Every One Of Us
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Album Summary
"Every One of Us" came to life in 1968, released on MGM Records at a time when Eric Burdon and The Animals were deep in the fire of transformation — shedding the British Invasion skin they'd worn so well and reaching for something bigger, something that matched the turbulent world outside the studio doors. This was a band in motion, pushing past their rhythm and blues roots into the swirling, expansive territory of psychedelic rock and socially charged soul. The production reflected the late-1960s studio ethos of experimentation and ambition, with Burdon's unmistakable voice anchoring the whole beautiful, restless thing as the group stretched sonically in ways their early Geordie days never could have predicted.
Reception
- The album landed on the Billboard 200, achieving moderate chart placement — respectable for an established act navigating the rapidly shifting commercial landscape of 1968.
- Critical response was a mixed bag, with reviewers recognizing the artistic reach of the project while feeling that the execution didn't always match the ambition across every track.
- The album reflected a commercial step back from the band's mid-1960s peak, a reality shared by many British Invasion acts as American rock tastes evolved dramatically in this era.
Significance
- Spanning tracks like 'St. James Infirmary' and 'New York 1963 - America 1968,' the album stands as a fearless document of a band wrestling with blues tradition and contemporary social upheaval simultaneously — and refusing to choose between the two.
- Burdon's vocal performances across this record demonstrated a soulful range that moved from tender introspection to raw, scorched-earth intensity, cementing his reputation as one of the most versatile voices to emerge from the British rock scene.
- 'Every One of Us' captures a pivotal cultural moment when rock music was becoming a vehicle for political and social conscience, and Burdon and The Animals were among the artists brave enough to carry that weight without flinching.
Tracklist
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A1 White Houses 81
4:43
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A2 Uppers And Downers 168
0:24
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A3 Serenade To A Sweet Lady 153
6:17
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A4 The Immigrant Lad 108
6:15
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A5 Year Of The Guru 106
5:25
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B1 St. James Infirmary 94
4:15
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B2 New York 1963 - America 1968 106
19:00
Artist Details
Eric Burdon & The Animals were a bold reinvention of the original British Invasion Animals, led by the raw and soulful voice of Newcastle-born Eric Burdon, who reshaped the group in 1966 with a new lineup and a sound that leaned deep into psychedelic rock, blues, and the swirling spirit of the San Francisco counterculture movement. They gave the world timeless grooves like San Franciscan Nights and Monterey, painting musical portraits of the late-60s zeitgeist that felt like dispatches from the front lines of a generation in beautiful, turbulent flux. Their work stands as a crucial bridge between the British blues boom and the psychedelic era, cementing Eric Burdon as one of rock and soul's most passionate and underappreciated voices.
