[1] Cash Box described "Angel in Blue" as "a story song about how life in the fast lane has turned one beautiful young girl into an emotionally, burnt-out shell" and said that "it has a slow, Phil Spectorish quality that is moving.

"[4] Critic Joe Viglione praises it further, stating that it is "arguably the smartest lyric in the J. Geils Band catalogue" with a "strong melody," concluding that it is "four minutes and fifty-one seconds (on the album) of Peter Wolf reading Seth Justman's post-'Centerfold' wet dream.

"[1] Music critic Robert Christgau states describes the song as "slick get-'em-off trash" about "a whore with a heart of brass that I'm just a sucker for.

"[6] Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian named "Angel in Blue" as the band's 8th best song, and noted influences from Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.

[11] The song also made the Billboard Singles Radio Action chart in a number of regions, including Buffalo, New York, Annapolis, Maryland, Nashville, Tennessee, and Jacksonville, Florida.