Arlo

Yesterday morning while driving north to Chestertown the radio station that was playing gave its listeners a truly wonderful Thanksgiving Day gift -- they played the complete 18 minute version of Arlo Guthrie singing and telling his story of Alice's Restaurant Massacree.  There was no shortage of videos to access on YouTube; it is indeed a Thanksgiving tradition.  So if you haven't heard this in awhile, here is a version from the 90's that provides good, clear sound.  And if you have never heard this than you really should take the time to listen.



I especially love listening to this because I have a really nice memory of Arlo from maybe 3 years after Alice's Restaurant was released (1967). On August 29, 1970 my best friend Patience and I went to see Arlo (and Judy Collins) at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. While at the concert we met a friend who knew someone in Arlo's band, and he knew that the band would be going to Caffe Lena in Saratoga after the concert, so that's where the three of us headed.  Sure enough Arlo and his band got to Lena's an hour or so after we did.  They played a lot more music and it was amazing.  So we stayed and we stayed and sometime around 3 in the morning it was just the band and Lena and us sitting at a big table talking.  Lena made everyone a huge breakfast and we all talked some more.  I think we finally drove back to Delmar around 5 that morning.  Our parents were furious but even they understood when we told them we had breakfast with Arlo Gutherie.  I mean how cool is that.