Pre-Owned That's All Folks: Cartoon Songs From Merrie Melodies & Looney Tunes (CD 0081227427122) by Various Artists

0081227427122. Pre-Owned: Good condition. CD. It's easier to think of Rhino's double-disc set That's All Folks: Cartoon Songs From Merrie Melodies & Looney Tunes as a library piece or an audio book than an album for pleasurable, relaxing listening. After all, it's constructed as an educational piece, containing six complete soundtracks to classic Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoons, including the still-staggering " What's Opera Doc?" This is actually a very good way to appreciate the range, humor, and mad brilliance of Carl Stalling, the force behind much of this music, since his weird juxtapositions, inspired inversions, and vigorous musicality shine in full-length soundtrack suites. But that doesn't make for easy listening, even if Warner Bros. cartoons are your lifeblood, because this is a very serious presentation of the music, making a convincing case for Stalling and his colleagues as formidable modern 20th century composers. But, even if this isn't something you'd spin a lot, it's still worthwhile because it's so wonderfully assembled -- not just the featured music but the presentation, which contains the two discs in a full, 100-page book complete with beautiful original artwork, posters, sketches, photos, charts, and stills, plus insightful essays by Jerry Beck & Will Friedwald, Keith Scott, and Daniel Goldmark. And that points out what's really important about this collection -- it provides an absorbing history lesson, both aural and printed, of one of the most overlooked musical genres of the 20th century. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi