I think both of you are right. I remember looking at the time counter in Winamp while listening to the mp3, and when Arlo claims to have been singing for X number of minutes, it was half of that at most…however, the entire song is well over 8 minutes, and i believe it was closer to 20.
Speaking of Arlo Guthrie, I believe his father died of Hodgkins’ disease and Arlo may have inherited it. Can anyone confirm this for me?
BTW, thanks for indulging me on the plug I gave a couple of posts back…
Huntington’s disease is what killed Woody, his dad. Arlo has a 50/50 chance of being effected by it. However the peak onset is around forty and Arlo is assuredly over fifty meaning that if the personality changes and body tics haven’t manifested yet, he is closer to being out of the woods.
GB
Woody Guthrie died of Huntingtons Chorea. This is an hereditary disease and Arlo had a 50/50 chance of getting it. A genetic test came out a few years ago, and if I recall correctly, Arlo tested negative.
“You can be smart or pleasant. For years I was smart.
I recommend pleasant.”
Elwood P. Dowd
One of the advantages to owning a few hundred mp3s is that you can play them anytime you want when you’re at the computer.
However, the entire recording clocks in at 18:36. He finishes the story (With the folder enshrined in Washington) at 14:33. He then continues for another four minutes, singing and talking about singing at shrinks.
I sold my soul to Satan for a dollar. I got it in the mail.
My 2 cents I will admit is not mine own since I got this all from CDNOW but it might help. It might depend on what version you have this taken from CDNOW
"In addition to the soundtrack version of the “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” (shorter than Guthrie’s own album version by about ten minutes), "
Long description about the song at: http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=775547860/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/artistid=ALICE%27S+RESTAURANT+(SOUNDTRACK)/itemid=613971
I saw Arlo in concert about 2 years ago (a wonderful event btw). For those of you that don’t know, folksingers typically tell stories around the album as well. Arlo said before he began playing that he couldn’t figure out the difference between his 18 minute long version of the song and his subsequent ten minute long version until something about his change of tempo and some minor ommissions. Originallly, he wrote the song as an imporovisational storytelling medley and wrote it all in the studio cateloguing (sp?) some various instances within his life.
HUGS!
Sqrl
I’d just like to step in here and say thanks, because now this entire song (and it’s a long one, for the uninitiated) is running through my head. I can’t believe how many brain cells have decided that their energies are best spent storing the lyrics to this and other fab 70s hits; but it does explain why I forget my phone number.
Growing up in Massachusetts I recall there was something of a “tradition” with the dominant album-oriented rock station in Boston. The one and only time they would play “Alice’s Restaurant” was on thanksgiving day at noon. This spread to other stations in new england, and I am told it is still done to this day.
Any of you from around the country hear this on your local stations?
Phouchg
They’ve done it in San Jose (KFOG) for at least 5 years I can remember. Although they play it twice on Thanksgiving, I think noon and six. I’m not sure that’s the only time they play it, but I haven’t heard it any other time on the radio.
Last year, they played an updated version that had a new bit in it about the missing time on the Nixon tapes (as someone already pointed out). I can’t recall any of the new lines.
I first saw the movie when I was about 12 on cable, and my mother couldn’t believe that I enjoyed it as much as I did, not being part of her generation and all.
A few years ago I “borrowed” her album, and was told that the original was worth something. IIRC there are two album covers, and I now have the original. Can’t find the cd locally.
Just thought this was kind of an odd thing, because my mother just asked me for her album back two days ago or so, and now, getting in here (late as usual) here you all are talking about it.
Mistress Kricket