The Animals

The other day my son and I were listening to The Best of the Animals, the great group which had its heyday in the 60's. To this day the group's driving beat and somewhat bluesy tunes can make me feel euphoric.

Eric Burdon, the baby-faced one in the center of the picture, had a great voice, sort of a funky basso. If I saw some young men who looked like the young men above on the street today, I'd just think, hmm, more kids who know nothing. But the band sounded as if it had decades of hard living behind it -- while maintaining the energy of their youth.

Back in the 60's The Animals were most famous for "House of the Rising Sun," "Don't let Me Be Misunderstood," and "We Gotta Get Out of this Place."

But they had any number of other great songs as well. My favorites include "Cheating," "See See Rider," "San Franciscan Nights," "Sky Pilot," and their cover of "River Deep Mountain High."

I was in the midst of enjoying "See See Rider," and feeling euphorically exuberant, when my son pointed out, "Hey Dad, listen, this song is about you -- 'Sissy Writer'."