Animal Rights - Moby

Moby’s seventh UK album might have been a shock to those who previously knew him only as a house/techno/ambient DJ. However he had given earlier indications of his capability to churn out strong rock tracks – ‘All That I Need Is To Be Loved’ and ‘What Love’ from the 1995 album ‘Everything Is Wrong’, or his cover of Joy Divisions’ ‘New Dawn Fades’ on the ‘Feeling So Real’ single.

In ‘Animal Rights’, though, Moby set out to defy those ...
...rock album, devoid of synthesisers and other electronic instruments, focusing instead on guitars, drums and, less often, strings. To his critics, it was astonishing bolt from the blue. To the general public – like most of his early work – it went largely unheard.

Of its’ two singles ‘Come On Baby’ is most representative of the whole album. The echoing vocals are loud, often shouted (by Moby’s own admission he screams better than he ... more

Moby’s seventh UK album might have been a shock to those who previously knew him only as a house/techno/ambient DJ. However he had given earlier indications of his capability to churn out strong rock tracks – ‘All That I Need Is To Be Loved’ and ‘What Love’ from the 1995 album ‘Everything Is Wrong’, or his cover of Joy Divisions’ ‘New Dawn Fades’ on the ‘Feeling So Real’ single.

In ‘Animal Rights’, though, Moby set out to defy those who pigeonholed him into the dance genre by writing a rock album, devoid of synthesisers and other electronic instruments, focusing instead on guitars, drums and, less often, strings. To his critics, it was astonishing bolt from the blue. To the general public – like most of his early work – it went largely unheard.

Of its’ two singles ‘Come On Baby’ is most representative of the whole album. The echoing vocals are loud, often shouted (by Moby’s own admission he screams better than he sings) and the guitars wail in perfect complement. It lacks the rawness of the tracks following it, particularly the fast and abrasive ‘Someone To Love’. The second single, ‘That’s When I Reach For My Revolver’ – which failed to chart – is the best track on the whole album. It lacks the punk punch of the bulk of the album, but sounds like an anthem that never was.

Other tracks are mellow or instrumental, particularly ‘Now I Let It Go’ which harks back to the ambient closing tracks of ‘Everything Is Wrong’. ‘Living’ and ‘Love Song For My Mom’ take the same tuneful, acoustic path. In complete contrast, ‘Say It’s All Mine’ reflects the classically punk sound of the album, bitter in lyrical content, alternately mellow and vicious in music. It wouldn’t sound out of place on a Green Day album.

On its’ own, ‘Animal Rights’ is a great rock album. When placed in the context of what Moby had released before it you’d be forgiven for thinking that there were two artists by the name of Moby, one a DJ and the other a rock artist. Albums prior to ‘Animal Rights’ included dance anthem ‘Go: The Collected Mixes’, the house mix ‘Everything Is Wrong Mixed And Remixed’, and techno-fest ‘Early Underground’. Could you imagine Sasha, Paul Oakenfold or Judge Jules getting out a guitar and performing a two-hour punk rock set?

Anyone of the millions introduced to Moby through ‘Play’ should make a point of listening to this album – it’s surprising in what he’s done, and surprising that he’s done it so well. It lacks the brilliance of his dance works – ‘Everything Is Wrong’ and ‘Play’ are clearly superior – but it is still an excellent rock album. For Moby fans it is unmissable and important as a reminder of how versatile, imaginative and accomplished an artist Moby is.

A Note On Editions Of ‘Animal Rights’

Three versions of this album are available in the UK; all feature a cover shot of Moby as a baby being held by his Grandfather. The standard UK issue has one CD with twelve tracks. The limited edition UK 2CD includes the bonus album ‘Little Idiot’. This is a 9-track CD of calm, acoustic tracks much like ‘Now I Let It Go, ‘Living’ and ‘Love Song For My Mom’ mentioned above (the latter also features on ‘Little Idiot’ but is a different recording). The ‘Little Idiot’ artwork is the same as that of the ‘Bring Back My Happiness’ and ‘Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?’ singles. Finally, the US CD with blue lettering – not so widely available - features a couple of extra tracks from ‘Little Idiot’, but I am not sure which.

‘Animal Rights’ UK CD:
1. Now I Let It Go
2. Come On Baby
3. Someone To Love
4. Heavy Flow
5. You
6. My Love Will Never Die
7. Soft
8. Say It’s All Mine
9. That’s When I Reach For My Revolver
10. Face It
11. Living
12. Love Song For My Mom

‘Little Idiot’ UK Limited Bonus CD:
1. Degenerate
2. Dead City
3. Walnut
4. Old
5. A Season In Hell
6. Love Song For My Mom
7. The Blue Terror Of Lawns
8. Dead Sun
9. Reject
 

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