Arlo Guthrie: reviews, quotes and works

Arlo Guthrie

Musician

Forfans of folk and protest music, 1960s–1970s singer-songwriters, and curious newcomers to arlo guthrie.
2 Reviews 1 Definitions 2 Charts

The Profile

American folk singer-songwriter and storyteller, son of Woody Guthrie. Broke through with Alice’s Restaurant (1967) and its talking-blues epic “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree.” Known for wry protest songs, warm stage patter, and the hit rendition of “City of New Orleans.” Longtime collaborator and touring partner of Pete Seeger.

Born 1947 in New York. Debuted in 1967 with Alice’s Restaurant. Starred in the 1969 film Alice’s Restaurant directed by Arthur Penn. Noted for activism and extensive touring, including joint concerts with Pete Seeger.

Two reviews spotlight Arlo Guthrie’s blend of humor, protest, and storytelling. Alice’s Restaurant (1967) births his signature talking blues, lampooning the draft and bureaucracy. Amigo (1976) shows range and activism, nodding to Phil Ochs and Víctor Jara. Across albums he balances lighthearted tunes with poignant ballads, and long collaborated with Pete Seeger.

Notable Quotes

❝ “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”, the highlight of the album, is, in essence, a true earworm, perhaps the most ingenious earworm ever written: eighteen minutes marked by a relentless ragtime guitar loop ... into a biting satire of the American judicial system and the draft for the Vietnam War.

❝ Arlo Guthrie was always a political activist following in the footsteps of his father, and who, among other things, famously carried out tours for decades alongside Seeger