These comparisons are my favorite. Can't wait to watch this. I've got an early UK pressing of Animals.....but is it a good one?? We shall see.

Great review, appreciate the effort that goes into these videos, more please.

Greece sometimes got UK metalparts to press from which is why it would sound identical to the UK and should not be considered crummy if you like the UK. Happened with WYWH too.

Love these comparison videos! Looking forward to seeing more in the future.

My absolute favorite album of all time. 100%. Thank you for this review and comparison!

Nice! Miss your LP reviews and this was great. Lots of fun

HUGE thanks for one more great comparison video ! You are the best !

Thank you. I really enjoy your opinions and thoughts in these comparison videos.

Great job mike. These are highly valuable videos for us vinyl newbies who are trying to wrap our heads around the labyrinth of multiple pressings.

Love these comparison vids Mike please do alot more ' you do them perfect

Animals was one of the first records I bought many years ago when I wasn't YET convinced of vinyl superiority and I lucked into a UK pressing without knowing it at the time. The BASS has a quality that is totally lacking on any US press I've listened to. I was waiting with anticipation to see if you were going to mention that and you did! Right on Mike!

Thanks Mike… it’s one of my most loved Albums and now I have learned a lot new things about it 👍

Thank you for this one. One of my favorite LPs also.

My favorite Pink Floyd album, nice!

Another great album review. I really appreciate these videos as they have probably saved me hundreds of dollars. Being a huge fan of David Bowie, Rush and Genesis. I hope to see a review from one of those bands. I hope you and your family are doing well and have a Merry Christmas.

Thanks for this excellent review. I own the UK first pressing and would add that it is heavyweight vinyl (182g). I have ordered the German pink vinyl on the strength of this review (o:

My copy is 2U/3U bought in UK 1977... FWIW. The A-side has a '4' at 9 O'Clock, whereas the B has a '1'. The permutations multiply endlessly, there comes a point when you should just enjoy the music,

Thanks for the review Mike 👍🏻

Great video, Mike. I always had that same feeling regarding the sound quality of animals compared to other releases. I have a US first press, I like the dynamics, but indeed vinyl is at times not so silent, despite ultrasonic cleaning

Mike>>>>YOU ARE BADASS!!!! You blew me away years ago when you said the US promo copy of The Wall was the best copy out there, which is what I had surmised as well. I kept that one and sold all my other ones that were worth a lot more....and then years ago I found you on youtube and heard your The Wall review and was blown away. As for Animals, I could not agree with you more. I was super lucky to buy one at my local record shop at the time...Waterloo Records in Austin and it turned out to be a wide 15mm spine first copy from the UK. Last year I did my own shootout and sold everything but my UK first and I also kept a first pressing Japanese. My french pink copy in the pink sleeve apparently did not sound as good as yours...Thanks again for a killer video!!

Thanks for doing this. Animals is my favorite PF record, as well as being one of my all-time favorites period. I have an early US repress that sounds ok, and the 2016 US reissue which is a good value.

I have 1977 Canadian pressing. Granted it doesnt have the sound of The Wall etc but I love the record, when Im blowing my ears out with volume, I think it sounds pretty good😆🧐 Thanks for reviewing one of my Favourite Bands albums man

great insight! super geek stuff for a guy that does not have a high end system to notice much......but nice to learn details and invest in the best! thanks

Love these comparisons! Nobody does them as well as you do. I have a 1st Can press - they come with the standard animals dog pic, that red one must be a second press.

I have a few copies. The German copies I have are great. My favourite listening experience was that coloured vinyl on my old (alas gone) EMT 950 turntable. Superb. I must have a UK one somewhere and should compare again!

Thank you for this!! My favorite Floyd album and it’s not even close! now to find the best sounding pressing.

Yes! Thank you for doing this :)

While I've not heard those pressings, I do clearly recall my new vinyl album, and it was very clear sounding, despite the cracks and pops. Fast forward to the CD and it was muddy, with plenty of hiss. Every subsequent vinyl I've had falls short of the original that I had. It's among my fav's, and I'd be thrilled to find a "good version".

🙏 I already have a copy that Mike recommended as the best. The flippers are going to see this video and jack the price up :-). Get your copies while you can.

UK 1st press ordered ;)

My UK 1st is a bit noisy probably from being played alot but not as bad as my 3rd & 4th press Colombian issue.. they were sealed when I got them in Bogota and play rough.

I love the comparisons soooo much

I love those zeppelin digital press call me crazy but I think they sound amazing

Great review...and I agree the UK first pressing is the best pressing of a poorly recorded album. Too bad there is not a UK Nimbus Supercut pressing like "Wish You Were Here." which is the best pressing for that album, including being the quietest. Please do more reviews, though I know it takes a lot to do them. Oh, and I already buy from you online too. Thanks Mike :-)

I have the 2016 remastered pressing and it honestly left me speechless, maybe I’ll have to compare with an OG Uk copy or the 2018 remix, but holy shit, I highly recommend listening to this record with headphones to get a full picture of the sound mixing.

