Klaatu

Peaks fabulously outlines this mysterious band's short-lived career, and with all the Beatles comparisons aside, there really is some great music compiled on this set. Plucking the best tracks from all five of their albums, this hits collection reveals both the early, somewhat progressive sound of Klaatu as well as the better known sweet, polished material. Opening up with "Calling Occupants," a song that was later made famous by the Carpenters, and merging right into the Beatles-sounding tracks like "We're Off You Know" and "Sub Rosa Subway," their textured music and rich sound begins to take shape. Shards of Sgt. Pepper can be heard in songs like "Doctor Marvello" or "The Loneliest of Creatures," only making the likenesses more obvious, but entertainingly doing so. Great horn work, along with some ornate keyboard roundabouts make up the eight minute "Little Neutrino," as instruments imitate the sounds of atoms bumping into each other. Klaatu's plush love songs, like "Knee Deep in Love" or "I Can't Help It," were recurring tunes on Canadian radio throughout the early '80s, and can still hold their own today. Musicians John Woloschuk, Dee Long, and Terry Draper each contribute to the honeyed melodies and layered instrumentation equally, and while only a trio, they give Klaatu a much larger sound. Peaks is a better all-around package than its counterpart, Klassic Klaatu, since it contains six extra tracks and more detailed information. ~ Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide