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
Released1951 (1951)
RecordedMay 17, 1951
StudioCapitol (Hollywood)
GenreExotica
Length32:31[1]
LabelCapitol Records
Les Baxter chronology
Arthur Murray Favorites: Tangos
(1951)
Ritual of the Savage
(1951)
Festival of the Gnomes
(1953)

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

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
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

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  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".