I have a Canadian pressing of this album that im happy with.

Great show

I love these reviews and I've noticed you're right on the money. I found a near mint UK on discogs so I snapped it up. Can't wait to compare it to the latest hires digital from Qobuz through my tube dac! Hope I have better luck than I have getting a decent RL Zeppelin 2. The one I paid way too much for on Ebay was graded vg+ but had skips and even jarring distortions but yeah...could tell how much it kicks ass though. Have a much cheaper RL on one side German I hope is more playable coming and a not too expensive canadian I read was decent. I gave way about 500 albums 25 yrs ago as I replaced with cds but recently started buying a few special albums and you are a great help! Vinyl seems way overpriced and I think I can get the best mixes cheaper or even better on digital sometimes (ex. I suspect dcc gold Doors debut may be better than recent AP 45 RPM cause AP didn't use original tapes and DCC disc is an earlier remaster from original). I don't see the point in digital vinyl and for that reason, I merely dabble in it these days but its great fun searching for the best copies and telling myself all the albums I'd bought in the 80's were probably just inferior later generations anyway makes me feel better, but damn...I had complete a alot of the floyd and all zeppelin and countless other best of classic rock

I have the same bosins and I am thinking of buying the sub bwfers, what is your recommendation, what is the difference with them and without them? Thank you so much

According to the Vernon Fitch UK discographies page, the A-2U / B-2 matrix was stamped on both the first _and_ the second issues. The first issue included stamper numbers all the way up to A-5 / B-7 so the numeric order is not very useful here. The only way I know how to differentiate the second issue (UK) is the deep pressing ring in the label, which indicates it was manufactured at Orlake in Essex. By the time the third issue comes on line there is a barcode on the rear cover. Harry Moss (HTM) cut at least some of the lacquers for the first three issues, although I don't know if his mastering choices were consistent throughout the run.

Mike needs a lot more speakers there. Awesome album…

Great info. Thanks Mike! Looking forward to the next one, whatever it is! 👍 However, I have to disagree on the recording aspect.. It's actually _very_ well recorded and is just as hi-fi as Aja or any of the others from the late 70's, but unfortunately suffers from a lot of crummy cuts and pressings outside of the UK. 🤷🏻

I just picked up the French pink version. It is quiet overall, a little noisey on the quieter parts but overall feel it is a upgrade from my old thrashed US press.

I also got the A2/B2 UK pressing a couple of years ago when the same conclusion was reached on the Hoffmann forums...

You should hear the eight track version which I also had upon its release in 1977. Animals was in the first batch of CD’s that I bought in 1985 along with Aja, Physical graffiti, Born To Run and Captain Fantastic.

Thanks for the review, aren't they releasing a new version of this album soon?

Whats the catalog number on the back cover on the pink german press? If I may ask. ?

Ha. I almost bought the US one at local record show this past weekend. Decided to buy other stuff. Missed out, another very likely US copy at a flea market last week. Now I know what to look for

Have the first us copy mint, but just bought the UK AU2 BU2 looking forward to making a comparison. If better I'll be selling the US copy.

I own a 1977 Australian 1st press. Absolutely no discernable vinyl noise, and tone is neutral, with no obvious peaks. The intro to "Sheep" has a soundstage that almost puts you in the middle of Richard Wright's keyboard console.

Hi Mike! Could you do a shootout on the pressings of Big Star's "#1 Record" ? I have read they are not all created equal and want to know which one is worth getting.

Can you please do Meddle? I can’t find any comparisons

Thanks Mike for the comparison. Next title Atom Heart Mother please!

Nice review....my favorite album of all-time! Bummed I paid so much for my Japanese pressing that was at the bottom of your list😥 Everytime I see those speakers it reminds me of the guy that pulls up beside me at a red light with the bright yellow Hummer with the tripped out tires and rims with the windows down and the music blaring at a 9.7 mile radius 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Just checked my UK copy, A-side has -4 and so does the B-side. But what is strange is, the A-side has machine stamped Matrix, but B-side has handwritten Matrix. What's that all about!?

Animals was made at the rise of punk movement and heavy rock. I guess you can see that reflected on the rough effect and lyrics of this album. As you can see the same effects of 80’s sound on Radio K.A.O.S

I have a dead quiet US first pressing (mine) and a UK first that has some noise but is more lively. Wonder how the 2022 version will fare

Always a pleasure. Tx

Hey Mike, I’m curious as to the stampers on the US original from your review? I have listened to quite a few different US stampers and have found varying bass energy to a significant amount. I’m not sure if it’s just the particular copy or the stamper, but I have found a very impactful bass on the 2B/2B US cut. I do agree that the UK 2U/2U is the best I have heard, and am happy to have tracked down a clean one a year or two ago. But, as with many records from this era, different stampers and even different copies with the same stampers in some instances, can sound quite different. Just some food for thought.

