Crack the Sky - Animal Notes Safety in Numbers (15 tracks) +Album Reviews

Two of the Best Albums You Have Probably Never Heard

Dan J. Hicks | Tampa, FL United States | 09/09/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is actually two albums in one -- "Animal Notes" and "Safety in Numbers", and is one of the best items you will find on eMusic. Download quickly or you may lose your chance.

Animal notes, the first eight songs on this double package is worth the price of admission, but I am going to focus on the final seven songs, which make up almost all of the original Safety in Numbers. More on the "almost all" in just a moment.

Safety in Numbers is CTS's finest album, and one of the best albums most people have never heard. If there were any justice in the world, these guys and Porcupine tree would be two of the most popular bands of all time, but we all know musical justice is in short supply.

I first encountered Safety in Numbers in the late 70s. A cousin had it playing on his 8-track player. After a couple of listens I had to have the album. I bought it in Vinyl; the record was scratched, so I took it back for a refund, as it was the store's only copy. I could not find another copy of the record. Fortunately I had kept a back-up on tape (with the scratch) and it became one of my favorite albums. Finally, I was able to buy this double CD a few years ago. and I had to get it as an import for about $18 or $19. I was happy to pay it.

You can hear some Beatles influence in Safety in Numbers -- particularly in "Flashlight" in the mellow interlude in about the middle of the song. This little snippet is so luscious, it could have been expanded into its own song, and it would have been a great one.

The two best tracks on Safety in Numbers may be the first and last, "Nuclear Apathy" -- the partly mellow, part hard / Prog symphony of a song that begins the album -- and the title track, a very well-produced, all stops pulled out social commentary track that I just can't get tired of. In between these masterpieces, are several more songs, each varied and able to stand on its own. Probably the most different from the rest is "A night on the Town (with Snow White)", which I might call progressive doo-wop with amazing, ironic, even humorous lyrics. Don't let my label turn you off of that song. It is a gem, and worth coming back to again and again and sharing with friends.

My one complaint is that the people who put this together did not include a short little track called (I believe) "Prelude to Safety in Numbers" , a strange and short little preview of "safety in Numbers"; this odd little piece was originally at the end of side 1 of the vinyl release. Oh well.

This is a wonderful package and worth buying and keeping and going back to again and again.

"

Yessss

Dan J. Hicks | 06/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of my favourite alltime bands! Finally, the greatest album in CD format. I have the vinyl from 20 years ago...should have replaced it 15 years ago, but couldn't find it. Get the kids to listen to this, I bet they won't go back to the one-chord wonders of today."

It's about time!!!

marty werkheiser | Philadelphia, PA, USA | 10/30/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Finally, we get a taste of the band I got hooked on nearly 20 years in a smokey dorm room at a small, Pennsylvania, Liberal Arts college. The hard-hitting "Safety in Numbers" album that taught us what head-banging really means (while ducking flying matchbooks) now available on CD. After all those years of desparate searching to find a good plastic copy, finding one of my favorite albums digitally remastered is a dream come true. Just thinking of "nuclear apathy" gives this writer some welcome flashbacks!! While not as numbing, "Animal Notes" is a nice contrast in witty humor, driven by John P. Maybe it was the conditions in that dorm room that night, but nothing has quite measured up to the "Safety in Numbers" album and probably never will."

5stars/3 stars

marty werkheiser | 03/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first half of this two-fer, Animal Notes, is Crack the Sky's finest hour. The compositions are energetic, creative and quirky. Great post-Beatles fun. Palumbo's writing is witty and inventive and the musicianship is dead on. Not a weak cut in the bunch. The second half, Safety In Numbers, followed Palumbo's departure. Where he penned a couple of cuts it is for the most part lacking his observational wit and as a result, loses the band's unique edge. Well worth it for Animal Notes. Highly recommended...Simon"

A view of Rock&Roll UN-History

David C. Freeman | NYC | 01/30/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Animal Notes is CTS second relase, Safety in Numbers, their third. After their first, self-titled, "Crack The Sky" album was voted best new artist/Album of the year by Rolling Stone when it first emerged, Animal notes is Reminiscent of Living Colour's sophmore slump of the 90's on their second album, also a misunderstood and poorly publicized masterpiece. Although produced in the late 70's, this album was, like their first, ahead of its time. You can hear all the influences, Beatles, Yes,ELP, James Brown, Weather Report and more, they forged them all into their own sound and brand of fine hooky hard and soft, funky Rock with a few Rock-Jazz Fusion flourishes, especially enjoyed by musicians who can better appreciate the timing changes, guitar virtuosity, intelligent lyrics and ahead of it's time sound and production values. that said, anyone with an open mind and a penchance for good rock and roll will find it all here. Even the Brecker Brothers, Jazz musicians famed for their fusion experimentation saw the talent and so lent theirs on "Virgin No". You will find one of the best guitar solos of the time on "Wet Teenager" and some imaginative flourishes of Beatle sounds and interesting sound effects on the slower tunes, all with interesting and well written lyrics.

Unlike groups that totally repeat or completely deviate from their initial sounds that poularized them, these albums are going along a logical musical timeline of progress, the sign of a growing and maturing group of musicians. that is until the 2nd half of Safety, when John Palumbo, author of almost the entire song catalogue went to go solo. but the remaining members did a good job of trying to maintain the sound to create a never-the-less coherent and fine album.

Always having an intelligent, if avente garde view of the world around him, Mr. palumbo brings this very personal and lovingly cycnical, humourous outlook to almost every song on both albums in which he was involved. you can certainly hear his absence on the last half of the third album, especially in the lyrics dept. That too, however, is another thing that makes listening to these recordings an interesting way to spend time. Mr. Palumbos music also holds up better over time than the songs without him, not unlike his beloved Beatles. although they may sound old, you cannot help but want to hear them over and over again.

One of the few groups who can play their complex music live almost as clean as on their studio recordings, you will be agahst at the fact that these recordings were not better received, (Thanks again, Lifesong for the "GREAT" publicity and distribution) These last two of of their first three and finest recordings are a must for any collector who truly has a penchance for great Rock and Roll with amazing inserts of funk and rocking jazz interspersed throughout many of the cuts. After 30 years, I still play the vinyl I first got them on, and am surprised there are no holes in them. If you give them a listen, they will go to the front of your collection without a doubt. (And you won't understand why they aren't in the R&R hall of fame!)"

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