only he knows the answer to that one, and probably Jackie!

I dunno for sure but my concept of the R&R hall of fame is it is either an award got by a $$$ campaign or a grass roots one. Whatever, it's another political trophy and yes, an honor.

Arlo is way beyond it now. He is folk royalty if such a thing makes sense and maybe it doesn't because it's a contradiction in terms. Whatever, ever since the folk artists were dumped from the labels so the disco salesman could have a bigger office for their disco balls, the American folk scene has made it because of friends of folk.

Find out who you have to write to. Write lots. Otherwise, there is hall of fame in Great Barrington that matters a helluva lot more.

"I pass my peace around and round"

http://www.futurerocklegends.com/Nomina ... mittee.php

http://www.futurerocklegends.com/Nominating_Process.php

According to the article (take it for FWIW), what is the significance of the artist?

They have a layered voting system of business insiders and others. I didn't look that deep. My opinion is you have to answer the question above in such a way as these people's thinking is influenced, meaning online petitions, YouTubing, Facebook campaigns, whatever raises awareness. Break out the buzz. There's fresh breeze and a vibe that is never old but we've been here. Arlo said it himself; this feeling is not because of the sixties but because things are happening like they did and we are reacting in human-be-in ways. It's the native good in people rising up.

In times like these, Arlo's stories, his message, his way of getting at political change, his peace they all resonate. If other people can't come to kumbayah, kumbayah anyway. Neighbor to neighbor.

My suggestion is first you answer that question yourself.

What is the significance of the works, life and career of Arlo Guthrie?

Any takers? Collect those answers and make a campaign page. Draw on the online performances. Blog 'em. Talk about what you learned and how it makes you feel.

At the end of the night, a performance isn't magic because of what the artist came to do that night; it is the stewball and the bay leaf; the meat and the flavor. The artist brings the meat. You can bet on old stewball.

If dunno if there's a folk music hall of fame or not. But if there is Arlo deserves to be in it...

The trick is, the artist can't get this for himself. It is a choice among peers whomever. On the other hand, fans and friends have freedoms artists don't have. They can build around the work and amplify it by adding to the references. In short, every crazy piece of tribute art you've made, these blogs, these stories, especially these stories, are a kind of organic mashup. That's the web buzz: hive and honey.

A Hall of Fame should frame a body of work and the evolution caused in the culture in which it feeds. Art is transformative. What did you see that Arlo's art changed?

1. He gave a lot of American boys a way to feel about a war and a time when they were choosing between culture and conscience. For old boys my age trying to come of age, Alice's Restaurant was a prophecy and a blueprint. He made us laugh at it and that was the secret to holding down the boogie man, a secret in the decades to come that would save our souls again and again.

Oh yeah, found an article on Ramblin Jack that mentions Arlo:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/ ... ws_rssfeed

Perhaps Arlo might be abducted into the hall of fame. My guess is that no sleep is lost over it either way. Remember Phil Ochs' song "Chords of Fame"...? It's about a guitar player who was abducted by fame (or at least the pursuit of it) and ultimately became lethally 'inf*#k-ted' with it. Whether he likes it or not, Arlo's at the top of something incredible, something so globally enormous that the hall of fame isn't even minutely significant or relevant (in my opinion). I believe he has extensively influenced history in extremely positive ways, and continues to do so. I know with great certainty that he has influenced my life tremendously, which has influenced my kids' lives, and in turn my grandkids' lives......that's the way it works. I mean Woody influenced my grandparents, they infuenced my parents who influenced me...... ......When I start to contemplate all the folks who Arlo was influenced by, smoke starts coming out of my ears like my brain just slung a rod......

@nortonkevin: influenced how?

Certainly he's had the best seats in the halls of karma to watch the changes. How has he picked them? What choices did he make that have become our choices? That's what real influence is: someone who can choose the choices you choose from.

