Pink Floyd Animals Remix photo by Rupert Truman and Aubrey Powell
By Mike O’Cull
Prog rock innovators Pink Floyd go all-in on the release of the new Animals 2018 Remix set that features the group’s 1977 classic in 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time.
The newly reimagined Animals package comes out on September 16th, 2022 with a deluxe version available on October 7th, 2022, both on Sony Music. It will be released on CD, LP (with gatefold artwork), Blu-ray, SACD, and Deluxe Gatefold formats. The Deluxe Gatefold version includes LP, CD, audio Blu-ray, audio DVD, and a 32-page book. The Blu-ray and DVD audio include the 2018 remix in Stereo, 5.1 Surround (both done by James Guthrie) and the original 1977 stereo mix.
The 32-page booklet features rarely-seen behind-the-scenes photographs of the album sleeve shoot along with live images and Floyd memorabilia. The album artwork has also been reimagined for the project. The entire thing is done quite well and will become an instant “must-have” item for serious fans.
Animals was originally released in January of 1977 and was the tenth studio effort of the mighty Floyd’s career. It was produced by the group themselves and tracked at their Britannia Row Studios in London. It was a smashing success, peaking at number two in the UK and number three in the USA and is thought to be one of Pink Floyd’s all-time best records.
Band members David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright had long since hit their artistic stride together and, by 1977, all one needed to do to get greatness out of them was to stand back and let it happen.
Photo: David Gilmour by Aubrey Powell
Of course, Animals is a concept album at heart that examines the socio-political conditions of mid-1970s Britain and takes inspiration from author George Orwell’s famous book Animal Farm. It deals with the visible social and moral decay of society and compares humans to animals. Pink Floyd depicts the different social classes of people as animals with pigs being at the top of the system, sheep as the mindless herd following whatever they are told to do, and dogs as the business bosses fattening themselves on the money and power they hold over the others.
It’s a chilling vision and one that remains relevant today, as our current global condition isn’t that much different than it was in 1977.
Musically, Animals will always be considered one of Floyd’s finest moments. The 5.1 Surround Sound mix is thrilling and will amaze listeners with the hardware to get the most out of it. Even though we’ve all heard this so many times, the new mix brings a fresh perspective to the album, one that deserves to be experienced.
One other cool aspect of the Animals 2018 Remix package is the rethought treatment of the record’s famous cover art that was designed by long-time Floyd collaborator Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis Studios. The original image shows an inflatable pig, now known as Algie, floating between two chimneys of the Battersea Power Station. This time out, the artwork was redone by Storm’s Hipgnosis partner Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell, who took new shots of the building as it appeared during recent conversion work and experimented until the cover spoke to the modern world without losing its original message.
It’s also a bit of extra dessert to hear music that is unapologetically long-form and album-oriented in nature. These songs were meant to be listened to, not treated as background noise the way so much music is looked at today. Tracks like the 17-minute “Dogs” and the ten-minute “Sheep” require attention and mental processing to comprehend and appreciate. The genius of Waters and Gilmour is the exact opposite of today’s internet mentality and taking the time to slow down, get small, and bask in the intelligent sound of these cuts that represent a better, vanished time is a gift all by itself.
Pre-order link for Pink Floyd Animals 2018 Remix Here
Pink Floyd Animals 2018 Remix YouTube Page Here
I love Pink Floyd and Animals is a great album. However , it seems this is were Roger Waters was also started complaining about the rest of Pink Floyd’s members. It is there in the lyrics especially in the songs Dogs and Pigs. And Roger to this day still hasn’t stopped complaining even today. Was Waters an important part of Pink Floyd? Yes! But he wasn’t all of Pink Floyd. Although Waters wrote all of the band’s lyrics the music for alot of Pink Floyd’s best songs were written by Gilmour and Wright. They were Pink Floyd’s sound. Even in Animals what would it sound like without Gilmour’s amazing guitar work and Wrights sublime keyboards? I wish Waters left his huge ego at the door. He left Pink Floyd decades ago. Waters should get over himself and enjoy his money and fame.
Roger Waters will never get over himself. He never could and he never will.
Have listened to this album at least 100 times since the 80s and am fine with that version. This new version have everything brought way up front and takes away from the atmospheric vibe of the original. I don’t think the music made in the 70s can translate well with new enhanced technology of today’s world. I wish they would’ve left it alone but nowadays it appears everything has to be experimented with to resurrect sales. Let it Be Naked by the Beatles was a real pos but that was done for entirely different reasons.
You are mistaken. Steven Wilson has done amazing things with the Jethro Tull catalog, especially Aqualung, which was so murky that the remix is like hearing it for the first time. And the mixes still remain true to the original records. Even the 5.1 surround mixes, which are stellar.
Animals in 5.1 is indeed a revelation. I still like the original stereo mix for its murky atmosphere, but I love the remix.
Interesting comments. If I was to measure The “Animals” remaster on its own. it’s an adequate mix. Nothing new, a little clearer for the old ears, maybe. Everything instrument seems to have been pushed front and center and made a bit louder. But, it’s nothing like George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” revision. Also, Pink doesn’t really share anything about the creative process, we don’t get any more information on of the making of the album, no Demos from Mr. Waters. No added tracks for us poor Floydians. No live rendition of “You’ve Got To Be Crazy/ Dogs. A bit of a Letdown. I’m looking forward to the Beatles “Revolver” redux. Happy listening
When I first listened to the remix, I disliked it immensely. But I decided that after 40 years of listening to the original it would take some time for my ears to get over the shock of the new mix and the way it sounds. Right off the bat with Pigs On The Wing you can hear the stripped down mix. Gone is the heavy reverb on Roger’s voice that made it sound like he was in a cave. And enter the raw vocal that conveys the emotion of the lyric more clearly. Same with the acoustic guitar. It’s a stripped-down simple mix that makes everything seem more natural and perhaps real. And if you have good gear it will sound like the band is in the room with you.
After multiple listens (dozens) and A-B comparisons of both whole tracks and parts at home, with headphones and on my car system, I now prefer the new remix. It’s like discovering the album all over again.