Animal Rights

Rolling Stone - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...goes from one extreme to the next, swinging from contemplative, classical prettiness to screaming-guitar mayhem....Moby's work still reigns supreme in the realm between pop and dance..." Melody Maker - "...having decided that Smashing Pumpkins are what really float his spiritual boat [he's] taken this opportunity to rock out big time....`My Love Will Never Die' is like biting into a big quarter pound burger and, after a few chews, realising that it's not beef but tofu. Vegan metal! The other side of the musical universe from Ted Nugent..." Village Voice - "...Rock allows Moby to do things he couldn't do before..." NME - 8 (out of 10) - "...an album apparently designed solely to irritate his many hapless detractors....an album of ferocious speed-rock made with big, fat, distorted guitars....This is the work of a man who is committed, not who should be." Rolling Stone (2/20/97, p.70) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...goes from one extreme to the next, swinging from contemplative, classical prettiness to screaming-guitar mayhem....Moby's work still reigns supreme in the realm between pop and dance..." Village Voice (2/18/97, p.66) - "...Rock allows Moby to do things he couldn't do before..." Melody Maker (9/21/96, p.52) - "...having decided that Smashing Pumpkins are what really float his spiritual boat [he's] taken this opportunity to rock out big time....`My Love Will Never Die' is like biting into a big quarter pound burger and, after a few chews, realising that it's not beef but tofu. Vegan metal The other side of the musical universe from Ted Nugent..." NME (9/21/96, p.53) - 8 (out of 10) - "...an album apparently designed solely to irritate his many hapless detractors....an album of ferocious speed-rock made with big, fat, distorted guitars....This is the work of a man who is committed, not who should be."

The two guitar-based, pseudo-hardcore punk songs on EVERYTHING IS WRONG whetted Moby's appetite for destruction enough to yield ANIMAL RIGHTS, an album that is chock-full of guitars. Although ANIMAL RIGHTS is book-ended by two melancholy acoustic guitar and violin duets ("Now I Let it Go" and "Love Song for My Mother"), the rest of the record contains the kind of raucous and loud music Moby made with the obscure punk band the Vatican Commandos. Fans of Moby's ambient work might not find this record as appealing as those who favour Moby's aggressive side. However, it might be hard for anyone to resist the hard soloing on songs like the Prince-meets-Minor Threat thrash-fest "Come on Baby" or the slam-fests that are "Someone to Love", "Heavy Flow", and "You". "Soft" and "Say it's All Mine" bring the pace down for a few moments to allow those slam-dancing in their bedrooms to rest for a moment. "Face it" could almost pass for a Black Sabbath cover. The excellent "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" is a Mission of Burma cover.|