Yanni
North Shore of Matsushima
Forbidden Dreams
Yanni s 1986 debut release for Private Music remains one of his most striking works. Created in the vinyl era and thus clocking in at a modest 39 minutes, Keys to Imagination nevertheless captures some of Yanni s most expa.
more »nsive, chest-thumping efforts. While some of the electronic voicings used here are beginning to sound faintly dated, Yanni brings his own brand of propulsive, classical-edged thunder to the familiar prog-rock tactic of tension followed by release. The slow-building, Middle Eastern-flavored title track, for instance, circles overhead like a mysterious raven while you explore a deep, narrow desert canyon. In a flash, a torrent of sound roars through the chasm and sweeps you away in a flood of sonic fury. It may not be a perfect record, but it is an entertaining one. Terry Wood
Yanni
Swept Away
A Word In Private
Chameleon Days is an attractive studio recording that features some of Yanni s better-known compositions: the romantic longing of Reflections of Passion, the classically gassed Marching Season, the stately progression .
more »of The Rain Must Fall (which elicits comparisons to the outro of Supertramp s Crime of the Century ), and the delicate A Word in Private. At times, though, you wish Yanni had eased up just a bit on the synthesized harmonica voice. Terry Wood