Customer Reviews

Amigo

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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I am often stunned to find how few people have ever listened to this wonderful album by Arlo Guthrie. Unlike any of his earlier work, which I also enjoy and listen to still quite often, this one work shows the incredible talent, diversity and intelligence of this sometimes slapstick and even vaudevillian singer. Arlo really is one of a kind, a true artist who often covers sour subjects with a sugary satirical style, thus making these bitter pills about life more tolerable and acceptable to discuss and think about.

Here our perpetually young and impish Mr. Guthrie is in full adult form, mature but still sporting a twinkle in his eyes, from the silly and engaging opener "Guabi Guabi" (anyone listening to it just about has to laugh at it, yet it is surprisingly durable and deceptively simple; you may find yourself humming or singing it involuntarily next time you're in the shower and feeling pretty good about the world) to the haunting "Darkest Hours" to the lovely ballad "Massachusetts" about his adopted state, to a plaintive "Manzanillo Bay" about that unspoiled seaside Mexican paradise, and a host of others, many of them off-beat and more than incidentally political, like "Victor Jara" and "Patriot's Dream".

This is indeed a quite under-appreciated and very special album by someone often assumed to be a lightweight because of his inordinate success with novelty songs like "Alice's Restaurant" and "The Motorcycle Song". Yet anyone familiar with Guthrie the man and his continuing good works in rural western Massachusetts as a sort of self-appointed one-man project on helping those in need, he is obviously much more than that, and anyone taking a close listen to this album will discover the true depths of his quite considerable singing and songwriting talents as well. Enjoy.

"Alice's Restaurant" may be better known, "Hobo's Lullabye" with its hit single "City Of New Orleans" may have been a bigger seller, but "Amigo" just might be the best album/CD in Arlo Guthrie's impressive body of work. There is not a bad song on it. Not even a mediocre one. Every song, every performance is a gem. Check out the gorgeous lyricism of "Darkest Hour", the elegant "Massachusetts". Then there's "Victor Jara" the heart-reding and incisive tribute to the legendary Chilean musician. The atmospheric "Manzanillo Bay", the rocking and rollicking Stones cover "Connection". The infectious "Walking Song". If you choose only one Arlo Guthrie CD for your collection (though you should get them all), choose this one.

Many 60s-refugee types (such as myself) may not be aware of the heartfelt, progressive folk music recorded by Guthrie after Alice's Restaurant. More's the pity. The songs on Amigo demonstrate a humanity sorely needed in 2005.

While having to live up to being the son of the greatest folk singer in American history cannot be easy, Arlo comes real close on "Amigo". Tracks 2-5 are stunningly beautiful. "Massachusetts" should be the state's official song, it is that lovely. "Victor Jara" is one of the greatest and moving protest songs you will ever hear (Woody would be proud). The rest of the album is nice to listen to, including the silly but extremely listenable Guabi, Guabi", and "Grocery Blues" and "Walking Song" are fun cuts. Arlo at his best.

The first reviewer hit the nail right on the head.

I have all of Arlo's albums through about 1990 on original vinyl, and Amigo is the finest of an excellent body of work. It shows the broad range of Arlo's musical and songwriting skills. It has songs that are both catchy and emotionally moving. When I find myself singing an Arlo tune, the song usually comes from this album.

Not Arlo's most famous album, but his most complete musical statement. Amigo shows a great talent at the peak of his abilities.

If you want nostalgia, get Alice's Restaurant. If you want Arlo's best album, get this one.

...in his earlier '70s albums, but with Amigo, Arlo Guthrie entered the songwriting pantheon with the big boys. His songs here are as good as anything his big influence, Bob Dylan, had written up to that point (listen to "Victor Jara" and tell me that it's not better than Dylan's "Hurricane" from the same time period), his political sensibilities would have made his father proud, his sense of humor is still delightfully intact and his choice of cover tunes shows some real imagination.

Hard to say which songs I like best here--"Guabi Guabi" is unbelievably stupid but I love it! "Darkest Hour," "Massachusetts," "Ocean Crossing" and "Grocery Blues" are all wonderful. So too, is his cover of the Rolling Stones' "Connection," with Linda Ronstadt singing background on it.

