Customer Reviews

On Earth As It Is In Heaven (Limited Edition Remaster)

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I'm not sure why this CD has been out-of-print (and extremely EXPENSIVE to find) for the last decade and a half. I've waited for this one so I could FINALLY complete my ANGEL collection. I can't say if it's "the best" overall album in their catalog, but a strong argument can certainly be made for it.

ANGEL had many fine moments on each album they recorded. ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN is certainly not the more progressive rock that the first two albums ("Angel" and "Helluva Band") were. And it isn't quite as pop-rock leaning as "Sinful" (1979). It's somewhere in between. But, no matter, it's an excellent album of straight-ahead rock that explodes out of the gait from the opening drums of "Can You Feel It," and stays on track until the closing notes of the heavily keyboard/orchestrated ballad "Just A Dream."

What's in between are some of the bands finest moments. This includes "Cast The First Stone," "White Lightning," "Telephone Exchange," and "That Magic Touch." In fact, the crunchy riffs at the beginning of "Cast..." are some of the heaviest guitarist Punky Meadows ever laid down. "That Magic Touch" is simply infectious to sing along with, and should have been a huge hit for them. One of my favorites for sure.

ANGEL never made "the big time" as they certainly deserved to do. How such a talented band didn't when so many lesser-talented acts did (and do) is a mystery to me. Thankfully, we old enough to remember them, have the magic that lies within their music. ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN is an excellent piece of rock 'n roll that's time has once again come to shine it's Heavenly light on us all!

Check out the rest of the ANGEL catalog:

"Angel" (1975)
"Helluva Band" (1976)
"On Earth As It Is In Heaven" (1977)
"White Hot" (1977)
"Sinful" (1979)
"Live Without A Net" (1980)
"An Anthology" (1992)

I was excited to see that my favorite Angel album was finally being re-released and as an added bonus remastered. Having listened to it several times I dare say the remastering is poor. You cannot hear any cymbals. The added text in the liner notes plus Frank's comments are a nice addition. Aside from the remastering a welcome additon. Why Angel was not bigger is ashame as they were fantastic musicians and wonderful showmen.

On their third Casablanca album, Angel transitioned from proggy swords and sandals band to arena rockers with a taste for Kiss-Pop-rock. "On Earth as it is in Heaven" introduced the infamous reversible Angel logo (the origins of which are given in the new liner notes) and gave greater focus to the band's all-white androgynous image. It became Angel's first album to crack the top 100 and served up their first hot 100 single with "That Magic Touch."

The change is evident from the first pulsing song. "Can You Feel It" pounds away with Barry Brandt's drums and then Punky Meadows' multi-tracked guitar blasts. This is a song made specifically for the stage, announcing a band that was there to kick some butt. Producer Eddie Kramer (who had pushed KISS in this direction) tightened up the sounds and added the arena sized punch, but also got the band to emphasize their hooks. "White Lightning" brought in some funk and the acoustic guitar sounds in "Telephone Exchange" shows the influence of Boston's pervasive success. Or think of Starz' Violation and Styx's Pieces of Eight from around the same period.

All roots were not abandoned, though. Both "Cast The First Stone" and "Just a Dream" could have found space on Angel or Helluva Band's Styx/Kansas brand of rock. They close out the album as a nod to Angel's pivoting from their first album to the unabashed power-pop that showed on the glammy Sinful swansong.

In addition to the remastering, this 1977 album has a great essay from Rockcrit Dave Reynolds and song-by-song breakdown from lead vocalist Frank DiMino. There are a couple bonus photographs (but no bonus tracks). In my opinion, "On Earth as it is in Heaven" was the best Angel album, and it finally gets the treatment it deserves.

On Earth as it is in Heaven is the third album released by "Angel." I have read many glowing reviews on this site and I must say that this is one of my favorite albums of the 1970's. However, I must add that this album was WAY before it's time. I was sixteen when this album was released and I remember being furious at the label for trying to commercialize this great progressive rock band. The first two albums contained masterpieces like "Long Time," "Tower" and "The Fortune." The first time I heard "Telephone Exchange" and it's heavily "Boston" influenced break, I died. This album was the last to retain some of the earlier magic. "Cast the First Stone" and "Just a Dream" being fine examples of what they were capable of.

I was lucky enough to go to a few of their live shows to promote this album and they were great shows. I love this album but if you are new to this band, start at the beginning. The progression from "Angel" to "Sinful is a travesty and a valuable lesson on A&R interference in an artist's work.

i am so glad this has finally been re-released, and remastered at that. i have the lp and put the songs in my pc, but the sound is not that great. and i refuse to pay the disgusting amount that people have been selling the cd for. so thanks to whoever decided to relese this. cast the first stone is awsome even better now on cd.

If you only have one angel album this is the one to own. My favorite cuts are "telephone exchange " and "can you feel it" Both show the guitar work of punky and the keyboard excellence that set this band apart from all the others. I was fortunate to see them on stage in madison square garden and was not disappointed.
If like angel this is the cd you must own!! You will not be disappointed!!!!

this was released at the height of the label trying to push the band, again, die hard angel fans think it's too poppy, but, c'mon no one really ever thought that these guys were prog rock back then

This album isn't as pop as the later two but still has some good music.

this is the greatest cd of all time. too bad this band was so far ahead of it's time

It seems Angel has come alive again, If your looking for their best try their self-titled debut album `Angel' Which was produced by Derek Lawrence and Jim Sullivan and featured "The Tower". In 1976 Angel released their Second album `Helluva Band which included `Feelin' Right' and `The Fortune. Angel was voted Best New Group of the year in Circus Magazine reader's poll that year. This is their third album.
If you like live music "Live without a net" is another fantastic cd. You can check Angel out at

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=394849222

And hear every song off On Earth As It Is in Heaven, I was lucky enough to see them in Greenbay Wisconsin, 30 some years ago, One of the best shows Ive ever seen. This is the only Angel cd I don't have in my collection I look forward to getting it.