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| Whether you love pop, rock,
easy listening or new age, odds are you've enjoyed the music of Yanni.
Each of the tracks on our collection is a stunning reminder of why he is
one of the best-selling instrumental artists around. Yanni's unique ability
to touch the listener is reflected in his philosophy: "My goal is to connect
with people emotionaly. I take life's experiences and translate them into
music-music that hopefully creates an impact on the listener." |
The
Very Best of Yanni
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| Here's the scoop on this disc:
it is a fine and satisfying survey of the years that Yanni spent while
under contract to a record conglomerate, BMG. It evenly samples different
stages of the keyboardist's work from 1986 to 1994 (his thunderous early
phase and his romantic-icon period of the early 1990s) and attractively
groups some of his most memorable works in a single package (though by
shifting back and forth between eras, the pacing at times is uneven). For
a Yanni newcomer, this is a good introductory sampler of a major and worthwhile
New Age artist. Just realize this: Yanni had nothing to do with this compilation.
Nor has he had any involvement with any of the additional five samplers
the company has rushed to market since Yanni jumped to anothe label in
1997. --Terry Wood |
In
The Mirror
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| In 1997, when Yanni switched
to a new record company, his old label rushed to release not one, not two,
but three compilations of his old recordings, basically trying to capitalize
on his popularity as hastily as it could. --Terry Wood |
In
My Time
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| Formally attired and seductively
positioned, Yanni gazes out at you from the cover of this 1993 recording
and--no description needed--tells you everything you need to know about
the music that awaits inside. In My Time is a 49-minute album of piano-based
works with a distinct neoclassical flavor that is targeted specifically
to Yanni's large and faithful female following. --Terry Wood |
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If
I Could Tell You - Yanni
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| A straightforward, keyboard-based
studio recording with minimal accompaniment, If I Could Tell You finds
Yanni exploring a pleasant though largely unexceptional middle ground--less
overtly romantic than his early '90s bestsellers In My Time and Dare to
Dream, nor as boldly expressive as his rousing early releases. |
Live
At The Acropolis
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| At his best, Yanni strikes
incendiary sparks with the driving, celebratory quality of his music, and
this production, culling some of the best audio moments from his much televised
1993 concert performance in Athens, is a most appealing showcase. Yanni
can sometimes strike the sonic hammer as forcefully as a Greek god ("Santorini,"
"Keys to Imagination") and, on this album at least, gives even overtly
romantic pieces ("One Man's Dream," "Swept Away") a warmly masculine flair.
Beautifully arranged and recorded; a pleasure to experience. -T. Wood |
Love
Songs - Yanni
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| Love Songs takes nine of its
12 gentle selections from two of Yanni's quieter releases, Dare to Dream
and the hushed piano intimacy of In My Time and its stately, neoclassical
romanticism is more reminiscent of David Lanz than the ballad-like pop
of Jim Brickman. For listeners in search of a non-jarring audio element
to add to your evening of candlelight and massage oil, this is a worthy
selection. If this strikes your fancy, seek out an overlooked 1984 solo
piano gem from David Lanz, Nightfall. --Terry Wood |
Dare
To Dream
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| Yanni's "Dare to Dream", is
a one of a kind album, possessing both power and strength with striking
elegance and calmness. |
Nightbird
- Yanni
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Tribute
- Yanni
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| The album's title is Tribute,
but it just as easily could be called Spectacle. Everything here is done
on a grand scale, from its ambitious staging areas (the Taj Mahal and China's
Forbidden City re-creations) to its large gathering of instrumentalists
(more than two dozen) to the histrionics of two impassioned vocalists on
a pair of the album's 11 tracks. --Terry Wood |
Devotion:
The Best
Of
Yanni
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| For nine of this compilation's
15 tracks, Devotion dips into two of Yanni's quieter recordings, 1992's
Dare to Dream and 1993's delicate In My Time. Those selections, intermingled
with an assortment of the keyboardist's more dynamic works ("Santorini,"
the ubiquitous "Within Attraction"), create a generally satisfying survey
of Yanni's first seven albums. (Niki Nana and Optimystique are not represented
here, which is a plus.) The claim, as stated on the CD's packaging, that
this is the best of Yanni is a stretch, but the package does offer a decent
overview of his work, with a tilt toward his gentler side. "The End of
August" and "Marching Season" are presented as performed in concert at
the Acropolis. --Terry Wood |
In
Celebration of Life
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| This 1991 compilation is essentially
a companion piece to 1990's Reflections of Passion. Combined, these two
worthwhile samplers offer listeners an inexpensive way to own the best
of Yanni's first 4 recordings. |
Reflections
Of Passion
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| Reflections of Passion is the
first of what has became a near-torrent of "best-of" collections and other
repackagings involving Yanni's early work. |
Niki
Nana
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