The very name “Wurlitzer” with its telescoping of “waltz” and “whirl,” conveys the idea of vertigo. The face of the machine, with its garish cascade of lights, is like the phosphorescent mask of a tribal witch doctor. And the squat massive bulk of the box resembles those figures of African sculpture in which terror has retracted the limbs, leaving only a torso for contemplation. Also, there is real propriety in applying “magic” to the ensemble of emotions and activities evoked by the machine, whose voodoo spells are hooked mechanically to the nickel slug.