Search - Yanni :: Live: The Concert Event

Right in between Acropolis and Tribute.

J. C. | Los Angeles, CA | 08/16/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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.



"

Yanni Live Again!

Ramanesh Keith Nair | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 09/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!

"

Good but not Great

Andrew Stern | NY, NY | 08/17/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."