Pink Floyd: Dogs REACTION & ANALYSIS | The Daily Doug (Episode 332) 

This song has comforted me in difficult times throughout my life, since the age of 14. Despite the rather dark energy in the song, it is like an good old friend

Remembered Gilmour’s answer to an interviewer pointing out that he can’t play fast: ‘Yes, I can’t play fast. So I chose to play well.’ Sums up Floyd too.

"Boy, nobody does music quite like this" sums up Pink Floyd well

Remembering how "poorly" Animals was received on original release, it's remarkable how it stands the test of time. This song in particular.

Animals is such a great album that often time gets overlooked.

Gilmours lead work on this album is incredible.

Gilmour's guitar solos in "Dogs" are of my favorites in his career with Pink Floyd.

Let's never forget the amazing contribution Rick Wright (Keyboards/Piano/Synthesizers) gave to the music of Pink Floyd . The embellishments and nuanced phrases he would interject are those little ingredients , that if they were missing, you would definitely notice .

Mr. Carlson: “do I hear dogs barking?” Dr Johnny Fever: “I do.” Rip Howard Hessman

Incredible how this piece didn't age in almost 50 years. It's always the same dogs, in suits and uniforms, protecting the pigs rather than thenselves and the innocent sheeps. I'd say the rising consciousness about this situation, while not as clear as in the 70's, makes the song all the more relevant

Nick Mason is a MACHINE when called to do repetitive tempo, and BRILLIANT in keeping the music together. Wonderful drummer!

I am in the book of world's records for having listened to this album more than any other human.

When you said "nobody does music quite like this", I was immediately reminded to why I love Pink Floyd so much! ♡

5:57 "Boy, no one does music quite like this". Exactly!!!

People seldom comment on how Gilmour chooses a tone to suit the song. In Dogs, the 1st and the last solo have tones and licks that seem like squeeks of a dog, not to mention the pinch harmonic in the main solo. In Hey You's solo, they seem like a man crying for help, in Time they feel like the inevitable weight of causality, in Shine it sounds like the smooth landscape of the human mind haunted by evil spirits and so on. Many people have liked Pink Floyd and everyone has their unique reasons.

The first time I saw Pink Floyd was on the Animals tour in ‘77. They came out and played the entire album, then took an interlude before returning to play the entire Wish You Were Here lp. No one left their seat during the break; everyone was so gobsmacked by what they’d just experienced, they were (I believe) too stunned to move. I know I was.

"So have a good drown as you go down, all alone- dragged down by the stone..." What follows in the slower, less melodic synth section is, to my ear, the sensation of drowning- sinking slowly deeper and deeper. Being underwater, sounds from above are muffled and there is a slowness of heartbeat. When the synth comes in to add melody, it's as if I'm gazing up to see flickers of sunlight on the surface while I continue to slip into the void. And then coming back in with, "Gotta admit, I feel a little bit confused" is truly one of the best Floyd moments. I'm so glad they had different vocalists on either side of the middle section, it really gives it that before and after effect. Thanks Doug, that was great.

In the great constellation of Pink Floyd's atmospheric musical wizardry, this is my favorite song and favorite album of theirs. Can't wait!

“Nobody does music quite like this”. Understatement of the year.

The beautiful, mournful solo at 7:37 that builds to a crescendo, followed by the return to the slow, measured timing of verse that begins, "and when you lose control..." with all of those empty spaces in there, is one of my favorite moments in music. The emotional contrast between the anguish in the solo and the cold, calculated verses that follow is just so powerful. It feels like a battle has been lost.

The greatest song from the greatest album ever by the greatest band ever: "Dogs" from *Animals* by Pink Floyd.

This song never gets old🎸.

I spent some time in prison and this is the album I missed the most. I had a radio but no rock stations at the time would play any song off this. I eventually found a college radio station out of Alvin Texas that would play strange requests for people and I got my grandmother to call in and request this for me. They wouldn’t play “Dogs” for me but they did end up playing “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” for me and I was in heaven for a little while!!!

Emerging from a coma from a car accident almost 20 years ago, I had a set of headphones put on and I eventually broke through to this side of reality with Dogs playing softly. This song and its memory is forever engrained in my Self. Thanks for the review.

Dogs is one of the greatest prog epics of all time. What it may lack in complexity it makes up for it atmosphere and rage! Floyd could do anger much more convincingly than any punk or metal band. No other band has made such unique and thoughtful music and captured such a wide and huge audience.

Dogs has the best finale for any song I've ever heard. "Who was born in a house full of pain... Who was dragged down by the stone."

True story: Back in the 90's when I was really into this album, I had a black chow that would sit with me in my room as I listened to this song. Every time the dogs barking came on he would tilt his head in wonderment then sniff the speakers, looking behind them for the dogs. Whenever the distorted barks would come on he would stop panting and stare at the speakers. I miss that dog.

