Fifty years ago – 1975 – a band out of Weirton, West Virginia, made waves in the music world. They called themselves Crack the Sky. And they should have been huge. Rolling Stone named their self-titled album the debut album of the year. The article said: “Like the first albums of Steely Dan, 10cc, and The Tubes, Crack the Sky‘s debut introduces a group whose vision of mid-’70s ennui is original, humorous and polished. . .”
And it had legs. In 2015, Rolling Stone later said it was the 47th best Prog album of all time.
Crack the Sky was poppy and proggy and funky–with some weird lyrics that grabbed the imagination. But the album didn’t sell, for a number of reasons. Chief among them: poor distribution by the record company. Crack the Sky became huge in Baltimore and Pittsburgh, where albums reached radio stations and the public. The rest of the country…not so much.
But that didn’t stop Crack the Sky from cranking out albums and doing the occasional live gig. And, perhaps amazingly, fifty years after those events, John Palumbo is still steering the band forward with new material and a loyal fanbase.
In conversation with Mark Boardman, the singer, songwriter, and frontman reflected on the group’s beginnings, their resilience, and what it means to be authentic in an era where tribute bands dominate the live circuit.
Palumbo recalled the formative years when progressive influences shaped their direction.
“We loved the progressive stuff. We loved Yes, and we loved Genesis and King Crimson, and I think that we kind of geared ourselves into more of the progressive rock genre,” he explained. The result was a sound that was “poppy, proggy, funky” with lyrical quirks that caught listeners’ imaginations — though distribution mishaps meant the records didn’t always reach their audience.
The band’s durability, he believes, comes down to creativity and persistence. “We make a lot of records. I always write. And so there’s always a bunch of material to pick from. That’s how we keep it together — it’s just the love of the music and we kind of ignore everything else.” That consistency, coupled with a lineup Palumbo calls the strongest in the band’s history, has kept Crack The Sky vibrant on stage and in the studio.
Among the songs still resonating today, “Ice” and “Sleep” stand out. “When we do them live, fans react to ‘Ice’ with a standing ovation pretty much every night,” Palumbo said. Performing the debut album in full for its 50th anniversary has been a challenge, but also a thrill, with moments of expansion through progressive jamming and new instrumental colors.
The conversation turned philosophical when Palumbo addressed the rise of tribute bands. “It’s kind of like tribute bands drive me crazy. What becomes a tribute band if you’ve only got one original member? You have to advertise it as such. And they’re killing us on the road, because they play a lot cheaper than us.” For him, authenticity matters: “It makes me feel that we’re honest about pretending to be the band. If there were only one or two original guys, no, that would not be Crack The Sky.”
Palumbo also spoke candidly about the mix of autobiography and fantasy in his recent songwriting. While early tracks like “Hold On” and “Surf City” drew on his youthful experiences, others were more allegorical. “’Robots for Ronnie’ could be getting closer and closer to being true now. The actual meaning was parents who would do anything for their child. I ran into some people with an ill child, and they were intent on making his life as normal as possible. That’s where I came up with, you know, we’ll get him a robot. I just took it in a slightly different direction.”
As for who Palumbo would pay to see today, he’s selective. “King Crimson, I would pay to see… ZZ Top, even though one of the guys has passed on… If Elton John came out of retirement, I would go see Elton John because I thought he was just wonderful.” Tribute acts, however, don’t tempt him: “No, no. Doesn’t matter. However, I would go see Steely Dan because they’re not a tribute band, it’s Steely Dan.”
Looking ahead, Palumbo’s focus remains on the future. A new album is in progress, even as the band celebrates its legacy with anniversary performances and a spot on Cruise to the Edge appearance, alongside other progressive rock luminaries. For him, the formula is simple: “Just stay in the present moment and day at a time.”
