Klaatu

AMG Review of Klaatu

Peter Kurtz
All Music Guide

This album was a total enigma when it was first released in 1976. Each song had its own eccentric personality, and the entirety sounded like the concoction of some strange ock orchestra from the netherworld. The Beatles tag nailed to this band may have helped album sales, but in actuality only the song "Sub Rosa Subway" sounded anything like them (it's a convoluted "It's All Too Much" melody with McCartney-esque vocals). The rest of the tunes politely exploited surf music, '70s progressive rock, and children's /p>

ovelty songs. "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" and "Little Neutrino" are the standout tracks besides "Subway." The former is the band's signature song, later covered by the Carpenters, while "Neutrino" utilizes phase-shifting and vocal effects to help jettison it into deep space. The overall impression left by this curio is that, no, the Fab Four weren't involved, but there was surely a spark of genius (other than George Martin) behind the myriad of instruments and sounds.