Customer Reviews

Klaatu/Hope

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This rumor started LONG before John Lennon was killed. The media suggested KLAATU could, maybe .. be the 4 lads ....close but sadly they were not ...what they were/are is a bunch of extremely talented musicians that made some great "Beatlesque" music .... hey Oasis does it ....Badfinger ..did it...TEARS for FEARS even did it .. Don't listen to Klaatu because you want them to be the Beatles .. listen to them because they're freakin really good.

...maybe not, but they sure came close! What strange songwriting by this most bizarre of bands. Ranging from psychedelic to hard rocking to progressive to just bizarre--I don't know if listening to this is a guilty pleasure, or if it really is as good as I think it is.

I won't bother with Beatles comparisons, others have written about that. I will say that the music contained here lies somewhere between post-Sgt. Pepper era Beatles, early Alan Parsons Project, Meddle to Animals era Pink Floyd, and (yes) Radiohead. Then again, other songs remind me of other bands: "California Jam"(Beach Boys), "Anus Of Uranus" (Crack The Sky), Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby (The Boston Symphony meets The Muppets). It is just a strange mix of demented music.

What is most amazing to me about this CD is the production of the music. The sound quality is just awesome, with all sorts of effects, guitars and keys swirling around inside your headphones. Now keep in mind that I say this about the double album CD version. I have heard that this is actually a very flawed mix compared to the individual remasters. I have not heard the other versions, but I can say that I think the double album version is great. (I may have to buy them seperately to hear what everyone's been talking about!)

Anyway it is in the production of sounds that draws my comparison to Radiohead. To me, listening to this CD for the first time was much like listening to "OK Computer" or "Kid A" for the first time. There is a lot to listen to, and I mean that in a good way.

At the price that Amazon has this available for, I would recommend the two-fer package. If you want to check the remasters individually, I would recommend the following:

Klaatu: (a.k.a. 3:47 EST) Buy this one if you are more interested in the more rocking "Beatles-ish" sound.

Hope: Buy this one if you are more interested in the "Pink Floyd-ish" sound.

Hope this helps.

Putting the first two Klaatu albums on one CD was a smart move on the part of Collector's Choice Music. One flows beautifully into the next. If you loved these two albums when they first came out, purchase this CD. The reproduction on this CD is incredible. Forget your scratchy LPs - I don't remember my old albums sounding this good. Yes, we all know the untrue rumours that these were the Beatles together again. But, with the sound reproduction on this CD, you'd almost think it was the Beatles. Kick back and relax to the 16 tunes on this CD which will - take you to space and back again; take you to mythical places and allow your fantasies to come alive; and take you on one heck of a musical journey. If you like Klaatu, the Beatles and Pink Floyd - may I suggest another CD to purchase: British Rock Symphony - the music of the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd & The Who as performed by Roger Daltry, Paul Rodgers, Tommy Shaw, Alice Cooper, Ann Wilson and more. Excellent!

The songs on these albums are quite obscure, with the exception of "Calling Occupants..." which was covered by the Carpenters of all people, and it's hip for those supposedly in the know to bash Klaatu for a variety of reasons. But it is a huge mistake to dismiss the band for two reasons: 1. They accomplish some really remarkable music and 2. They wrote songs nobody else could have written. On this disc you will find their best work, ranging from the marvelously silly "Rugglesby," to the symphonic "Loneliest of Creatures" and the syntho-weird "Little Neutrino." Emphasising philosophy and narrative rather than the usual young romance and sex of most pop music, Klaatu succeeds better than just about anyone at setting science fiction to a rock and roll beat, and their production values are top-of-the-line for their day. You might not dance to this stuff at parties, and it may not change your life, but listening to this CD is like curling up with a good book on a rainy day.

Capitol rushed this CD out in the early 90's and Collector's choice has used the same masters. The Songs Are Great, but the Sounds is very Tinny. Look for the out of print Remasters from Canada, you will not be disappointed in those. In fact, the Klaatu Web Site says this CD is ONE TO AVOID, unless you don't own the others already.

About time they release their first album! If you haven't purchased any of Klaatu's albums then this is the one to get. This CD mixes a variety of songs from the spacey "CALLING ALL OCCUPANTS" to the beach boy song "CALIFORNIA JAM" to the mystic "DOCTOR MARVELLO" to the popeye type "SIR BODSWORTH" and then finishing with the special effects of "LITTLE NEUTRINO". Just when you'd think that there's no other course for Klaatu to take, the second half of the CD launches you

into their best work on the concept driven outer space roller coaster of slick lyrics and fantastic orchestrated music. "HOPE" remains one of my all time favorite songs. What a buy for both albums.

.......a lot of odd, strangely adult evenings and afternoons when I was 14. "Dr. Marvello and "Little Nuetrino" especially walked me through the trippiness of being an underage ner-do -well. It ain't great art,but for a strange teenager it sure meant a lot. I bought the 2 album thingy at 41 and I listened to it constantly....the New York Subway song just kills me....kind of an early "They Might Be Giants" song.

This review only pertains to the first portion of this CD, the 'Klaatu' album.

