I Used To Be An Animal, But I'm All Right Now

by Eric Burdon

One of the key figures in rock music during the 60s and 70s recounts his life and experiences as leader of the group The Animals, describing his encounters with other legends of rock, life on the road, and the toll it took on him and others

Genres: Music

221 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 1986

Reviews

[James C · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Animals are a band that people nowadays may not have much knowledge about, but the song “House of the Rising Sun” still lingers in pop culture. While the band has obviously faded in popularity over the course of the years, the memories live on in “I Used To Be An Animal, But I’m All Right Now” by Eric Burdon, the lead singer of the former band. Throughout his book, he takes the reader on a wild journey through the formation and separation of The Animals, including his own personal experiences and development.

While growing up in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, Eric Burdon always aspired to enter the world of rock music. Assembling a crew with some childhood friends, Burdon joined the Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, and The Animals were born. The British band quickly became popular, leading to Burdon and company going on tour in the United States in 1964. Burdon had the time of his life, going from coast to coast and eventually scored a gig in Japan for The Animals. Although the band was soaring high, towards the end of the 1960s, Burdon began to feel ambivalent about its direction. Its typical rock style was being tampered with from management to appeal to more modern audiences. The Animals had also recently parted ways with Alan Price after he became addicted to drugs. These factors combined did not sit well with Burdon, and after careful consideration, he parted ways with The Animals and formed a new band named War in 1969. Still somewhat unsatisfied, he decided to quit War and pursue a solo career. It became evident by this point that Burdon’s definition of fame and satisfaction morphed throughout his life, owing to his maturity.

I somehow found this book in my house one afternoon. The Animals are a familiar band to me, but I only recognized the song “House of the Rising Sun” since I had occasionally heard it on car rides. Nonetheless, I was interested in learning more about Eric Burdon and why he left this band. I’ve also been trying to read more (auto)biographies recently, and so I imagined that this book would serve me well. Coupled with the intrigue I had in 1960s life, I figured this book would be the perfect double dose of exploration into an older culture and the reasons for a band’s separation. Given the fact that this was in the 1960s, I had a feeling that the book was going to get a little wild at times, but I remained optimistic that it would enhance the reading experience.

Throughout the book, Eric Burdon does a wonderful job of engaging the reader. By refraining from mincing words, utilizing casual language, and continuously supplying his own thoughts and opinions, I felt like I was actually walking alongside Burdon. His growth as a character and a musician was well documented during the story. Although he initially came across to me as an immature, carefree, and insensitive man, by the end of his tale he became wiser, more serious, and obtained a solid grasp of his personal beliefs. Obviously, by no means did I watch Burdon blossom into a perfect human being, but he earned my respect. One of his core beliefs pertained to his deep admiration for music production. While reading through the fallout between Burdon and the other members of the Animals, I found myself being sympathetic and understanding. He recognized that the direction of the band did not align with his own desires, and I’d consider this to be a defining moment for Burdon. Despite everything he had worked for to develop the band, he still decided to cut ties with the other members and form the New Animals. The most effective part of this moment, in my opinion, was his straightforward delivery, lacking excessive drama or theatrics. Perhaps earlier in the story he would’ve exaggerated this event, but his character development fully showed itself here. Across the board, Burdon provides the reader with an honest retelling of his life story.

While his experiences with The Animals band are in-depth and entertaining, Burdon tends to get easily sidetracked and spins tales about rather nonsensical, unrelated topics. For one, Burdon involves the reader in too many events regarding his sexual life. I recognize that this is rather unsurprising for the 1960s and also ties into the title of the book, but it feels unnecessary and disconnected from the main storyline. He also goes into far too much detail regarding the relationships he has with countless women. Sure, this helps to develop the world around Burdon and establish the dynamic he shares with other characters, but it came across as him merely trying to relive past fantasies. On many occasions, Burdon spends too much time focusing on the physical appearance of these women, which seems somewhat patronizing and dehumanizing. Another issue lies in the fact that Burdon really does not flesh out the personalities of the other band members. Their names end up being tossed around here and there to remind the reader that they exist without providing sufficient information to portray them as actual people. To me, while I noticed names like Johnny Steel pop up here and there, the personalities and characteristics of the band members tended to be lost after superficial development. I understand that the story revolves around Eric Burdon, but it would feel more realistic and interpersonal if stronger character dynamics were established across the board.

Eric Burdon’s “I Used To Be An Animal, But I’m All Right Now” was by no means a thriller of a tale, but it effectively showcased how the lead singer of The Animals developed and matured as a person. The reader can easily comprehend why Burdon disliked the direction that The Animals were being taken into and how it connected to his changing personality. I may not know much about the band as a whole, but reading Burdon’s book gave me a reasonable look into a band that could soon be lost to time.

[Aggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burdon's first autobiography. Great stuff. He was a hellraiser and a bit of an ass, but still a great singer, who I think was very under-appreciated.

[Rafa Frisby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the fact that the book was written by him, and not by a ghost writer, as stars always do when it comes to their autobiographies. I say book, because for me, it was more like I was eavesdropping on a conversation that someone was having via cellphone on a quiet airport area. {Never done that, really :P} It’s entertaining, and it has a couple of good laughs. Eric can be raw with his descriptions, just like he is with his incredible voice. I’m not English, nor from his era, so, his telltales forced me to accept that I can be a bit prudish. Back to the book, no, it doesn’t include a chronological series of events, no, he didn’t spell the tea about everything that he went trough during the crazy decade of the 60s, yes, there are people that I wished he had talked about more, but like I said, it has the bits that he wanted to share, just like when we are reminiscing with a friend. Had it been edited by a professional, it could have shined way more, though. For me it’s a 3.5 rounded to 4, because he made me laugh, and because he wrote it himself {yeah, I know I already mentioned both.}

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first in a series of autobiographies by former-Animal singer. This one edited by Pete Townshend. Not much of a book really, but...probably honest.