A somewhat disappointing follow-up to the promise left by the group's inspired debut,
Hope: 25th Anniversary was actually recorded just before the first album was released (and prior to the subsequent "Are
Klaatu the Beatles?" rumors). The band opted for a more conceptual, rock opera sound, but they ended up sounding pretentious, and in some cases like a rip-off of
Queen. If you're into LP sleeve art, though, this one is breathtaking. The artist, Ted Jones, did several of the band's striking album sleeves, but this is certainly the most beautiful. Drummer and band archivist Terry Draper later tried to retrieve the original oil painting from which the cover was shot, but discovered it had been pilfered by an unknown employee of Capitol. [A special 25th Anniversary edition of
Hope was released in 2002.] ~ Peter Kurtz