Satan Takes A Holiday

Anton LaVey, Anton Lavey | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 31, 2003)
• Original Release Date: May 19, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Adversary Recordings
• ASIN: B000172L8G
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #227,831 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Satan Takes a Holiday [Instrumental]

2. Answer Me

3. Whirling Dervish

4. Chloe

5. Thine Alone

6. Golden Earrings

7. More I See You

8. Band Organ Medley

9. Hello, Central, Give Me No-Man's Land

10. Blue Prelude

11. Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise

12. Honolulu Baby

13. Mooche

14. Here Lies Love

15. Dixie

16. If You Were the Only Girl

17. Satan Takes a Holiday [Vocal Version]

18. Satanis Theme

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Anton Szandor LaVey (1930—1997) was the founder of the Church of Satan, the first organized church in modern times promulgating a religious philosophy championing Satan as the symbol of personal freedom and individualism. Unlike the founders of other religions, who claimed exalted "inspiration" delivered through some supernatural entity, LaVey readily acknowledged that he used his own faculties to synthesize Satanism, based on his understanding of the human animal and insights gained from earlier philosophers who advocated materialism and individualism. Concerning his role as founder, he said that, "If he didn’t do it himself, someone else, perhaps less qualified, would have."

His musical abilities were noticed early, and he was given free reign by his parents to try his hand at various instruments. LaVey was mainly attracted to the keyboards because of their scope and versatility. He found time to practice and could easily reproduce songs heard by ear without recourse to fake books or sheet music. This talent would prove to be one of his main sources of income for many years, particularly his calliope playing during his carnival days, and later his many stints as an organist in bars, lounges, and nightclubs. These venues gave him the chance to study how various melodic lines and chord progressions swayed the emotions of his audiences, from the spectators at the carnival and spook shows, to the individuals seeking solace for the disappointments in their lives in distilled spirits and the smoke-filled taverns for which LaVey’s playing provided a soundtrack.

In the process of creating his lectures, LaVey was led to distill a unique philosophy based on his life experiences and research. When a member of his Magic Circle suggested that he had the basis for a new religion, LaVey agreed and decided to found the Church of Satan as the best means for communicating his ideas. And so, in 1966 on the night of May Eve—the traditional Witches’ Sabbath—LaVey declared the founding of the Church of Satan as well as renumbering 1966 as the year One, Anno Satanas—the first year of the Age of Satan.

The attention of the press soon followed, particularly with the wedding of Radical journalist John Raymond to New York socialite Judith Case on February 1st, 1967. Famed photographer Joe Rosenthal was sent by the San Francisco Chronicle to capture an image, which was then printed in the Chronicle as well as the Los Angeles Times and other major newspapers. LaVey began the mass dissemination of his philosophy via the release of a record album, The Satanic Mass (Murgenstrumm, 1968). The album featured a cover graphic named by LaVey as the "Sigil of Baphomet:" the goat head in a pentagram, circled with the Hebrew word "Leviathan," which has since become the ubiquitous symbol of Satanism the world over. Featured on the album was part of the rite of baptism written for three-year-old Zeena (performed on May 23rd, 1967). In addition to the actual recording of a Satanic ritual, side two of the LP had LaVey reading excerpts from the as-yet-unpublished The Satanic Bible over music by! Beethoven, Wagner, and Sousa. His Friday lectures continued and he instituted a series of "Witches’ Workshops" to instruct women in the art of attaining their will through glamour, feminine whiles, and the skillful discovery and exploitation of men’s fetishes.

By the end of 1969, LaVey had taken monographs he had written to explain the philosophy and ritual practices of the Church of Satan and melded them with all of his philosophical influences from Ayn Rand, Nietzsche, Mencken, and London along with the base wisdom of the carnival folk. He prefaced these essays and rites with reworked excerpts from Ragnar Redbeard’s Might is Right and concluded it with "Satanized" versions of John Dee’s Enochian Keys to create The Satanic Bible. It has never gone out of print and remains the main source for the contemporary Satanic movement.

The Satanic Bible was followed in 1971

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SATAN TAKES A HOLIDAY, March 16, 2003

By 

Draconis Blackthorne (The Haunted Noctuary) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Satan Takes a Holiday (Audio CD)

Come on along, Charon awaits us! Let us board the boat, & take this satanic holiday. We shall take a tour of the many interesting & entertaining dimensions of the devil's realm. We travel through time, & witness the wailing & joyful souls, floating & echoing, & haunting about us, beckoning our souls to dance upon the black flames.

