Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman and the Theremin | 
 enlarge | Creators: Harry Revel, Billy May, Leslie Baxter
Label: Basta Records
Category: Music
List Price: $33.98
Buy New: $23.61
You Save: $10.37 (31%)
New (9) Used (2) from $23.61
Avg. Customer Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 165167
Format: Box Set, Import
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 723723545329
EAN: 0723723545329
ASIN: B00000IJH7
Release Date: May 4, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | Lunar Rhapsody | | • | Moon Moods | | • | Lunette | | • | Celestial Nocturne | | • | Mist O' the Moon | | • | Radar Blues |
Disc 2
| • | Toujours Moi | | • | Tzigane | | • | Possession | | • | L' Ardente Nuit | | • | Jet - Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman, Benjamin, Bennie | | • | Fame |
Disc 3
| • | This Room Is My Castle of Quiet | | • | The Darkness Gives Me You Again | | • | Remembering Your Lips | | • | My Trouble Float Away Like Fallen Leaves | | • | Your Soft Hand on My Brow | | • | I Dream of a Past Love |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Originally released as a series of 78 rpm recordings for Capitol in the late 1940s, this set collects the work of Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman, the leading theremin virtuoso of his age. After adding theremin to a number of successful films (most notably, Spellbound, The Lost Weekend, and The Day the Earth Stood Still), Hoffman (a podiatrist by profession) teamed with British composer Harry Revel. The result: three albums that introduced this oddly provocative instrument to the world. On Music Out of the Moon, the tone is optimistic futurism with Hoffman guiding his instrument through dramatic swoops across the universe while an enthusiastic chorus oohs and ahhs at the wonder of it all. With tracks like "Lunar Rhapsody", "Mist O' the Moon," and "Radar Blues", Moon may be the most unintentionally hilarious disc in the set. The second disc, Perfume Set to Music was, according to the liner notes, inspired by "world famous perfumes." The music, of course, is as ridiculous as the concept. The chorus remains on Perfume, but the mood is a bit more sedate, stepping away from futuristic jazz and utilizing more string arrangements. On Music for Peace of Mind, listeners are instructed that "This music has a message, if you will open your mind and heart to receive it. Turn down the lights, relax in an easy chair, and listen. Then, for a few stolen hours, perhaps you will warm to happy memories and blissful hopes." Oh, you will, all right, you will. --S. Duda
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
Not what I'd expected - but Les Baxter's here! April 25, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a package of 3 discs, each with its own sleeve, which replicate the very brief original 1947-50 albums.
Much of the music here is fairly tame cocktail stuff - all of it composed by Harry Revel and nothing at all like the film work Dr. Hoffman had done in Hitchcock (and Dali)'s SPELLBOUND or would be called upon to do in the 1950s. The collection was a disappointment to me in that regard, but as I'm a Baxter fan and 2 of the 3 original albums were Baxter/Hoffman projects, I enjoy the opportunity to hear some of Baxter's pre-Nat Cole work.
The first album, MUSIC OUT OF THE MOON, is mostly doo-wah pop vocals. The theremin might double the vocal line or take an occasional solo.
The second album, PERFUME SET TO MUSIC, is unquestionably exotica in spirit. There's more variety of sound and mood and Dr. Hoffman's solos are more free - anticipatory of the vocalise for which Baxter would become renowned in the 1950s with Yma Sumac! Nice! I know that at least one of these tunes, "Jet", was released on 45 at the time of this recording (on RCA Victor), billed as "Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of Leslie Baxter / Samuel Hoffman - theremin" since I myself have it. Its B-side was another Revel ditty entitled "Struttin' with Clayton" which is not included here - no great loss actually, but cause to wonder whether more might be out there somewhere.
The Billy May album MUSIC FOR PEACE OF MIND may be my favorite of the three. The theremin is front and center from the outset. The ensemble playing is better. The piano work is stronger. Also, the sound is opened up - not so squelched as in the older Baxter projects. The whole thing is vigorous, if not quite as enchanting as the Baxter PERFUME recording.
This is a nice collection. For those out there who might not necessarily care about having the mini versions of the original album covers, the very same music is also available as a single disc entitled WAVES IN THE ETHER. Consequently and fortunately, if one DOES prefer this 3-disc presentation, the appearance of that alternative on the market has significantly decreased the price of this earlier-released product.