You know it's good when Doug spends the entire first 2 minutes not saying a word, mouth agape with a look of awe and amazement. Such an epic song, and way underrated. Literally never heard this song on the radio

Pink Floyd’s true masterpiece. Dark side and the wall are great, but this takes the cake. Excellence in music.

David Gilmour is life. He is the epitome of guitar for me. Pure talent. His voice is so beautiful as well. I love this reaction, Pink Floyd is my all time favorite band. They’ve saved my life more than once 🤍

Who needs melody when it is so incredibly engaging.

It’s so impressive how you identify notes and chords so quickly.

Probably one of the best concept albums ever made, and musically apart from almost anything of the time (or since). This whole album (yeah I'm old) was one to listen to in low light, with headphones on. End to end perfection.

This song reminds me of a sad time; I was listening to this particular album the week my little 10 year old lovely daughter died (she had juvenile idiopathic arthritis) back in 2020. But at the same time the song comforts me, because I used to listen to this record in the 80's and the poetry/music is still awesome! Thanks Doug!

My mom introduced me to PF in 1980. I was 8 when I heard the wall volume cranked to 10. Been a fan since ❤

The description of the bad blood slowing and turning to stone is an important lyric for the entire album. "The stone" is mentioned in several places, but *this* is where it's defined. It's the bad blood that we create that slows and turns to stone and eventually drags us down. The atmosphere they create in this song and really the entire album is so perfectly matched with the lyrics it's uncanny.

This is my most wanted from Pink Floyd beside Echoes (studio version). Really looking foward to this, the most amazing song from Animals! Go, DOUG!

Masterpiece of a song, Animals my favorite album, at 59 I still listen to it all the time!

This track is a masterpiece. World heritage.

Pink Floyd have been with me all my adult life , being English and living in the uk it can’t get any better ,

Sitting in my room, 16 or 17 years old, listening to this song over and over and having my dog start barking when the dogs barked on the album. Great memories.

One of the greatest songs to hear them play live. I saw this tour in '77, and all the sound effects were in quad. Gilmour's guitar was loud and edgy, like a sonic laser cutting through the hall. One of the finest shows I've ever been to. The recording is only a small fraction of the savagery that this was performed with.

My memory of this song is driving with my family on the Alberta plains - a blue sky behind us, a black sky/super cell thunderstorm ahead of us ... a distinct wall of dark grey cloud across the big sky ... driving into the darkness. The dogs bark as an orange bolt of lighting tears the clouds in two. This song is magic and extreme - perfect for when mother nature is showing off.

I love watching you get into pink floyd. Its poetry and fucking amazing music. Been my favorite band since i was a young teen. Went to 2 floyd concerts in LA in my teens. I want to throw out how much i love and respect the one that got away. After waiting in line 6 hours for tickets to floyd they sold out when i was next in line. Later that day i was at work in Westwood at Stans Donut Shop and a beautiful blond brit medical student at UCLA came to order food. He said he had 2 tickets to PF and asked me to go. It was the most perfect date of my life. We ate at the steak bar. He had great seats. Phenomenal show. Bought me herbage. Then took me to his frat apt.and played floyd all night on his electric guitar.cuddled me in his bed and never got out of line.. I never saw him again. 35 years later.i dont remember his name but i love him. I should have married that boy!💜😘✌🙋💜

I was a senior in high school when the album was new, I remember I had my dad read the lyrics to this song. His response: 'it reminds me of what it's like at work' I thought, yaah, he get's it. One of the many reasons I have always tried to avoid work.

An incredible track, featuring some of Floyd's best musicianship and great, memorable lyrics by Waters. (Our band plays it regularly - it's still a huge hit with prog fans.) At the same time, the song also symbolically represents Floyd's transition from a band into (temporarily) Waters' vehicle for expressing his vision, with Gilmour singing the first half of the song and Waters the second. It was the start of their breaking up ... they just didn't fully realize it yet.

the best album of Pink Floyd.

Starting at about 11:25 through 14:00, those "crunchy chords" on the keys are being "vocoded" by the dog barking sound. Might be an opportunity to learn about the vocoder, which was used a lot in prog. In this case, the crunchy keyboards are the "carrier" and the dog barks are the "signal". You were (rightfully) musing about the chords and the lilting nature of that section, but you definitely shouldn't miss the technology magic going on with the dog/keyboard vocoder.

“You’ve Gotta Be Crazy” plus “Raving and Drooling” were two track written during the Darkside tour and planned for their next album in 1975. Instead they were shelved for a bit abs reworked into Dogs and Sheep.

