Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
The Bar-Kays' final LP until their re-emergence a half-decade later, 1989's Animal was essentially a hollow reprisal of 1987's Contagious. Pared down to a trio comprising Larry "D" Dodson, Winston Stewart, and Harvey "Joe" Henderson for that outing, the band was devastated when longtime producer Allen Jones passed away shortly after. Working now with Tony Prendatt, the Bar-Kays hashed together a mediocre set of light urban dance numbers. Not even the occasional flashes of their early fire that punctuate the LP were able to keep them in the spotlight. Too much time had passed and the shift in musical directions was too great to support the Bar-Kays' now-archaic sounds. The songs on Animal are synth-heavy and bass-happy, but such sounds were long past their sell-by date. However, there are some points of interest. The title track is funky enough; Dodson's vocals are always a treat and the performance is thoroughly enlivened by guest guitarist Joe Walsh. Also of note is the deeply funky and sparse "Just Like a Teeter-Totter," which brought the band closer to their heyday than they had strayed in nearly a decade. Co-produced by Sly Stone, the man who had particular influence on Dodson, it was a neat full-circle moment for the band whose roots most had either forgotten or never even been aware of. It's important to remember that the Bar-Kays never stopped being a good band -- it was taste and fashion that twisted the knife and pushed them aside. It's also hard to maintain dewy effusiveness when your career essentially amounts to an album a year. Despite its unevenness, Animal gave the band a Top 50 hit -- how many other bands whose careers span three decades can you say that about?
© Amy Hanson /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From €13,50/month
The Bar-Kays, MainArtist - Chad, ComposerLyricist - Larry Charles Dodson, Producer - Winston Allen Stewart, Producer - Harvey J Henderson, Producer - Trevor Gale, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Kenni Hairston, Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group
The Bar-Kays, MainArtist - Trevor Gale, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Kenni Hairston, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Anthony A. Moody, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Field, ComposerLyricist - The Bar-Kays, MainArtist - James Mtume, Producer, ComposerLyricist - E. Moore, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Gerald Goldstein, Producer, ComposerLyricist - The Bar-Kays, MainArtist - Larry Charles Dodson, ComposerLyricist - Winston Allen Stewart, ComposerLyricist - Harvey J Henderson, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group
The Bar-Kays, MainArtist - Larry Charles Dodson, ComposerLyricist - Winston Allen Stewart, ComposerLyricist - Harvey J Henderson, Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Gerald Goldstein, Producer, ComposerLyricist - The Bar-Kays, MainArtist - Larry Charles Dodson, ComposerLyricist - Winston Allen Stewart, ComposerLyricist - Harvey J Henderson, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Gerald Goldstein, ComposerLyricist - The Bar-Kays, MainArtist - James Mtume, Producer - Sly Stone, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Larry Charles Dodson, ComposerLyricist - Winston Allen Stewart, ComposerLyricist - Harvey J Henderson, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group
The Bar-Kays, MainArtist - Larry Charles Dodson, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Winston Allen Stewart, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Harvey J Henderson, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Trevor Gale, Producer - Kenni Hairston, Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group
The Bar-Kays, MainArtist - James Mtume, Producer - Larry Charles Dodson, ComposerLyricist - Winston Allen Stewart, ComposerLyricist - Harvey J Henderson, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group
The Bar-Kays, MainArtist - Trevor Gale, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Kenni Hairston, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Anthony A. Moody, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Album review
The Bar-Kays' final LP until their re-emergence a half-decade later, 1989's Animal was essentially a hollow reprisal of 1987's Contagious. Pared down to a trio comprising Larry "D" Dodson, Winston Stewart, and Harvey "Joe" Henderson for that outing, the band was devastated when longtime producer Allen Jones passed away shortly after. Working now with Tony Prendatt, the Bar-Kays hashed together a mediocre set of light urban dance numbers. Not even the occasional flashes of their early fire that punctuate the LP were able to keep them in the spotlight. Too much time had passed and the shift in musical directions was too great to support the Bar-Kays' now-archaic sounds. The songs on Animal are synth-heavy and bass-happy, but such sounds were long past their sell-by date. However, there are some points of interest. The title track is funky enough; Dodson's vocals are always a treat and the performance is thoroughly enlivened by guest guitarist Joe Walsh. Also of note is the deeply funky and sparse "Just Like a Teeter-Totter," which brought the band closer to their heyday than they had strayed in nearly a decade. Co-produced by Sly Stone, the man who had particular influence on Dodson, it was a neat full-circle moment for the band whose roots most had either forgotten or never even been aware of. It's important to remember that the Bar-Kays never stopped being a good band -- it was taste and fashion that twisted the knife and pushed them aside. It's also hard to maintain dewy effusiveness when your career essentially amounts to an album a year. Despite its unevenness, Animal gave the band a Top 50 hit -- how many other bands whose careers span three decades can you say that about?
© Amy Hanson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:53:47
- Main artists: The Bar-Kays
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Mercury Records
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group ℗ 1989 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.