Arlo Guthrie
Amigo

THE REVIEW

It is not to be taken for granted that Arlo is the natural artistic successor of his father. Many other names could be cited  - as has already been widely and legitimately done - that would better fit this role: Bobby Dylan? Joan Baez? It is certainly not necessary to disturb these “sacred monsters,” sometimes overly praised, to find successors of that glorious first generation of protest singers of the caliber, alongside Guthrie, of the famous Pete Seeger, or of Jim Garland and others. Much more representative - and consistent, if possible, with the message - were almost forgotten personalities like Phil Ochs or Tom Paxton.

However, it is perhaps good to clarify that 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, singing "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?", "If I Had A Hammer", "We Shall Overcome" and more. And that Woody Guthrie's son always sought wider and more varied formulas than those, far more practical, of his father, is certainly no secret. Arlo Guthrie fills his music with many different stimuli; and it is thus that less significant pieces also emerge in his repertoire - the as laconic as it is meaningless "Motorcycle song", however made brilliant by his incredible ability to transform elementary motives in live performances into sharp and hilarious "Talking", is proof of this: almost a parody of generic and non-committal lyrics. Nor is he any less in his ability to also offer high-level songwriting moments with pieces such as "Gabriel's Mother's Hiway Ballad #16 Blues", "Last Train", his version of "City Of New Orleans", etc. An example is also the much more known "Alice's Restaurant", then became a true anti-militarist anthem: at that time, we were not seeing, in fact, the artistic copy of that brave "hobo", a milestone of the popular music of the States, remembered in history and in everyone's heart, but a very young freak folk singer, versatile, charming, different, but not any less communicative and committed.

The album "Amigo", from 1976, is a concentrate of Arlo Guthrie's capabilities. Published only a few months after the premature death of Phil Ochs, this work pays him tribute (or at least hints at his important figure's memory) in various forms. The song "Patriot's Dream" starts with the line "Living now, here but for fortune...", clearly a reference to the most famous piece of the late folk singer, "There But For Fortune", then sung and made famous by Joan Baez's voice. Another song, however, is entirely dedicated to Víctor Jara, the great Chilean singer who was killed on September 16, 1973, right after the sinister coup by General Pinochet. In May 1974, Arlo Guthrie will participate in a tribute concert to Jara, along with many other artists including Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan (it will be the latter, invited at the last minute, to increase the event's visibility, allowing all pre-sale tickets to be sold – a sign of a protest folk that has no longer a voice, victim of not less interesting musical styles, but certainly less insidious for the establishment, which took over in the '70s), a concert organized by Ochs himself, a now-declining Ochs, who was also a friend of the Chilean artist and a strong supporter of the Allende government. The lyrics of "Víctor Jara" were written by the English poet Adrian Mitchell.

The more sentimental ballads, typical of Arlo's style, are not lacking. Among them stands out "Darkest Hour"; indeed, it is also his most famous song present in this album. The poetry of the text, articulated in four stanzas, blends with the accompaniment, often reduced in live performances to Guthrie's finger picking alone, together with poignant moments of harmonica. Among all the States, which he has traveled and continues to traverse far and wide, and where he likely feels almost at home everywhere now (an inheritance also of his father's spirit), there is one in particular to which he wanted to compose a tribute: "Massachusetts", a tribute to the place he has been particularly attached to since his high school years until today, and where he currently resides. Among others, noteworthy are "Ocean Crossing" and "My Love", two love songs in pure songwriter style, like Jackson Browne, to put it simply.

More carefree and lighthearted, "Guabi Guabi", "Grocery Blues", "Walking Song" (whose title recalls his great performance - somewhat clouded by some substance - at Woodstock of "Walking Down The Line") and the reinterpretation in a slightly more rockabilly key of "Connection" by the Rolling Stones, add lightness and freshness to this work.

Arlo's versatility emanates in this album in all his compositional and interpretive abilities, to which we must only add the extraordinary communicativity that characterizes his concerts, in which he enjoys and entertains by telling anecdotes or funny talkings. A great album by a great artist, son and father of many other generations of folk singers. 

Hurrah for the Guthrie family!