B+

     Angel is one of those bands who just missed. They both benefitted and suffered from being label mates with Kiss. The white, somewhat effeminate, outfits belied a much harder sound, at least in their earlier albums. On Earth As It Is In Heaven marked a significant style change from a guitar/organ driven, almost prog, sound to a much more power pop, guitar riff, big chorus, focus. Singer Frank Dimino's soaring, almost Geddy Lee sounding, voice was either majestic or grating, depending upon the listener. The band featured three very talented players in guitarist Punky Meadows, keyboardist Gregg Guiffria and drummer Barry Brandt, who all suffered in industry reputation because of the focus on their glam look. After releasing two outstanding, though modestly successful, albums, the band and/or label decided a change was in order. While the band line-up stayed the same, legendary producer Eddie Kramer was brought in to take the band to greater heights, both in sound and sales. Again, depending upon the listener, the results were successful or a step back. Featuring a very bright, loud drum sound and a focus more on guitar driven pieces that were much more commercial than earlier albums, the album was a surprise to fans of their earlier two. Behind a massive advertising campaign by Casablanca, the album was released in the summer of '77, in the midst of Kiss mania. While a better seller than previous albums, it still wasn't the massive success hoped for by the band or the record company. It was, however, the first Angel to feature the ambigram logo, possibly the greatest logo in rock history. - Kip

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   I think I have rhythm section fetish… Nothing weird and or kinky…I just really dig the relationship between rhythm and harmony. Drummer and bassist. It’s the first thing I listen for in rock music. If the rhythm section isn’t happening then chances are the music is lacking. As I was watching YouTube vids of Angel from this album, even though I knew they weren’t playing live, there was a real energy there. Barry and Mickie were as one yet there was space for individuality. You know the space between…I don’t know if that makes sense, but I’m going with it. - Mark

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   I have four different CD’s of this album. They all sound different with the mastering that was done to each one. The 2009 BGO version from Great Britain is the best. It has bass and the sound is warm, allowing you to turn it up. The other versions I have are Lovember 2008, Rock Candy 2012 (which has the earlier Japanese mix of the album) and the Casablanca box set version 2018  and they all sound overly bright and lack any bass. The booklets on these other CD versions are great, but for turn it up loud sound quality I recommend the BGO version. - Jeff

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1. Can You Feel It (Frank DiMino, Gregg Giuffria and Punky Meadows) A+

   Barry’s intro snare drum ostinato sets the mood for this album. It’s technical and it kicks ass! Paving the way for the rest of the guy’s mammoth all in assault. I love it! Man, this hits hard! Frank’s vocal are the mini-nuke launcher on top of this battle droid. I’m into the sweet and salty section…heavy salty verses against the piano sweetness in the choruses. Oh, and Punky’s solo gives me chills! His vibrato, fast and powerful with a massive attack that would knock at least two teeth out your everyday guitarist like me. The minor harmony lines that descend menacingly to walls of rapid-fire notes that will tear you to shreds if you get in the way. Wow!

A+

Mark

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   What a great opening song! I love the drum beat and the crunching guitars that make this an upbeat rock powerhouse!  I always thought this was an original sounding 70’s creation from Angel, it doesn’t really remind me of any other song. The lead in the song is one of Punky’s best! (3:14) is the perfection of cool! And the guitar lead into Giuffria’s classic Angel sounding synth (3:41) is incredible. The only weakness for me is the ragtime piano when Frank begins to sing “Life a toast to the past… (0:56), I think the track would have been better without the piano.

A+

Jeff

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   Opening with a Barry Brandt snare intro, it is evident to earlier fans of Angel that this is going to be a somewhat different album for the band. Producer Eddie Kramer's effect is felt almost immediately, as the snare sound, Frank's already stark voice and Punky's guitars are pushed way up in the mix, resulting in a very bright (some might say overly so) sound that was very different from the proggy, softer edged mix of the two earlier albums. “Can you feel it” is a straight ahead rocker, replete with power chords and a sing-along chorus, just begging to be played live. The keyboards are much lower in the mix than usual, with only a jaunty piano accent evident until a classic 70's synthesizer solo is used in the fade out. This is a strong song and a great opener. A whole album of THIS would be great!

A-

Kip

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2. She's a Mover (DiMino, Giuffria and Meadows) A

   Very cool and groovy opening riff, extremely funky. This tune moves in a more poppy direction, which I love. Ok rant. (I’ve read about people with tightly wadded panties chaffing on Angel that they turned commercial. That they sold out. Horse hockey is my response! I hear a band with great song craft and attention to detail with their music.)Ok I’m back. I don’t know if this was a single, but it’s catchy, melodic, and distinctly Angel! A real toe tapper!

A

Mark

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   I think with this song is where Angel changes their sound to the more poppier melodies they will create with this album and the next two albums; “She's a Mover” doesn't sound like the Angel of the first two albums at all.  Still pretty catchy overall, except I think the chorus of “She’s a mover, so come closer…” is the weakest part of the song. Somedays it’s not too bad as I listen to it and other days it just kind of falls flat by the second, third, etc. time Frank sings it.

B+

Jeff

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   A song much in the same vein as the opener, I always felt these two worked together in much the same way as Kiss's “Detroit Rock City” and “King of the Nighttime World” did on Destroyer. "She's a Mover” has a slightly lighter tone to the verses, but the chorus rocks in a very similar manner as “Can You Feel It.” Both songs feature Punky showing his Jeff Beck admiration as he  pulls the Beck shimmer as he holds and really exaggerates the tremelo for effect. Dimino's voice works well on this one, as the lighter verses require him to hold back a bit. Again the keyboards are much more of a support instrument, with Guiffria doubling the guitar power chords on piano, much as Ezrin did with Kiss. Another really solid song.

A-

Kip

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3. Big Boy (Let's Do It Again) (DiMino, Giuffria and Meadows) C-

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  Another funky sombrero from our heroes in white. I wouldn’t call this one of their signature tunes, but I still dig it. I’m not sure, but I think this song’s about love and devotion…a yearning to throw off the shackles of loneliness…you tell me.

C

Mark

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   I bought this album when it came out in 1977, I can still remember seeing the album advertised in the back of Circus magazine. I was so pumped! Kiss's Eddie Kramer producing! Cool cover! Listening to it I loved the first two songs and then this song came up and I was really disappointed. I never liked the chorus, which is going to be a problem with other songs on this album. Listening to it again for this review my opinion hasn’t changed. It actually kind of just irritates me. I’d have to say if I had the role of Eddie Kramer, I would have passed on recording this song.

D+

Jeff

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   This one lyrically really confused my 12 year old mind and also alienated a portion of their earlier, harder edged fans. Featuring some sweet slide guitar, swooping studio effects from Eddie Kramer, and vocal gymnastics from singer Frank Dimino, this songs begins strongly, with an almost Aerosmith swagger that really works. But then the chorus sets in. Wait what? In 1977, this lyric along with the super glam album cover, really put off the jean jacket clientele that made up most album and ticket buyers. Lyrically, this one veered so far away from their normal topics that it kind of overwhelmed what was honestly a pretty solid song and Frank's vocals got into that Geddy Lee stratosphere that gets ear fatiguing quickly. This was a skip for me for these reasons, which is unfortunate, as there are some very cool elements to this song.

C-

Kip

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4. Telephone Exchange  (DiMino, Giuffria and Meadows) B

 

   A power ballad before power ballads were cool. Great harmony guitar work by my man Punky is all over this gem. The acoustic guitar soiree in the middle is a bit Boston-y, but it works great.

B

Mark

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   This song has some great moments. It starts off strong with a melancholy mood with nice lyrics and Frank’s singing is strong and well controlled, but with the chorus it all falls apart for me. I wish it had a different vocal sung and I’m not sure I even like the lyrics at this point. I think it needed a rewritten chorus and they would have had a better song. It’s a shame because there are parts I really like, my favorite bit (2:54) with the Boston acoustic guitars strumming along is simple, but awesome.

 B-

Jeff

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   Another super poppy song in the “That Magic Touch” vein, but somehow, this one works better. Again, I love “story” songs and this one always reminded me lyrically of Zeppelin's “Fool in the Rain” and sonically of ELO. Frank's restrained vocals on the verses really works, though he of course goes back in the stratosphere as the song progresses. I'm fairly sure this one was released as a single to a collective yawn. Again, these guys were always just a little off stylistically with the times and I always felt that this would have been much better received in the early 80's musical climate. I'm probably the least pop fan of our group, but this one works for me.

B+

Kip

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5. White Lightning (Punky Meadows, R. Morman) B

   

   Psychedelic swirling’s vaporize into another solid funky sombrero. (That’s two) I’m telling you man this rhythm section cooks! Franks vocals are amazing here. All his unique singing idiosyncrasies are wonderfully represented. Punky’s lead is one of the reasons I have tinnitus, but it’s so good I still turn it up today. Sort of…Thanks Punky! The worlds a brighter place with you in it.

