ALICE’S RESTAURANT MASSACREE
“Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”, commonly known as “Alice’s Restaurant”, is a musical monologue by singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie, released on his 1967 debut album Alice’s Restaurant. The song is one of Guthrie’s most prominent works, based on a true incident from his life that began on Thanksgiving Day 1965, and which inspired a 1969 movie of the same name. Apart from the chorus which begins and ends it, the “song” is in fact a spoken monologue, with ragtime guitar backing. (More from Wikipedia)
The article by Allmusic (by William Ruhlmann) on Arlo Guthrie opens with: “Is it possible to be a one-hit wonder three times?” The whole idea of course is nonsense. Though not a Top 40 hit, Arlo is at least as well known for his 18-minute monologue song “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” in 1967; the story is based in fact, and he starred as well in the movie version of Alice’s Restaurant. My sister Julie W. Kovasckitz managed to be in the audience one time when he performed that song live; when people start calling out that song as a request at his concerts, Arlo normally demurs and tells the audience that this is what records are for. Besides the three songs that Ruhlmann is thinking of, there is also his novelty “Motorcycle Song” (also from the Alice’s Restaurant album), which I saw Arlo perform on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson I believe on two occasions.
(May 2012)
* * *
Arlo Guthrie is currently on tour promoting the 50th anniversary of his best-known song, “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”; he recently had his first concert in Biloxi. At around 18 minutes in length, this might be the longest best-known song of any rock musician in history. At its core, it is an anti-war, anti-draft song; but for the most part, it is fun all the way, with inventive storytelling and sparkling wordplay. It seems that Arlo Guthrie was arrested once for littering and was later found to be unfit for military service because of his “criminal background”.
The story takes place in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, about as lovely a town as you will ever see. Their downtown district has been preserved in perpetuity since it was the subject of a major painting by the world famous yet still under-rated artist who grew up there, Norman Rockwell.
* * *
Arlo Guthrie starred as himself in a movie called Alice’s Restaurant (1969) that brought the song “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” to life better than anyone could have expected. It was directed by Arthur Penn whose other films include Bonnie and Clyde and Little Big Man. Other cast members include Pat Quinn, James Broderick, and M. Emmet Walsh. Stockbridge police chief William Obanhein (“Officer Obie”) appears as himself, as does the blind judge, James Hannon. Pete Seeger and his bandmate in the Weavers, Lee Hays are also in the film. Alice Brock has a cameo in the movie; as the song says, the name of her restaurant was never “Alice’s Restaurant” – originally it was called The Back Room.
(March 2016)
