“I saw Floyd” is a highlight of my rock show resume. On June 27, 1977, Dillard and I ventured into the old Boston Garden with probably eight dollar tickets to see the band on their “Animals” tour. Here’s a taste of what we heard and saw:

I listened to the record in its entirety this morning while housecleaning. With music today consisting of ringtone worthy singles plus 9 or 10 throwaway tracks per record, “Animals” is truly an album, deserving to be swallowed whole by your hungry ears. Here are reviews by Pitchfork, AllMusic and Sputnikmusic.

While it doesn’t generally receive the same “classic” status of “Dark Side of the Moon” or “Wish You Were Here,” it’s easily my favorite. Last.FM’s “moods and themes” for “Animals” gave me a laugh and explain why:

Moods

  • Bittersweet
  • Autumnal
  • Melancholy
  • Brooding
  • Bitter
  • Hypnotic
  • Acerbic
  • Malevolent
  • Poignant
  • Wintry
  • Ominous
  • Menacing
  • Reflective
  • Nocturnal
  • Cynical/ Sarcastic
  • Eerie
  • Detached
  • Theatrical

Themes

  • Regret
  • Introspection
  • Late Night

My connection to the record was burned into me later in the summer of ’77 when Dillard and I packed our belongings into a 1968 Camaro convertible and drove to Tucson and the rest of our lives. Leaving my mother and brothers was hard and a few tears burst on the driveway at 67 Greenwood Avenue that night. We spent so much of our youth on that ground. It was a multipurpose surface for basketball, street hockey and installation of 8-Track players… Our lives were there, but we were ready to leave it 2800 miles behind.

1977 was pre-MADD, and packed along with everything we owned were two cases of Heineken on ice, a power hitter and a case full of cassette tapes: Zep, AC/DC, Boston, KISS, BOC… We reached the entrance to the Mass Pike West around midnight and after 30 minutes of silence. Mike offered to turn around, but I declined. The University of Arizona had a cool ring to it. After we passed the toll booth I grabbed a couple “green cylinders” and got the power hitter on deck. Mike said, “I’ve got the perfect tunes for this.” He popped in “Animals.”