When the Devil Smiles the Angels Frown

My Life and Times in Rock 'n' Roll

Non-Fiction - Memoir
592 Pages
Reviewed on 12/28/2020
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Foluso Falaye for Readers' Favorite

When the Devil Smiles the Angels Frown: My Life and Times in Rock 'n' Roll is Leo Rossi's story about how he, along with a group of young renegades and misfits, worked side by side with several creative revolutionaries who transcended culture and connected the world through their music. Leo Rossi recounts working with and meeting many great names in music including Fleetwood Mac, Chaka Khan, Rickie Lee Jones, Bob Marley, George Harrison of the Beatles, Prince, Mick Jagger, and many more. The book will "allow you to become part of the backstage crew of rock ’n’ roll during an incredible time in history..." It all started for Leo at the young age of 11, and 1964 was the magical year he fell in love with rock and roll, thus beginning a lifetime journey.

When the Devil Smiles the Angels Frown is an intricate and expository look into the backstages of many wonderful rock and roll shows in history. The book is more appropriate for a mature audience because it contains curse words and scenes of drug abuse and a visit to a brothel. I enjoyed reading the author's tales of meeting and working with highly talented musicians (some of whom I am a big fan), touring in jets packed with band gear, and both tension and love between crew members. Leo Rossi includes several beautiful photographs in the book, which gave me a lovely experience and immersed me deeper in the story. This memoir is very entertaining and felt quite real and sincere; I loved it a lot! Any lover of music like me would enjoy reading it.

Mike Dobranski

Any fan of '70s Rock will LOVE this book!

Full disclosure, my Wife and I met Leo (the author) via his lectures on a cruise ship this past March. Being a big fan of music of the '70s, I found his presentations absolutely mesmerizing. So we HAD to buy his book, in the hopes of learning more about the fascinating world of touring rock bands. It does not disappoint.

For Leo, the book is a trip down memory lane, but for the reader, it's a glimpse behind the scenes of being on the road with rock bands, literally making the magic happen. Though primarily focused on Fleetwood Mac (one of my favorite bands), Leo has worked with many artists. His narrative dives into not only the logistics of touring, but also the daily life of the staff that are needed to support a band on the road. We even get a feel for the actual personalities of the band members themselves (yes, they are real people too).

Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. So many facets of the journey bring back so many memories, like where we were when this or that song was released. More importantly, there are so many songs that I'll never hear the same way again, now that I know the back story (think Joe Walsh, "Life's Been Good"). Who knew?

If you like '70s rock (and even if you don't), this is a very entertaining and informative read.