Eric Burdon & the Animals

The Animals: Winds of Change and The Twain Shall Meet
Reeling from poor management decisions and inter-band strife, The Animals fell apart toward the end of 1966. Seeking a rebirth, lead vocalist Eric Burdon relocated from London to California. There, Burdon assembled a new Animals lineup, retaining only drummer Barry Jenkins from the previous incarnation. Now known as Eric Burdon and The Animals, the group immersed themselves in the psychedelic culture of San Francisco and their sound followed suit. Informed by his inaugural acid trip, Burdon led his bandmates through a fresh, decidedly lysergic interpretation of American blues. While the original group had largely performed songs written by others, The New Animals began composing as a group. The prophetically titled Winds of Change, released in September 1967, offered ten stellar examples of this new songwriting approach, along with a heavy cover of The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black." Lead single "San Franciscan Nights" encapsulated the Summer of Love in what became a top ten hit for the new band (and helped get them on the bill for the seminal Monterey Pop Festival). Burdon and the group returned in April 1968 with The Twain Shall Meet, continuing their psychedelic journey. "Monterey" chronicled the previous summer's seminal festival while "Sky Pilot" reflected the growing anti-war sentiment as the Vietnam Conflict escalated. Steeped in a dense, layered sound full of electric guitars, sitars, strings, brass and washes of phased vocals, the album served notice that Burdon and company were totally in-step with America's youth movement. From blues revivalists to cultural torchbearers in four short years? Believe it! These Sundazed releases have been meticulously mastered from the original analog reels for the absolute best sound possible on both compact disc and hefty 180gm vinyl. Music this heavy needs LPs that can carry the weight! Cue up these platters and let them take you back to a time when minds were being blown open at an astonishing rate!