Angel’s third album, in CD form, has been quite the collectible over the years, and here it is freshly reissued on an upstart of an LA label that has also addressed Spread Eagle’s excellent and cocksure debut album. The distortion and lack of bass of my original (frankly, probably worn out) vinyl has been Lovemberingly corrected, but there’s not much one can do with the rest of the controversial noise that characterized Eddie Kramer’s eccentric knob-job on this 1977 semi-classic. Semi? Well, the short perspective, Angel and Helluva band were flat-out landmark records, and now Angel was writing shorter, less proggy, poppier songs. Still, what chemistry and performances and yes, production (weird as it is), and there are essentially four proto-metal slammers here. Missing is the cool poster that played up the idea of the ingenious invertible logo (read exactly the same upside-down), but to make up for it, the booklet is info-packed, beginning with an essay by noted metal journo Dave Reynolds, then track by track notes by vocalist and spokesman to this day, Frank Dimino, followed by photos courtesy of Rich Galbraith, whose archive of similar era shots is legion (Want more? My Ye Olde Metal: 1977 book includes a 22 page chapter on this album – plus more of Rich’s work). In conclusion, yeah, glorious, opulent album cover, but as we unwrapped ‘er as 14-year-olds, considerable disappointment. And now? I love the thing, because the pop we hated then now plays more like syrupy Sweet crossed with Queen.
