A Bunch Of Furry Animals Changed My Life: Pink Floyd's Animals at 49

Record companies, fans, and surely the artists that release the music usually wait for a ten-year mark to celebrate an album’s anniversary (or try and bilk us with another boxset). But I just learned that Pink Floyd released their 1977 Animals album, 49 years ago today (as I write this on January 21st). And not that I needed reminding, but I love that album!

Neophyte music fan that I was back in 1977, Animals pretty much hit me dead center in my cranium when it was released. I loved the Orwellian take of the lyrics, the continued mystique the Floyd built around themselves, the attack of David Gilmour’s guitar…and the pig on the album cover! Having enjoyed their previous album, Wish You Were Here with repeated listens, this new Floyd was darker and more aggressive, in a way perfect for my sixteen-year-old sensibilities.

1977 stands as my favorite year for rock album releases. Although punk was making its mark, it didn’t much stain the landscape of the music I adored. Along with Animals, this was the year that saw the release of Slowhand by Eric Clapton, The Grand Illusion by Styx, and Point of Know Return by Kansas. Supertramp unleashed Even in the Quietest Moments. Jackson Browne his Running on Empty before Forrest ran across our screens, and there was the return of my beloved personal father, son, and holy ghost, Emerson, Lake & Palmer with their Works Volume 1. One of my favorite Yes albums, Going For The One, came out this year, as did Songs from the Wood, by the merry minstrels of Jethro Tull, as did my all-time favorite Rush album (and the one that introduced me to that band) A Farewell to Kings.

There was also the debut from Foreigner and Meat Loaf.

And believe me, I am leaving out a lot!

When I recall listening to “Dogs,” playing in the backyard of a friend I can’t now remember, the song blasting out a portable radio as our resident NYC rock station WNEW gave it yet another airing that summer, I can smell the just mowed grass beneath my feet as much feel the sensation of marveling at this music that sounded so unbelievably cool. I even remember my buddies and I joking over the fact that since Pink Floyd had again not revealed any pictures of themselves on Animals, something the foursome seemed to adopt as a strict policy (the last time any of us saw a picture of the Floydians was on a poster accompanying their 1973 Darkside Of The Moon album package, and even then the pictures were dark and mostly side face shots) maybe they were indeed extraterrestrials.

I mean, the music they made was that other-worldy.

I have no pet, don’t want one, nor will I ever have one. But these particular British furry creatures changed my life.

Happy 49th Animals.