The Animals Animalisms

Though still considered part of the British Invasion, with plenty of huge singles to their credit, The Animals never quite reached the game-changing superstar status of their contemporaries like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and The Who. Best known for smash hits like "The House of the Rising Sun" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," they started off with a serious blues influence that became heavier and more psychedelic over the years, as they relocated from the U.K. to California and underwent several lineup changes. Originally released in 1966, Animalism was The Animals' third album and is significant for several reasons. It's one of their last real blues records, and it came out shortly before the band changed their name to Eric Burdon & The Animals. This special edition includes 13 bonus tracks taken from In the Beginning There Was Early Animals and Animalization, each loaded with husky vocals, freewheeling pianos, jangly guitar solos, and thunderous rhythms. The Animals run through plenty of rollicking covers (Chuck Berry's "Sweet Sixteen," Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You,") and also quality originals like "Cheating" and "You're on My Mind."