Good For A Trip To The Moon July 23, 2004
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
I will be the first to confess that this is not the type of music that I would generally listen to on my own accord. The theremin is a peculiar instrument and it is used to good effect here. A word of caution though, if you are looking for a CD showcasing the theremin for the "spooky sounds" it is capable of, do not buy this CD. This is very melodic theremin and vocal jazz from the 1950s. All three volumes are very structured and emphasize harmonies. This is a strangely absorbing CD set, and I bought it for a very quirky reason.
I am an airline and former Air Force pilot, and Neil Armstrong has been my hero since childhood. When he went to the moon on Apollo 11 he took with him a tape of "Music Out Of The Moon", which he played in the tape player he shared with Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins. He took it because it had long been a favorite of him and also his wife, Jan. He played some of the peculiar sounds over the NASA downlink at one point on the way home as a private message to Jan, much to the confusion of the flight controllers. Ever since I read the story I wanted to hear this recording and was not disappointed, although it isn't exactly what I expected, either. For more information, see "First On The Moon", by Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins. Since the time of these recordings many other artists have experimented with the theremin, including Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin.
If you like music from the 1950s you will like this. If you like experimental music you will like this. I only gave it four stars as a value statement: the set is rather expensive and contains three CDs, yet there is only about an hour of material total, which seems a bit excessive. A better package would have had all three volumes on one CD, but then nobody would pay thirty dollars for it I suppose.
Bottom line: give it a listen. If it's good enough for Neil, it's good enough for me.
 Unique & rewarding, but for hardcore fans only May 22, 2004
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
Be warned, most of your money spent on this so-called "box set" will be paying for the gatefold-style casing, paper disc sleeves and the accompanying 28-page booklet. Each of these albums clock in at under 20 minutes, combining for a total of only 54 minutes of music across all three discs. Nonetheless, this is truly vintage; embodying the rapid, dashing orchestral sounds of WWII movie previews and Warner Brothers cartoons. Whenever my wife's friends hear this music, they always get a crooked face and say, "This sounds like an old Disney movie."The first two discs, "Music Out Of The Moon" and "Perfume Set To Music" (arranged by Les Baxter), sound like a game show orchestra tuning in some otherworldy sounds; Hoffman's theremin flirts alongside a piano, harp, strings, and even a vocal choir (not quite the Ray Conniff style if that irritates you). The great Billy May conducts the last disc, "Music For Peace Of Mind". The expressive song titles on this disc indicate the gentle mood that is intended, emphasized by wavy flutes and strings. The first track, "This Room Is My Castle Of Quiet", swallows my thoughts up and takes me away every time I hear this. Hoffman restrains himself with the theremin; most of the songs have small passages where he is buried deep within the orchestra or not heard at all. The aforementioned booklet details the theremin's origin, as well as an explaination of Hoffman's induction into music (he was a chiropodist by trade). A couple of these tracks have appeared on Volume 3 of the Capitol Records Ultra-Lounge series, and I recommend buying that as well if this disc really excites you. I enjoy this box set but I would endorse it more for fans of lounge music than for fans of the theremin.
 Delightful!!! March 22, 2002
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Beautiful light orchestral compositions in the classic post-WW2 style, featuring the Theremin as a solo instrument. If you're looking for spooky sci-fi Theremin sound effects, this ain't it. (For that, check out the DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL soundtrack.) Discs 1 and 2 were orchestrated and conducted by the great Les Baxter, disc 3 by Billy May, when both were only in their late 20s. I bought this set to add to my extensive Les Baxter collection, and am very glad I did! As to why 3 discs when all the music could've fit onto one, I wondered that too until my set arrived in this morning's mail. Each disc comes in its own little sleeve that reproduces the cover art and liner notes from the original 78rpm album, plus an excellent accompanying booklet with more notes. A perfect collector's item!
Delightful!!! March 22, 2002
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Beautiful light orchestral compositions in the classic post-WW2 style, featuring the Theremin as a solo instrument. If you're looking for spooky sci-fi Theremin sound effects, this ain't it. (For that, check out the DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL soundtrack.) Discs 1 and 2 were orchestrated and conducted by the great Les Baxter, disc 3 by Billy May, when both were only in their late 20s. I bought this set to add to my extensive Les Baxter collection, and am very glad I did! As to why 3 discs when all the music could've fit onto one, I wondered that too until my set arrived in this morning's mail. Each disc comes in its own little sleeve that reproduces the cover art and liner notes from the original 78rpm album, plus an excellent accompanying booklet with more notes. A perfect collector's item!
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