The Animals: "The House of the Rising Sun"

September 8, 1964 (1 week)

They recently announced the cast of the quartet of biopics that will be released in 2028 on each member of The Beatles. To say there's been an outcry is an understatement. All four actors main actors are experienced which disappointed some who were hoping they were going to cast a set of relative unknowns. Others had been hoping for some degree of local Merseyside flair represented. Then there were complaints that some looked far too chiseled to be playing those spindly thin mop tops, although there was one notable exception. Irish actor Barry Keoghan, they claimed, is far too ugly to play Ringo Starr!

Jesus, imagine being too unattractive to pull off a convincing turn as Ringo of all people. That's gotta sting. Fair assessment or not, it seems clear to me that Keoghan really ought to have been cast as Eric Burdon instead. (You know, for that inevitable Animals biopic; I doubt very much he'll be appearing in, say, the John Lennon movie) There are only so many people out there with a face that looks like they've just sucked on a lemon so it seems like a perfect match to me.

"The House of the Rising Sun" sure is a great song for impressionable youngsters in the nineties who want to form a rock group but have no idea in how to go about doing so. Is this because it is punk or some other type of D.I.Y. genre? No, even though The Animals were one of the early exponents of the British blues boom, which was one of the original 'fool around with instruments you don't know how to play and see what comes of it' styles. No, the reason it makes such an impression on youths with guitars is because of the authenticity involved.

Authenticity? From a Newcastle five-piece that all surely went to art schools recording an ancient song about whore houses in Louisiana? Absolutely. I think you'll find that many of the most earnest of rock musicians are also the biggest fakers. Though we may try to convince ourselves otherwise, authenticity is artifice.

This is a conclusion I can make as a grown man in his late forties but it never would have occurred to me thirty years ago. Eric Burdon looked pained as he sang the words to "The House of the Rising Sun" and he even closed his eyes at times. Of course he meant every word! And I'm not accusing him of anything untoward — I don't even doubt that he was sincere. But it's still a performance. And a very strong performance at that. On the other hand, what am I doing listening to this now that I no longer dream of being a rock star myself? 

The British Invasion seemed to be cooling off a bit by the second half of 1964. Since the move from CHUM to RPM that July, The Beatles had been the sole UK act to reach the top spot. In reality, it was only just getting going. While the Merseybeat groups as well as bands who owed a debt to the Fab Four had been the early beneficiaries of the trend, acts from a wide range of areas of the British Isles who played a variety of styles were beginning to emerge. While The Beatles had a power and sound that was all their own, The Animals were one of the first groups to provide an alternative to all that sunshine pop. While the bubblegum UK groups would continue to flourish, a much more well-rounded second wave was beginning to arrive on North American shores. It won't be for a while yet until we get Rolling Stones, Who and Kinks number ones so until then it's (a) The Beatles, (b) a load of silly Brits doing what amounts to music hall and (c) The Animals.

"The House of the Rising Sun" is one of those singles that brings to mind my claim that music doesn't age, only we as listeners do. I like to think there are youths around the world who are learning from The Animals or are at least inspired by their authenticity. Youngsters could do a whole lot worse than consuming this deeply influential tune but they should also keep in mind that it's merely a stepping off point. Bob Dylan's brave but flawed version from his self-titled debut is worth hearing once but it doesn't come close to what he be recording even a year later. Similarly, Burdon and the Animals had stronger records in them, even if few would be nearly as memorable. So, get into something this powerful and gripping but then let yourself explore and be far more artificial even as you're becoming more authentic. The two needn't clash — in fact, ideally they go hand-in-hand.

Score: 7