If I Could Tell You

1	On Sacred Ground 7:11
2	The Flame Within 5:56
3	Midnight Hymn 5:52
4	November Sky 4:46
5	With An Orchid 5:07
6	Wishing Well 5:45
7	A Walk In The Rain 4:58
8	Highland 5:56
9	If I Could Tell You 5:54
10	In Your Eyes 5:13
11	Reason For Rainbows 6:02

Barnes & Noble

After what seemed like an interminable drought of new material, Yanni ends his seven-year studio breather with the entirely self-produced If I Could Tell You. He paints the musical pictures on this album with a bountiful palette of lush keyboard orchestrations, tightly syncopated rhythms, exotic touches of world music (many of which recall his Greek heritage), vocalise, and electronic effects that sparkle like shooting stars. The album opens with a soft, angelic chorus on "Sacred Ground," celestial twinkles, and layered plainsong; it's an inviting piece that conveys a feeling of redemption, culminating in a celebratory, percussion-charged processional. Yanni's rhapsodic piano takes the melody on "The Flame Within"; symphonic strings and feminine vocalise soar while a plucked bouzouki, lively palmas, and fretless bass lend the piece real gusto. A sirenlike voice lifts "Midnight Hymn" on high over shifting layers of rhythm, and the choir on the toe-tapping "Wishing Well" sings out South African-style. The title track places the listener on the edge of the ocean's surf, pondering an endless sky, while the up-down cadences of "In Your Eyes" and "Reason for Rainbows" evoke radiant images of an upbeat Greek dance. Yanni does indeed tell you, and the message is in the music. Carol Wright

All Music Guide

Greek composer/musician Yanni has scaled back his grand musical architecture for If I Could Tell You, a sharp contrast to 1997's grandiose Tribute. The synthesized choral works seem almost sparse and frail, and the elements of world music that have been increasingly injected into his previous works are scaled back as well. Still present, however, are the straightforward melodies and overtly romantic themes that Yanni has been known (and in some cases disliked) for, but these too are less classically inspired and almost atmospheric. Unfortunately, this release may not be sweeping enough for those who fell in love with his romance novel soundtracks, and conversely it doesn't get dreamy enough to attract fans of ambient electronic musicians like Vangelis and Brian Eno. While it is somewhat surprising for Yanni to back away from the richly orchestrated works on Tribute and 1993's In My Time, the move shows a real sense of direction and growth that few give him credit for. Zac Johnson