I compare him to Neil Young who while an altogether different kind of act stuck right the centerline of the values he showed at the beginning of doing that act. In an act, that is the real cat and in this they are the same kind of cats. Arlo took everything he learned from those famous people he grew up with and he made it part of his act but the message was his, the stories are his, the seriousness of the humor and the music, that's Arlo. And he's deep.

Most acts from The Days look like comic books of themselves on cable. Arlo is Arlo better seasoned, deeper voice, same slow hand vibrato feel that is the secret mojo of a bluesman, richer sounds from the same base sets of changes that make a voice and a songwriter distinctive, everything about the cat is better. Arlo is his art and that makes it all serious and personal and confident and wise.

Here's a test: Take the handcam to performances of artists you like and watch them. I call them The Shakies for obvious reasons. A Shakie is most always bad vid, but if the power of the artist is there, it doesn't matter. It's a good shake test for those that have it and deserve it and anything else. Rip away all the production first and see what is left. When Arlo said here on arlo.net that if the sound in the back is the same as the sound right in front of the guitar, that is frikkin fantastic. He was frikkin right.

Len wrote:

"@nortonkevin: influenced how?"


When I was very young, my mother turned me on to guys like Woody and Pete and Dylan, et al......I was influenced certainly, but I don't remember making a "conscious" decision to be influenced by any of these guys. We rarely recognize influences which make up our social selves, what comprises the "me" in us, until much, much later. Maybe "exposure" is a better term than influence. We are exposed to many things......the sorting process "just happens"......there are millions of factors and billions of brain cells involved. Music has a Darwinian aspect to it, adaptation and specialization, but it's still basically an ecological process, one of interaction with infinite biotic and abiotic circumstances......do I live in the moment, or do I choose to live in the moment??? Do I change things by observing them???

Hey Len and Kevin

Thank you so much for your input. You have both made me see how un-important an invite to the R&R HOF would be to Arlo.
He is happy with or without, it makes no difference to him either way.
It wouldn't change who Arlo is or what he does.
I agree, Arlo gets better and better as time goes on. There is no one else like him and never will be. That is an honor in it's self. Nothing compares to him.

Finaly, a show worth watching instead of repeats, and boring shows,

Pete Seeger's documentry the Power of Song is on TVO right now.

I enjoyed my morning today, it was a windy rainy day , so as per usual on days like these I had Bailey's and Coffee a few times.
I hope everyone else is having better weather, we have one nice day, then 4 rainy ones.

alex

@galwaygirl: I don't suggest it is not important or he wouldn't like that. I sincerely don't know the man so I can't say. But judging by his career moves over a lifetime, I don't believe he would change a thing he's doing to get that invitation.

Arlo is the example I give on other lists like Jon Taplin's blog when the A-listers are arguing about the destruction of the music business by the Internet and the 'information wants to be free' folks of the one man who figured it out early, adapted it to his own purposes, kept to his values and as a result, has a strong community of friends who will stay with him to the end of the row.

So many brilliant well-educated well-connected minds are trying to figure out how to keep their fortunes with the web eroding their royalty payments. Arlo Guthrie, on the other hand, is making friends and keeping up the conversation. Because he does that, those who seek to be like him and others who want a bit of his spotlight have to do the same.

That is how sheepdogs herd and stars become legends... one friend at a time. I don't know the man, but I'm glad to say he makes friends as often and as well as he does. But beyond that, I'm glad for the music trails he made for me to follow because while I am a nobody as far as the business goes, I've walked a beautiful trail made by a beautiful soul. That can be shared. A clump of metal from the HOF committee can't.

I think Mr. Guthrie is a pretty popular musician. His myspace page has well over 20,000 people, and I think he is getting his message out to lots of people, not just us old(er) folks.

The weather here is so beautiful, not too hot, nice breeze (well, a little windy). then of course we have our annual art fair next week, which usually brings the hottest days of the year along with one day of a total down pour. this may be the first year I miss it in a real long time. We'll see.

I saw a post on here by Arlo alluding to something new but I forget what he called it. I wonder what it is & when it will be out?