Ritual of the Savage is an album by American composer Les Baxter, released in 1951 often cited as one of the most important exotica albums.[2] The album featured lush orchestral arrangements along with tribal rhythms and offered such classics as "Quiet Village", "Jungle River Boat", "Love Dance", and "Stone God."[3]
| Ritual of the Savage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1951 | |||
| Recorded | May 17, 1951 | |||
| Studio | Capitol (Hollywood) | |||
| Genre | Exotica | |||
| Length | 32:31[1] | |||
| Label | Capitol Records | |||
| Les Baxter chronology | ||||
| ||||
Baxter described the album as a "tone poem of the sound and the struggle of the jungle."[4] The album's liner notes requested the listener to imagine themselves transported to a tropical land. "Do the mysteries of native rituals intrigue you…does the haunting beat of savage drums fascinate you? Are you captivated by the forbidden ceremonies of primitive peoples in far-off Africa or deep in the interior of the Belgian Congo?"[5]
Track listing edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [6] |
- "Busy Port" – 3:07
- "Sophisticated Savage" – 2:15
- "Jungle River Boat" – 3:08
- "Jungle Flower" – 2:44
- "Barquita" – 1:45
- "Stone God" – 3:10
- "Quiet Village" – 3:19
- "Jungle Jalopy" – 2:37
- "Coronation" – 3:00
- "Love Dance" – 2:19
- "Kinkajou" – 1:53
- "The Ritual" – 3:14
References edit
- ^ "Ritual of the Savage". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
- ^ "Skip Heller on LES BAXTER". ultramodern.org. Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
- ^ Ford, Phil (2008-07-16). "Taboo: Time and Belief in Exotica" (PDF). Representations. 103 (103): 107–135. doi:10.1525/rep.2008.103.1.107. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
- ^ Lanza, J. (2004). Elevator Music: A Surreal History of Muzak, Easy-Listening, and Other Moodsong; Revised and Expanded Edition. University of Michigan Press. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-472-08942-0. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
- ^ Meyers, D.; Walker, E.M.; Chenault, J.; Motz, D. (2014). Kahiki Supper Club: A Polynesian Paradise in Columbus. American Palate. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-62585-133-8. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
- ^ "Allmusic review".