I found this album at the Roseville Library (MN) in the mid 80's and found it to be a quite remarkable creation of true excellence in terms of creativity, depth of feeling, thoughtfulness and content. There are fun songs (Guabi Guabi), and some very poignant moments, especially the sequence from Darkest HOur to Patriot's Dream. Lyrics are great throughout... but this album has that "something more" that elevates it. Don't know why it's so overlooked and forgoten. It deserves a very high place in the panoply of music for/from our generation. (Disclaimer: I am from the Boomer gen)

Enjoy!

The indications of growth are there in his earlier '70s albums, but with Amigo, Arlo Guthrie entered the songwriting pantheon with the big boys. His songs here are as good as anything his big influence, Bob Dylan, had written up to that point (listen to "Victor Jara" and tell me that it's not better than Dylan's "Hurricane" from the same time period), his political sensibilities would have made his father proud, his sense of humor is still delightfully intact and his choice of cover tunes shows some real imagination.

Hard to say which songs I like best here--"Guabi Guabi" is unbelievably stupid but I love it! "Darkest Hour," "Massachusetts," "Ocean Crossing" and "Grocery Blues" are all wonderful. So too, is his cover of the Rolling Stones' "Connection," with Linda Ronstadt singing background on it.

The albums that Arlo put out after this one never quite caught him at this creative peak again. If you want to hear what Arlo Guthrie could do beyond "Alice's Restaurant" then this is a good a place as any to start--or possibly finish.

If you ever have the wonderful oportunity to eat at Alice's Restaurant, this is the album that plays on the jukebox. The Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys plays in the kitchen.

These two albums are a must!

Between 1972 and 1979 Arlo Guthrie released an album each year. 'Amigo' was released in 1976, but the albums released just prior to and after 'Amigo' were a live disc and a compilation, so it stands in the midst of one of Guthrie's least productive eras. Eleven tracks are offered, six penned by Arlo, and one a shared effort with Adrian Mitchell. The album may be one of Arlo's most diverse, drawing from African, South American, Mexican, and New England themes.

By 1976 Arlo Guthrie had matured greatly as a performer and composer. The overall sound of 'Amigo' is perhaps most closely compared with his 1972 release, 'Hobo's Lullaby'. On both discs Arlo makes extensive use of rich background instrumentation and vocal accompaniment. And both discs find a moment for Arlo's trademark off-kilter humor, with the 1972 disc offering 'Ukulele Lady', while 'Amigo' offers the country-fied and domesticized 'Grocery Blues'. Check out what drives Guthrie to conclude that, "If my woman don't want to go to the store, the family isn't gonna eat no more"! Each disc also offers well-chosen covers, the best here being Leah Kunkel's outstanding and vibrant 'Walking Song'. Leah Kunkel (sister of Mama Cass Elliott) also plays keyboards and lends vocals to the disc, while husband Russ provides percussion. Both discs also feature vocal contributions from Linda Ronstadt.

While the overall quality of 'Amigo' does not match up with Guthrie's finer works, such as 'Washington County', all of the tracks are well-written and performed. The best tracks include the traditional African strain titled 'Guabi, Guabi', the Marabi Dance Song once recorded by Ramblin' Jack Elliott. The song describes a game in which a bun and a banana are held behind the back while another participant tries to guess which is in each hand. The third track, 'Victor Jara' may be the most emotionally gripping song, telling the true story of Victor Lidio Jara Martinez, a left-wing folk singer and political activist from Chili whose work was first recorded in 1966. In 1973 Jara was tortured (his hands were broken) before being executed for his support of Salvadore Allende when he lost power in a CIA instigated coup. The lyric "His hands were gentle, his hands were strong" are the focal point of the message. An oddity on the disc is a cover of a Mick Jagger and Keith Richards composition, 'Connection', which appeared on The Rolling Stones disc 'Between the Buttons' in 1967. It is one of The Stones' weaker albums, though it does contain the appealing 'Ruby Tuesday'. 'Connection' is a fast tempo rock number which seems completely out of place on Arlo's disc.

While the remaining tracks are listenable but undistinguished, the packaging does offer printed lyrics, running times on the disc itself, and brief liner notes penned by Guthrie in 1976. If you're an Arlo Guthrie aficionado, 'Amigo' is an essential element to a comprehensive collection. If not, the disc is certainly worth a listen, and the finer tracks may even convince you to hold onto it for a bit.