Customer Reviews

Heaven on Earth

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Behold: a second solo album and one that's even better than her debut, Belinda. Where Belinda was a toe-dip in the ocean of pop, Heaven On Earth has Belinda Carlisle splashing and swimming happily with the best of them. And the title track was asking to shoot to #1 on the Billboard charts, which it did.

"Circle In The Sand" is a perfect beach song, not in the vein of the boppity "Bikini Beach" but light-paced, ideal for walking along the beach, watching the waves.

Her cover of Cream's "I Feel Free" is the first time I heard this song and as such, is better than the original or the David Bowie rendition of it. This is the same song that seems to be played in the book American Psycho, not the movie.

"World Without You" is a nice ballad whose styling reminds me a bit of John Waite's "Missing You". The same rhythm guitar and synthesizer styling permeates throughout the next song, "I Get Weak", which is not a weak song by any means; she makes it credible, thanks to lyrics by ace songwriter Diane Warren.

The fun-tastic fast-paced "Fool For Love" has a simple and sweet chorus: "If I'm a fool for love (3x), I don't care (2x)"

"Nobody Owns Me" has a strong pounding rock guitar dominant. It also makes Belinda one of the few singers who has the license for singing "oooh" to finish a line AND make it sexy. Susanna Hoffs is the only other one I can think of who also qualifies.

The sad and wistful "Love Never Dies" closes the album.

Rick Nowels produced this album, as well as Runaway Horses and Live Your Life Be Free, and no doubt his masterful skill contributed Belinda's well-deserved stardom. Add to this are some talented guest singers and artists, including Charlotte Caffey, and two-thirds of what would later become Wilson Phillips, as well as Mellencamp drummer Kenny Aronoff.

Heaven On Earth lives up to its title and for me, this was one of the best reasons to be alive in 1987. Every song here is singleworthy, and there are very very few albums to which I can say that to.

Belinda Carlisle was one of the foremost rock/pop songtresses of the eighties. Although her US star faded in the US in the early nineties, she continued releasing albums in England. I have purchased some of those as well, and they have been just as good as her original hits. Not quite sure why she faded in the US, but her work is still top notch.

The best of the many solo albums recorded by the former lead singer of the Go-Gos, it's albums like this that terms like "perfect pop" were likely invented for. First released in Fall 1987 and dominant throughout much of '88, this album spawned the #1 smash "Heaven Is A Place On Earth," which was accompanied by a pretty cool video, the gorgeous "Circle In The Sand" with its beautiful guitar and synth riff at the beginning, and the un-aptly titled "I Get Weak" which is not weak at all but rather full of exuberant energy. Definitely an essential album for any serious fan of the 80s.

When this was released I had such a crush on "Belinda Carlisle", ok so I still do. This album which was her most popular, is just as good as her "Greatest Hits" as far as I'm concerned. Included are the hits "I Get Weak", "Circle In The Sand", and of course "Heaven Is A Place On Earth", but I also like "World Without You" and "Love Never Dies". Plus there's her cover of "I Feel Free", which is obviously more pop than the original from "Cream". Overall this album is one of the best from the late 80's pop scene, and definitely the best of "Belinda".

Belinda Carlisle's 1987 masterpiece still sounds as fresh and original as it did when it was released. Carried by angelic vocals that could melt your pants, and a brilliant lineup of songs among which there are no failures, Heaven on Earth is possibly the ultimate Belinda album to date - though not my personal favourite. Among this double-platinum, planet-conquering effort are chart hits such as 'Heaven is a Place on Earth' and 'Circle in the Sand' and 'I Get Weak.' But every song could easily have been a chart topper...The soothing lyrics of 'World Without You,' the haunting 'Love Never Dies,' the upbeat 'Fool For Love,' and the rocking 'Nobody Owns Me,' are all classic songs that don't deserve to be forgotten. Thank God for the 80's. Thank God for Belinda Carlisle.

