Urgent:Eric Burdon Rushed To The Hospital In a Critical Health Condition Last year, at the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas, Bruce Springsteen spoke eloquently about how The Animals were the most crucial band to develop his own musical vision. With a moniker that was "unforgiving and definitive and irrevocable" and a singer who resembled "a gorilla in a suit" but had a voice "like Howlin' Wolf coming out of some 17-year-old child," they were the first group he had ever heard with "full-blown Nonetheless, Burdon, who is still 71 years old and fiery, thought that The Animals were "the band who could not live up to their name." They trampled on it and wrecked it about. A long time ago, I stopped believing in The Animals. Nonetheless, Burdon, who is still 71 years old and fiery, thought that The Animals were "the band who could not live up to their name." They trampled on it and wrecked it about. A long time ago, I stopped believing in The Animals. Burdon's first album since 2005 and his best in 25 years, "Til Your River Runs Dry," was released this month. ...