Customer Reviews

Yanni Live!

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 Imagination, Until the Last Moment, Nostalgia, and Standing in Motion here are a notch below their more expansive, and better executed, Acropolis version. I had hoped Yanni might edit parts of this concert, but since I was there at Mandalay Bay while this CD was being filmed, the same "problems" I hear in the CD were also present during the concert.

All in all four stars. Acropolis has the PERFECT blend of orchestration, synthetic instrument, and phenomenal solos. Where as this CD "merely" has a superb entertainment value.

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!

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 was recorded in Las Vegas. I loved hearing the audience member say,"That was great!!!", at the end of 'For All Seasons.' It is definitely a new sound to what I am used to but all in all I enjoyed the experience.

I had actually seen the concert from this tour in Chicago, and it was amazing. However, the compilation on the disc isn't as good for some reason. My biggest complaint is that most of the songs are taken from his previous albums, and while they are given a new twist, the songs are still the same ones -- you can hear some of the songs on this album in Live at Acropolis, Ethnicity and Tribute. There are only a few songs which are original to this album, and they are the ones that stand out as the best. Still, however, I'm giving the album 4 stars, as any CD where Yanni performs live is better than anything he has ever done that is fully synthesized - a full orchestra, at least IMHO, makes his music amazing.

Note: The album being offered here on Amazon is only a 12-track cd. It is missing a track entitled "World Dance" which can be found on certain cd's. I happened to buy mine from WalMart as they advertised an exclusive track. To me, this song is really the reason to buy the cd. It's original and extremely upbeat and enjoyable.

I've been a Yanni Fan ever since I was 5, and now I'm 20 year olds and a professional studio musician/keyboardist. I must admit, this is one good live cd. However, it does not match his Live at the Acropolis, which is the 2nd best music video in history. For example, how can Michael Jackson himself match up with his own Thriller album? Some of the songs are old and well recognized like Keys to Imagination or the lovely Nostalgia. His newer pieces like Playtime are catchy and fun to listen to when you are in the car. the piece Prelude is by far, to me personally, not the best. For musicians out there, this song is covered with chromatic scales. Not the best. The cd however is still great, and is a must for music listeners and collectors.

okay I was introduced to Yanni after Live atthe acropolis and tribute but I enjoyed them As I have them both and they rarely leave my cd player.
On to this new one. I actaully went to see this tour twice and this cd takes me back to being at the show which was great. If you were looking for acroplis or tribute 2 you won't find it but this is still great in it's own way. I thought the solos were slightly excessive but great as it allowed individuals to shine. Most of the material is new from his two albums after tribute with some updates on older songs. All in all this is great and energetic cd

I like his old music. Especially the 'Tribute' album. Back when he used to do pretty good orchestration. But that's just me. However, he is indeed a very unique artist.

-Aaron

Yanni's talent to arrange music and the musicians and singers to perform the music is a gift. If you like Enya, you will like Yanni. When I nned to de-stress from a hectic day on the job, I listen to Yanni.

For the past 4 years or so, there has been no major release by Yanni other than Ethnicity. I saw him live at the Anaheim Convention Center during his 1998 tour. After that there were few albums and I did not listen to him for a while. When I bought this and listened to it, it was mind blowing and inspiring. This concert is mostly based on the Ethnicity album, but more fun than the album itself. He is still energetic and a true entertainer. He deserves far more credits than he has earned for his wonderful orchestration.

Of course, all Yanni's 3 concert DVD are absolutely and uncompromisingly the best among others from different New Age musicians around the world. However, Live at the Acropolis will always remain my most favorite New Age Music DVD collection. I truly miss his profoundly soothing, touching and saddened notes buried in One Man's Dream. It still persistently reminds me of my miserable childhood and drives me to uncontrollable tears...
Such emotional move can also be discovered in Carino and Andalu from Chris Spheeris.