Klaatu - Klaatu & Hope (1976_77) [BGOCD518 2000]

Biography by Jim Powers

In August of 1976, the self-titled debut album by an unknown group called Klaatu was released on Capitol Records to little notice. The following February Steve Smith, a writer for the Providence Journal in Rhode Island, wrote an article titled "Could Klaatu Be the Beatles? Mystery Is a Magical Mystery Tour." The article began the rumor that Klaatu was "more than likely either in part or in whole the Beatles." These conjectures, fueled by a series of articles in trade magazines like Billboard created a huge amount of hype and Capitol did nothing to deny or confirm the rumors. Throughout 1977, record sales soared and radio stations ran "Is Klaatu the Beatles?" promotions. Reportedly, some of the "clues" as to
whether or not Klaatu were the Beatles included backward messages, Morse code, references to the group's identities in the song lyrics, and the word "Beatles" hidden in various places on the record jacket. After several months of conjecture, the group's identity was revealed at the end of year -- it wasn't the Beatles after all, it was Terry Draper (songwriter, vocalist, drummer), John Woloschuck, and Dee Long. Immediately, their record sales declined, and due to a backlash generated by the Beatles hoax their four subsequent albums failed to sell. The group broke up in 1981.


Review by Dave Sleger rating 4 *s

Those who appreciate the smart pop, art/symphonic-rock, and weird sci-fi themes of Klaatu needn't venture beyond this two-on-one issue of their first two Capitol releases. Klaatu frequently alternated between Beatlesque pop, the showy guitar rock and vocal theatrics of early Queen, and the electronic orchestral techniques pioneered by Walter Carlos, or worked all three into the structure of a four- or five-minute song. They reached their creative peak on their second album Hope, which implemented all of the above in a very creative and effective manner but was predictably dismissed by the music press as being "over-indulgent" and "pretentious" -- and this only after it was ascertained that Klaatu was not the alias for the second coming of the Beatles. Their subsequent releases were downright ghastly pop-rock affairs that lacked originality and made their early-'80s demise a welcome occurrence. For those who are curious about the Canadian band, this compilation of their two first albums presents Klaatu in their finest hour.

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Tracklisting
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1. Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft
2. California Jam
3. Anus of Uranus
4. Sub-Rosa Subway
5. True Life Hero
6. Doctor Marvello
7. Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III
8. Little Neutrino
9. We're Off You Know
10. Madman
11. Around the Universe in Eighty Days
12. Long Live Politzania
13. The Loneliest of Creatures
14. Prelude
15. So Said the Lighthouse Keeper
16. Hope

Playing Time.........: 01:17:00
Total Size...........: 484,87 MB

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