Perspectives:
In Defense of Animal Logic
Piece and
media by Matthew Anthony Allair
Around ten months ago, when I was a participate of a music reaction channel with a host who is a very person. There was a reaction to the Animal Logic single “There’s A Spy (In The House of Love) 1989, and to say it was muted, if not negative, was an understatement. I actually felt sorry for the person who made the suggestion. To preface this, all music opinions are subjective, some things you like and other’s you don’t, I don’t mind that, furthermore, I don’t expect people to agree with my opinions here with the reviews or the articles, in fact, I am always prepared to get disagreement. You can’t please everyone. My issue with less with the host and more with the commentators that I felt reeked of an elitism or snob like disposition, and the reactions just seemed too kneejerk or ignorant, without understanding the intent behind the project.
Now, I
understand that most progressive rock and fusion fans have very high standards,
and some tend to sneer at anything that is ‘pop music’, which I understand, but
I also don’t understand as all forms of music have different intents and aims,
and they should be judged on their own terms, and not based on what you wish
something to be. There was a history that lead up to the formation of Animal
Logic, as well as information that is little known. The Wikipedia entry for the
band is woefully inadequate, and therefore it takes more work. Plus their two
albums are out of print which makes this all harder. Plus, the Spotify account
only covers one album as of this writing. But there are archived pieces that
explain the origin of the albums and their real intent to be pop albums with a
rock edge.
Let’s look
at the core players. Stanley Clarke had become a legend by the eighties.
Clarke’s tenure with Chick Corea’s Return To Forever from 1972 until 1977 had
produced some incredible work, during this period, Stanley had also done side
projects, but his1976 album School Days had gotten him notable attention. The
final Return To Forever line did reunite to record’s Corea’s 10 minute track
“Compadres” for his album. During these period’s Clarke performed with Jeff
Beck in the 70s and helped co found the brief New Barbarians with Ron Wood, and
Keith Richards. Clarke was already leaning towards more rock and pop material
at the time he collaborated with George Duke on the Clarke / Duke Project.
Whose first album in 1981 did have a fusion and pop accent - they did two albums.
Later on, aside from
Clarke playing with Paul McCartney for his Tug Of War and Pipes Of
Peace sessions, Clarke did keep releasing solo albums that featured
elements that kept up the tradition of his jazz fusion era, but he was open to
interpreting pop material as well. As much as their future collaboration were already
underway, Stewart Copeland already had played drums on a track on Stanley’s
1988 album, If This Bass Could Only Talk.
As far as
Stewart Copeland is concerned, after his run with The Police had technically
ended. Stewart worked on some innovative projects, most notably his soundtrack
to Coppola’s Rumble Fish in 1983, an album that featured the unusual single
“Don’t Fence Me In” with Stan Ridgeway - from Wall Of Voodoo. Yet it was the
instrumental material that is compelling, hybrids of reggae, off kilter pop,
and jazz, was a continuation of the more idiosyncratic original material he
brought to the Police. This led to other scoring work on other films, Namely Wall
Street, Talk Radio, Taking Care of Business, She’s Having A Baby, and
television shows like The Equalizer, and the pilot for Babylon 5.
His 1985 album The Rhythmatist was a result of a pilgrimage to Africa
where he worked with African players, featuring local drums and percussion as
well as vocals. Stewart did session work for Peter Gabriel on his So
album a year later. But the desire to
find and form a new pop rock project was there by the time of the preliminary
collaborations in 1987 with what would become Animal Logic.
The intent
was very much stated in the press kits and few interviews available. Clarke and
Copeland shifted through hundreds of audition packages, when a two song demo
from Deborah Holland, an L.A. based Piano teacher and singer stood out and that
began the collaboration. Keep in mind that for the stature of Clarke and
Copeland to help elevate this lady to notable attention is pretty significant.
Many singers and musicians may be excellent and talented, yet never catch any
professional breaks to platform their work. Their choice of Holland for the
project was a real vote of confidence on their part. Even for their first set
of shows in Brazil, Andy Summers was briefly in Animal Logic, but Andy wanted
to just focus on jazz music not pop.
Let’s look
at the players, Stanley’s bass work on the first album really pops, and
Stewart’s characteristic high hat and cymbal work - as well as his unusual fills - creep in on various tracks. Guitarist Michael Thompson’s guitar work, with its
clean chorus tones, has a very crystalline bite on many numbers, and he brings
the added edge with his over driven leads. Yes legend Steve Howe offers some
fine second support especially on a number like “As Soon As The Sun Goes Down”.
You also have other players like the music scene iconic L. Shankar on electric
violin, and Jazz legend Freddie Hubbard on the closing track.
Generally, singles are not a best representation of an album, just the intended gateway.
The first several tracks are a slow burn, which makes it all a little deceptive, But “I’m Through With Love, As Soon As The Sun Goes Down,” and the side two opener “I Still Feel For You” have real vibrancy. Richard’s banjo work on “Elijah” gives it an extra sheen and lift, “ Someone To Come Home To” builds into something powerful with the chorus and great guitar work and bass leads from Clarke, and Copeland comes to life in the last half, the album closer, the ballad “I’m Sorry Baby (I Want You In My Life)”, is a musically pensive, compelling piano piece with a fine Hubbard solo and tasteful bass lead by Clarke. Deborah’s vocals are strong, aside from the jazz inflections, I also hear a slight county music drawl to her vocal approach, while the lyrics are pretty much in the area of relationships, she can offer a fresh twist of a lyric.
