YOU & I

Amenophis only managed this one followup to the self titled symphonic masterpiece, and it was a major departure, as the band tried to do what they felt necessary to received radio play and better sales. Any additional sales turned out to be marginal, or at least not enough to allow the band to soldier on further.

After such an ethereal, cerebral debut, "You and I" is much more energetic, indeed poppy in parts, but retains the meticulous approach to arrangements. Vocals are more prominent and they attempt to be more sing-songy than before, where they really blended into the mix. Elke Möhrle acquits herself well on vocals, especially on "Tomorrow is a Long Time" and the very Renaissance like "Close to the See", where she trades off admirably with Wolfgang Vollmuth. Several fairly routine yet modestly progressive instrumentals help the CD achieve variety within a simple and highly accessible symphonic framework, as does the almost rap-like "Ghostball". The guitar and bass riffs make this the heaviest song of the group's career, although the competition in that department is scant.

For those expecting "Amenophis Part 2", you will be very disappointed, but for those who can suspend disbelief, or for whom the first recording was no great shakes, this is a pretty decent neo styled album. A visit to their website revealed a lot of tracks still in the vaults, some of them alot more progressive sounding than what is here, but, given the lag of almost 20 years, the band would need more encouragement than you and I alone could provide.