Archives for December 2008

The Canadian Progressive Rock band Klaatu certainly needs no introduction. The myth/rumor of “Klaatu are the Beatles” didn’t hurt the bands career either.

Some of Klaatu’s great compositions are Calling Occupants, Anus of Uranus, Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III and Doctor Marvello just to name a few. Bands just don’t make music like this any more. Where is the passion, ingenuity and originality?

They were so massively talented in so many ways, that I can not possibly begin to tackle all of their skills in just one post! I will try though to sum them up in a couple of simple areas. For the un-anointed, sit back and enjoy a terrestrial ride.

• The Sentimental Factor
• Myth/Mystic
• Sound of the band

First of all there is the sentimental factor. Klaatu was CANADIAN! Their music resonates in Canadian minds of the good times that we, as a country, were experiencing! When I was around 9-10 years of age, I distinctly recall listening over and over to the song Sub Rosa Subway. I would be in my parents backyard, with that old silver Radio Shack AM radio, goofing around with the family doing whatever, just having good old family fun!

As for America’s first subway
The public scoffed, “It’s far too rude”
One station filled with Victoria’s age
From frescoed walls and goldfish fountains….
To Brahmsian tunes …

Next came the mystic of the band. Nearing the end of the Beatles era, a band was rumored to be the actual Beatles working in a clandestine project. Who were these members, where did they come from? It was a mystery and myth to most of us at the time. Everyone who thought that this group was in fact the Beatles, frantically searched through any and all of their past master pieces and for subtle clues. You can see how this would make the rabid fan lose many a nights sleep, looking for their lost heroes, just listen to Klaatu’s sound.

Let’s face it, even the electronic voice analyzer in Australia thought it was Paul McCartney singing Sub Rosa Subway. Dee Long Klaatu

Then came their distinctive sound! In some of their anthems, you could easily hear similarities in the voices.

Klaatu had many fans listening to the bands songs backwards looking for any hidden meanings. To decide for yourself, go to the Klaatu website and click on The MUSIC, in the top left of the site, look down towards the section and click BACKWARDS MESSAGES! You then have to go through a disclaimer that rightfully so, blasted some idiot who illegally took the bands hard work from their site, and created his/her own YouTube video, uploaded it to the site and then had the balls to take credit for it! Fucking idiots!!! It has since been removed by Youtube! They do have the backwards messages section nicely set up and it’s easy to use. It allows you to listen to some of the songs in question, forward and then backwards. The words show up when playing them backwards and it is quite astonishing!

So I hope that you enjoyed the trip! I just loved posting on this topic. I hope to keep the art of fine Canadian Progressive Rock music alive!

Keep on Jammin’