Customer Reviews

I'm No Angel

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bought this when it first came out (on an album). It remains my favorite for all these years. The pop song, "I'm No Angel," prompted its purchase but it remains a classic to me because of its non-hits. Each song is my "favorite" until the next one plays. That being said, the song "Things That Might Have Been"--which contains my all-time favorite song phrase, "I could spend my life on a wonder..."--and "It's Not My Cross to Bear" are hypnotizing. They are so melodic and aurally rich. Jazzy, with some R&B and pop mixed in, this CD is really original. It borrows from many genres and comes up with its own very satisfying blend. I would guess, however, that most Allman Bros. fans won't appreciate it because 1) it's not raw; 2)over-long solos don't exist; and, 3) it's not southern rock. What one reviewer called "overproduced," I interpret as sophisticated and nuanced. Yet this is not high-falutin' music. This CD never gets stale.

Before the release of this LP, Gregg (and Dickie also) had spent the previous 5 years touring small venues and recording nothing,
Then Gregg came out with this and the title track alone was worth the price. Gregg just nailed the title track, it went top 30 allowing Gregg and Dickie both back in the studios and the following year- the reunion of the Allman Brothers Band that is still going strong 16 years later. This song is the one that started the comeback.

Bought this on cassette tape years ago by mistake (the cassette I meant to buy was Before the Bullets Fly but I knew nothing about Gregg Allman then). This mistake turned out to be my favorite. Evidence of Love and Anything Goes along with I'm No Angel are favorites but I love the entire CD. There's something about Gregg Allman's voice that draws you in and you find yourself sitting down closing your eyes and just kicking back. I finally did get Before the Bullets Fly - but my all time favorite is I'm No Angel. I'm gradually adding the other CD's he's done solo.

When I listened to the Guitar solo on "What might have been" I was for lack of a better word in awe! Buy this CD just for that!

It was great to have Gregg Allman back on the radio in 1987 with the nice title track. The success of this album lead to another solo album the following year, but neither of these albums are of the caliber of his material with the Allman Brothers Band in the 1990s nor his recent solo album (Searchin for Simplicity).

This album has a 1980s slickness to it that takes the "soul" out of the music. Gregg's voice is in fine form, but there is nothing too memorable from the music. I would go with Evening With the Allman Brothers Band (1992) or Searchin for Simplicity (1997) to really hear Gregg making rich, soulful blues-rock music.

This album was a comeback album for Gregg in 1987, after 5 years of playing clubs & bars. It features former Allman Brothers guitarist Dan Toler, who never had the gritty, bluesy chops of Dickey Betts, Warren Haynes, Duane Allman or current ABB slide prodigy Derek Trucks. The title track was a top40 hit & still gets plenty of airplay on album rock stations 12 years later. The album is just overproduced.

I would recommend passing on this one & picking up something from the Allman Brothers Band in the 1990s (An Evening With.. or Seven Turns) to hear what real blues-rock sounds like. For a taste of Gregg's solo career, Searchin for Simplicity (1997) may be his best solo effort of this career. It is a much more honest, roots oriented rhythm and blues album without the extra studio production that hinders I'm No Angel.

I love Gregg Allman's blues drenched voice, but I've always had a love and hate relationship with 1987's "I'm No Angel". Produced by Rodney Mills, the album was billed as kind of a comeback, celebrating Allman's having survived a nightmarish personal and professional partnership with Cher and various personal setbacks including some nasty drug and alcohol issues. Interestingly the album found Allman decided to return to a band construct with the collection being credited to The Gregg Allman Band (keyboardist Tim Heding, former Allman Brothers lead guitarist Dan Toler, drummer David Toler, percussionist Chaz Trippy, and bassist Bruce Waibel). On one hand I guess you couldn't blame Allman for wanting to cash-in on the public's seemingly insatiable demand for corporate AOR. To that end these ten tracks weren't really bad in a Journey, Pablo Cruise, REO Speedwagon kind of way. Smooth and radio ready, it was the kind of stuff that you could play in your office cubicle (or an elevator) without disturbing anyone. The downside was that while Allman's voice remained in good form, with the possible exception of the title track (an admitted guilty pleasure), 'Empty Faces' and a remake of The Allman Brothers' 'It's Not My Cross To Bear', this collection was largely plodding and pedestrian. This was music as a product with Allman having elected to abandon his musical soul for a quick payout. Naturally it didn't work out that way with the album generating critical disdain and mediocre sales.

