Eric Burdon & The Animals - Every One Of Us (1968)

The Animals were an English rock band active in the 60s. After the original band's breakup in 1966, a second lineup was put together by singer Eric Burdon.

The New Animals were expand to a six-piece with the arrival of keyboard player Zoot Money (previously of Zoot Money's Big Roll Band, and Dantalian's Chariot) in time for the their third album, where he was credited as George Bruno. Not much time had passed since their last album, but things changed quite dramatically with Every One Of Us, though it could be argued that not many people noticed. Eric Burdon seemingly abandoned 1967-style hippy psychedelia almost as quickly as he had wholeheartedly adopted it, instead aligning himself with the poor and the down-trodden for a semi-concept album. It turned out to be a somewhat melancholy, moody collection of songs, with jazzy and folky arrangements in place of tripped-out acid rock (though there was one heavy rocker included). Though as always with Burdon's late 60s work, there had to be something strange to throw things off, and here it was the inclusion of two lengthy dialogue recordings, as if he had run amok with a dictaphone and been allowed to include his results on the album due to the lack of new material. It sabotages an otherwise potentially perfect album, and one that would have been seen as a much more serious affair than its two predecessors - the songs the dialogues are attached to are perhaps the best on the album.

Elsewhere there was a bluesy rendition of the folk song "St James Infirmary", and the single "White Houses" which got to a modest #67 in the US. The album itself barely charted, and wasn't actually released in the UK, so remains one of their least known. As an album it is obviously flawed, but there are some moments of really brilliant music to be found within.

The Twain Shall Meet (1968) <|> Love Is (1968)
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