I first became aware of this album when my brother brought it home and, like many things, he's completely forgotten about it and I'm still listening to it. At any rate, he primarily bought it because of the famous "Is it the Beatles?" controversy. Be that as it may, I still love this thing for several reasons.

First of all, it's very emplematic of the musical scene at that time, when the world was still trying to get over the 60s and realizing that the Beatles really HAD broken up. This album is a wide ranging mixture of musical styles currently coming into vogue at the time and many that harkened back to the acid 60s. If you were a teenager during that time, you'll know what I mean.

Undoubtedly, this is a quirky set of songs. Most of the melodies and song structures are fairly straightforward, but underlying many of them is kind of a dark, creepy undertone. For example, the second track, California Jam, starts off as sort of a standard beach-rock tune, but then in the middle we get a delightfully sung bridge having to do with. . . .the future San Andreas quake that will kill thousands and drop part of California into the ocean. Okay then.

The other songs generally swing between rock and late 60s popular music (with two notable exceptions) but they create an entire album of individual songs that somehow hang together to create a full, enriching experience. Many bring in snippets of very Beatles-esque riffs, not only on 'Sub-Rosa Subway' the one that created the Beatles controversy, but others as well.

The two most interesting tracks are probably ' Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III' and 'Little Neutrino'. The former sticks out like a sore thumb and one at first wonders why it's even on there -- it seems more like it ought to be on a children's record. But after listening, it does, in fact, fit in, and still contains that creepy element (going to HELL and back) and brings in a lot of melodies reminiscent of Victorian-age exploration.

'Little Neutrino' is almost reason alone to buy it. Again, the band uses fairly traditional melodies and structures, but puts them into a context that melds together the old and new: guitars and viola with extremely well-done synth. Many of that era just played around with synthesizers, but Klaatu mastered it and really used the new sounds to good effect. That is, they didn't just throw it in there to play around, they fit the sounds to the song as a whole. It just works. As a science geek, it also captures much of the post-'2001: A Space Odyssey' mood going around at the time, when space was still kind of mysterious (as opposed to the post-'Star Wars' era) and astro- and sub-atomic physics were bringing weird things like neutrinos to the public consciousness and the Voyager and Pioneer spacecraft were heading out to the outer solar system.

Six words for listening to 'Little Neutrino': Get headphones. Turn it up LOUD.

So in essence, it's a weird sort of album, but it works if you give it a chance, and should really bring you back (or there to begin with if you're younger than 30) to the mid-70s rock scene. Once you get over the initial shock of how different the tracks are, it all makes sense and they're really enjoyable.

And please, someone shine a black light on the damn thing and let me know if any myeterious writing appears anywhere.. . . .

I'll confess up front: my perceptions of Klaatu were formed by the original US release on vinyl, way back in the olden times.

The sound I remember from that LP was nothing short of stunning. Previous experience with Capitol's repackaging of classic albums prepared me somewhat for less than ideal reproduction, but this CD hurts a bit worse than most, because it falls short of such a high standard to begin with.

About the only things Capitol got right were that they mostly left the bass alone, and they did not attempt to reposition any of the sound sources or tinker with the ambience. This CD, especially in the tracks from the first album, will still make the walls sway and your skull throb.

On the other hand, unless your hearing has been impaired significantly more than mine has, you'll need to turn the treble way, way down. The original album's sound was crisp, but it wasn't sibillant! And, the dynamic range has been so compressed that a lot of the more subtle effects on the first album come out rather squashed. Then, there's the sacrilege of snipping the two mouse squeaks...the one that ends the first album, and the one that opens the second album...down to one. Creativity by committee, no doubt.

None the less, this is a good CD to have if you want both albums handy on a single disc.

Musically, no one can fault the variety of styles represented on the first album (Klaatu, now also known as 3:47 Est). Once in a while, though, the lyrics become just a little too precious, even for the mid-Seventies. But the playing is precise, the vocals are right on target for the subject matter, and the arrangements are creative and sometimes downright surprising.

The second album, Hope, starts off as promising as the first. It's lively and witty, right up through the pointedly satirical "Long Live Politzania."

As it works its way toward a dreadful end, however, the album bogs down badly. The title track itself...well, there's just no hope. Not many groups could carry off something that heavy; Klaatu didn't.

Instead of being the affirmation it was intended to be, "Hope" comes across as lifeless and forced. The guys probably should have rung up Yes and gotten their advice. If the lyrics are going to get preachy, you have no choice but to make the music itself all the more interesting. Didn't happen here.

Even so, this is a good CD to have in your collection. There's a lot to like about Klaatu as a group. But in retrospect, perhaps it wasn't such a good career move to attach the band's name to a planet that got wiped from the face of the Universe in only their second album.

Alright, so Klaatu had a Beatle edge to them. But they were also highly influenced by Pink Floyd and you'll pick that up in their music, especially listening to the Hope album. Some great music here. Great guitar work by Dee Long throughout all the tracks. Listen to him crunch through True Life Hero. I am one of the fortunate Klaatuvians (yes, we have a name)that has all of their LPs on CD (yep, I have Hope as a standalone CD). A great band that never got its due. Pick up Peaks (remastered tracks and a greatest hits CD). I have had far better luck getting Klaatu CDs ordering through Canada CD stores.