A-

Mark

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   Kip and I were visiting about this album, and I told him this was my least favorite Angel studio album. It’s a weird album for me because it has some of my favorite songs on it, yet it has too many weak songs overall. And this is another bland song for me. The Bux version is very similar in feel and arrangement. The riff is cool and the opening backwards loop is great! Frank’s vocals at times just become shrill and irritate (1:08) Instead of wanting to turn it up I want to turn it down. Best part is the guitar break (2:18) but I feel like I’ve heard it before.

C-

Jeff

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   Now here we go. A remake of a song previously recorded by a couple of band members earlier band Bux, this song opens with a very cool, flanged(?) guitar riff that immediately makes you throw your horns in the air. A funky groove and more of Frank's gymnastics, which work better here. I wasn't surprised to learn much later that this WAS an earlier tune, as even to my young ears, this song sounded different, both stylistically and sonically, to the rest of this album. I like pretty much everything about this song, right down to the 70's tape reverse guitar play out at the end. One of my favorites on this album

A-

Kip

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6. On the Rocks (DiMino, Giuffria and Meadows) A-

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   Greg’s synthy goodness gives way to a straight-ahead rocker. This song is another example of Angel’s catchy sing-a-long choruses. I like the interplay of synth and guitar in the solo section, and there’s always room for Punky to shred. I for one am grateful.

“B” for bitchin!

Mark

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   Now we’re talking! This is a great Angel song after so many weak songs, great opening to side two, back when that mattered. When I was in my high school film-making class I used this song for a short film I did about two guys arm wrestling that turns into a fun chase scene. Nobody else, except my buddy Doug, were listening to Angel but people would ask who that was when the film finished. Recently I’ve watched on YouTube Angel open with this track and it’s such impressive power song to start with!  One of my favorite Angel songs!

A+

Jeff

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   Beginning with an REO “Riding the Storm Out” siren, this song I always felt was right in the pocket of where the band wanted to be: rock riffs with a sing-along chorus and a couple of solo spots for their standout guitarist and keyboardist without extending too far into the prog venue. (I have to admit I am a massive fan of their first two albums, but also know that the market is limited commercially.) This song really works and is the first of three really standout songs that end this album. The fact that this album was #3 of their classic 5 is apropos.  The first two were too early 70's to work in '77 and the next two really did the deep dive into pop. These last three songs, along with the first two on this album, to me, were right where they wanted to be. (The version of this on their live album is a standout in what is otherwise a rather pedestrian package.)

A

Kip

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7. You're Not Fooling Me (DiMino, Giuffria and Meadows) B

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   Dare I say another power ballad? Definitely a song for the invisible people. You know who you are…For me this song just flows with pure angelic otherness, and the arrangement is good too. I like the way they double Gregg’s piano that comes to the top of the mix in the bridge and chorus. Very tasty. Again I love the guitar solo: bluesy and moving. Great tone too and that vibrato!!! My my!

B+

Mark

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   Another poor choice for this album. If you were a fan of the first two albums you were scratching your head as you listened to these lackluster pop songs from what you thought was more of a progressive rock band. I think Angel can write and perform decent pop songs, as the next two albums will attest to, but this song isn’t one of them. I don’t dislike this song as much as some others on this album, but I’m in no hurry to play it again either.

C

Jeff

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   One of Angel's first attempts at a power ballad, the story song begins with a nice piano intro with Punky adding little guitar accents. Beginning a practice they will implement throughout the album, they use an acoustic guitar under the electric, (which reminded me of Boston from their first album.) Of most note in this song is how much Punky's solo sounds like Brian May, both in sound and style. (In liner notes for the remasters of these albums, band members repeatedly claim that Freddie Mercury didn't like Angel because he thought they were copying Queen. Personally, I can't believe Mercury  gave them two thoughts.) I've always felt the verses sounded like a decent Styx song as well. A solid song and nice tempo change from the first two songs.

B+

Kip

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8. That Magic Touch (DiMino, Giuffria and Meadows) B-

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   Pure sugary sweet Angelic poppiness. This song is fun fun fun! I dig the vocal melody. I dig the quasi-fake Beatle’s horns in the chorus, and, AND I dig the tasty Punky guitar licks. They indeed have that magic touch.