Thoughts on the 2018 remix pressed this year (2022)?

Confused, in the UK copies There's a a2u b2u first pressing, correct? Other's found had a2u b3u is that the 2 pressing? PLEASE HELP! THANKS!

I have 6 different pressings of Animals and recently added a first pressing (Side A: earliest run out possible) It's wasn't costly at all and mine is quiet in most parts (Sheep!) Amazing sounding record compared to the other ones i own. The recent reissue is also great, but thin sounding if you compare both. I also have a quiet sounding German 1st press, but that sounds very very muddy and not detailed at all

Their seems to be differences between various LP pressings. Is their the same differences with CD’s?

Could you do another Jazz album comparison in the future?

Cool...i got the first U.K pressing and the German pink one...i guess im covered...

My favorite Floyd album, I was excited to see you publish a shootout. Kind of depressing that there are no really great sounding versions. I don't have near the quality of stereo system you do so I'm hoping the drawbacks are less apparent when I listen!

The audio in this video kept cutting in and out? I am watching it on an old 2010 plasma TV

A new remix of this (their best) album exists but is not out yet.

I have a German biography about the Floyd and it also mentiones the poor sound quality of this album. They say it was to blame on the , group owned, Brittannia Row studios where it was recorded. Not only was this studio a moneypit (it never made any money for obvious reasons... ) it was also a soundpit: you could not make a top quality recording there.....

That’s what I did, got the BG 2016

thanks boss !

Been nice to play a few tracks

I love Animals, my favorite Floyd album.

My second favorite Floyd. Its unfortunate this lp really never has had the lower end represented. Those tapes probably sound so much differently than most of the pressings. Something tells me the master tapes are anything but muddy. This is one album I wish whomever is holding up the multi channel digital version would stop being so pig headed. Put it out, we sheep will buy it! (see what I did there) I have three pressings. The old us stinker, the BG cut and the original UK. Totally agree.

Hope to see more shoot outs soon! I would like to see a shoot out on The Doors debut album or Abbey Road

Good to know the Bernie copy is a good one as that is the only one I have!

Are you going to make a comparison with the recently released 2018 remix? Thanks.

I'll be curious how the 2018 remix compares with these others.

Where’s the MoFi? I have one somewhere in storage.

Well with the mixing you could dub from certain tracks onto one of your reel to reel decks couldn’t you?

Also, I must be confused as to the hype stickers on those 2016 pressings. Cause the stickers say “from the original analog tapes” yet they are digital I guess, how do I know or where do I look to find out if an album was mastered from digital or not even if it says the analog tapes?

I think the muddy sound is a part of the overall art. The Floyd mixed this themselves with the help of Andy Jackson at their new studio at Britannia Row. Because of this I think that the sound was very intentional.

Surprise, I just checked my old copy and it's a 3U. Scouring my collection now for more gems I might have.

Have the Canadian and the Bernie reissue. If I ever see a UK first I’ll jump on it.

Play the speakers?

Mike you’ve got better ears than me. I’m glad I don’t, because otherwise it would cost me a fortune to purchase these first pressing recordings. I did get lucky when I went into a used record store and they just got in a lot of records from a local college radio station. All the records were promo recordings. Most of the recordings were jazz and fusion records…bought them all. My best purchase.

2016 remaster vinyl or just digital? I didn’t catch it hahah

Wouldn't that be something if Chad could get his hands on the master & see if he could work his magic on a new UHQR release, now that would be impressive.

Are you going to do wishing you were here?

What an amazing band, and certainly one of the greatest albums.

What...no cable risers. :) Nice rig!

Are all of Bernie Grundman's Pink Floyd vinyl remasters digitally sourced? I picked up a copy of "A Collection of Great Dance Songs" for a good price. If so, I think I'll seek out an 80s copy.

Anyone have updates on the release of the 2018 remix?

To slam American pressings is a general statement. I own a Santa Maria pressing and it is phenomenal.

I’ve got the 2016 Bernie Grundman cut that you talk about. It’s marked “Made in The EU”. I’m not sure but I think that means that it was actually pressed in either Germany, Ireland or The Netherlands. It’s definitely not a French pressing. It sounds excellent. What about the new 2022 remix & remaster? Any thoughts?

I got a Canadian copy because it was unplayed and inexpensive. It sounds decent overall. I figured a first US would be better because they cost more. I listened to it the other day and realized it could use another cleaning but it's a fine listen.

Could you do "Wish You Were Here" next please?

The 2016 BG European version is not digital is it? My hype sticker and discogs says remastered from original analogue tapes. Am i missing something here?

Also have the UK, Japanese, German, multiple-US, and recent repress. I can confirm on the UK press blows the rest away.

i got the 3 u pressing, it says its a first uk press on discogs,so how can i get 2u pressing in the first place? if it is the same on discogs.