sheep
    Sheep (song)

    "Sheep" is a song by the England band Pink Floyd. It was released on the album Animals in 1977. It was originally titled "Raving and Drooling"....
    " – 10:21
  3. "Pigs on the Wing 2
    Pigs on the Wing

    "Pigs on the Wing" is a two-part song by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd from their 1977 in music concept album, Animals , starting and wrapping up the album....
    " – 1:27


Cassette version


Side one
  1. "Pigs on the Wing 1
    Pigs on the Wing

    "Pigs on the Wing" is a two-part song by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd from their 1977 in music concept album, Animals , starting and wrapping up the album....
    "
  2. "Dogs"
  3. "Pigs (Three Different Ones)
    Pigs (Three Different Ones)

    "Pigs " is a song from Pink Floyd's 1977 in music album Animals . In the album's three parts, "Dogs ," "Pigs," and "Sheep ," pigs represent the people whom Roger Waters considers to be at the top of the society, the ones with wealth and power ; they also manipulate the rest of society and encourage them to be viciously competitive and cut...
    " (Part One)


Side two
  1. "Pigs (Three Different Ones)
    Pigs (Three Different Ones)

    "Pigs " is a song from Pink Floyd's 1977 in music album Animals . In the album's three parts, "Dogs ," "Pigs," and "Sheep ," pigs represent the people whom Roger Waters considers to be at the top of the society, the ones with wealth and power ; they also manipulate the rest of society and encourage them to be viciously competitive and cut...
    " (Conclusion)
  2. "Sheep
    Sheep (song)

    "Sheep" is a song by the England band Pink Floyd. It was released on the album Animals in 1977. It was originally titled "Raving and Drooling"....
    "
  3. "Pigs on the Wing 2
    Pigs on the Wing

    "Pigs on the Wing" is a two-part song by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd from their 1977 in music concept album, Animals , starting and wrapping up the album....
    "


8-track cartridge


Program one
  1. "Pigs on the Wing (with Snowy White guitar solo)" – 3:26
  2. "Dogs (Part 1)" – 6:47


Program two
  1. "Dogs (Conclusion)" – 10:23


Program three
  1. "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" – 11:20


Program four
  1. "Sheep" – 10:20


Record charts

Year Chart Position
1977 UK album chart 2
1977 Billboard Pop Albums 3
1977 Norway
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
's album chart		 2


Personnel

  • Roger Waters
    Roger Waters

    George Roger Waters is an England rock music musician. He is best known as the bass guitar player and one of the main songwriters in the English rock band Pink Floyd from 1964 to 1985....
     – vocals, bass
    Bass guitar

    The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
    , acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar, sleeve design
  • David Gilmour
    David Gilmour

    David Jon Gilmour Order of the British Empire , is an England musician, best known as the guitarist, lead singer, and one of the main songwriters in the band Pink Floyd....
     – guitar
    Guitar

    The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
    s, bass
    Bass guitar

    The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
    , vocals, talk box
    Talk box

    A talk box is an effects device that allows a musician to modify the sound of a musical instrument. The musician controls the modification by lip syncing, or by changing the shape of his mouth....
    , synthesizer
    Synthesizer

    A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequency....
  • Richard Wright
    Richard Wright (musician)

    Richard William "Rick" Wright was an English piano, keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound....
     – Hammond organ
    Hammond organ

    The Hammond organ is an electronic organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to Church as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s, it became a standard keyboard instrument for jazz, blues, Rock and r...
    , Wurlitzer electric piano
    Wurlitzer electric piano

    The Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electric piano manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States and North Tonawanda, New York, NY....
    , Fender Rhodes piano, Yamaha piano
    Piano

    The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
    , ARP synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Nick Mason
    Nick Mason

    Nicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is the drummer for Pink Floyd. He has been the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1964. He also competes in auto racing events, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans....
     – drums
    Drum kit

    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
    , percussion
    Percussion instrument

    A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration....
    , sleeve graphics


Additional personnel
  • Snowy White
    Snowy White

    Snowy White is an English people guitarist, primarily known for having played with Thin Lizzy and with Pink Floyd and, more recently, for Roger Waters' band....
     – lead guitar on "Pigs on the Wing" (8-track cartridge version only)
  • Brian Humphries – engineer
  • Storm Thorgerson
    Storm Thorgerson

    Storm Thorgerson is an English graphic designer....
     – sleeve design
  • Aubrey Powell – sleeve design
  • James Guthrie
    James Guthrie (record producer)

    James K.A. Guthrie is a United Kingdom recording engineer and record producer best known for his work with the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, having served as a producer and engineer for the band since 1978....
     – remastering producer
  • Doug Sax – remastering


Cover versions

The album was also covered in its entirety and released as the live album Live Frogs Set 2
Live Frogs Set 2

Live Frogs Set 2 is the second set of live recordings by Les Claypool's Frog Brigade , released on July 24, 2001. The album is a complete performance of the Pink Floyd studio album Animals ....
 by Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade
Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade

Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade is one of many musical projects involving Primus bassist Les Claypool. The original band was formed in summer 2000 and consisted of: Les Claypool , Todd Huth , Jay Lane , Jeff Chimenti , Skerik , and Eenor ....
.

External links