On January 1, 1976 Stephen Holden of Rolling Stone magazine called the debut album by West Virginian prog-rock pioneers Crack The Sky “…one of year’s most impressive debuts.” Today, some 40 years later the band will release a pair of albums: Living In Reverse, a new studio album; and Crackology, a collection of the band’s 12 career favorites, both out August 24, 2018 on Loud & Proud Records.
Living In Reverse showcases 12 new genre-defying Crack tracks, while the cleverly-titled retrospective Crackology chronicles a dozen of the best re-recorded gems as culled from the band’s rich and storied 40-year catalog. Track listings for both albums are below. Pre-orders for both albums begin June 15, 2018, however, fans can get tracks from Crackology in advance (one track per week leading up to release day) exclusively on PledgeMusic beginning May 22, 2018.
Electrifying Living In Reverse cuts like the full-on groundswell of “Raining Rain,” the modernized new-wave sonic uniform that envelops “Jacket,” and the spoken-word seduction of “Home Tonight” all match up quite beautifully with the recast Crackology versions of Crack classics like the one-two punch ’n’ crunch of “Hold On” and “Surf City” alongside the overdriven depth of “Skin Deep” and the reactor-fueled crackle of “Nuclear Apathy.” The latter track is as relevant today as when it was first written and performed in 1978. “They have more of an edge than the originals,” singer / guitarist / keyboardist John Palumbo affirms of the tracks on Crackology. “Those tracks all have more life to them now, and we play every one of them live.”
“I have admired Crack The Sky since their beginning, and have always appreciated their incredible musicianship and sense of innovation,” says Tom Lipsky, President, Loud & Proud Records. “We look forward to bringing fans of progressive rock music the exciting next chapter in the band’s continuing legacy.”
Named by Rolling Stone in their 2015 list of 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums Of All Time and in their 20 Rock Albums Rolling Stone Loved in the 1970s That You Never Heard, the magazine’s very first review in 1976 went on to say, “Like the first albums of Steely Dan, 10cc, and the Tubes, Crack the Sky's debut introduces a group whose vision of mid-Seventies ennui is original, humorous and polished without seeming too arty…writer / lead singer / keyboardist / guitarist John Palumbo, whose lyric gift for dark satire, written in the flip argot of rock, is second to none…If Palumbo's lyrics are the latest in Seventies cynicism, their darkness is countered by the light-spiritedness of most of the music. Palumbo avoids conventional melodies, preferring to repeat a tuneful phrase and then abruptly break the mood he's established with something nearly opposite in spirit…Crack The Sky’s ensemble singing and playing are impeccable…Palumbo’s lead vocals are chameleonlike, sometimes resembling Ian Hunter’s and Bowie’s…"
“We’ve been going back in time to try and find ourselves, even while we’ve been looking ahead to the future,” observes guitarist/producer Rick Witkowski. “And we’re looking to bring in new fans who’ve never heard what we’ve done before.” Adds lead vocalist/chief songwriter John Palumbo, “Eventually, you find that everything comes full circle, so it’s fair to say we’ve been quite reinvigorated as artists these past few years.”
Crack The Sky will be playing a special show on Saturday August 25, 2018 at MECU Pavilion (formerly Pier Six Pavilion) in Baltimore, MD for the 4th Annual Veteran’s Benefit Concert presented by Music Healing Heroes to benefit K9s for Warriors and the Wounded Warrior Project. They will be performing songs from the new album, as well as from Crackology.
Crackology Track Listing:
1. Hold On / Surf City
2. She’s A Dancer
3. Ice
4. Robots For Ronnie
5. Nuclear Apathy
6. Lighten Up McGraw
7. Long Nights
8. Skin Deep
9. Hot Razors
10. From The Greenhouse
11. Rachel
12. The Beauty of Nothing
Living In Reverse Track Listing:
1. Talk Talk
2. Living In Reverse
3. Raining Rain
4. Red Rosary
5. Hit
6. Big Dipper
7. I’m On The Radio, Mom
8. Jacket
9. I’m Alright Now
10. Bang
11. I’m A Good Man
12. Home Tonight
Crack The Sky is
John Palumbo - Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keys
Rick Witkowski - Guitars & Vocals
Joey D’Amico - Drums & Vocals
Bobby Hird - Guitars & Vocals
Glenn Workman - Keyboards & Vocals
Dave DeMarco - Bass & Vocals
