IVORY - Sad Cypress [1980]

As underrated as the Neuschwanstein album is overrated. Both bands seemed to be going for the same thing, but I think Ivory were a lot more successful at it. They have a lush, dense dual-keyboard sound (the only prog band I know of led by a father-son duo of keyboardists) and a charming singer. As the band¡¯s leader was a sexagenarian ex-classical musician, some of this is awfully pompous: the title track based on a Shakespeare sonnet and ¡°In Hora Ultima¡± featuring some vocals in Latin. That aside, this is prime symphonic rock, some of the best from Germany actually. The four bonus tracks on the CD (with a mechanistic all-keyboard sound) are a little on the superfluous side, but the main album is definitely first-rate!
Basic symphonic progressive Genesis influenced band. The music is quite good but why, just why does the singer sing in English ? Especially when he pronounces the letter 'w' as a 'v'. Imagine ! This is simply awful. I just can't get over it. The only good tracks are the instrumentals and "In Hora Ultima" where the lyrics are latin ! The last two tracks are bonus and not as interesting.
Studio Album, released in 1980
Tracks Listing
1. At This Very Moment (3:57)
2. In Hora Ultima (7:12)
3. Sad Cypress (8:34)
4. Time Traveller (4:15)
5. My Brother (13:52)
6. The Great Tower* (9:44)
7. Incantation* (4:42)
8. Construction N° 2* (2:29)
9. Barbara* (13:45)
Total Time: 68:30
*CD bonus tracks
Line-up / Musicians
- Ulrich Sommerlatte / keyboards
- Thomas Sommerlatte / keyboards
- Christian Mayer / lead vocals, acoustic & electric guitars
- Goddie Daum / acoustic & electric guitars
- Charly Stechl / bass, flute
- Fredrik Rittmüller / drums
guest musician:
- Antonio Ognissanti / latin vocals
Notes
LP Jupiter Records 202 428-320 (1980 Germany)
CD Musea FGBG 4089.AR (1993 France)
CD MALS 039 (2005 Russia)
CD Belle Antique BELLE 091534 (Japan)
digital releases include four bonus tracks (tracks 6-9) recorded between 1983 and 1987

IVORY - Sad Cypress 

[1980] Jupiter Records / CBR320 / scans

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