Introduction
Pink Floyd's Animals occupies a fascinating position in both the band's catalog and the vinyl-collecting world.
Released in 1977 between Wish You Were Here and The Wall, Animals is darker, more confrontational, and structurally different from either album. Built largely around the extended compositions "Dogs," "Pigs (Three Different Ones)," and "Sheep," it rewards attentive listening and a playback system capable of resolving a dense, atmospheric recording.
For collectors, Animals presents another attraction: different pressings can provide notably different listening experiences.
Original UK Harvest copies, early U.S. Columbia editions, modern reissues, and the later remix give collectors several ways to approach the album.
That leads to the central question:
What is the best pressing of Pink Floyd's Animals on vinyl?
There is no universal answer.
Originality, mastering, condition, budget, collectability, and whether the listener wants the original 1977 mix or the later remix all matter.
Understanding those differences is essential before spending premium prices on any particular copy.
Why the Pressing Matters
Animals is a demanding record.
The album combines enormous dynamic contrasts with layered guitars, synthesizers, bass, keyboards, vocals, percussion, and atmospheric effects. Long compositions move between relatively quiet passages and considerably more forceful sections.
A good pressing must preserve separation and detail without stripping the album of its weight and aggressive character.
"Dogs" provides an excellent test. The extended arrangement requires clarity, stable imaging, and enough resolution to prevent complex passages from becoming congested.
"Pigs (Three Different Ones)" places considerable emphasis on bass, keyboards, vocals, and guitar texture.
"Sheep" moves from atmospheric passages into sections of tremendous intensity.
Different mastering choices can alter how those elements are presented.
Collectors should consider:
- Original mix versus remix
- Country of manufacture
- Matrix and runout information
- Mastering lineage
- Vinyl condition
- Surface noise
- Dynamic presentation
- Jacket and inner-sleeve completeness
- Historical significance
- Collector desirability
Most importantly, the best collectible copy and best listening copy may not be the same record.
1. Original UK Harvest Pressing – SHVL 815
Best Historical Choice
For collectors seeking Animals as it originally appeared in Britain, a clean early UK Harvest pressing remains the benchmark artifact.
The UK catalog number is SHVL 815.
A strong example can deliver the dark, powerful presentation associated with the original mix: substantial bass, convincing midrange presence, strong guitar texture, and excellent dynamics.
The presentation suits the album's character.
Animals is not supposed to sound as polished as every audiophile demonstration record. Part of its effectiveness comes from tension, density, atmosphere, and aggression.
A good early UK pressing can preserve those qualities while still allowing the listener to follow the recording's complexity.
Strengths include:
- Original 1977 presentation
- Vintage UK mastering character
- Strong dynamics
- Substantial low-frequency presence
- Historical authenticity
- High collector desirability
Condition is critical.
Pink Floyd albums were frequently played, and a desirable matrix does not compensate for damaged grooves.
Collector Rating: ★★★★★
2. Early U.S. Columbia Pressings
Best Affordable Vintage Alternative
Early American Columbia pressings should not automatically be dismissed in favor of their British counterparts.
A clean U.S. copy can provide an energetic and satisfying presentation while giving North American collectors access to an authentic 1970s edition without necessarily paying the premium associated with certain UK examples.
Potential advantages include:
- Original-era presentation
- Strong dynamics
- Good low-frequency performance
- Greater availability
- Potentially lower acquisition cost
- Genuine vintage character
American records also illustrate why collectors should become comfortable examining runout information.
Different lacquers and manufacturing facilities can result in variations among copies that appear nearly identical when viewed only by their jackets.
Consequently, "original U.S. pressing" should be treated as the beginning of the identification process rather than the end.
Evaluate the individual record.
Collector Rating: ★★★★½
3. 2016 Reissue
Best Practical Original-Mix Choice
For collectors who want the familiar original Animals presentation without accepting decades of potential groove wear, the 2016 vinyl edition provides an excellent practical alternative.
This is an important distinction.
Collectors sometimes assume that an original pressing automatically provides a better listening experience because it is older and closer to the album's release date.
Condition can overturn that assumption very quickly.
A clean modern record does not carry the same history of playback, stylus wear, contamination, and handling that may affect a surviving 1977 copy.
Advantages include:
- Original album mix
- Clean modern vinyl
- Good availability
- Strong everyday playback value
- No need to gamble as heavily on vintage groove wear
- Lower barrier to ownership than premium originals
For many listeners, this can be the most rational version to own.
It provides the historical mix while allowing the collector to reserve valuable vintage copies for more selective playback.
Collector Rating: ★★★★½
4. 2018 Remix Vinyl
Best Alternative Listening Experience
The Animals 2018 Remix requires a fundamentally different evaluation.
Despite the name, the remix did not reach listeners at the time. Its eventual release came later after a lengthy delay.
More importantly for collectors, this is not simply another mastering of the original 1977 mix.
It is a remix.
That distinction matters.
The newer presentation can make individual elements easier to follow and can provide greater apparent separation across the album's long-form arrangements.
For listeners familiar with Animals, hearing those relationships differently can be fascinating.
That does not mean the remix supersedes the original.
It serves another purpose.
The original mix documents how Animals entered music history in 1977. The remix provides a later interpretation of the same underlying recordings.
Collectors interested in the album's history should retain the original mix.
Listeners interested in exploring the recording from another perspective may find the remix an important companion.
Collector Rating: ★★★★½
Which Animals Pressing Should You Buy?