This is the song the great Dr Johnny Fever (RIP Howard Hesseman) introduced to his listeners in the 1st season of WKRP. If my memory still works, it was on the legendary episode Turkeys Away.

This is by far Pink Floyd's most tragically underrated song. It bring tears to my eyes every time I hear it, and even as I am listening to this now. This is my favorite song of all time, but Time and Echoes are a close 2nd. All of them bring tears to my eyes even after all these years.

7:15.... For me: One of the most profound things I've ever heard you say!!!... ..." just hanging out on...the D minor chord, with dogs barking in the background...Gotta Love it"... lol

I bought this when it came out and it is still one of my favorite albums of all time. The musical atmosphere is truly unique and the theme of the album with the animal parables is still up to date.

Even the silence between Gilmour's Guitar notes sound amazing.

I’ve always had this auditory thing that when he says “the stone” I pitched up by an octave in my head and it sounded like a siren. They do a lot of his with things like a long vocal note being cross faded with a saxophone note. Sheep does that exact thing. Absolutely amazing production.

PF's punk album; 1977 and full of vitriol, showing the kids of the time how it's done. Just think of the fuss the Sex Pistols caused when at the same time Roger is effing and blinding about those who think they are the conscience of a country. Quality.

Doug, I just want to say thanks. Many years back, the desire for a better form of TV, in which one could watch 'a la carte' the content that best suited the viewer, was just a dream. Now a decade into RU-vid, this want has become a reality. However, there are only so many hours in the day, and even thou I might subscribe to dozens of channels, I can't find enough time to watch all of you. But your content is a joy to watch, so while I may not watch every episode, you do get 3 to 4 viewings a week from me.

The journey while playing and being in this song is engrossing, it never was unenjoyable or difficult. The tandem and solo leads create such strong emotions. Roger was showing us his psyche and internal monologue, a complicated guy. It's a masterpiece.

The Mason Wright part is one of my favorite interactions between Nick and Richard, Richard's playing is just the right amount of darkness and foreboding necessary for Dogs. Nicks drumming, not one note is drummed that is not necessary, Nick's drumming in this should be pictured in the dictionary under "sparse", he really backs Richard up on the feeling of apprehension. Stellar piece of music. I used to get stuck enjoying David's nasty licks that at times sends shivers up my spine, but recently enjoying some herb I really concentrated on not listening to David and zoning in on the base/drum and keyboards, Floyd albums never get old, a joy to listen to always.

These guys were geniuses

Curious for this one :) This song is the apex of the Roger Waters era. Harsh, political, acrid and corrosive, and I love it. Had the chance to see it live and WOW...

Dogs, as featured on WKRP: Mr. Carlson: Do I hear dogs barking on that thing? Dr. Johnny Fever: I do. Mr. Carlson: Here's something called Pigs On The Wing. What does that sound like? Dr. Johnny Fever: I don't do requests.

I had Animals on 8 track in 78. It never stopped.

"They take their time, don't they?" lol. Such a great album.

Pink Floyd's albums from 1971-1979 is the greatest streak of albums, in my opinion. Rivalled only by The Beatles 1963-1969 and Elton John 1971-1976. All three bands just grew exponentially, it's mind boggling! What's fascinating about the Floyd's cycle is how the albums reflect the bands journey through life and the music business so perfectly. The serene and empathetic feeling of Meddle and Dark Side, to the feelings of loss and music business burnout of Wish You Were Here, to the tiredness and darkened world view of Animals and finally ending with the total collapse of empathy and barely controlled nihilism of the Wall. Just a remarkable and fascinating journey. I love this era of the band. They never topped it, and they didn't need to. Great reaction, Doug! Thank you for presenting this to us non patreons. I'm very grateful. ✌️

Well, we are living in the time of the Sheep these days, which was really the song which made me look over Jordan to see that things are not what they seem, back at high school.

Battersea Power Station, next door is Battersea Dogs Home, dogs barking on Dogs are from Battersea Dogs Home.

10/ 10 reaction/ breakdown and 10/10 song.

I saw Roger performing this on his Us + Them tour a few years ago and it was mesmerising and epic. As soon as I got the notification yesterday that you were releasing this code I revisited the entire album again. Pure magic.

This song has some of the most vicious lyrics in classic rock. Love it.

Dogs. One of THE BEST Floyd compositions. Period.

My dear Prof....since Adamo and Eva....through Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Wagner....the Gregorian songs......the oldest gospel and blues and young rock and roll...... nothing is better than Pink Folyd !!!

Saw Waters do this live a few years back, completely floored the way they changed it up and also the projections and flying pigs.

Still my favorite Pink Floyd album. I remember the 1st time hearing it when it came out and I still get that same rush today when I hear it. It will take you on an incredible journey.

Pink Floyd transcends the prog genre. Unique band.

