Admittedly I have never knowingly listened to Yanni. I’m pretty sure he’s like the “New Age Elvis”, but I could be wrong. I know that he’s wildly popular, but with who I have no idea. I have yet to meet a single person who admits to liking him.
So are there any “Yanni Heads” out there that care to shed light on the mystery that is Yanni?
I bought a Yanni cd (Live at the Acropolis?) a few years ago after seeing his show on PBC. I enjoyed it and played it often. I must’ve loaned it to someone because I haven’t seen in a loooong time. I guess I’m not too big a big a fan since I haven’t tried tracking it down.
He’s the next Zamphir
I’m going to see Yanni next week, sitting in the boss’s wife’s company executive box. As far as I know I’ve never even heard Yanni’s music, so I don’t know if I’ll like it or not, but it should be a fun night anyway.
I don’t get his appeal. His music is ok but nothing of it is memorable. I can imagine going to see a concert by him would like being at an overly long dinner party with music that is just soft enough to be audible. In other words, you know it is there but you don’t pay attention to it.
It might be an age thing. I’m fifty and rock and roll long ago stopping having any meaning to me. I like Yanni. Nice piano music that the lady of my life also likes. Lights down low, glass of wine, arms around each other. That doesn’t work with Devo. lol
Rande…
I called him the “New Age Elvis”, but it’s starting to sound like he’s the “New Age Barry White”.
Didn’t Chandler on Friends break up with a girl because she “didn’t hate Yanni?”
His stuff is classical synth stuff that sounds very much like some of Vangelis’s work. Gee…they’re both Greek…is there some sort of connection?
Oh, and he dated Linda Evans for a while. I hope this information helps you.
Okay, that would explain the big hair. 
I love Yanni. I’ve even seen him in concert!
He basically has three kinds of music. One kind is the heavy-on-the-synth new-agey music that reminds lost4life of Vangelis. A second kind is the soft piano-and-violin stuff that is good for a romantic dinner and whatnot (his album In My Time is all piano-and-violin). The third kind, and my favorite, is the stuff that relies on orchestras and psuedo-classical themes. Some of it is thunderous overtures (like the live version of Santorini on Live at the Acropolis) and some of it is soft and sweet.
When I saw Yanni in concert lo these many years ago what struck me the most was the mix of people there. I saw hippies, Republicans in Polo shirts, teenagers, old people, people my age- basically people from all walks of life. I guess you could say his music has a pretty wide appeal.
If you want a Yanni 101 intro course, I’d recommend that you go to your local library and borrow these CD’s: In Celebration of Life, In My Time, Live at the Acropolis and Tribute and listen to these tracks:
On In Celebration of Life: Track 3: Marching Season, Track 8: Within Attraction, and Track 10: Sand Dance.
On In My Time: Track 1: In the Morning Light, Track 3: Before I Go, and Track 8: Felitsa (He wrote it in honor of his mother ).
On Live at the Acropolis: Track 1: Santorini (He wrote it for his father ), Track 5: Acroyali/Standing in Motion (it takes a few minutes to pick up, so be patient), Track 9: Swept Away, and Track 10: Reflections of Passion.
On Tribute: Track 2: Adagio in D Minor and Track 5: Tribute.
Also, there’s a song called Aria that is on the CD Dare to Dream (I think) that you’ll either love or hate.
Hope this helps!
I’ve seen part of the Acropolis show, and what struck me is how self-important the music was. It was grandiloquent, kind of like some of the heavy metal got in the 80s.
An amusing review of Yanni’s recent Toronto concert.
i don’t hate him, but much of his stuff is new age tepid. i love one of his tunes, tho. “to the one who knows”. i have it recorded multiple times on a cassette and listen to it continuously on my drive across town. couldn’t tell you the name of any of his others, tho.
How can I put this… Yanni is to Beethoven as Rod McKuen is to Walt Whitman. Oh, and he sucks.
