In the late 1970s, one thing
Cerrone could not be accused of is relying on formula; Supernature was a major departure from Love in C Minor and Cerrone's Paradise, just as Cerrone IV: The Golden Touch was a major departure from Supernature. And for the most part,
Cerrone's fifth album,
Cerrone V: Angelina, is very much a departure from The Golden Touch. A diverse LP from 1979,
Angelina finds the Parisian branching out into pop/rock without abandoning Eurodisco completely. Unfortunately,
Angelina marked the first time a
Cerrone album was uneven and disappointing. The glossy "Call Me Tonight," which features vocalist
M. Aller, is a Eurodisco jewel, but "Living on Love" sounds mechanical and stiff; and the tunes that combine disco and rock elements are fairly catchy but far from remarkable. "Rock Me," in fact, ends up sounding like a poor person's version of
Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff." This isn't to say that
Angelina is a bad album; the record does have its moments, but it's hardly in a class with Love in C Minor, Supernature, or The Golden Touch. This is an album that only diehard
Cerrone collectors will want. ~ Alex Henderson