Mystic Journey
Studio album by
Arlo Guthrie
Released1996
StudioDerek Studios
GenreFolk rock
LabelRising Son Records[1]
ProducerArlo Guthrie, Abe Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie chronology
Alice's Restaurant: The Massacree Revisited
(1996) 		Mystic Journey
(1996) 		This Land Is Your Land: An All American Children's Folk Classic
(1997)

Mystic Journey is an album by the American folk rock musician Arlo Guthrie, released in 1996.[2][3] It was Guthrie's first album of mostly new material in a decade.[4]

The album is dedicated to Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, Guthrie's Hindu guru.[5]

Production

The 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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
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

No.TitleLength
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

  1. ^ "GUTHRIE STILL GOING STRONG AS STORYTELLER". Chicago Tribune. Tempo. 2 Apr 1996. p. 2.
  2. ^ "Arlo Guthrie Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ "Hello, again". Los Angeles Daily News. 25 Jan 1996. p. L2.
  4. ^ Matsumoto, Jon (30 Jan 1996). "Guthrie Gets His Show Back on the Road". Los Angeles Times. Calendar. p. 3.
  5. ^ "Optimistic Arlo Guthrie on the road again". Edmonton Journal. Associated Press. 15 Mar 1996. p. D9.
  6. ^ Reineke, Hank (June 23, 2012). "Arlo Guthrie: The Warner/Reprise Years". Scarecrow Press – via Google Books.
  7. ^ a b (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. p. 351.
  8. ^ Harris, Paul (26 Sep 1996). "ARLO'S HAWAIIAN EYE". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Get Out. p. 22.
  9. ^ DellaFlora, Anthony (23 Feb 1996). "HOSPICE WORK FUELS ARLO'S INTIMACY ON STAGE". Albuquerque Journal. p. E18.
  10. ^ McGarrigle, Dale (22 May 1996). "Guthrie coming to Maine". Bangor Daily News. p. 1.
  11. ^ Findlay, Prentiss (14 Nov 1996). "Guthrie plays the Farm". The Post and Courier. p. E16.
  12. ^ a b "Mystic Journey - Arlo Guthrie | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  13. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 45.
  14. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 516.
  15. ^ "GUTHRIE'S JOURNEY' A FAMILIAR ONE". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  16. ^ Siegel, Rob (4 Apr 1996). "ARLO AND SON LEAD QUIRKERS INTO B'MORE". Wisconsin State Journal. Rhythm. p. 6.
  17. ^ Harper, Colin (25 July 1996). "Folk". The Independent. p. 11.
  18. ^ Stoute, Lenny (5 Dec 1996). "Guthrie on tour and giving back". Toronto Star. p. A28.
  19. ^ Simon, Jeremy (8 Aug 1997). "The Son Also Rises". The Gazette. Go!. p. 10.
Categories