"Dragged down by the stone" is a reference to the barbaric historical practice of euthanizing dogs by tying them to a stone and throwing them in a lake. If you know that reference, the lyric is even more impactful.

After "Dragged down by the stone" it always reminds me of a 70s Council Estate in the UK (our version of social housing)... It's in opposition to the previous part which sounds quite pastoral - the interplay between dogs in Suburbia and dogs in the countryside... 👍👍

Top of the mountain right there for Mr Gilmour. Something I never tire of listening to. Was surprised as hell that some studio outtakes showed up a few years back under the title "The Extraction Tapes". An Animals and WYWH Floydgasm. Wild stuff and worth checking out.

1) "Animals" is the Pink Floyd fan's Pink Floyd album. 2) Did anybody have "Doug Helvering does a bong rip on RU-vid on their "Top 10 Predictions for 2022" list?

It amazes me how a 1/2 step shift in key makes all the difference in the mood. D-minor has a sad, mournful sound to it, while Db-minor (relative to E-Major - a la Mountain Jam) has a more happy & lighthearted sound.

One of my desert island LP's. Gilmour kills it.

The repeated stone motif is one of the best things I’ve ever heard

4:37 David: "You know it's gonna get harder (harder) harder and harder..." Dough: "The hard part..."

"& it's too late to lose the weight you used to need to throw around..." My absolute most favorite lyrics of any song.

This track have been an obsession for me ever since i heard it many moons ago as a kid. After getting "fed up" with DSOTM this was sooo darn good and different. Still one of my all time fav songs and fav album of Pink Floyd.

One of my favorite albums! David Gilmore is without a doubt one of the best guitar players. And any live videos he plays them all exactly like the album, every note!! Plus in the case of Comfortable Numb adds even more! I got to see them in concert and his solo had me in tears! Do yourself a flavor and watch the Live at Pompeii movie! Just the film crew and the band is setup in the ruins of Pompeii and they just play! Without a doubt watching them do Echo's is mind blowing!! Grab your pipe, headphones, and get ready to blow your mind!!

"Dragged down by the stone" of our own iniquities. Priceless.

A like for that bong rip and a masterpiece of an album🤙

It's not my favorite PF album, but I'd be the first to admit that it's probably the best. Being a concept album, I think it has the most cohesion and core to it's ideas compared to other heavy hitters from the band. It's less abstract than Dark Side, and way more focused and consistent in it's themes than The Wall. In terms of musicianship this was also probably the highest point for the band, with them refining the sounds they've developed during production of Dark Side and turning them into this quite dark and moody landscape. Some say you can hear how it's somewhat transitional between Dark Side and The Wall, how sounds from the latter meld with the former. WYWH stands a bit apart to me in that regard IMO, as being very much it's own thing. But I think it was the golden middle, where they balanced rich and grandiose with stripped down and dry. The only reason it isn't my personal fav is because I don't have quite as strong of a sentimental connection with this record compared to some others from Pink Floyd.

Roger Waters is an intense control freak....I say it with all due respect because he is an incredible musician and artist

The entire Animals album is like a warm, cozy blanket. Comfort food for the soul 💯

I always regarded that 4th chord in the verse progression as a German augmented 6th in 3rd inversion (Bb triad with G# in the bass) although it doesn't resolve in the typical manner. Also I like how they use the "sus4" on the Bb triad (add Eb). I'm 99% sure that is Rick's progression. Such an underappreciated keyboardist.

I'm glad you tackled song from this album. I first listened to this almost 35 years ago and loved it ever since. Other great songs from the album are "Pigs" and "Sheep", of course. 🙂 Having said this, can you please do Pink Floyd's "Final Cut" album? The whole album is almost a story on its own from the anger-driven first track to the desperate plea in the last track. It is quite a challenge to recommend which song to feature. I love the lyrics and musical overlay and I think it has potential for great discussion. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into these music appreciation/dissection sessions.

Just bought the full album based on this reaction. Am looking forward to listening to the full album. Thanks for releasing this part of the Extended Play video. This repackaging works well especially with the updated into outro. Quality content as usual 👌

The years between Dark Side and The Wall, these guys absolutely killed it with their creativity and virtuosity.

One of the greatest rock music songs ever written IMO.

All the analysts, the chord identification, the lyrics... all good, but what I really appreciate is the reminders of music I listened to in my formative years. Thanks man!

My favorite track from my favorite album of all time. Thanks for recording this reaction. Awesome.

The part about being “dragged down by the stone” is a theme through the album. If you listen to their next album, “The Wall”, in the song “Hey You” Roger asks “Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?” and I can’t help but think it is a carry over from “Animals”.

ANYthing you do about Pink Floyd and I'LL BE HERE EVERY TIME DOUG!!!!1 YOU'RE AMAZING!