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From the Vault...
07/09/2000
#689 |
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info
The Animals
"Ark"
© Castle
Communications
Records
Year of Release: 1983
Rating:
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track listing
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Loose Change
Love Is For All Time
My Favourite Enemy
Prisoner Of The Light
Being There
Hard Times
The Night
Trying To Get You
Just Can't Get Enough
Melt Down
Gotta Get Back To You
Chrystal Nights
No John No
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The Animals
"Ark"
There are many bands who had their heyday, and return a decade (or two)
later, and re-record again. Reunion Album(s) are recorded and the band/artist
disappears, or a band/artist makes a comeback, and continues to record more
albums. In the case of (Eric Burdon and) The Animals, the term Reunion Albums
best fits.
The original Animals reformed with not one, but two Reunion Albums. Their
first was released in 1977 with the album Before We Were Rudely Interrupted.
The Animals disappeared from recording until 1983 when they released another
Reunion Album, Ark. And in my honest opinion, Ark is truly one
of my favorite albums of all-time.
Why? Other than The Beatles, The Animals have always been one of my
all-time favorite bands while growing up. And Eric Burdon's music (either with
The Animals and/or War), their music has always been fascinating to listen to.
Whether it be the 1960s rock and/or psychedelic music of The Animals, or the
funk of War, you can't help but notice that Eric Burdon is truly a classic
performer with both of his bands. And yes, The Animals were nominated into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1994.
Every song on Ark easily gets the repeat button. (Well, there is one
exception, which I'll get to later on...) As the more you listen to this album,
the more it is a classic. Sure, The Animals may not have deserved recognition
in their albums as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and many other classic bands,
yet being part of the British Invasion, their music has always been famous for
"The House Of The Rising Sun," yet their are tons of other songs The
Animals recorded, that many have never recognized. And Ark falls into
that category.
Songs such as "Loose Change," "Love Is For All Time," "My Favourite
Enemy," "Prisoner Of The Light" and "Hard Times" all have the common
sound that only Eric Burdon and the Animals could provide: Combining rock and
blues on many of the songs on the album.
"Being There" and "Melt Down" are definitely rock numbers,
"Trying To Get You" is a remake of a song many artists had recorded in
the past, including Elvis Presley. Yet The Animals version here is rock having
a more blues feel. "Just Can't Get Enough" is a great rock song, with
its instrumentation and heavy-hitting lyrics. "Gotta Get Back To You"
is also like "Just Can't Get Enough" Two great rock songs, with a great
blues grit.
"Chrystal Nights" also has the rock blues feel of The Animals sound.
And the most popular song that received airplay when this album was released,
is a personal favorite of mine: "The Night." Like many songs on this
album being well-liked, "The Night" would be the best tune from this
album, if given a personal choice.
The only song that does not get the repeat button as the other songs on
Ark is the bonus track, found on the CD: "No John No," a song
that was featured as the B-side to "The Night." The chorus, as in some
verses of the song is a little off-keyed, vocal-wise, and after awhile, the
main chorus does gets under your skin.
But if you take the original 12 tracks, Ark by The Animals can be
considered a classic rock album, yet most people may not even know that The
Animals had existed in the 1980s. Plus the fact that Ark is a
hard-to-find release on CD. (Luckily,
AMAZON.COM
has it on CD [Used copies].) Look in the import bins, or check out an issue
of Goldmine magazine, and maybe you'll be lucky to find it there.
Ark by The Animals...should be a must for your collection...if you
can find it.
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Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Castle Communications Reco
and is used for reference purposes only.
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