- Allman didn't write it and while 'I'm Not Angel' lacked anything even remotely similar to the soul of his first couple of solo sets, to say nothing of his Allman Brothers Band catalog, it was catchy and commercial in a vapid, throwaway fashion The accompanying video was pretty hideous as well. C'mon, tough cowgirls downing shots ... Surprised the old guy sitting outside the bar didn't tell Allman and company to shove it when they 'told' him to change their flat tire. And what the world was with percussionist Chaz Trippy prancing around ? For anyone interested, here's a link to a YouTube clip of the video: [...]
rating: *** stars
- The Allman-penned 'Anything Goes' was a perfect example of what went wrong with this project. Overlooking the sophomoric lyrics, both the basic tune and Allman's vocals were quite strong, but the overly slick production, including punchy horns and formulaic Dan Toler lead guitar solo effectively drained the set of whatever energy it had. With a starker, rock-oriented arrangement this one could have been a killer. rating: ** stars
- With Allman sharing lead vocal duties with actor Don Johnson (I'm not making that up), to my ears the power ballad 'Evidence of Love' sounded like a slice of warmed over Michael Bolton. Buried in a horrible '80s, synthesizer heavy sheen, this one had as much soul as a chewing gum commercial. Dreadful by any stretch of the imagination. rating: * star
- Under any other circumstance I probably wouldn't have paid much attention to the mid-temp 'Yours for the Asking', but surrounded by the rest of this collection, the track actually showed traces of Allman's blues-rock roots. rating: *** stars
- Another Allman original, 'Things That Might Have Been' was pretty, but largely anonymous. Five minutes after hearing it you won't remember a thing about the song. rating: ** stars
- Penned by Michael Bolton, the AOR 'Can't Keep Running' was a guilty pleasure (I actually remember buying the single). Complete with female backing singers, lots of 'synthesizers and other '80s production effects, the song actually reminded me a bit of Christopher Cross (not necessarily a good thing). Once again, Allman's gruff vocals were the song's only saving grace. rating: *** stars
- If there was one song that came close to finding an artistic compromise between Allman Brothers blues-rock and a more commercial attack, it was probably the mid-tempo 'Face without Names'. Spotlighting one of Allman's best vocals, the song boasted a pretty melancholy melody and a nice multi-tracked Toler solo. The album's hidden gem ... rating: **** stars
- 'Lead Me On' slowed things down and was one of the few tracks with a blues-tinged. In spite of a nice Allman vocal, the performance was largely negated by the high sheen production, including needless percussion and another formulaic AOR guitar solo from Toler. rating: ** stars- The album closed with a remake of a medley found on The Allman Brothers' debut album - the instrumental 'Don't Want You No More' and the Allman original 'It's Not My Cross To Bear', Lifted off "The Allman Brothers", the opening instrumental segment gave the remake a modest, pseudo-jazz feel. Toler stole the show with a beautiful and understated solo. rating: *** stars
- The only track to even come close to his Allman Brothers blues-rock roots, 'It's Not My Cross To Bear' showcased what Allman was capable of. Toler also took advantage of the song to crank out one of this best performances. rating: **** stars

Epic tried to support the album with a pair of singles:

- 1986's "I'm No Angel' b/w 'Lead Me On' (Epic catalog number 34-06998)
- 1986's "Can't Keep Running' b/w 'Anything Goes' (Epic catalog number 34-07215)

Personally I wouldn't start my exploration of solo Allman's catalog with this one, but that's just my opinion.