The first
album was also a product of its time with the production flourishes. Paul
McCartney’s Flowers In The Dirt was very synth heavy in its pop sheen.
And even Neil Young had added some synths as extra coloring on his comeback
album Freedom. People just didn’t see that a more stripped down, organic
approach was just looming in the new decade. Madonna, Michael Jackson, and
Tears For Fears were still the predominant forces at that moment and products of the eighties.
Let’s talk
about guitarist Michael Thompson a little, his work on the album was pretty
phenomenal. Copeland and Clarke would continue to use Thompson – No relation to
the legend Richard Thompson – He would soon work with David Foster, he would
work with Babyface and namely additional guitar Clapton’s “Change The World”,
and Quincy Jones would tap him to work on Q's Jook Joint in 1995. Thompson would
work with Robert “Mutt” Lange on Shania Twain’s Up album. He worked with
Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Toni Braxton, Phil Collins, Rod
Stewart, Michael Bolton, The Scorpions, Madonna, Mariah Carry, and En Vouge,
and so on…all showing his range. He had studied at Berkeley College of Music
and had studied under Pat Metheny before branching out.
Again,
this album opens with a slow burn, and I can understand the complaints by some
about it sounding a little bland. But there’s some life and funk infusion with
“Love In The Ruins (Doctor Dear Doctor)” as well as Garson’s Piano work. The
single “Rose Colored Glasses” is catchy, and has some exuberant feelings, Often,
it’s the deeper cuts towards that are the most compelling. There’s a folk and
funk infusion with “If I Could Do All Over Again”, as well as playful saxophone
leads, Copeland really cuts loose on this, Clarke drives the bridge section. There’s
also vibrant slow burn with “I Won’t Be Sleeping Anymore” with a great chorus,
and Holland delivers one of her strongest vocals. “Talking Is Good” has a
playful Reggae feeling and George Duke accents the sentiment. Stanley Clarke
drives “Stone In My Shoe” throughout as well as some incredible bass leads in
the second, and Copeland seems responsive, "Stone" pretty much feels like an improvisational vamp.
Once again, not a perfect album, but overall, a very enjoyable listen.
The other
problem with the album was the timing. This was released around the same period
as the music scene was shifting, Nirvana, The Seattle scene and ‘grunge’ was
starting to creep through the public consciousness, for example, another band
from the same period Jellyfish had released their first album in 1990, Bellybutton,
their follow-up release in 1993, the masterful Spilt Milk would suffer
from the commercial changes. A Lot of bands prior to 1990 struggled with the industry shifts.
Now the
history with Rusty Anderson is a little confusing as he isn’t always listed as
a guitarist on the album, Rusty went on to work with Paul McCartney’s band,
but as a teen Rusty’s band Eulogy opened for countless bands, after the Animal
Logic sessions, Rusty worked with a wide range of acts. In 1993 his other band
Ednaswap opened for Sublime, Social Distortion, No Doubt and Weezer. He has
worked on sessions with Elton John, New Radicals, Willie Nelson, Tim McGraw,
Michael Buble, Jewel, Stevie Nicks and Joe Cocker Rusty has continued on as a
composer and Producer.
The band
broke up after sales were softer, and as Clarke and Copeland were committed to
other projects, Animal Logic didn't continue. The story didn’t exactly end there. In 2022, Animal Logic
reformed for several dates, and recorded and released two new songs. It’s
pretty evident that Clarke and Copeland mjust have liked working with Holland enough
to try again. Thet new single “Can You Tell Me” had some inventive drumming
from Copeland and featured ex-Flecktones player Howard Levy on Harmonica. The
other track, “Ordinary” is merely decent, but whimsical. Holland has not lost her touch as
a singer. Debroah Holland did a new interview around that period. I am aware the band may not be for everyone, and if you seek more
adventurous fare, you can always check out Oysterhead with Les Claypool,
Stewart Copeland, and Phish’s Trey Anastaio. My only complaint about Les is
that so many of his outside projects - due to his idiosyncratic vocal sound - sound like Primus adjacent - but they are a good band.
Samples
from both albums have been included here, as well as the new single. Only the
second album is featured on Spotify, and the titles are out of print. The new songs were featured on Bandcamp before it appeared on Spotify.
The
platform of Animal Logic did give Holland an independent solo career, she
released five solo albums, continued to work with Stewart Copeland, she has
been involved with the folk trio, The Refuges, she just released I Made It This
Far in 2025. She has remained a steady talent that didn’t fall into the cliches
of self-destruction and drug use that plagued so many others. She may not have
been on par with Harriet Wheeler from The Sundays, another peer from that
period, but Holland should not be dismissed. After receiving a master’s degree
for CSU Los Angeles, she joined the faculty, running the masters in commercial
music program, from 1998 until 2010.
Again,
this is all subjective, not everyone is going to like the same things, which I
understand, and I don’t expect anyone to agree with me, all I ask for is some
objective fairness.
Additionally, it was not
only Debroah who benefited from the project, but at least two guitarists who
ended up with viable careers. That’s saying a lot. Clarke understood one key jazz tradition – to give unknown players the opportunity to be spotlighted and
prove what they could do. Clarke and Copeland demonstrated the real spirit of paying it forward, that doesn’t always happen.
Her time
in Animal Logic left her with opportunities for a viable career, and great
esteem from the critical community, Clarke and Copeland’s vote of confidence in
her paid off back then, and I hope others take that inconsideration when judging
the band.
