It’s quite peculiar that a band from West Virginia released an instant classic album 50 years ago, an album that Rolling Stone magazine regarded as the top debut of 1975. However, in this day and age, most of us have never even heard of them. Had I not hosted a prog-rock special for an obscure web radio station (Radio Star, or Radio Saimaa, I’m not sure which one) back in the day, I wouldn’t know about the band myself. While doing some research for the show, I bumped into the self-titled debut of CRACK THE SKY, released in November 1975 via Lifesong Records – the specific release date seems to be shrouded in mystery, just like the band itself. Prog-metal connoisseurs obviously recognize something familiar in the band’s name. Still, even though the album title of MASTODON‘s 2009 masterpiece bears some resemblance, it wasn’t particularly inspired by this vintage band as far as I know. CRACK THE SKY emerged from Weirton, West Virginia, in the early 1970s, with nothing short of a unique blend of prog flourishes, hard-rock riffing, and power-pop hooks, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of influences, including THE BEATLES, KING CRIMSON, GENESIS, and even James Brown. In the 1970s, the band toured with some A-list acts, such as Frank Zappa, ELO, RUSH, and SUPERTRAMP, so everything seemed to be going rather well. However, their label screwed up big time with the promotion and distribution of the album, hence the band’s forceful entrée into the progressive scene got largely buried in the quicksands of time, and even now, the band seems to be known only by the most hardcore of prog nerds.
Of course, part of the problem was also the band’s eclectic approach to music: the garden variety pop fans probably found their music way too artsy and experimental, while prog aficionados sneered at the funky bits. I mean, when you look at the list of guest musicians, you can see names that are way more familiar from their jazz achievements – like the saxophone legend, David Sanborn, and Randy and Michael Brecker from the pioneering fusion jazz bunch, THE BRECKER BROTHERS, which was founded in 1975, as well. So, while most of the critics loved the band’s quirky vision, CRACK THE SKY‘s debut sorely lacked that radio-friendly banger. That said, I would air a good few songs from the album if I were a radio DJ – for instance, the opener, “Hold On,” with its diabolically funky grooves. Sure, it’s probably not the best calling card for the album, at least if you wanted to promote the band as a prog-rock act, but it has some nice, bubblegummy hooks; nor would be its follow-up track, “Surf City,” albeit it features a bit more convoluted rhythmic gimmicks.
In fact, if you’re looking for some vintage prog flavor, you’d have to jump straight to the third track, the somewhat Tin Pan Alley-esque banger, “Sea Epic.” With less prominent guitars, the song would have fit those classic Elton John albums from the same time period. Yeah, some of them were pretty progressive, to be honest. “Robots For Ronnie” is even more Elton John-esque rock’n’roll cabaret, but features enough twists and turns to cater to the casual prog fan – and the same applies to the song, “Let Me Go Home (A Visit to the Projects).” The track in between, “She’s A Dancer,” will mess you up, though. The song is basically a catchy homage to THE BEATLES with some fired-up funk horns. Then, songs such as “I Don’t Have A Tie” and “Sleep” roll out tight, funky riffs that resonate with the air of STEELY DAN. Feeling confused already? Well, if you got the reissue, one of the bonus tracks, “Eileen, I Lean on You,” goes full-on yacht rock.
Progressive rock was starting to lose some of its momentum around the time of CRACK THE SKY‘s debut, and I’m guessing The United States were not exactly a prog-rock superpower, not like the UK, at the time, to begin with; so, it sort of stands to reason that a band with music as challenging as this was not the easiest to promote to the general public. Add the label’s mishandling of the promotion to the mix, and there you had it – a recipe for a disaster. It was such a shame, really. This bunch surely would have deserved something better. At its catchiest, the debut rolls out a good few nice bangers. Despite all the bad luck, CRACK THE SKY is actually still active; today, the band continues experimenting with sounds and styles, so if you’re into that sort of thing, do check them out – their latest studio album “The Baker Files” came out last year.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Hold On
- Surf City
- A Sea Epic
- She’s A Dancer
- Robots for Ronnie
- Ice
- Mind Baby
- I Don’t Have A Tie
- Sleep
Lineup
John Palumbo – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards
Jim Griffiths – guitars, backing vocals
Rick Witkowski – guitars, percussion
Joe Macre – bass, backing vocals
Joey D’Amico – drums, backing vocals
with:
George Marge – woodwinds (tracks 3, 5, and 9)
David Sanborn – alto sax (tracks 4 and 7)
Michael Brecker – sax (tracks 4 and 7)
Randy Brecker – trumpet (tracks 4 and 7)
Tom Jones – trombone on track 9
Ray Dahrouge – vocals on track 13
Label
Lifesong