"I'm No Angel" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) I'm No Angel (Tony Colton - Phil Palmer) - 3:42
2.) Anything Goes (Gregg Allman) - 4:12
3.) Evidence of Love (Steve Diamond - Chris Farron) - 4:34
4.) Yours for the Asking (Gregg Allman - Dan Toler) - 3:16
5.) Things That Might Have Been (Gregg Allman - Dan Toler) - 4:26

(side 2)
1.) Can't Keep Running (Michael Bolton - Martin Briley) - 4:02
2.) Face without Names (Gregg Allman - Dan Toler) -3:39
3.) Lead Me On (Gregg Allman - Dan Toler) - 4:44
4.) Don't Want You No More (instrumental) (Spencer Davis - Eddie Hardin) - 2'31
5.) It's Not My Cross To Bear (Gregg Allman) - 5:37

Gregg Allman's first solo album after getting off drugs and alcohol, I'M NO ANGEL, is a great testament to his survivalist courage. Granted, it's not up to the standards of the albums the Allman Brothers Band made in the 70s and from 1990 to the present, or Allman's 1973 solo album LAID BACK, but is still wonderful in its own right. The sound may be a bit overly commercial, but the lyrics cut deep enough to overcome any musical shortcomings, and even if he sometimes sounds a bit like Michael Bolton, Allman's stories of love gone sour are a lot more believable than Bolton's sappy love ballads. If you love the Allman Brothers Band, by all means buy this CD; just don't come expecting "Wasted Words" or "Southbound."

Gregg Allman's I'm No Angel (1986) is mostly a romantic rhythm and blues album, other than the rocking and fantastic title song. And that's not a bad thing! Sure, he's one of the greatest blues singers who ever lived, but that voice doesn't go to waste on these (mostly) rock n' soul love songs. Here, he adjusts his commanding blues voice to interpret these songs with a soulful and sensual growl. The song arrangements still include plenty of guitar, but you're more likely to hear a saxophone solo and female backing vocals on most of the songs. I'm No Angel kicks it off, and it's a great swaggering declaration of rough and rowdy masculine independence.

No, I'm no angel, I'm no stranger to the street
I've got my label, so I won't crumble at your feet
And I know baby, so I've got scars upon my cheek
And I'm half crazy, come on and love me baby

So you find me hard to handle, well I'm easier to hold
So you like my spurs that jingle and I never leave you cold
So I might steal your diamonds, I'll bring you back some gold
I'm no angel

Can't Keep Runnin' is another great song with rocking guitars, but it's more romantic and soulful with it's pleading lyrics and female backing singers. Evidence Of Love is the big surprise on the album. A duet with Don Johnson (from TV's Miami Vice), the song really works in a meaningful way to express the pain of a relationship that's hanging by a thread, or even already over.

I still believe we can see this through
But there's only so much that I can do
It doesn't make sense
Without some evidence
...of love

Allman sounds better than great on this one, Don Johnson sings well, too, and the sax solo is perfectly amazing. Lead Me On is a strong cut that features Allman at his virile best, singing lines like "Your lies mean less than nothing to me anymore" like he means it. Anything Goes, Yours For The Asking, and Faces Without Names are all love songs, and each one sounds soulful and romantic. Gregg closes the album with a remake of Don't Want You No More/It's Not My Cross To Bear from The Allman Brothers Band's first album. This version is more laid back and jazzy, and sounds pretty good, too.

I'm No Angel is a good album, but just don't expect any Allman Brothers style blues-rock. It's a treat to hear Allman show off his skills as a singer in a different setting, though. The sax solos work well with his voice, and the production is top-notch. Other than the title song, this is a romantic album, and Gregg Allman certainly knows his way around... Even if he is no angel.

When I listened to the Guitar solo on "things that might have been" I was for lack of a better word in awe! Buy this CD just for that!