Hope is the second album by the Canadian rock band Klaatu, released in September 1977. This album stands out as a concept record, following the journey of space travelers visiting a distant planet. Not only did it showcase the band’s progressive rock tendencies, but it also earned critical praise, winning the Juno Award for “Best Engineered Album” and a Canadian Music Critics award for “Best Album” in the same year. With its blend of space rock and theatrical arrangements, Hope was a more ambitious project compared to Klaatu’s debut, 3:47 EST. The album has since become a favorite among fans of progressive rock and space-themed music.
Produced by Klaatu and Terry Brown, Hope was recorded with the assistance of the London Symphony Orchestra, bringing a grandiose, symphonic element to the tracks. The band’s anonymity was still intact during the album’s release, with no individual credits given to the members. However, it has since been revealed that John Woloschuk, Dee Long, and Terry Draper were the masterminds behind the album. The rich orchestration of tracks like “Long Live Politzania” and “Prelude” showcases the band’s ability to fuse rock with classical influences, creating a unique sound that set them apart from their contemporaries.
Musically, Hope was described as a “sci-fi prog opera,” with elaborate arrangements that critics compared to the works of Queen and The Moody Blues. Tracks like “Around the Universe in Eighty Days” highlight Klaatu’s knack for combining catchy melodies with complex instrumentation, while the closing track, “Hope,” serves as an emotional and uplifting finale to the album. The use of the London Symphony Orchestra throughout the record added depth to the band’s sound, giving the album an expansive and cinematic feel. In 2005, an alternate version of Hope was released as part of the Sun Set collection, featuring the complete contributions of the orchestra, as well as the previously unreleased track “Epilogue.”
The cover artwork for Hope was designed by Ted Jones, continuing the visual theme from Klaatu’s previous album by featuring the sun image that appeared on 3:47 EST. The visual aesthetics, much like the music, were rooted in science fiction, further enhancing the album’s thematic coherence. Hope was later remastered and reissued in 2012 by the band’s independent record label, Klaatunes, ensuring that the album’s cosmic grandeur reached new generations of listeners. While Hope didn’t chart as high as its predecessor, it peaked at number forty-nine on Canada’s Top Albums chart and at eighty-three on the US Billboard 200.
Personnel on the album included Dee Long on guitars and vocals, John Woloschuk handling bass and keyboards, and Terry Draper on drums and percussion. Their collaborative efforts, alongside Terry Brown’s production, gave the album its distinctive blend of progressive rock, orchestral arrangements, and the whimsical charm that fans have come to love.