As I'm throwing out my old cassettes that have long ago been replaced by cds, I stumbled across this again and I love it still. There isn't a song on it that I dislike and it's the kind of cd that I can listen to over and over and not get tired of.
It's Belinda's second solo cd and to me, it's still the best of them all. It has fast funky songs on it and ballads too of course. My favourites on here are the title track Heaven Is A Place On Earth, Circle In The Sand, the boppy Fool For Love and Love Never Dies. Like I said earlier, I don't dislike any song, but these four stand out a little more to me. Belinda has a unique and stunning voice and that along with good songs really make this one of my favourite albums of all times. I love it still to this day and highly recommend it.

If one were to draw up a list of the most underrated albums of the 1980s, then this album would have to be near the top. It's easy to forget that in the late eighties Belinda Carlisle ranked up there with Madonna as one of the biggest female pop stars in the world. HEAVEN ON EARTH was her commercial blockbuster. Each song is at least solid and several are amazingly good.

"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" is the track that will ring the most bells. Part dance song, part rip-roaring anthem, it remains a masterpiece of its genre. Actually, it might be best thought of as a really good arena rock song. Not surprisingly, it went to #1 on the Billboard singles chart. Remember the music video for this song? Belinda always had sex appeal and charisma, but she completely outdid herself on this one. The atmospheric "Circle in the Sand" was another Top 10 hit. You can practically feel the ocean breeze blow in your face as the song plays, and it might have her best vocal performance ever. The other Top 10 hit on the album is "I Get Weak," which peaked at #2. Written by Diane Warren, Belinda sounds downright triumphant as she sings it.

It's a pleasant surprise to hear Belinda cover Cream's "I Feel Free." The only problem is that one of the lines is wrong. As written by Jack Bruce and Pete Brown, the final verse is supposed to be: "Dancefloor is like the sea/Ceiling is the sky/You're the sun and as you shine on me/I feel free." Instead Belinda starts it by singing: "As far as I can see/Ceiling is the sky ..." But it sounds so good, why complain?

Elaborately produced, this album is very different from Belinda's earlier work with the Go-Go's. That's both a positive and a negative. At times the production is a little too glossy and slick. It was recorded in 1987, after all. But Go-Go's fans will be happy to know that Charlotte Caffey co-wrote four of the album's ten songs. So if you're searching for some harmless Reagan-era pop, HEAVEN ON EARTH is as good a place as any to start.

Because it certainly deserves this. While I too would have liked "Mad about you" on this album, this does not detract from the quality of the work. I got this album when I was a preteen, and it still has undisputable staying power. My parents got this for me during one birthday, and I have played it so much that the tape is begining to wear thin in places.

Even though my tastes run towards rock and punk, I absolutely love this ex-Go-Go's work and am always perked up by her airal and etherial voice. The vocals are far more mature than 1980's Maddona, and yet, they are not totally lost on somebody who is a preteen or even teenager. I really can't highlight a single track, because the music is all good, but my favirotes of favirotes would have to be "Heaven on Earth", " Should I let you in" and "I feel Free". This is one talented woman who clearly has lots of attitude and places it into her work .

I also liked the fact that her beauty lay in the comparative simplicity of dress and makeup. While she is really dressed up in the cover art by today's standards, she looked really natural in the glam 1980s.

Former Go-Go's vocalist's second solo in 1987 is truly the album made in heaven. It is also well-produced one. Title track HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH became #1 so this album has been remembered by this huge hit but album has more of great sing-along tracks. Started her music career as a punker some of the track choice is really punkish as shown in I FEEL FREE or NOBODY OWNS ME. GO-GOs styled FOOL FOR LOVE will get your feet dancing. Great songwriters adds the album grace such as Diane Warren penning I GET WEAK which became another huge hit.

Must-have album for female vocalist connoisseurs and highly recommended for Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch, Carly Simons
and Alanis Morissette fans.

Length:: 1:12 Mins