Pink Floyd’s Animals Review: Meaning, Music, and the 2018 Remix
A review of the album, its themes, and the story behind that unforgettable Battersea Power Station cover
Wedged between the massive success of Wish You Were Here and the global dominance of The Wall, Pink Floyd’s Animals can sometimes feel like the overlooked sibling. Yet this 1977 record remains one of the most direct, fierce and socially pointed albums in their catalogue. It draws inspiration from George Orwell’s Animal Farm and recasts the world into dogs, pigs and sheep. The result is a sharp look at ambition, manipulation and the danger of simply drifting with the crowd.
It is an album often remembered for its cover, yet the music holds its own beside Wish You Were Here and foreshadows the darker, angrier writing that would take full form on The Wall and The Final Cut. This was also a pivotal moment in the band’s own trajectory. Recorded at Britannia Row Studios in North London, their newly built space gave them total control. The dreamy textures of Dark Side and the introspective warmth of Wish You Were Here were replaced by harder guitars, sharper lyrics and some of Nick Mason’s most powerful drumming.
What Is Animals About?
Animals divides society into three groups. Each song examines one of them in detail.
Dogs
These are the cutthroat operators of the world. People who climb through charm, calculation and self-interest until they eventually collapse under the weight of their own choices. The song is long, bleak and brilliantly constructed. David Gilmour’s vocals and guitar work drive the track, but it is the middle instrumental section that always stood out for me. Nick Mason’s kick drum becomes a steady, thumping heartbeat while distant canine effects echo around it. It can feel tense and unsettling, exactly as intended.
“You gotta sleep on your toes, and when you’re on the street
You gotta be able to pick out the easy meat with your eyes closed”
Pigs
Here are the figures who try to control, influence or moralise. Waters went after censors, politicians and the sanctimonious voices of the day, including Mary Whitehouse. The tone is sharper and more mocking than Dogs. Gilmour’s talkbox guitar gives the track an aggressive snarl, matching Waters’ frustration with those who preach one thing while doing another.
“Big man, pig man
Ha, ha, charade you are”
Sheep
If the first two songs represent active forces, Sheep focuses on the passive followers who drift along without question. It begins more gently, almost pastoral, before building into something far more forceful. The song turns from resignation to revolt as the sheep finally push back against those who have controlled them. It remains one of the most surprising transitions on the album.
“Only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air”
Despite the subject matter, the album is not depressing. It feels alive. Animals is muscular, intense and purposeful, with a weight that rewards playing it loud and often.
Is Animals Still Relevant Today?
Completely. In many ways it feels even more current.
The themes of manipulation, media influence and blind obedience remain familiar. The names have changed, the platforms have changed, but the underlying behaviours have not. Waters has continued to highlight this in his live shows. At Desert Trip in 2016, Pigs was performed against a giant caricature of Donald Trump. On the more recent This Is Not a Drill tour, Waters cast the sheep as those who accept the status quo before finally turning against it.
The anger in the album is not stuck in 1977.
Animals and Battersea Power Station
The album’s imagery is inseparable from its music. The concept for the cover was to fly an inflatable pig over Battersea Power Station. Waters could see the power station from his home and thought the stark industrial backdrop suited the album’s themes. The shoot was booked, the airspace was closed, and the pig was launched.
On the second day, it broke free of its chains and drifted toward Heathrow, causing genuine concern for air traffic. The designers at Hipgnosis never captured the shot they wanted, which is why the final cover features a painted composite. That image has since become one of the most recognisable in rock history.
The connection between the power station and the album has never faded. For many fans, including me, it is one of London’s essential music landmarks. Today there is even a plaque at the redeveloped Battersea Power Station noting the album’s significance.
The 2018 Remix of Animals
The long-delayed 2018 remix was finally released in 2022, and it genuinely improves the listening experience. The contrast between instruments is stronger, the overall sound is clearer and more defined, and you notice far more detail in the drumming. I often struggle to hear meaningful differences in modern remixes, but this version stands out. It sharpens the edges of the original without losing its atmosphere.
To celebrate the release, the chimneys of Battersea Power Station were lit up one clear September evening, creating a visual echo of the album’s legacy.
Where Was the 2018 Cover Photo Taken?
We all recognise the original cover, with Battersea Power Station viewed from a distance beneath a heavy sky. The remix introduces a new image, taken from a different angle, with cranes towering above the building during its redevelopment.
I set out to find that exact spot myself and managed to capture my own version. It adds another layer to the ongoing story of an album deeply connected to one of London’s most striking structures.
The Enduring Power of Animals
Forty-five years after its release, Animals still sounds fresh and relevant. I return to it often and find something new each time. The themes, the performances and the sheer force of the music continue to resonate.
If you want to look further into the band’s evolution during this period, I also recommend reading the full review of Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, which shows another side of the group’s creativity, or a Roger’s 2023 Dark Side of the Moon Redux,
Despite the subject matter, the album is not depressing. It feels alive. Animals is muscular, intense and purposeful, with a weight that rewards playing it loud and often.
Trump is a Joker - says Roger Waters at Desert Trip 2016
The more recent ‘This is not a Drill tour’ the sheep were singled out for accepting the status quo, but turning against their tormentors,
Master the art of karate
Lo, we shall rise up
And then we'll make the bugger's eyes water
Animals and Battersea Power Station
The album cover concept was to photograph an inflatable pig flying over Battersea Power Station. Apparently Roger could see the active power station from his window and thought it would be a good idea to fly their new concert pig over the top. Perhaps this was a take on the capitalist ‘power house’ of the power station or just a cool idea! The time was booked, the airspace was closed and the pig was flown. On the second day of shooting, the pig slipped its chains and flew off towards Heathrow, leaving the album designers Hipgnosis without the shot they wanted. So that’s why you see the painted version adorning the now iconic album cover!
The connection between Pink Floyd and the Animals album has never died. It has always been a key London Rock Landmark for me and many other fans. There is even a small plaque at the Power Station complex commemorating the connection.
Battersea Power Station remains one of the most recognisable of London's Music Landmarks.
Animals 2018
The much delayed 2018 remix came out in 2022 offers much greater contrast for the instruments. The overall sound is sharper and clearer and you can hear far more subtlety in Nick Mason’s incredible drumming.
It is rare for me to truly find a difference in these modern remixes but this version of Animals definitely improves the listening of this classic album.
Where was the cover for animals 2018 photographed?
Battersea Power Station 2024
We all know the original Animals cover showed Battersea Power Station from a distance. But for the remastered version there is a new photo, showing the power station beneath a pile of cranes. I set out to discover where it was photographed, and get my own snap!
45 years after its release, Pink Floyd's Animals remains as fresh, as clear and as relevant as ever before. it is an album I play regularly, still finding inspiration from every track.
For another glimpse into Floyd’s creative evolution — and one of their most atmospheric recordings — be sure to read our full review of the newly restored Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii.