I don’t know if you’ve ever been a fan of Yes, Marillion, or even Genesis, back in the times. I was. And today, I’m not coming with newcomers, but with old timers that I think deserve a big round of applause for their last release “Look To The Sky – Philly Mix”. Their name: Supa Philly. And it has that flavour of the 70’s neo prog rock that I always liked a lot.
Their name tells you where they’re from. For those who are not completely awake this morning: Philadelphia. It’s not a new band, but a legendary band formed in the 70s, made of crazy musicians used to record with The Who, perform with The Monkees, James Taylor, and others that young folks have never heard of and that’s a shame. They separated and re-formed several times; and today, since 2021 (their last re-formation) the band consists of four original members, David Christopher, Frank McDonnell, Randy Cantor, and Dick Sherwood, plus a great female singer, Michele Ricco.
Now, why would I bother you with such dinosaurs, you may tell me. Why, because they are good, and you love good music! But just before to talk music, let’s talk about the meaning of the song. Because it’s not a song that comes from nowhere. It’s about UFO. Yes, UFO, you heard me. The guys were already there in the 70s, and back then (even in the 80s), everybody knew that UFO was no BS. Minds were open (too much sometimes), and eyes were looking for life everywhere. “Look to the Sky” (the title of the song I will share today) refers to that day of 1978 when Frank McDonnell and Dick Sherwood saw a black, triangular aircraft floating across the Atlantic City Expressway at 3 am. I’ve no idea if they were on drugs that night (so many were), but I’ve no reason to disbelieve what they say that they’ve seen. And they took it sufficiently seriously to have already recorded two songs about it, that one being the third.
The idea of the track: maybe if those people coming from elsewhere (the big space) would land on Earth and decide to stay, they’d be able to bring peace by having “the planet reunite”. That may sound a bit unreal or even a weird utopia. It’s not. As science-fiction literature has always been a vector of progress and helped the creation of new realities, that kind of songs also brings about new realities. The mere idea that things could be different can make the whole difference in that world. Well, that’s my experience, and I always thank the artists, the dreamers of Earth, as if they were not here, the world would stay grim forever.
The song is a masterpiece of prog-rock, with some flavors (and more than flavors) of Gospel pop-rock. The singers have incredible voices, and as the band says, they sing without auto-tunes, they play real instruments, and they are definitely not washed up.
It’s a great composition with excellent arrangements, and honestly, it’s the kind of rock music that helps you elevate and rise to better moods. You should… You MUST listen to it:
And of course you can listen to it in the New Rock Gems Spotify playlist or your favorite blogger:
