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Who can fault an artist who so clearly embraces a one-planet, one-people worldview? Someone who recruits guest instrumentalists from every hemisphere to underscore his fondness for multiculturalism and convey his wish for global harmony? You can't help but admire Yanni, the Greek keyboardist/composer, even while acknowledging such nobility does not always translate into deeply satisfying music. On this, the audio-only component of his third made-for-television concert production (filmed in 2005 in Las Vegas), Yanni continues in his adopted role of True Egalitarian, playing a few bars to open a piece, then fading into the background to let other musicians (on violin, trumpet, sax, didgeridoo, hammer dulcimer, even keyboards) command the music's flow. A lovely gesture, but one that often results in extended soloing that sidetracks, even derails, the focus of the music. (Consider "Playtime," where Ming Freeman plays the jazzy piano solo, and the disc's previously unreleased track, "The Storm," pairing violinists Samvel Yervinyan and Sayaka Katsuki in a showy duet that is reminiscent of something from Bond.) Thus while the musicianship is first-rate, the production is superb, and some tracks are terrific (too bad "Standing in Motion" fades out so quickly), this disc is more about the jamming and less about staying on compositional task. Likely this project will be better appreciated in its DVD version, where the staging and artist interaction is on display. Meanwhile, some longtime fans may be left yearning for a day when Yanni will step up to his keyboards, drop the hammer, and let his own muse rock.
--Terry Wood More Yanni 
Ultimate Yanni | 
Live at the Acropolis | 
Reflections of Passion |
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
(46 customer reviews) 27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
right in between Acropolis and Tribute.,
August 15, 2006 J. C. (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Live: The Concert Event (Audio CD)
Perhaps no new Yanni recordings can surpass Acropolis. But this CD comes close to it. When I was first introduced to Yanni through Acropolis, I thought Acropolis was THE kind of music he typifies. However, over the years, I found that Acropolis is more of an exception then the rule... most of his music is electronic instead of symphonic. And this CD is just that, an electronic explosion of music... and if you just take it at face value, this is a GREAT cd. Very energetic, rhythmic, and interesting to listen to.
However, for those Acropolic die-hard fans like myself, you might find some compositions to be just "too showy". Yes, we like solos, but there comes a point where the solos become close to being overbearing... playing just for playing's sake and sometimes, the solos don't quite match up to the mood of the song. Then the next problem is the "flatness" of every composition. Every song has the same structure. And maybe its a case of "the original is better", Keys to...Read more
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Yanni Live Again!,
September 3, 2006 Ramanesh Keith Nair "aceedburn®" (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Live: The Concert Event (Audio CD)
It seems so long ago that I listened to and watched Yanni's Acropolis and Tribute albums that I was beginning to wonder if he'll ever come out with a new live album. This is it! This is the disc I've been waiting for. The sound quality is excellent, and mind you, I'm an audiophile freak. It says it was captured on 125 channels of digital audio and I'm not surprised at all. I hear it as though I was center stage at the Mandalay Bay in Vegas where this concert was recorded. The intensity of the music and the great melodies of the old and new tunes can be heard very vividly and I must say, all the musicians on the record are quite simply some of the best in their respective fields.
I'd highly recommend this disc to all Yanni or non Yanni fans and I can't wait for the DVD version to be released which will showcase probably the best concert event release of 2006.
p.s. hopefully this disc gets released on SACD!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Not Acropolis or Tribute,
August 22, 2006 A. Calderon - See all my reviews
This review is from: Live: The Concert Event (Audio CD)
I first saw Yanni: Live at the Acropolis late one night after coming home from work. I've heard all the late night jokes about him but I found myself enjoying the show and tried to get everyone else I knew to watch it. Needless to say I got my hands on the album as soon as I could. A few years later, I saw Tribute in the store and bought it without seeing the live show till much later. I enjoyed both of these albums immensely so I was looking forward to his newest Live album. I gave it a four star rating for one reason and one reason only. I have the majority of these songs on both of the previous albums. At first I was appalled when I heard the techno beats driving the songs but it grew on me. You have to figure he can not always sound like Acropolis and he wants to take his music in different directions. It is his music after all. To all of the nay sayers to this album, you have to remember that he didn't have the Royal Philharmonic backing him in this one and that the album...Read more
