Hope (Klaatu album)

Last updated
Hope
HopeKlaatuAlbumCover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 1977
Genre
Length40:53
Label Daffodil, Capitol
Producer Terry Brown
Klaatu chronology
3:47 EST
(1976)
Hope
(1977)
Sir Army Suit
(1978)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
(Klaatu/Hope two-in-one)
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]

Hope is the second album by the Canadian rock band Klaatu and their first concept album. Released in September 1977, it won a Juno Award for "Best Engineered Album" and a Canadian Music Critics award for "Best Album" that same year. The album follows the loose concept of space travelers visiting a distant planet. [4]

Contents

An alternate version of Hope was released in 2005 as part of the group's Sun Set collection of rarities. The alternate version on Sun Set includes the complete contributions of the London Symphony Orchestra, which had largely been removed from the version released in 1977. The alternate version also includes a short unreleased track, "Epilogue," which had originally been intended to be placed between "So Said the Lighthouse Keeper" and "Hope". The lyrics to "Epilogue" were printed on the inner sleeve for Hope despite the song being omitted from the album.

Hope was remastered and re-issued in 2012 by the band's members, and was released on the band's independent record label Klaatunes.

Musical style

A reviewer for Julian Cope's Head Heritage described Hope as “an elaborate sci-fi prog opera, [5] while an article in the Edmonton Journal described a “whimsical space-rock album”. [6] Allmusic's Mike DeGagne commented that the album was "less pop-infused" than the group's previous album 3:47 EST , and contained more "progressive depth" with an "experimental sound". [7] Peter Kurtz of the website felt that the album's conceptual rock opera theme sounded "pretentious, and in some cases like a rip-off of Queen". [1] Billboard described the songs as ranging from "fun light pop" similar to 10cc, to "theatrical melodramas" similar to Queen, and to well-orchestrated ballads similar to the Moody Blues. [4]

PopMatters described the song “Around the Universe in 80 Days” as a “powerful pop ballad” with a “gorgeous piano melody”, and a “fine example of effortless pop-rock craftsmanship”. It described “Prelude” as “an instrumental rock epic”. [8]

Artwork

Like the previous Klaatu album, the cover was painted by graphic artist Ted Jones. The cover shows "the Lighthouse Keeper's beam". The ruined stone plaza features the sun image from the cover of the previous Klaatu album.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."We're Off You Know"John Woloschuk4:01
2."Madman"Dee Long2:39
3."Around the Universe in Eighty Days"Long4:59
4."Long Live Politzania"Woloschuk9:11
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Loneliest of Creatures"Woloschuk3:44
2."Prelude"Woloschuk, Long, Terry Draper5:44
3."So Said the Lighthouse Keeper"Woloschuk5:51
4."Hope"Woloschuk4:44
Total length:40:53

The original release credited all songs simply to "Klaatu"; however, subsequent reissues and the band's website provided individual song writing credits.

Personnel

Klaatu
Additional
Production

The band members are not named on the original LP.

Charts

Chart (1977–1978)Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [9] 49
US Billboard 200 [10] 83

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [11] Gold50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. 1 2 Kurtz, Peter. "Hope - Klaatu". AllMusic . Retrieved 2018-10-30.
  2. Dave Sleger (1992-01-06). "Klaatu/Hope - Klaatu | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  3. "Klaatu: Hope album review". Loudersound . 10 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Billboard's Top Album Picks — Pop" (PDF). Billboard . United States. September 24, 1977. Retrieved March 3, 2022 via World Radio History.
  5. Dog 3000. "Unsung Reviews – Klaatu: Sir Army Suit". Julian Cope Presents Head Heritage. Retrieved 7 September 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. Hicks, Graham (12 July 1980). "Klaatu has long maintained a low profile emerging from the underground". Edmonton Journal .
  7. Mike DeGagne. "3:47 EST - Klaatu | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  8. "So Said the Lighthouse Keepers". www.popmatters.com.
  9. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5434a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  10. "Klaatu Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  11. "Canadian album certifications – Klaltu – Hope". Music Canada . Retrieved March 25, 2024.