The Animals Album Guide recommends the best recordings of the great English blues rock band, The Animals.
The Animals, currently billed as Eric Burdon & the Animals (featuring original frontman Eric Burdon) and also as Animals & Friends (featuring original drummer John Steel), are an English rock band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1962.
The Animals' original lineup consisted of frontman Eric Burdon, guitarist Hilton Valentine, bass guitarist Chas Chandler, keyboardist Alan Price, and drummer John Steel. Known for their gritty, bluesy sound, they balanced tough, rock-edged pop singles against rhythm-and-blues-oriented album material, and were part of the British Invasion of the US.
00:00The Animals, led by singer Eric Burden, were part of the British invasion of UK-based pop music groups that invaded America and took over the airwaves during the 1960s.
00:16The Animals were among the finest of the blues-based rock bands to emerge from Britain during that decade.
00:24Eric Burden, organist Alan Price, and drummer John Steele started out in a Newcastle band called the Kansas City Five.
00:34In 1962, with the additions of guitarist Hilton Valentine and bassist Chaz Chandler, the band eventually became known as The Animals.
00:46The band landed a regular gig at the Crawdaddy Club in London.
00:50Record producer Mickey Most got them signed to EMI on the strength of their live performances, and the label released their first singles, Baby Let Me Take You Home and House of the Rising Sun, in 1964.
01:06The latter song would become a huge hit and transform the band into one of the leading acts of the British invasion.
01:13The Animals continued recording a slew of hits throughout the 60s, including the following songs.
01:20Don't let me be misunderstood, we got to get out of this place, when I was young, Monterey, and Sky Pilot.
01:30After recording several excellent albums, starting with their fine debut release, The Animals, from 1964, the band broke up in 1969.
01:41Among their best albums are these classic releases, The Animals on Tour, from 1965, Animalization, from 1966, and Animalism, from 1966.
01:56Animalisms, from 1966, is also a fine release.
