Customer Reviews

Best Of The

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was the very first CD I ever bought, back during my adolesence in the early Nineties, and it is still a treasured part of my CD collection. Having discovered the British Invasion about the same time most of my peers and their older siblings were discovering grunge, I fell in love with the Beatles, the Who, the Kinks, the Yardbirds, and the Animals. What I remember most about purchasing this album was the fact that I didn't even have a CD player yet, so for about two months all I could do was look at the CD case, read the booklet over and over again, and wonder just how good some of the less-well-known songs were. I finally got to listen to it Christmas day 1993, and it was well worth the wait!

The Animals represent the ultimate blues band of the early British rock scene to come across the Atlantic, and their material still sounds as good today as it must have back in 1964. While similar groups like the Yardbirds embraced pop, the Animals (at least in their incarnation preserved here) seemed to remain grounded in the blues. The great songs they recorded are an essential addition to anyone's British Invasion CD library. Eric Burdon is in top form on the hits, but his vocals are equally impressive on tracks like "Bring It Back Home to Me" and "Round and Round". The Animals had soul, and for a bunch of white boys from Northern England they could truely stake a claim in the pantheon of great blues acts.

Rock and roll was born of the blues and country music, and no self-respecting rock fan should be ignorant of the many styles and artists important to the earliest development of the rock sound itself. Do yourself a treat and pick up this album, it's a great history lesson and a fantastic musical journey.

I Love The Animals for two reasons: The lead singer bears my first name (Burdon) and the driving keybording of Alan Price (who has to be in the pathion of Rock's greatest keyboard players). I am writing this review because I think I have the answer regarding 'Music Fan From California''s concern over why they don't have the original version of "We Got To Get Out Of This Place" (I hope that he reads this) on CD: If you want to hear the original version, you have to look up an import CD called "The Animals, Vol. 2" which is a collection of their songs from 1965 that includes the album version AND the original single version (EUREKA!) of "Place". I think that about solves the problem

Most of the Animals fabulous hits in the 1960's can be divided into two types: the r and b, soul, and blues shouting anthems they recorded from 1964 thru early 1966, and the mind-bending, thoughtful, psychedelia they recorded from 1966 through the Love Is album in 1968. This compilation represents highlights from the early, more blues-influenced years. What set the Animals apart from their British invasion counterparts was a keen understanding and love for the blues, from the pounding boogie beat of the John Lee Hooker classics "Boom, Boom" and "Dimples," to Alan Price's carnival keyboard hooks of "Gonna Send You Back to Walker." (The latter track, listed here as an original, is in fact a band rewrite of the Hound Dog Taylor blues standard "Gonna Send You Back to Georgia.") Sadly, this CD version of Best of the Animals does not include another "original rewrite" that was on the LP version of this album, the outstanding "I'm Mad," a rewrite of Hooker's "I'm Bad Like Jesse James," (and Willie Mabon's "I'm Mad"; this song, like many blues classics, has had several incarnations.) Guitarist Hilton Valentine offers an excellent opening riff of the New Orleans folk standard "House of the Rising Sun," a cut which also features singer Eric Burdon at his most dramatic. Eric's other highlights include "I'm Crying" (great organ by Alan Price), the Ray Charles-version of "Talkin' About You" (geat Isley-brothers style shouting!), and "We've Gotta Get Out This Place" (a slow buildup to a great, wailing climax). Outstanding! "Story of Bo Diddley" features many hilarious moments, with Eric's great impressions of Bobby Vee and the Beatles and Stones (even though his time line of rock history is a bit off). Finally, the versions of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "It's My Life" are much more soulful and honest than their 70's disco remakes. In short, this album should be one of the first on your list of British Invasion CDs to buy, along with 1962-1966 from the Beatles and The Singles Collection from the Stones. Bring it on home today!

