Arlo Guthrie - acoustic guitar, vocals; Bob Arkin - upright bass
This high-quality 1968 Newport Folk recording captures Arlo Guthrie right between his first and second albums. "Alice's Restaurant" (which he debuted at Newport the previous year) is a classic, but not the only example of his witty and imaginative social commentary. There is no better example of Arlo's counter-culture commentary, and this was recorded right at the peak of that era.
The FBI monologue which fuels "The Pause Of Mr. Claus" here is absolutely hilarious. The long opening piece, "Swimmy Swim," is based on a track found on Woody Guthrie's album of children's songs, and this may have been a one-off improvisation exclusive to this Newport performance. The audience loves him and literally roars for an encore. (Bershaw)