Animal Magic (The Blow Monkeys album)


Animal Magic is the second album from the British band The Blow Monkeys, released in 1986 by RCA/Ariola. It gave the group their commercial breakthrough after their debut album, Limping for a Generation, had won critical acclaim but had only sold modestly.
Sales of Animal Magic were boosted by the hit single "Digging Your Scene", which charted in the UK, the rest of Europe and the US. The album's first single, the ballad "Forbidden Fruit", had been released almost a year before the LP. After "Digging Your Scene", two more singles were taken from the album, both of which, though catchy and cleverly built, didn't replicate the same level of commercial success: "Wicked Ways" reached No.60 in Great Britain, and "Don't Be Scared of Me" chart at No.77 in UK.
Animal Magic displayed an intelligent collection of slick, soul-influenced, mid-tempo tunes. A couple of ballads offered some diversity: one of them, "I Backed a Winner ", is a heartfelt track, mostly a cappella, with lead singer Dr. Robert, softly playing acoustic guitar while giving the lyrics its perceptive rhythm, where his vocals, and especially those of an aptly named ensemble, The Demon Barbers, acting as a sort of doo wop choir. Amongst the album's many gems is also a duet with Jamaican toaster Eek-A-Mouse on the duet "Sweet Murder".
In 2012, Cherry Red announced the release of a 2-CD deluxe edition with a whole bonus disc of previously unissued demos and B-sides.

Track listing

Words and music by Dr. Robert.
  1. "Digging Your Scene" – 4:13
  2. "Animal Magic" – 3:07
  3. "Wicked Ways" – 4:14
  4. "Sweet Murder" – 6:31
  5. "Aeroplane City Lovesong" – 4:52
  6. "Walking the Blue Beat" – 4:12
  7. "I Nearly Died Laughing" – 3:37
  8. "Don't Be Scared of Me" – 3:29
  9. "Burn the Rich" – 4:17
  10. "I Backed a Winner " – 2:39
  11. "Forbidden Fruit" – 3:59
  12. "Heaven Is a Place I'm Moving To" – 3:05

    Singles from the album

The Blow Monkeys

Charts

SongChartPeakDate
"Animal Magic"US Billboard 200359 August 1986
"Digging Your Scene"UK Singles Chart121 March 1986
"Digging Your Scene"US Billboard Hot 100142 August 1986
"Wicked Ways"UK Singles Chart6017 May 1986