As with all of his previous works {Strange Music & The Satanic Mass}, Anton LaVey performs musickal rituals that brings the infernal trinity of emotion ----- wrath, lust, & compassion, unto manifestation.

These tunes are a rare treat, as they come straight from sincere, heartfelt emotion, which may now be considered "corny" by the increasingly desensitized & jaded populace.

We are delighted by the impishly playful "Satan Takes A Holiday", which I also recall as being the theme musick for one Lawrence Welke Halloween show, in which two devils danced effervescently upon the earth, deep into the night, as the town's people cowered in their homes. The vocal track of same features Blanche Barton, as well as "Blue Prelude", another one of these suicide songs, like Gloomy Sunday {Stange Music}, which relieved many a wretch from their misery.

Nick Bougas lends his exceptional vocal talents to several selections herein. He has a bright future in the past. I was delighted to hear the theremin used within in couple of pieces, that "spookaphone" used in many of the classic horror & science-fiction movies. It was invented in the early 1920's by Russian physicist Leo Theremin. The theremin could be called the father of modern-day synthesizers. It basically resembles a small table {or box} with an antenna that tunes in to the ethers. The pitches of the vibrating tones are operated the player, who moves his hands in the proximity of the antenna. The closer one gets, the higher the pitch. The farther, the lower. Waving the hand controls the vibrato.

So, the theremin, along with other not-so-much heard instruments, comprise much of the opus. All pulled out of Dr. LaVey's memories, & recreated back perfectly into reality. All of these songs will evoke something from you, whether it be because of the lyricks, the musick, or both. To many who are soley steeped in Death Metal, this misick will be a revelation, a veritable awakeinig of other unexercised senses. I have found, that with an eclectic mix of musickal styles, can, like a glass of fine wine between servings of a fine meal, rejuvinate the pallet, & stimulate a more profound recognition & appreciation of all expressions of Satanic sentiment. The contrasts are most engaging!

Every song, no matter how jovial, sounds eerie, thus keeping with the theme of the Infernal Majesty taking a vacation for a little while. If Satan took a break, went on a cruise, travelled about for pleasure, instead of some "job" of being constantly "evil", this is probably what it would sound like, translated through the creative mind & talented hands of His High Priest, & Our Black Pope, Anton LaVey.

All the way through, until the morbidly majestic "Satanis Theme", Satan Takes A Holiday will always prove to be a most memorable trip.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprising, November 12, 2003

By 

D. Hadley (The Inmost Dens) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Satan Takes a Holiday (Audio CD)

A few reviewers have labeled this album as being unpleasant, untalented, pretentious, etc. I wonder if they have even listened to it. It is obvious by reading the emotion in their reviews that many of them have some sort of hang-up about LaVey personally, and are downplaying everything he does.
Mr. Lavey's work on this album is unrivaled. He adds an element to these songs which makes them quite special. His playing is magnificent, truly a talented person. Some of the effects on this recording sound sub-par, but the music itself is very nice. These songs really grow on you. It's a good album to listen to when you want to hear something different. I suggest you throw all preconceptions about LaVey out the window, and truly enjoy this album.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His Infernal majesty takes you on a holiday tour, April 5, 2005

By 

A. Jolson (No Man's Land) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Satan Takes a Holiday (Audio CD)

"Even the Devil needs a little revitalizing recreation now and again. Anton LaVey here applies his kaleidoscopic vision to conjure forth occult musical treasures, sending them out into the ethers, to haunt and delight us. With his background in classical, burlesque, circus, and roadhouse styles of playing, LaVey uses modern synthesizer technology for illegal purposes- to evoke feelings. Every number LaVey plays - from Sousa march to child's lullaby- is carefully chosen as a potent brew of major and minor chords, lyricism and prosody, then supercharged to it's most lusty interpretation. All of the instruments on this recording are played by LaVey on his keyboards, performed without the benefit of computer sequencing. Satan has little use for digitalized downloading or pixilated processing. The murky, deathless halls of Tartarus resound with songs of suicide, strained gaiety, and unreserved romance. Dim the lights, settle back and let His Infernal Majesty take you on a holiday tour of His world...."