Music review: Crack the Sky – 鈥楲iving in Reverse鈥�
Formed in West Virginia in 1975, Crack the Sky made an immediate impact on me with two stellar albums of intriguing and intelligent progressive rock.
Crack the Sky鈥檚 self-titled debut caught my attention with infectious and distinct rockers like 鈥淗old On,鈥� 鈥淪urf City鈥� and 鈥淚 Don鈥檛 Have a Tie.鈥� At the time, Rolling Stone compared the album to first releases by notable bands such as Steely Dan and 10cc and even called it one of the year鈥檚 most impressive debuts.
The band鈥檚 sophomore effort, 鈥淎nimal Notes,鈥� was equally engrossing with arrangements unveiling a darker tone and more complex composition on tracks like 鈥淲e Want Mine,鈥� 鈥淎nimal Skins鈥� and 鈥淚nvaders from Mars.鈥�
Crack the Sky鈥檚 latest effort recalls the band鈥檚 glory days and leaves me scratching my head as to why the group never became a household name outside our area.
鈥淟iving in Reverse鈥� follows 2015鈥檚 鈥淭he Beauty of Nothing鈥� and contains 12 new arrangements that perfectly fit the Crack the Sky formula for creating engaging tracks that are musically diverse, yet simplistically appealing.
The new album opens with the hypnotic 鈥淭alk Talk鈥� and then quietly transitions into the Beatles-esque title track.
鈥淩aining Rain鈥� is a weighty, guitar-driven rocker that is reminiscent of classic Led Zeppelin, while 鈥淩ed Rosary鈥� comes across as a solid blending of country flavorings infused with touches of Pink Floyd.
Other standout songs include the funky 鈥淗it,鈥� the witty 鈥淚鈥檓 on the Radio, Mom鈥� and jazzy 鈥淗ome Tonight.鈥�
Original members John Palumbo on guitars, keyboards and lead vocals, Rick Witkowski on guitars and vocals and Joey D鈥橝mico on drums and vocals are joined by Bobby Hird on guitars and vocals, Dave DeMarco on bass and vocals and Glenn Workman on keyboards and vocals on the new set.
Witkowski is certainly a regional music hero having played and produced albums by other local standout artists such as Joe Grushecky, Donnie Iris, B.E. Taylor and Bill Toms.
In addition to 鈥淟iving in Reverse,鈥� Crack the Sky also released 鈥淐rackology,鈥� a 12-track compilation that features re-recorded versions of the band鈥檚 favorite selections from a fruitful 43-year career.
Pick up a copy of Crack the Sky鈥檚 latest and hear what you鈥檝e been missing all these years.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.