Added: 5 years ago
From: sosauto
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  • Very nice guitar work! You play this song with a smoothness that I've never been able to master (in over forty years of playing guitar).

  • This dudes awesome

  • the guy from UP :D

  • Is anyone know who is this Mr. Older...??? he seems like a America retirement soldier

  • hey man this is a fantastic cover im trying to learn this song all day i started at 12 when i got up but i just cant find the correct tabs for the fingerpicking anyway its always good fun to see a person who has the same taste in music as i do and respects true classics like this one thanks

  • @thewho311 Thx for your comment - I doubt you'll find tabs for this since it's my own made-up, by ear version and differs quite a bit from Arlo's classic. I sprinkle in melody notes in addition to the traditional pattern picking.

    -john

  • @sosauto no problem i guess i might as well just figure out my own way of playing it too because every video on youtube is different

  • @thewho311 If I remember correctly Arlo Guthrie, who wrote the song, has music/tabs for Alice's Restaurant.

    John has done a fantastic version of the song

  • fuck you all 64 ppl who dislike this vid !! huh get lost ass holes !!

  • I started finger pickin' after my son was born in '79 and was fortunate to have a good friend & neighbor back then (Where did you go John Barbeau?) and he was already working on John Denver and Chet Atkins finger styles and he was a big help. But alas, like an earlier posters I moved away from my little starter home, my family grew and lost touch with my old pickin' buddy & the guitar went in to the case. Watching you pick sir has inspired me, I'm going to get her out and get to it! Thank you!

  • this is awesome!! i love arlo... i don't know how kids my age can listen to the mainstream music being made these days... ive been practicing this for the last few days... it will take me years to play as well as you! keep on rockin, man!

  • nice cover!

  • You look like the old guy from the movie "up" : )

  • If I am lucky enough to make to your age...i want to be just like you!

  • brings you back to a simpler time

  • this is the worst song ever how can any1 like this???? dang old people shit

  • @lauryanddougy4ever hahaha frickin kids... It's not my favorite either, but the guitar playing is great fun, this particular song is just too long for me.

  • @lauryanddougy4ever Lol 15 year old girl who listens to MCR... how stereotypical can you be. My generation is deaf Sosauto, I appreciate guys like you still being around to play the good stuff.

  • I love all the songs you do! Great job!

  • i love how your pinky remains the same position during the whole song :D

  • @0815sux Good observation. I do that to provide a stable point of reference for my other fingers. It works for me but I'm told by other acoustic guitar players that it also dampens the sound somewhat by interfering with the vibrations of the top. In any event it's too late to change now. Thx for your comment

  • you have the best version on youtube

    i am going into the marines or the sea bees so i suppose a gap may occure there so one day i wish to play with your skill

  • wonderful play!

  • i have a friend who plays this word for word note to note , he shocked me when he played it , i thought he was just a dope addicit

  • Rock on John!!

    That's some good pick'n and a sing'n

  • Comment removed

  • Beautiful! fantastic! I love to see the old timers showing the younger generation how it ought to be done

    :P

  • i would kill to be able to do that.. well

    i wouldn't kill

    but thats just great!

  • Arlo couldn't have played it better!

  • your playing makes me cry. it's just that damn beautiful!

    I'm a huge fan of acoustic guitar.. and boy do I love that song - Alice's restaurant.

    thank you so much for sharing your talent with us.

  • never tire of hearing this great song, by this great musician!! Thanks John, for all of 'em!

  • love it!

  • Brilliant ending. :)

  • You play the most accurate I've seen out of all the Youtube videos for this.

  • @telathys Maybe that's because I put the melody notes in the finger rolls so that the guitar 'sings' the song even without the vocals.

    -john

  • I am about the same age as you and I started playing exactly the same style of fingerpicking as you when i was about 18. I had a huge gap when I was bringing up the family. I dusted off the old guitar about 10 years ago and started playing again. It's amazing how your fingers remember what they are supposed to do after a 30 year gap. I never was anywhere near as good as you, but I want to thank you for sharing your music with us. It always brings a smile (or a tear).

    Long may you improvise.

  • @scriptercoba I'm always pleased to receive comments like yours. They are priceless to me and never fail to bring a smile (or a tear).

    -john

  • man i love you!

  • OH LORD I HATE GROWING OLD...

  • Frigging awesome. I love it.

  • Excellently performed, sir! Your style and concentration remind me of a man I once knew; thank you very much for posting this video!

  • good job ol'timer . Much respect :)

  • Fantastic job. You did a very nice rendition, I tried learning this song and failed miserably, so I bow my head to anyone who can play it.

    Cheers!

  • this song is tough to sing and play

  • Oh yeah, nice guitar, nice playing and nice old man singing. Cash like.

    I own a pretty simillar guitar made by Suzuki Three S, F-130 is the model...Made in Japan. Sound very identical.

    Thanks for the video!

  • i miss hearing my dad play this song on the guitar like when i was a child great job man!

  • this is the best video ever

  • Thank you for this song and video. My father used to listen to this song every Thanksgiving. Thank you for the memory.

  • This is great, can you make a tutorial video so I could learn this classic acoustic song?

  • FANTASTIC!! This is wonderful; made my day :)

  • EXCEPTIN' ALICE

  • He looks like the old man in Walt DIsney's '' up '' !  ^^

  • @Bindercool12 - hahaha that is so true!!

    @sosauto - I love your style, your guitar gets alive when you play with her.

  • You are the reason I practice every day!

  • hey......... you got a little LEON REDBONE in ya man

  • This is real music. Pure, no gimmicks, no crap. I could sit on the front porch and listen to you play all day. Haven't heard those tunes for a long time. It is great. Think they will go in my favorites. How bout some more, thanks!

  • Thx for the comment Tracy. There's something about the sound of fingers, strings, and wood that can't be duplicated by modern day jimcrackery.

    -john

  • wow your really good at playing guitar, keep it up sos

  • Damn! you are my hero !

  • really really really really gerat playing! AWESOME and 5 stars...wow!

  • nice, thx

  • That's just great! Simply great.

    It's such a pleasure to watch and hear you play!

  • The pleasure is mine :)

    -john

  • man greatt man just great that takes years of practice and wisdom and u got it sir keep on jamin out i hope i get as good as u with practic

  • Just learning to play guitar..hope i can play this good in 20 years time when iam your age .....

  • very nice!

  • golden

  • that is awesome

  • that was quality wish i could play it but i just cant do that picking.

  • well done!!! :)

  • damn, i love this song, gotta get my dobro out and get new strings and tune it up to learn this, my humming bird simply won't do, maybe my old dreadnot

  • Kudos and Holy Shit! Very nice! Keep doing whatever you're doing because you do it well!!!!

  • great job

    the only thing i could find was

    the song is sung

    walk right in its around the back

    instead of step right in

    but thanks for postin this

  • Good job sir, love the song!

  • Yeah ....

    You rock!

    I love it!

    that was the first song I've heard or film I've seen.

    Quite amazing ... I'm impressed .. I would like to hear more.

    Best wishes and greetings from Germany

  • as perfect as I've ever heard it !

  • Dude you rock!

  • Very, very Fine!

    Thanks for Posting this.

  • will you please be my grandpa

  • just learned how to play this song. It is my first finger picking song and it is just so enjoyable to play. Also you played it flawlessly great job!

  • flawless very well done

  • can u make a tutorial on this please?

  • I play by ear - have no musical training. This video is the best I can do as far as a tutorial goes.

    -john

  • Curious, you play right handed but wear your watch on your RIGHT HAND? Are you a lefty that plays righty.!

  • Yes - good observation. That's probably why I never progressed beyond this point.

    -john

  • Is that a Martin D-28 pre war.? Keep up the great work.

  • 1967 Martin 00-18 - One of the last ones made before the engineering change to the bridge plate design which many feel crippled the 'ringing' sound pre '67's are famous for.

    -john

  • vecchietto maledettamente in gamba

  • Awesome....Arlo couldn't play it this well! 10+ :~)

  • Thanks...you're not too bad yourself.

    -john

  • You look like that guy from the movie UP! Been listening to this video for awhile now, very nicely done, thank you.

  • sweet playin' nice to see some real guitar

  • I've been trying to learn this all day now and I just can't seem to get it down.

    Props to you my friend.

  • Just between you and me...it took me a bit longer than a day :)

    -john

  • wonderful, compliment!

  • Perfect!

  • How do you learn to pick like that? That is terrific?

  • simply great

    *****

  • Wow, this really sounds great! All the bass notes are there with the thumb. Nice!

  • nice

  • Nicely done

  • Awesome version, sounds great!

  • ...but I don't want anything from Alice's Restaurant ;)

  • hey thanks buddy I've been trying to play this for a while now. Got it after watch you.

  • Holy cow took me right back to this it was a fav of my brothers :):):

  • oh you are singing, at first I've found your instrumentals - you should use your voice more - like Mississippi John Hurt did too...

  • Good job but I want to hear about and Kill, Kill, Kill.

  • absolutely perfect! I know i'm stupid for asking you this but do you have a tab for this?

  • It's just my 'hacked together by ear' version....so no tabs exist - sorry.

    -john

  • Thank You John!

  • I don't think I was breathing while watching this. Well done, sir.

  • Love it - thanks! ( would you consider pulling off the full 18+ version of it sometime? )

  • Just watch the video 18 times :)

    -john

  • hahahaha

  • lol its certainly catchy enough to watch 18 times. You play so clean!

  • Brings back great times in the 60's etc. Thanks for the bringing back in time !

    God Bless !!!

  • I've been playing for almost 7 years and my dad just taught me this one. Lovely version.

  • i look up to you

  • Nice tone! I can really hear your fingertips. Big and beefy!

  • Great job! this is one of the best versions i've heard. would you please do a "how to" video and teach us all how to play it? there are two "how to" videos on youtube that teach the song. both have players that are also good at playing the song, but are very poor teachers...would you take the time to teach the rest of us? thanks, Orion

  • Glad you liked it. I'd be a poor teacher as I'm just winging it by ear. My version 'sings' the melody while the real one backs up the singer. If you like my version I think the best teacher is this video itself. Both hands can be clearly seen...and that's how I learned...by watching others.

    -john

  • Honest! I don't read music nor play by tab. All my videos are just what I've managed to hack together by ear - believe it or not.

    -john

  • Great stuff, John, Very well played.

  • Does anyone have the tab for this song? Need to learn this...! Thanks in advance - much luv

  • Sorry - no tabs - its my 'by ear' version. But I do have a CD available - See description above - right.

    -john

  • Still love you so much! Thanks!

  • Fantastic! Nice playing.

  • wonderful tune

  • This song is called Alice's restaurant, and it's about alice, and the restaurant...but alice's restaurant is not the name of the restaurant That's juste the name of the song. That's why I called the the song Alice's restaurant

    hahaha love it!

  • I listen to your great guitar playing everytime I drive from from San Antonio to Monterrey. Keep up the good work.

  • I love watching the old guys play it man. Something much more pure and wholesome about the time they grew up. Keep posting good sir. This video put a smile on my face.

  • you really play it well sir. If you dont mind me calling you sir... Dont know how I first heard this song, but when I did at age 17 it changed the course of my life forever. That was 20 years ago.

  • This is an amazing piece of music its interesting every time you here it, a little magic if you are interested in guitar playing.

    The song was about the American States attitude to young people at the time.

    Your old enough to kill but not for voting, extract from "Eve of distruction" and "19".

    The ton of garbage set up was to show the disproportionate interest by authority in a few young people clearing out garbage on the wrong day and the number of young conscripted people sent to fight wars.

