In the late 1950s and early 1960s, this was the easy listening music that tried to anticipate the space age. Utilizing theremin or spooky organ figures helped, as did then-novel tricks like stereo separation and then-exotic instruments and hi-fi effects. It wasn't just novelty artists that got in on the act; bandleaders
Les Baxter and
David Rose, who perform some of the 18 tracks assembled here, also tried their hands. This compilation still falls closer to novelty than either innovation or period kitsch (although there's plenty of the latter)...some of these gimmicky records sound quite amusing upon first or second hearing... ~ Richie Unterberger