For the Serious Pink Floyd Collector
Seek a clean early UK Harvest SHVL 815.
Its combination of historical significance, vintage presentation, and collector desirability makes it the natural benchmark.
Condition should remain a major consideration.
For Affordable Vintage Collecting
Investigate early U.S. Columbia copies.
A strong American pressing can provide an excellent 1970s listening experience while often being more accessible than premium UK examples.
For the Original Mix Without Vintage-Condition Concerns
Choose the 2016 reissue.
It provides a practical way to experience the familiar mix on clean vinyl and is particularly attractive for regular playback.
For an Alternative Interpretation
Add the Animals 2018 Remix.
The key word is add.
It should be viewed as a companion to the original mix rather than an automatic replacement for it.
How to Identify an Early UK Animals Pressing
Identification matters whenever collector value depends on a particular issue.
Do not rely on the front jacket alone.
For an early UK copy, examine:
- Harvest Records labels
- SHVL 815 catalog number
- Matrix and runout information
- Country-of-manufacture information
- Label typography
- Period-correct jacket construction
- Inner sleeve
- Overall consistency of the package
The runout areas are particularly important because sleeves and records can become separated over decades of ownership.
A period-correct jacket does not automatically prove that the record inside is the pressing the seller represents.
For inexpensive listening copies, minor inconsistencies may not materially affect enjoyment.
For premium collector copies, they matter.
Verification becomes more important as the price increases.
The Importance of Original Packaging
The Animals cover is one of the most recognizable images in Pink Floyd's catalog.
The photograph of Battersea Power Station and the famous inflatable pig became inseparable from the album's identity.
For collectors, however, artwork is more than decoration.
Original packaging contributes to the historical integrity of the record.
When evaluating a vintage copy, consider:
- Outer jacket condition
- Spine
- Corners
- Seams
- Inner sleeve
- Record labels
- Moisture exposure
- Ring wear
- Writing or stickers
- Overall completeness
A clean record in a severely damaged jacket may still be an excellent listening copy, but it falls into a different collector category than a complete, well-preserved example.
That distinction should be reflected in both grading and price.
Condition Versus Rarity
Animals demonstrates one of the most important principles in record collecting:
A scarce pressing with groove damage is still a damaged record.
Rarity can increase collector value.
It cannot restore playback quality.
Professional cleaning can remove contaminants that contribute to noise. It can improve records affected by dust, residue, fingerprints, and material residing within the groove.
Cleaning cannot reconstruct damaged groove walls.
For listening purposes, a Near Mint later pressing can outperform a valuable original that has endured decades of poor playback.
Collectors should therefore distinguish between two objectives.
Artifact collecting emphasizes originality, rarity, provenance, packaging, and historical significance.
Audiophile collecting emphasizes mastering, pressing quality, physical condition, and playback performance.
Neither philosophy is inherently superior.
Strong collections often contain both.
Professional Insights: Mixing Versus Mastering
Animals provides an excellent opportunity to understand the difference between mixing and mastering.
The terms are sometimes used interchangeably in collector discussions, but they describe fundamentally different stages of record production.
A mix determines how the recorded elements are combined: relative levels, positioning, effects, balance, and the overall relationship among the recording's components.
Mastering takes that completed mix and prepares it for release.
Therefore, comparing the original Animals mix with the later remix involves more than comparing two vinyl pressings.
The presentation has already changed before the mastering stage is considered.
That is why owning both versions is not necessarily a form of duplication.
They document two different interpretations of the same recorded performances.
For serious collectors, that distinction can make comparison particularly rewarding.
Preservation Considerations
Vintage copies of Animals should be protected as both records and historical objects.
Records should be handled by their edges and label areas whenever possible and stored vertically in a stable environment away from excessive heat, moisture, direct sunlight, and dust.
Original inner sleeves should be retained when present, as they contribute to the package's completeness.
However, collectors do not necessarily need to continue storing valuable vinyl directly inside aging original inner sleeves.
A high-quality anti-static inner sleeve can protect the playing surface while preserving the original sleeve alongside the record.
The outer jacket should also receive protection from shelf friction, handling, dirt, and environmental exposure.
For collectible records, preservation should encompass the entire package.
Final Thoughts
Pink Floyd's Animals does not have one universally correct pressing for every collector.
For historical significance and vintage collecting, a clean early UK Harvest SHVL 815 remains the benchmark.
Early U.S. Columbia editions provide a compelling alternative for collectors seeking an authentic 1970s pressing without necessarily pursuing premium British copies.
The 2016 reissue offers one of the most practical routes to the original mix on clean vinyl and makes particular sense for regular listening.
The Animals 2018 Remix, meanwhile, provides something fundamentally different rather than something automatically better. It allows listeners to explore the same performances through another interpretation.
That distinction is precisely what makes Animals so rewarding to collect.
Different editions can serve different purposes within the same collection.
The objective should not simply be to own the most expensive version.
Understand the pressing. Evaluate the condition. Know which mix you are buying. Preserve the complete package.
Then listen.
Because even after decades of pressing variations, reissues, remastering, and remixing, the reason to own Animals remains the same: the music.
Whether you're searching for a rare first pressing, an audiophile favorite, or the next great addition to your collection, new records arrive at Maple City Music regularly.
Browse our latest arrivals and discover records that deserve a place on your turntable.
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At Maple City Music, we are proud to help collectors discover, preserve, and enjoy the records that matter most.