Sir Army Suit
Encyclopedia
Sir Army Suit is the third and antepenultimate album recorded by the Canadian progressive rock
band Klaatu. It was different from their two previous albums, 3:47 EST
and Hope, adopting more of a pop feel (with one song, "Juicy Luicy", being a disco
song). Many of these songs were hold-overs from early demos the band made pre-fame and were revived because band member John Woloschuk had spent a year writing and arranging the "Hope" album leaving him artistically drained. The band's other main songwriter, Dee Long
, picked up the ball with many new compositions and ultimately co-produced and engineered the record while the band's regular producer, Terry Brown, was busy working with Rush
and Max Webster
.
In spite of this, though, the album is generally well regarded by the group's fans.
An animated video was released for the album's opening track, "A Routine Day," one of six animated song videos created for the group's ambitious, but never completed, Happy New Year, Planet Earth half-hour animated special.
This is the only original Klaatu album whose cover was not painted by Ted Jones; the cover of Sir Army Suit was painted by Ian Thomas Band keyboardist Hugh Syme
, mainly known for album cover work with Rush
. The cover represented the first crack in the group's notorious anonymity since all three members appeared on the back cover (the front cover features a self-portrait of Hugh Syme and, ironically, Klaatu's previous graphic artist Ted Jones).
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Klaatu. It was different from their two previous albums, 3:47 EST
3:47 EST
The album ends with a mouse squeak.-Origin of the title:In the 1951 science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still, the alien emissary Klaatu arrives in Washington, D.C. at 3:47 in the afternoon Eastern Standard Time...
and Hope, adopting more of a pop feel (with one song, "Juicy Luicy", being a disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
song). Many of these songs were hold-overs from early demos the band made pre-fame and were revived because band member John Woloschuk had spent a year writing and arranging the "Hope" album leaving him artistically drained. The band's other main songwriter, Dee Long
Dee Long
Dee Long is a Minnesota politician, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing part of Minneapolis...
, picked up the ball with many new compositions and ultimately co-produced and engineered the record while the band's regular producer, Terry Brown, was busy working with Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
and Max Webster
Max Webster
Max Webster was a Canadian rock band of the 1970s and early 1980s.-Career:The band was formed in 1973 in Toronto, Ontario and originally consisted of guitarist and vocalist Kim Mitchell, keyboardist Terry Watkinson, bassist Mike Tilka and drummer Paul Kersey. Mitchell and Pye Dubois would write the...
.
In spite of this, though, the album is generally well regarded by the group's fans.
An animated video was released for the album's opening track, "A Routine Day," one of six animated song videos created for the group's ambitious, but never completed, Happy New Year, Planet Earth half-hour animated special.
This is the only original Klaatu album whose cover was not painted by Ted Jones; the cover of Sir Army Suit was painted by Ian Thomas Band keyboardist Hugh Syme
Hugh Syme
Hugh Syme is a Canadian Juno Award-winning graphic artist who is best known for his artwork and cover concepts for rock and metal bands. He is also a musician and has appeared in some Rush songs as a keyboard player. Syme is notably responsible for all of Rush's album cover art since 1975's Caress...
, mainly known for album cover work with Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
. The cover represented the first crack in the group's notorious anonymity since all three members appeared on the back cover (the front cover features a self-portrait of Hugh Syme and, ironically, Klaatu's previous graphic artist Ted Jones).
Track listing
- "A Routine Day" (John Woloschuk)
- "Juicy Luicy" (Woloschuk)
- "Everybody Took a Holiday" (Dee Long)
- "Older" (Long)
- "Dear Christine" (Woloschuk)
- "Mister Manson" (Long)
- "Tokeymor Field" (Woloschuk)
- "Perpetual Motion Machine" (Long)
- "Chérie" (Long)
- "Silly BoysSilly Boys"Silly Boys" is a song by the Canadian band Klaatu, which appeared on their third album, Sir Army Suit. "Silly Boys" was composed primarily of a backmasked version of Klaatu's early song, "Anus Of Uranus", as well as a brief backmasked fragment of the instrumental ending of "Little Neutrino".-The...
" (Long)