The fact that the incidents recounted all happened, no matter how ridiculous they sounded, made the whole thing that more appealing. So many of us have been on the receiving end of similar enough encounters with bureaucracy gone awry that even if we hadn't been arrested for dumping a ¼ ton of garbage or been up before the draft board we can identify with the experience.
When Arlo sings, "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant" he could be talking about the song itself. You can get anything you want from "Alice's Restaurant", except, of course, Alice.
To start off our month of Arlo and "Alice" we already have some tasty items on the menu, starting with this recent interview I conducted with him about the song and life in general. As additional appetizers you can read a review of his latest release Live In Sydney, and a piece about his fundraising tour on the City of New Orleans, the train made famous through his version of the Steve Goodman song of the same name, to raise money for the musicians of New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
New addition: (May 12) Concert Review: Arlo Guthrie in Kingston, Ontario (May 11, 2006)
(May 26)DVD Review: Alice's Restaurant (1969 Arthur Penn Film) A look at the movie from Al Barger.
(May 26)The Friday Morning Listen: Arlo Guthrie In his weekly column, Mark Saleski takes a poignant look at a comical protest song.
(May 29) Scott Butki serves up a DVD Review: Alice's Restaurant.
(May 30)In his DVD Review: Alice's Restaurant, El Bicho also examines the movie that grew from the phenomenon that is the song.
Arlo Guthrie's complete discography would take up far too many pages so here are some highlights for you:
- Alice's Restaurant 1967
- Arlo 1968
- Running Down The Road 1969
- Hobo's Lullaby 1972
- Together In Concert (with Pete Seeger) 1975
- Outlasting The Blues 1979
- Precious Friend (with Pete Seeger) 1982
- All Over The World 1991
- Alice's Restaurant – The Massacree Revisted 1996
- Arlo Guthrie – Live In Sydney 2005
Article comments
1 - Barry Stoller
The Living Strings (easy listening orchestra) did a version of "Alice's Restaurant" back in the 60's - talk about culture jamming, eh.
2 - Jet in Columbus
Without looking it up, what floor was the Psychiatrist's office on?
What was the fine for picking up the trash?
What was Alice's dog's name
I used to think up stuff like this with my friends to pass the time.
3 - Scott Butki
I started watching the movie last nite and stopped to look up the Wikipedia entry for Arlo Guthrie and the movie and song.
Some interesting tidbits:
It's been reported that the whole part about him having to go to the draft office was fictionalized though Arlo - on the movie commentary I have yet to watch - says otherwise.
And it says there's a new version of the song he put out.
4 - Richard Marcus
Scott, you better read the interview, because he most clearly says that part two of the song was inspired by losing his defferment and having to go up to the draft board.
Richard
5 - Scott Butki
Did you read the Wikipedia report? I'm not sure if this is a case of a writer wanting fiction to
be reality or skeptics or what exactly?
6 - Scot Butki
It's possible of course that this report is wrong since Wikipedia is fallible but it does make me wonder.
It doesn't help that the movie has scenes that did't really take place.
Anyway from the Wikipedia report:
"The song, a bitingly satirical protest against the Vietnam War draft, is based on a true incident. In the song, Guthrie was called up for a draft examination, and rejected as unfit for military service as a result of a criminal record consisting in its entirety of a single arrest, court appearance, fine and clean-up order for littering. In reality, Guthrie, though a potential carrier of the genetically inherited disease Huntington's chorea, was classified as fit (1A), but, his draft-lottery number did not come up. However, on the commentary of the below-mentioned movie version, Guthrie states that this is totally false; asserting that the events as presented in the song are true to how they ocurred in real life and he was not declared unfit for any genetic disease."
7 - ScScott Butki
Of course it may not be important what is and isn't true but I'm still curious. I would not be surprised if the whole part about sitting with father rapers was made up or exaggerated but when he insists it is true that makes me more curious.
8 - Scott Butki
"Inspired" and "is accurate" are not the same.
I just realized that I spelled my name three different ways above. I think I need a copy editor for my own posts:)
9 - Scott Butki
The link to Mark's piece doesn't work.
10 - Connie Phillips
Thanks Scott,
It's working now.