Mystic Journey is an album by the American musician Arlo Guthrie, released in 1996.[2][3] It was Guthrie's first album of mostly new material in a decade.[4]
| Mystic Journey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Studio | Derek Studios | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Label | Rising Son[1] | |||
| Producer | Arlo Guthrie, Abe Guthrie | |||
| Arlo Guthrie chronology | ||||
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The album is dedicated to Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, Guthrie's Hindu guru.[5]
Production
editThe album was produced by Guthrie and his son, Abe.[6][7] Cyril Pahinui played on the album.[8]
The songs were in part inspired by Guthrie's work as a hospice volunteer.[9] Many were written three to four years before the recording sessions.[10] "Moon Song" was written for The Byrds of Paradise, on which Guthrie starred.[11]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [13] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [14] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [7] |
The Washington Post wrote that, "derivative as they are, these tunes nonetheless possess a charm of their own, and Guthrie slides into them as if they were an old pair of slippers."[15] The Wisconsin State Journal called Mystic Journey "an intimate, acoustic album about love, family and spiritualism."[16]
The Independent deemed "Doors to Heaven" "a well-meaning but horribly 'Imagine'-esque piece of whimsy."[17] The Toronto Star stated that "Arlo continues his life mission of slyly confounding fans and foes alike... This time around, it's done by recording a rootsy, folk rocking set of tunes, a long haul from the gently paced acoustic album most fans likely expected."[18] The Gazette determined that the album "contains relatively innocuous love songs for the Prairie Home Companion set."[19]
AllMusic wrote that "the lyrics also had a Dylanish twinge in their highly poetic, sometimes obscure language, though Guthrie commented on a variety of contemporary issues."[12] MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide considered the album "a richly crafted and introspective record that shows he's hardly played out."[14]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Moon Song" | |
| 2. | "Face of Time" | |
| 3. | "The Mystic Journey" | |
| 4. | "Under Cover of Night" | |
| 5. | "You Are the Song" | |
| 6. | "Doors to Heaven" | |
| 7. | "Wake Up Dead" | |
| 8. | "When a Soldier Makes It Home" | |
| 9. | "Stairs" | |
| 10. | "All This Stuff Takes Time" | |
| 11. | "I'll Be with You Tonight" |
References
edit- ^ "Guthrie Still Going Strong as Storyteller". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. 2 Apr 1996. p. 2.
- ^ "Arlo Guthrie Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ "Hello, again". Los Angeles Daily News. 25 Jan 1996. p. L2.
- ^ Matsumoto, Jon (30 Jan 1996). "Guthrie Gets His Show Back on the Road". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 3.
- ^ "Optimistic Arlo Guthrie on the road again". Edmonton Journal. Associated Press. 15 Mar 1996. p. D9.
- ^ Reineke, Hank (June 23, 2012). Arlo Guthrie: The Warner/Reprise Years. Scarecrow Press.
- ^ a b (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. p. 351.
- ^ Harris, Paul (26 Sep 1996). "Arlo's Hawaiian Eye". Get Out. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 22.
- ^ DellaFlora, Anthony (23 Feb 1996). "Hospice Work Fuels Arlo's Intimacy on Stage". Albuquerque Journal. p. E18.
- ^ McGarrigle, Dale (22 May 1996). "Guthrie coming to Maine". Bangor Daily News. p. 1.
- ^ Findlay, Prentiss (14 Nov 1996). "Guthrie plays the Farm". The Post and Courier. p. E16.
- ^ a b "Mystic Journey". AllMusic.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 45.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 516.
- ^ "Guthrie's 'Journey' a Familiar One". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ Siegel, Rob (4 Apr 1996). "Arlo and Son Lead Quirkers into B'more". Rhythm. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 6.
- ^ Harper, Colin (25 July 1996). "Folk". The Independent. p. 11.
- ^ Stoute, Lenny (5 Dec 1996). "Guthrie on tour and giving back". Toronto Star. p. A28.
- ^ Simon, Jeremy (8 Aug 1997). "The Son Also Rises". Go!. The Gazette. p. 10.