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

There are many who have tried to squeeze Eric Burdon's recording career into a few rigidly defined categories. Most love his recordings with the original Animals. Unfortunately, Eric's psychedelic period does seem to be an acquired taste for many. And this is unfortunate because some of his best material is made up of these recordings that seem to reek of pot and incense. It's almost as though you need to recreate the right atmosphere by wearing something of the period like a cossack shirt or a fringed jacket or something paisley and then turn the lights down so that the room is cool and dark. And, yes, if you're one of the older generation, it's alright if you decide to go with a bottle of wine. Now, you're ready to receive Eric's vision. And it's a vision of great power and intensity. Check out John Wieder's slashing guitar solo on "White Houses" and his beautiful acoustic work on "Serenade to a Sweet Lady." "Immigrant Lad" is Eric's tribute to his native Newcastle. Then on to "Year of the Guru" - very 1967/1968 with flashes of hot guitar and a throbbing Danny McCulloch bass line along with some Burdon wit & humor. And then one of the bluesiest versions of "St. James Infirmary" ever laid down on vinyl. Eric's voice is so deep, so down there that you know right from the get-go that you are in the heart of the blues. What a powerful rendition this is - Eric has never sounded better, Vic Briggs' sitar chords glisten like tears, and Danny McCulloch provides a solid anchor with his bass. And then, just when you think you know what's coming, John Wieder takes off with another incendiary guitar solo. Given his work on "White Houses" and "St. James Infirmary", how is it that Wieder remains so little known? The longest cut is the most challenging - "New York 1963, America 1968." And, yeah I've heard some say that it is pretentious and self-indulgent. All I can say to the naysayers is "go back and listen to it once more but try to imagine that it's 1968 all over again." This is Eric's meditation/elegy on America, the hopes and visions that America held for people around the world against the turbulent backdrop of the Sixties as our dreams of love and peace were destroyed by the assassinations of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, Jr. Even now with all these years having passed, this album is "just one big experience." Get it, turn down the lights, and enjoy!

Personnel:

Eric Burdon - lead vocals
John Weider - guitar, celeste
Danny McCulloch - bass, vocals, 12 string
Vic Briggs - guitar, bass
Barry Jenkins - drums, tambourine, reso-reso
George Bruno - hammond organ, piano, vocals

Tracklists:

01. White Houses
02. Uppers And Downers
03. Serenade To A Sweet Lady
04. The Immigrant Lad
05. Year Of The Guru
06. St. James Infirmary
07. New York 1963 - America 1968

Produced by Eric Burdon & The Animals (Every One Of Us)
Recorded at TTG Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood, CA, 1968

Sound Quality: 7/8