Both movies were directed by writer/director Ralph Bakshi and Fritz The Cat (his first full length movie) was based on the cult comic book character created by underground cartoonist Robert Crumb. Crumb disowned the movie and subsequent sequel The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat.

Fritz The Cat tells the tale of a bored college student (Fritz) who decides to "bug out" and experiment with sex, drugs, and revolution; the main message of the movie seeming to be about social hypocrisy as Fritz comes out with cliched counterculture phrases and thoughts more because he likes the way they sound than because he actually understands them. Heavy Traffic (1973) was Bakshi's controversial follow-up to Fritz and was based on the directors early life and showed the problems of growing up socially and economically deprived, as well as in a racist environment.

Besides including Billie Holiday's definitive 1939 recording of "Yesterdays" and hits from the Fifties and Sixties by such artists as Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Dave Brubeck, and the Isley Brothers, the soundtracks of these two animated movies contain some remarkable original music by Ed Bogas and Ray Shanklin. Much of it is decidedly funky - as were the characters on the screen - and can be considered, by today's standards, "acid jazz." The composers employed some of the most soulful players of the period for the sessions, including vibraharpist Cal Tjader, keyboardist Merl Saunders, guitarists Arthur Adams, Chuck Day, and Cornell Dupree, bassist Chuck Rainey, and drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie.

Packaging & Liner Notes
Standard jewel case. Interesting liner notes by Thomas Albright.