  • Short and damn sweet. Something about this makes me suddenly feel so good about everything in my life... I know that sounds extremely corny...

  • Corny or not...it brings a tear to the eye of this old timer...

    -john

  • I could probably listen to this all day long :) nice work!

  • Very nice! I heard this long time ago and it still sounds great!

  • Amazing! How long have you played guitar?

  • sweet

  • magic

  • Awesome - I love it. Thanks for sharing - what you playing?  Looks like an old OO-18.

  • Yes - 1967 Martin 00-18

  • it have a wonderful sound

    Awesome playing to :-)

    good job!!

  • I can play it like you too, an it was nothing special, untill you started to sing! Dang, that's talent!

  • I think your voice sounds a little like Doc Watson. I wish I could finger pick like that but I grew up with flat picking and it's hard to make the transition, for me anyway.

  • Damn good rendition!

  • so good.i grew up in new england and now that i live in sf noone knows it.feels like home.

  • Dig it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well done, my friend.

  • Very good!I like it!

  • Figured out my own little version of this watching you. thanks for the great video.

  • what with thanksgiving coming.. I was thinking about doing this for the family. Watching your fingerpicking is SO helping! Thanks! And happy thanksgiving!

  • wow, not bad for a 1st ww veteran

  • this is.... SO GOOD!!!

  • Well John I think your just great also! I too am a bit of a guitar picker I am 57 yrs old been pickin since I was about 9yrs old it is a great hobby!! Thanks for all your posts I will get around to watching all of them over the next couple of weeks!! Till then keep on pickin & enjoy a great hobby!! Be back later!

  • Wow amazing! Have you ever been told that you sound just like George Jones?

  • YES GO GRANDPA YOU ROCK MAN I spend Hours trying to learn this... and GREAT he just started singing it.......... Dude this guy rocks..................... I subscribed 10 out of 5 stars

  • I just love watching your vids! You´re a great guitarplayer!

  • Wowzee... Your playing almost bought me to tears, its so fantastic! I only hope someday i can play as well as you :) Is there any possible way you can tell me where to get the tab for this?

  • Thx for your comment. I doubt tabs exist for this as it is my 'by ear' version and differs quite a bit from the original.

    -john

  • very impressive

  • i like the finger picking style

  • or, walk right in, which is what he really says, but was it necessary to comment a wrong lyric when the guy is obviously smart enough to do some improv on this little phrase? Come on dumb ass.

  • I could not have said it better - thx :)

    -john

  • agrees with brockster big time :)

  • nicely done

  • i need to work on that fingerpick style of playing. i can do some, but not at that skill level yet!

  • I wish I could play this song

  • Why can't you?

  • Man you're a great player!

  • To me ur a celeb. =P

  • the rest of the story? what the part about the half a tonna gabarge and sittin on the group W bench?

  • sounds incredible!

  • The beatles, much like Arlo, used a chord progression that wasn't very uncommon. Yet if you understood anything about Arlo's song or where it came from and why it was written, you would know the Beatles were miles away from what Arlo wanted you to think and feel when hearing his song here. It's a Vietnam protest song. Think, don't just watch.

  • i think it may haev been a protest song, but i think that the main idea of this was to tell the story about his friends. in those days almost all the folk and rock music was in some sort of protest. this song particularly , was a story, not so much of a protest. there's alot more about the thanksgiving feast and the situation surrounding the garbage, than there was about the draft thing......my opinion, of course.

    anyway, great song, and great job!

  • Love your super finger-pickin' style! Hope you like my response (although it's nothing as good as your playing, just a bit of fun!)

    Arthur

  • lol the full version of that song is sooo funny

  • Anyone notice how similar this is to the Beatles' "Her Majesty"?

  • hey man that was awesome! how did you learn to play that? i just started to learn it but can't find tabs or anything...

  • If you were my grandpa I'd visit you everyday to sing along to Arlo Guthrie songs.