Fritz the Cat & Heavy Traffic [SOUNDTRACK] [LIVE]

Ray Shanklin, Ed Bogas

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 6, 1996)
• Original Release Date: 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack, Live
• Label: Fantasy
• ASIN: B000000XG2
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #245,625 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Fritz the Cat and Heavy Traffic cartoons may not have been great works of cinema, but they did break some ground in the early '70s inasmuch as they were adult-oriented animated features with controversial sexual content. Not much rock & roll, though, on the soundtracks, which combined typical early-'70s instrumental soul-jazz pieces with a few oldies and incidental music. Previously issued as two separate LPs, this CD reissues combines both of them onto one disc. Ace. 2003.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Overlooked Gem, June 20, 1998

By	John Coxe "jcoxe" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

When I first saw Fritz the Cat, I was consciously aware of the wonderful soundtrack that was assembled for that landmark picture. Unfortunately, the vinyl soundtrack was impossible to locate not very many years following its initial release. The original music scored specifically for the film is almost uniformly charming, with genuine hipness. Classics also abound interlaced within the film. Billie Holiday's rendition of the genre standard "Yesterdays" is a very underappreciated and overlooked example of her talent. It stands out as a strong and typical of her style, yet being relatively unfamiliar to most, the ear is treated to enjoying the singer more than the song. This track alone was exceedingly difficult to locate on vinyl for many years as the Verve catalogue was not on the shelves. Bo Diddley's Bo Diddley is also not heard enough these days. Most under 30 would swear upon listening that this was either Mick Jagger or his imitator, which is awfully ironic. The accompanying Heavy Traffic soundtrack which was aptly paired with Fritz, is also musically interesting. It must go down as a recording with perhaps the highest number of disparate Scarborough Fair recordings (3 very different). It also has a few great old chestnuts and wonderful original music. I was surprised to recall Brubeck's Take Five on here.

I'd recommend this to anyone interested in lounge, transitional jazz, and just plain 70s period sounds. There's so much breadth to this that the tracklist on the liner appears odd at a glance. But it all comes out with decent flow and presentation. The original liner notes to Fritz are right in their assessment that the soundtrack stands up independently to the film itself. You are "hep" if you listen to this CD and appreciate it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better Than the Movie, March 14, 1999

By A Customer

All right, I admit. I watched "Fritz the Cat" when I was 14 - sort of as a rite of passasge. I didn't find the movie all that interesting (except the sex parts - hey, I was 14). I stumbled across the CD recently and picked it up, looking for some instrumental music. I was very much surprised. The music is rather simple but excellent - acid-jazz and funk elements in a nice mix. The oldies thrown in are a nice treat. The actual title song to "Fritz the Cat" is lousy, but it's short and easy to skip. Recommended to any jazz/funk/acid-jazz fans.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars funky music to bug out to !, December 22, 2002

By	Eddie Landsberg "(just about) 10 years review... (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

It takes a tripped out soundtrack to make a tripped out film, and these two Ralph Bakshi classics had it, from Charles Earland's Black Talk; cool and groovy cuts with Sergio Mendez and Cal Tajader; Merl Saunders, The Isleys - - even funkmasters Cornell Dupree and Benard Purdie are in on the act !

Both albums, released on the FANTASY labels represent a tripped journey in the funky Jazz of that period... as well as a few other surprizes ! Of course the movies themselves were tripped out journeys in sight and sound... so bug out brothers and sisters... and get down with Fritz the cat !