The alternate version also includes a short unreleased track, "Epilogue," which had originally been intended to be placed between "So Said the Lighthouse Keeper" and "Hope".

A reviewer for Julian Cope's Head Heritage described Hope as “an elaborate sci-fi prog opera,[5] while an article in the Edmonton Journal described a “whimsical space-rock album”.

[7] Peter Kurtz of the website felt that the album's conceptual rock opera theme sounded "pretentious, and in some cases like a rip-off of Queen".

[4] PopMatters described the song “Around the Universe in 80 Days” as a “powerful pop ballad” with a “gorgeous piano melody”, and a “fine example of effortless pop-rock craftsmanship”.

The ruined stone plaza features the sun image from the cover of the previous Klaatu album.