★★★★★
Affluent spirituality cum cornball romanticism from a florid New Age keyb maestro, his guitarless yet oddly rockish band (dig those drum solos), and one of those symphony orchestras that'll hook up with anyone who leaves enough cash on the night table. Given the august location of this "event of a lifetime," it seems only appropriate to cite pseudo-Plutarch, the Roman protomusicologist who summed up the Greek "new wave" composers of the fifth century B.C.: "Crexus, Timotheus and Philoxenus . . ...
- www.robertchristgau.com
2009-07-10
★★★★★
Cynics of all stripes have gotten quite a chuckle in recent monthsfrom the crossover pop success of Reflections of Passion, a collection of romantic instrumental songs by New Agecomposer/performer Yanni. The album's sales took off after publicitycelebrating his dewy relationship with glamorous former Dynasty starLinda Evans...
- ew.com
2009-06-12
★★★★★
Yanni Chryssomallis set the Greek freestyle swimming record at 14, before paddling about in currents of sound. Since 1984, with albums such as Dare To Dream, Keys To Imagination, and Live At The Acropolis, composer/keyboardist Yanni became a modern-day Sampson of sorts, New Age music success growing alongside his infamous hair. He's considered the "first New Age artist," if you don't count Vangelis, Kitaro or Jean-Michel Jarre...
- www.globalrhythm.com
2009-06-12
★★★★★
Yanni's orchestral compositions had the "popera" crowd eating from
his hand long before the genre had a name, so his first album of
vocal-driven pop songs would make bank even if the project wasn't
as good as it is. But "Voices" is one of the better adult records
around...
- www.billboard.com
2009-06-12
★★★★★
On his first livealbum, Live at the Acropolis, recorded last fall at the equally rigid Greek monument, Yannidemonstrates conclusively that he is pop's most bargain-consciousmusician. No one else so skillfully condenses decades of vacuousinstrumentals into a gloppy stew, thereby saving consumers muchobucks. Doesn't that one orchestral swell recall "Nights in WhiteSatin"? You bet! Doesn't the opening fanfare sound like the theme toNightline? Yep...
- ew.com
2009-06-12
★★★★★
Track Listing: 1. Yesterdays2. Gone With the Wind3. How High the Moon4. Body and Soul5. I Know That You Know6. September Song7. Taboo8. Humoresque9. Sweet Lorraine10. Elegie11. Danny Boy12. Begin the Beguine13...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2009-06-05
★★★★★
With Chameleon Days, Yanni again explores new and fascinating rhythms, while maintaining the same balance between high-energy space-cruisers and gorgeous, evocative ballad-like slower pieces.
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
Greek composer/musician Yanni has scaled back his grand musical architecture for If I Could Tell You, a sharp contrast to 1997's grandiose Tribute. The synthesized choral works seem almost sparse and frail, and the elements of world music that have been increasingly injected into his previous works are scaled back as well...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
Yanni's gargantuan popularity unfortunately makes him an easy target for those who see his orchestrally inspired works as glorified musical wallpaper. But if they'd listen for the whole picture before judging, it would be clear that he brings classically influenced symphonic qualities to modern instrumental music; it's highly charged film scoring, only without the movie...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28