Although this may seem on the surface to be merely a slice of kitsch,
A Musical Touch of Faraway Places is possibly one of the finest pieces of lounge/exotica ever cut. Although actor
William Holden has little to do with the actual record (aside from liner notes and taping some ambient sounds in Japan -- and the cover photo, natch), it just doesn't matter. Songwriter/producer/arranger
Warren Barker offers up 12 cuts of definitive exotica, most of it derived from South Pacific countries such as Japan, the Philippines, and Polynesia. It's exquisitely well-produced and executed -- a virtual travelogue. The end result is one that rivals records by masters of the form such as
Martin Denny and
Arthur Lyman. Superb.