University of Virginia Library

RECORDS

A Taste Of Good Times

By JIMMY FAMA

Hobo's Lullabye is a very
enjoyable album. Arlo
Guthrie's down-home style
permeates the album giving it
an almost irresistible appeal.

Arlo Guthrie has collected
thirty-one of the best
musicians and vocalists in the
recording industry to back him
up on Hobo's Lullabye.
Jessica Smith and Linda
Ronstadt were borrowed from
Capitol Records to assist with
the vocals. Ry Cooder has
contributed some excellent
mandolin and bottleneck guitar
playing. Doug Dillard (The
Dillards), Clarence White (The
Byrds), and Wilton Felder (The
Mothers of Invention) also
help out on guitar. And Byron
Berline of the Flying Burrito
Brothers plays fiddle.

Guthrie's tasteful mixing of
musical styles on Hobo's
Lullabye is perhaps the most
outstanding feature of the
album. The overall style of the
album could be generally
termed folk-rock. The
individual song styles, however,
range from a simple ballad
called "1913 Massacre" to a
fast-moving ragtime cut
entitled "Mapleview (20%)
Rag." There are eleven cuts on
the album, only two of which
were written by Arlo Guthrie.
Hoyt Axon, who wrote Three
Dog Night's popular "Joy to
the World"', also contributes
two songs. Bob Dylan and
Woody Guthrie are two other
notable writers whose songs are
used.

The most well known cut
on the album, released as a 45
this past summer, is "The City
of New Orleans". It was
written by Steve Goodman, a
little-known folk singer. Those
who went to the Poco concert
here last year might remember
Goodman. He did a short first
set by himself at that concert.

Guthrie's singing, which is a
little weak on some of his
previous albums, is excellent
on Hobo's Lullabye. His voice
has definitely matured.
Although his voice is not
outstanding in either range or
power on this album, it has
come a long way from the
sing-talk off-key style that
characterizes Alice's
Restaurant.

By integrating so many song
writers, vocalists, and
musicians into one album, Arlo
Guthrie has brought great
variety to Hobo's Lullabye.
This variety coupled with
Guthrie's good taste has made
Hobo's Lullabye a fine album
worthy of anyone's record
collection.

Guthrie, "Down-Home Style"