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Hope (Klaatu album)

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Hope
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 1977
Genre
Length40:53 (including hidden track)
LabelDaffodil, Capitol
ProducerTerry Brown
Klaatu chronology
3:47 EST
(1976)
Hope
(1977)
Sir Army Suit
(1978)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
[2]
(Klaatu/Hope two-in-one)
Classic Rock[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]

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."

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

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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

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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

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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

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Klaatu
Additional
Production
  • Arranged and produced by Klaatu and Terry Brown
  • Recorded and engineered by Terry Brown

The band members are not named on the original LP.

Charts

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

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[11] Gold 50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "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.
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