Where is the love for Crack The Sky?

Every day he's in his room
He doesn't lock the door because he knows it's really no use
I mean, nobody's even been up there
If Ronnie were to blow up, I don't think anyone would care
He doesn't brush his teeth because he never talks to no one.
He doesn't wipe his feet because he's never coming in.
Comin in?

Repeat chorus

We can talk about the old days,
With parties and dances and leads in class plays;
But all of the memories he'll have
Are plugging in a friend and shining up a cat.

Repeat chorus

I just did it three times and nothing happened.

But anyways Crack the Sky keeps reforming and playing around Madison. Each show's an event! Lots of free beers!

http://www.maximumink.com/articles.php?articleId=262

Rokker loves em!

On AMG, it says this about Crack the Sky. I want to hear them now, but all their album's look out of print.

"The astonishing success of Crack the Sky's eponymous first album raised expectations that the band was never able to fulfill for the rest of their career. Critics and audiences alike delighted in the wry, intelligent lyrics, complex and powerful progressive rock, and carefully crafted harmonies."

Their main songwriter was Johnny Palumbo but when he left briefly to go solo they still managed a decent album, "Safety in Numbers," with a replacement. They performed a fine interpretation of "I Am the Walrus, almost as good as the one by Spooky Tooth.

"From the Greenhouse" is a tremendous album in protest of the Reagan administration. First album is the best in the catalog. Perfect from start to finish. "Animal Notes, the second, has some sly Beatles-influences in between very tough and angular sounding hard rock mini-opera -- "Wet Teenager" and "Rangers at Midnite."

They still release records every one or two years although, it's mostly Palumbo and Rick Witkowski with backing. And the entire catalog is in print electronically.

What do you expect from a band that looks like this?

ihttp://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/4604/ctsgrp1a.jpg

(probably too big, click to see)

There are two collections -- "Crack Addict" -- which pulls heavily from their first few albums. "Best of the Rest" is a Lifesong put together. The latter is aimed at classic rock, power pop and bar band audiences -- again with Palumbo's odd or biting lyrics.

Closest thing I can think of in the North American market was Max Webster.

Nope. Not even close. Try again.

She's a dancer
And she sparkles and she shines.
She's an attractor
Oh, she loves to wine and dine.
They say she's a lady,
But I just don't know

Allright, I like the way she moves
Allright, I like the way she moves
Allright

She's a dancer
And all the boys have fun.
They attract her
And she keeps them on the run.
They say she's a lady,
But I have my doubts.

Allright, I like the way she moves
Allright, I like the way she moves
Allright

When I look into her eyes
I can see through his disguise
Oh, am I surprised.
(repeat)

He's a dancer
And he sparkles and he shines.
He's a attractor
And he loves to wine and dine.
They say he's a lady,
Oh yes I know

Allright, I like the way he moves
Allright, I like the way he moves
Allright, I like the way he moves
Allright

http://www.crackthesky.com/boots.htm

Such great albums.

http://www.myspace.com/crackthesky7576">=http://www.myspace.com/crackthesky7576

Haha, first line of their myspace page: "Progressive rock group Crack the Sky was formed ..."

I haven't heard past the first two albums (which are great) but they always reminded me a tiny bit of Styx (not an insult), though with sharper lyrics. Hold On/Surf City should appeal to almost anyone...kind of Queen-like when the backing vocals come in.

i had always heard this band's name around a lot since they have a big Baltimore following, but i never actually heard them until this amazing song I'd never heard before came on the local classic rock station, and it turned out it was "She's A Dancer." really need to hear their albums!!

You should! Especially the early ones. They are great. And I haven't had much trouble finding most of their old albums cheap, over the years. (When I interviewed Kix -- who are from Hagerstown, Maryland -- in the late '80s, they called Crack The Sky "fish music" because "it's all over the place.")

ha "fish music" -- Kix are another band i hear on the radio here that i assume i'd never hear anywhere else

i still see references occasionally to them being a baltimore band but they were from west virginia and were just weirdly big here

In 1975, the band released their critically acclaimed first album, the eponymous Crack the Sky, which reached 161 on the Billboard chart. Although praised by The New York Times and declared the "debut album of the year" by Rolling Stone Magazine, promotion and distribution problems on Lifesong Records' behalf prevented its widespread success.[1]According to Terry Minogue, "Records were promised but never arrived at the distribution centers. The record would be on the radio but there would be no product on the stores or visa versa. When people wanted it, it would never be available."[1]By blind luck, the marketing did work in Baltimore, only because a surplus of records were shipped there and put on display in stores when the album was receiving radio play. Subsequently, the album became a monster hit in Baltimore.

I spent my formative years in Northern Virginia and John Palumbo was considered a legend in the scene then. I had several LPs that were destroyed when my basement flooded (along with the rest of my vinyl, sadly) but I also have a few CDs. Will pop one on this week.