B+

Mark

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   I actually remember hearing this playing on the radio as I walked through our local bookstore back in 1977. It has a catchy chorus. Not sure if this is good Angel Song? yet it has its moments, but once again it has some weak points that fail for this to be a hit. I think the opening 11 seconds is poor and the song should have started with something else altogether. But once it gets going it has a toe tapping sing along vibe that works and the chorus is uniquely mesmerizing. I’m not sure I like Punky’s lead work behind Frank’s vocals, it kind of distracts from the rhythm of the song for me. I would have lost the middle 8 (1:48) and skipped it or created a better middle 8 here. And I really don’t like the opening as it plays again (1:59). With a little more work this could have been possibly a bigger hit for them.

B

Jeff

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   Ok, now things get VERY different stylistically from earlier albums. This one veers close to the Dennis DeYoung musical theater vibe. This is much more pop than anything they had done previously and definitely fit more with the direction the white costumes intimated. The mix on this was always troubling to me, as the tune is much more a “song” emphasis than a showcase for their individual playing abilities, yet Punky's bright guitar sound is VERY forward in the mix, almost overwhelming the jaunty groove of the song. I wanted to like this song, as it fits into my favored “Story” song category, but this one has always been a “miss” for me.

C-

Kip

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9. Cast the First Stone (DiMino, Giuffria and Meadows) A+

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   And now we turn from getting a date for Friday to conquering and plundering distant lands. I must say the transformation is smooth and seamless. Sheesh…Ritchie Blackmore wishes he wrote this smoldering chunk of walrus blubber. I’m pretty sure that’s what conquers eat…This is my second favorite song on the record. With the opening riff that makes me want to say goodbye to my sweetheart and join some marauding Viking types and go conquer something. So long as I don’t miss a meal or get cold, and I can take a nap or two on the way…This song tickles my D&D dewy-eyed dragon slaying heart. 

A+

Mark

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   This is the Angel that I loved from the first two albums! Killer Blackmore like riff starts off this song with a disciplined aggression that makes this a classic Angel song! I love everything about this track. Wouldn’t change a thing! This album just needed more songs of this caliber on it. Killer lead from Punky and then followed by a great synth solo from Gregg. Everyone knocks it out of the ballpark here! Hard as nails Rock N Roll!

A+

Jeff

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   This song was right in my wheelhouse in 1977. Rainbow had become my favorite band and the monster riff that drives this song and the castle rock lyrics would have sat comfortably on Rainbow's Long Live Rock and Roll album. The break down in the middle leans more toward earlier Angel albums (this is reputed to be a left over, uncompleted song from the Helluva Band sessions.) and the more prevalent synthesizer presence make this my no doubt favorite from this album. 12 year old me was so puzzled why ALL of their songs didn't sound like this, while old man me realizes the commercial limitations of such a style. With the exception of Kiss, I never seemed to champion the real big bands of the time. Love this song!

A+

Kip

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10. Just a Dream (DiMino, Giuffria and Meadows) B+

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   For me, Giuffria’s keyboard intro is up there with U.K.’s “Alaska” and Supertramp’s “Fools Overture”. This is a great synth showcase for a unrecognized under-rated keyboard wiz. I salute you Mr. Guiffria! You’re awesome! Barry’s accents and kick ass tom fills are so cool! I love it! I think Mr. Moog not only had “just a dream”, but a wet dream when he heard double G’s Moog lines flying and zipping around this track. Oh boy. Punky gets in the ring as well. Throwing tasty riffage in as only he can. Well done you perfect rock and roll cherubs…well done…

A-

Mark

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   I think this song has a dark ambient mood that works great for the album’s closing song. The opening synth and the echoing keyboards create a film like story that builds into a minirock symphony. I love the counter harmony of “wake up” over “…just a dream”. This is Angel at their best, they can rock and they can be formidable songwriters of epics like this along with their earlier “Mariner” and “The Fortune”.

A

Jeff

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   An opus featuring Gregg Guiffria. I remember hearing the echo on the piano at the beginning at first listen and sayin aloud “that's awesome.” The intro really reminded me of pre-success Styx. Another song that would have fit comfortably on the first two albums. Kramer's influence/production is all over this. Without it, this would be a fairly straight-forward, ho hum song, but with the keyboards, this one sits easily in late 70's classic rock. I feel like this is kind of indicative of this entire album: a solid, if unspectacular, song.

B-

Kip