Animalism
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Album Summary
Animalism came roaring out of 1966 on MGM Records, the fifth studio album from those bad boys out of Newcastle — The Animals. Produced by Tom Wilson, a cat who knew exactly how to capture raw, untamed energy on tape, this record was laid down at a time when the British Invasion was still shaking the foundations of popular music. Now, some folks expected The Animals to keep riding that same blues-rock wave that made them famous, but Wilson and the band had other ideas. What emerged was a deeper, grittier, more exploratory collection — a record that leaned hard into the electric blues tradition while quietly nodding toward the psychedelic winds that were already starting to blow through the music of 1966. This was a band in motion, restless and hungry, pouring everything they had into the grooves.
Reception
- The album reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart, proving The Animals still had serious pull with their home crowd even as the musical landscape shifted around them.
- It posted a moderate showing on the US Billboard 200, charting respectably but not recapturing the commercial heights of the band's earlier stateside breakthrough moments.
- Critical reception was a mixed bag at the time — some ears appreciated the raw, blues-drenched ambition on display, while others felt the record lacked the immediate punch of the band's earlier work.
Significance
- Animalism stands as a powerful testament to The Animals' deep reverence for the electric blues tradition, with the tracklist reading like a love letter to the genre — covering ground from Howlin' Wolf to Ray Charles and beyond.
- The album captured a band at a genuine crossroads, bridging their blues-rock roots with the restless experimental spirit of 1966, making it a fascinating document of a pivotal moment in British rock history.
- As one of the final recordings to feature the classic Animals lineup before the group's eventual dissolution, Animalism carries the weight of a closing chapter — raw, searching, and impossible to ignore.
Tracklist
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A1 All Night Long 144
2:46
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A2 Shake 166
3:11
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A3 The Other Side Of This Life —
3:43
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A4 Rock Me Baby —
2:02
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A5 Lucille 172
2:19
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A6 Smoke Stack Lightning —
5:19
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B1 Hey Gyp 97
3:46
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B2 Hit The Road, Jack —
3:16
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B3 Outcast 122
2:35
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B4 Louisiana Blues —
2:37
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B5 That's All I Am To You 79
2:08
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B6 Going Down Slow —
6:12
Artist Details
The Animals were a British rock band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in 1964, fronted by the powerful blues vocalist Eric Burdon alongside keyboardist Alan Price, guitarist Hilton Valentine, bassist Chas Chandler, and drummer John Steel. Their sound was rooted in rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and folk influences, setting them apart from many of their British Invasion contemporaries with a rawer, darker edge. Their breakthrough hit, a dramatic reworking of the traditional folk song House of the Rising Sun, reached number one on both sides of the Atlantic in 1964 and became one of the most iconic recordings of the era, notable for its haunting arrangement and Burdon's emotionally intense delivery. The Animals were central figures in the British Invasion, helping to introduce American blues and R&B back to international audiences in a new form, and their work influenced countless rock and blues-rock artists in subsequent decades. Though the classic lineup disbanded in 1966, the band reunited in various forms over the years, and their legacy endures as a defining example of British blues-influenced rock at its most visceral and expressive.
