CRACK THE SKY

Crack the Sky ? What can I say? This band was about as unique and witty as it could get in 1975. Progressive Rock was just starting to mature, when this edgy Prog-Crossover group hit the scene. It is actually quite controversial among Progressive Rock fans as to whether this band is progressive or not. This band followed and still follows no rules, nor placed itself in any genre. In fact, at the time I started listening to them in the mid-70s, I did not think of them as "Progressive", but since then realize that they do not fit neatly into any other category and have some brilliant progressive cross-over moments, and therefore Progressive is really the best category for them. They have 16 releases, which are all very (very) different. Some of the records are more straight-forward rock, while others are more decidedly progressive. Most of their records have moments of Pop-Punk and elements of Electronica, all with satirical, witty, quirky lyrics producing a distinctive sound that is easily identifiable as Crack the Sky. The technical aspect of the music is sophisticated and complex. The first three records are responsible for generating 90 percent of their fan base as the group generated a dedicated hard core following in from 1975 through 1982 before they started breaking off into more experimental directions. Unfortunately the band never broke past having a "cult" following. They are almost "too different" for the "run of the mill" Prog-Rock fan who generally claims to pride themselves on appreciation of the unusual. The first three records; Self-Titled Debut, Animal Notes and Safety in Numbers were defined by the unique musical sound and lyrical style that was Crack the Sky. Everything after that has been an exploration in different directions for the band while maintaining the core sound. John Palumbo's distinct vocal along with the exceptional guitar-work excellence of Rick Witkowski has been at the core for most of the bands existence with other members coming and going throughout, with perhaps the most complete and talented version of the band playing at ROSFest in 2008. The band is little known and rarely performs outside of the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It has always dumbfounded me that this band did not become an internationally renowned icon as they are simply exceptional regardless of whether you agree that they are progressive or not. If you have not seen them live, the performances can only be explained as extreme FUN! I know that this is supposed to be an album review, but Crack the Sky is more defined by the array of unique styles that propagate through their music as opposed to individual album or track releases. For some reason that I cannot fully explain, this exceptional band continues to suffer from not having enough exposure. I urge you to listen to them; preferably in order of the releases. And write more reviews to give this band the critical acclaim that they actually deserve.