Between 1964 and 1966, the original incarnation of
the Animals, led by singer
Eric Burdon, organist
Alan Price, and guitarist
Hilton Valentine, charted an impressive string of singles that have made them one of the most enduring of the British Invasion bands. At their best,
the Animals made contemporaries like
the Rolling Stones sound like boys, thanks to
Burdon's emotional and edgy vocals, which always carried a dose of attitude and weary defiance, and backing from a solid R&B and blues combo. Singles like the group's definitive arrangement of "House of the Rising Sun" (via
Josh White), the brilliant "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (via
Nina Simone), the equally brilliant "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," "Don't Bring Me Down," and "It's My Life" were frustrated and passionate pleas for freedom and clarity. All of these are collected in this concise ten-track budget set of the so-called
Mickie Most years with
Columbia and
Decca. The
Burdon/
Price/
Valentine version of
the Animals called it quits in 1966. It really was the only version of
the Animals that truly mattered. The rest of the various
Burdon-led combos were merely footnotes, however interesting they may have been. ~ Steve Leggett
