Ritual of the Savage

1951 studio album by Les Baxter

Ritual of the Savage

Studio album by

Les Baxter

Released| 1951 (1951)
Recorded| May 17, 1951
Studio| Capitol (Hollywood)
Genre| Exotica
Length| 32:31[1]
Label| Capitol Records
Les Baxter chronology
| Arthur Murray Favorites: Tangos
(1951)  | Ritual of the Savage
(1951)  | Festival of the Gnomes
(1953)

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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]

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]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
Allmusic| [6]

1. "Busy Port" – 3:07
2. "Sophisticated Savage" – 2:15
3. "Jungle River Boat" – 3:08
4. "Jungle Flower" – 2:44
5. "Barquita" – 1:45
6. "Stone God" – 3:10
7. "Quiet Village" – 3:19
8. "Jungle Jalopy" – 2:37
9. "Coronation" – 3:00
10. "Love Dance" – 2:19
11. "Kinkajou" – 1:53
12. "The Ritual" – 3:14

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Ritual of the Savage". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
2. ^ "Skip Heller on LES BAXTER". ultramodern.org. Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
3. ^ 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.
4. ^ 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.
5. ^ 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.
6. ^ "Allmusic review".

* v
* t
* e

Les Baxter

Albums|

* Music Out of the Moon (1947)
* Ritual of the Savage (1951)
* The Passions (1954)
* Tamboo! (1955)
* Caribbean Moonlight (1957)
* Skins! Bongo Party with Les Baxter (1957)
* 'Round the World with Les Baxter (1957)
* Space Escapade (1958)
* African Jazz (1959)
* Les Baxter's Jungle Jazz (1959)
* The Sacred Idol (1960)
* Jewels of the Sea (1961)

Singles|

* "Because of You"
* "Blue Tango"
* "April in Portugal"
* "Ruby"
* "I Love Paris"
* "The High and the Mighty"
* "Unchained Melody"
* "Wake the Town and Tell the People"
* "The Poor People of Paris"

Related|

* Voice of the Xtabay
* Les Baxter's La Femme (1956)

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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