Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

While animal lovers may find it hard to choose, I found myself wondering whether I like the early or late 1960s Animals best.

I still have a preference for the early days with "House Of The Rising Son" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" which I consider to be classics and let's throw in "Weve Gotta Get Out Of The Place" while we are at it.

Eric Burdon and The Animals did take it to a new level and "See See Rider" is the gateway to the late Animals era for me.

In terms of chart success, the early days win out, but as has been mentioned on numerous occasions, Good Times aren't always measured best by Billboard.

Peter, I love when we play "We gotta Get...", the bass intro is too cool and the crowd digs it. I prefer the early stuff too but I do like "Sky Pilot" and "San Franciscan Nights".
Does anyone know if Andy Summers, a member of a late version of The Animals, and of course, The Police, played on any hits?

I love it all even the trippy late stuff. Sky Pilot was always one of my favorites. I didn't know that Andy Summers played with them, when was that Ronn?

Ronn: Andy Summers joined Eric Burdon and The New Animals in 1968 following John Weider's departure. As such he would have played on their last album "Love Is." I believe that a single entitled "River Deep, Mountain High" was taken from this album, but I don't believe it charted anywhere.

The Animals were my favorites as a teen. I always went to the record store to get the latest single the day it was released.

I kinda view their career in three stages (four if you include the Rudely Interrupted album and other reunion albums). The middle period with Rowberry had an entirely different sound than the earlier songs with Price. I'm thinking We Gotta get Outta this Place, It's My Life, Don't Bring me Down & Inside Looking Out, where the keyboards played a more supportive role. Price was more out front IMO, the lead or co-lead instrument in most songs (Rising Sun, Misunderstood, Boom Boom, I'm Crying, Bring it on Home). And of course EB & the Animals were more SF/Haight/psychedelic feel (don't forget When I was Young).

In the Rowberry period, things became more democratic - even Chandler's bass even took over some of the leads!!! The beginning of Don't Bring Me Down is a great example of all of the musicians working together. The bass notes that start the song answered with a crashing drum beat, building up to Hilton's fuzzed-up chords with the organ dancing gracefully between them.

It's difficult for me to choose between the Price & Rowberry eras, but I would put the later psychedelic songs on a slightly lower level. I've always loved San Franciscan Nights, but it's not Rising Sun or Outta this Place or It's My Life. But that's just my opinion.

Fine points Jerry. You observation of "Don't Bring Me Down" is so true, and I really didn't get the same sense with Eric Burdon. I think that the agents associated with the psychelic era caught up with some of the band which ultimately led to its demise.

Not to detract from the Animals here, but a number of groups came tumbling down with the ushering in of psychedlia. The Animals is but one example. So was it the drugs, the changing music or Eric Burdon that stymied the group.

EC and the Mals are underrated. Did they change with the times, were they trendsetters, or were they jump-on-the-bandwagoners?

I loved most of their major hits.

(Interesting trivia: Back in 1991, I dated one of Eric's high school girlfriends, who now lives in So Cal, not knowing who she was until she told me. She was pretty close-mouthed on the topic of life in Newcastle as a teenager, but one evening when we got onto the topic of breakups, she told me she broke up with him when they were studying for their "A" levels.

She told him she "hated his complexion, haircut, and that he would never amount to anything because of his laziness and the chip on his shoulder.")

People can be sooo wrong.

Alas recent talk about cover versions: EB&New Animals did some great ones: River Deep, Paint It Black, To Love Somebody...

What blows me away is that "House of the Rising Sun", a song about working in a brothel, with Eric Burdon blowing out his vocal chords, was the pop music of 1964, and that teen and pre-teen girls were screaming at that. Sad that today it's mild, overproduced, vapid, singer dancer entertainers that the kids think are cool. Their mom's (and grandma's?) were so much more hip.

Soooooo true, Jerry! (IMO)

I have heard that Eric overindulged in certain psychadelics which left him for a time close to non-functional. I've heard that many times from different people. I never had "Love is" I'll have to get it. Their newer stuff (67-68) takes some getting used to but there were a lot of gems on the later albums.

Bought a DVd recently called British invasion which I understandwas show done somewhere in states, Foxwood Casino I think about probably 7/8 years ago had Freddie & the Dreamers?, Wayne Fonatna, Mike Pender's Searchers, Peter Noone, Billy J and to get to the point Eric Burdon. In my view he was the poorest perfomer on it, he appeared in my view to have lost it.

Foxwoods is about one hour or less from me and I remember that show (couldn't go for some reason). That's the place I saw Gene Pitney in Connecticut.

The Animals epitomized the British Invasion! Early Animals were so cool!

I am an early Animals fan. There was something magical about '64-'65 British Invasion music. I think you had to be there at that time to fully appreciate the impact the music coming out of England had on us at that time.