After a four-year delay, the reworked 1977 epic Animals is here, touting high-resolution mixes by James Guthrie, Pink Floyd’s engineer for more than 40 years. Unlike some radical remixes like 2021’s dismal All Things Must Pass, this album’s sonic integrity has been maintained, resulting in spectacular audio. The acoustic guitars on “Pigs On The Wing” feel like they’re in the room with you, while David Gilmour’s solo on “Dogs” is more menacing than ever. You can detect single-coil nuances from his Strat – yes, there’s that much detail. Rick Wright’s synthesizers also benefit mightily.

“Pigs (Three Different Ones)” now has mile-wide bass tones from Roger Waters, while Gilmour paints layers of guitars on top, conjuring echoey seagull effects and Frampton-era talkbox snarls. In contrast, his Strat chords on “Sheep” feel slightly detached from the audio, a not-uncommon drawback of these contemporary remixes. For comparison, certain Animals editions contain the original ’77 mix.

You may even discover things you’ve never heard before, like the spoken-word section in “Sheep,” which proves how far this studio technology has evolved. There are no bonus tracks, but Guthrie’s mixes are a revelation. At last, one of Pink Floyd’s best albums – just got better.

This article originally appeared in VG’s November 2022 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.