Keys to Imagination

Keys to Imagination

• Keys to Imagination by Yanni (Music CD)

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, <I>Keys to Imagination</I> nevertheless captures some of Yanni's most expansive, 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. <I>--Terry Wood</I>