'Fallen Angel' is a documentary on Larry Norman (1947 - 2008), a pioneer of Christian rock music. Born in Texas but raised mostly in California, Norman was the duel lead of the rock group People! who scored a hit in the late 60's with a song simply titled 'I Love You'. Yet Larry was difficult to work with so the rest of the band asked him to leave, he did but that ultimately doomed People! because as their manager said 'Larry was the talent'.
In the aftermath of being booted from his group Larry got a job as a song writer at Capitol Records and had a born again experience at a Pentecostal Church. In 1969 Larry released his debut solo album for Capitol 'Upon This Rock', widely credited as "the first full-blown Christian Rock album." Larry's carrer would continue, sometimes in fits and starts for the next 30 odd years, he would have hits with songs like 'Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music' and the Rapture anthem 'I Wish We'd All Been Ready'. He even performed at the White House for president Jimmy Carter in 1979.
Larry released many albums, performed all around the world, started record labels, sheppard new talent and lunched careers. He would also marry twice, have one child who was born out of wedlock and who he would never formally recognize as his own; he could be petty, vindictive and slept with his best friends wife. Larry Norman was a Christian but he was also very much a Rock Star, that duality and contradiction certainly made him interesting.
The documentary is not as polished as it might have been and suffers from evident budgetary limitations, but it tells a reasonably intriguing story about a man who in his sphere was at one time a giant. **1/2
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