This is a CD of an album I bought new at the old National Record Mart in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during my school years. It may be nostalgia, but the songs on this album seem timeless to me. Eric Burdon is an artist of uncommon abilities and the men who backed him up as part of The Animals comprised a skilled and inspired ensemble. I have been listening to this album in some form for more than thirty years and never tired of it! I recommend it to anyone who loves good music.

Never did get to see The Animals in concert as they had a disagreement over money and never showed up on stage. This being Ottawa in March 1967. The fans rioted and never did get my money back.
Still can't get enough of this album and The Best Of Eric Burdon and the Animals 1966-1968

This is another one of my favorite cd's!!! It covers the early years of their career.If you are a fan of The Animals you
will also need to purchase:"THE BEST OF ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS
1966-1968" it covers their later years.You can't go wrong with
these two cd's because everything is so right...

Boy, Eric, Alan and the boys could really churn out great stuff. Just great garage, bash-em up blues. Price's organ is inimitable, while Burden's voice is one of the miracles of rock n' roll. To me, one of the greatest moments in rock is Eric's roar on "We Gotta Get Out of this Place." Listen to this CD if it's the last thing you ever do.

The Animals were part of the 60's British Invasion along with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, etc., but what set The Animals apart from some of the other groups was singer Eric Burdon who had a very soulful voice and the band itself were heavily influenced by R&B. Examples of the R&B influence can be heard in the songs "Bring It On Home To Me", "The Story Of Bo Diddley", and "Talkin' Bout You". The Animals had a string of hits throughout the sixties including "House Of The Rising Sun", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place", and "It's My Life". The Animals also had a number of hits which aren't on this compilation such as "Don't Bring Me Down", "Monterray", and "When I was Young". The Animals, unfortunately didn't really get the credit they deserved and for the most part weren't as popular as some of the other groups which emerged from the 60's British Invasion. To this day Eric Burdon still continues to perform and amaze us with his incredible voice. If you enjoy listening to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, or The Yardbirds then you'll certainly enjoy The Animals. Highly Recommended!

Eric Burdon and the animals made some wonderful music. This is a brief synopsis with the most popular tunes to satiate the radio listener...

The Animals and the Rolling Stones were the early bad boys of the British Invasion. Both were gritty and hard-edged, as they took their cues from Chicago Blues and similar roots-electric American styles. Note that the original LP with this title (and sleeve) contained only tracks 1-2, 6-7, 9-10, 12, 14 and 15 (and possibly #13). Missing from this line-up is the "I'm in Love Again" sound-alike "Roberta", and the long and very amazing Bo Diddley tune "I'm Mad", a song which is as intense in their rendition of it as "The House of the Rising Sun". Neither of these omissions was one of their singles, nor was "I'm In Love Again".

Apparently they wanted to keep pace with the Stones' release of their first greatest hits package 'High Tide and Green Grass', which also contained a couple/three of their non-singles or b-sides. But I don't actually know who got their package out first. That said - anyone who likes the early Rolling Stones singles as much as I do will quite likely groove on this early Animals package as well. The two work very well in tandem, even though I truly lament the exclusion here of "I'm Mad", as it, probably even more than "House of the Rising Sun", was the centerpiece, the tour de force of the original collection.

Of the hits, I prefer best those that have the quintessential rock organ feel, including "House of the Rising Sun", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "It's My Life", and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place". But I would never skip over any of those more rootsy tracks I am already familiar with - they all have their special ways of grabbing you and not letting go.

It's too bad that these new compilers didn't add the [original] Animals' later hits ("Don't Bring Me Down", "Insight Looking Out" and "See See Rider"), as that would have made this a complete package of their main singles. I never heard five of the tunes on this CD [#'s 3-5, 8, & 11] getting any airplay back in the sixties - those could have been left out of the compilation without causing any noticeable ripples.

There 's a good reason, though, for not including songs from the later incarnation of [Eric Burdon & the Animals]. It was a totally different band. Eric moved to San Francisco, and there recruited all new musicians; their 'new' sound was (slightly) hard-edged psychedelic, with very little hints of the bluesy roots which had dominated the sound of the earlier [Animals].