It's been a good year for Arlo Guthrie—movies, cover of Newsweek, a wedding (Time covered that)—and at last, Arlo Guthrie has given us a good record.

His first, Alice's Restaurant, was strong enough for the title song to support his career, but what remained were poor songs with irritating arrangements. When Arlo came out with all those Alice-y talking songs, it seemed he'd settled down as the Bill Cosby of folky music.

But now we have the "new" Arlo Guthrie. He got all he could ask for at Warner's, coming up with Lenny Waronker (who did the Everly Brothers Roots) and Van Dyke Parks as producers. They pointed Arlo towards music this time, and succeeded in making something more than just another Arlo Guthrie album.

When it comes to roots, Arlo has something to work with, and he uses his background to good advantage. His C&W version of Woody's "Oklahoma Hills" is pleasantly understated, and on "Creole Belle" by Mississippi John Hurt and on "Stealin'" by Gus Cannon, Arlo takes his normally cute voice to hitherto unknown heights of cuteness, making them two of the nicest songs in the set.

As a songwriter, Arlo's improving. "Coming Into Los Angeles," about smuggling dope past customs, is the best tune he's written, and it shows that now he can tell a story in a song, instead of giving a half-hour rap while his guitar gently vamps.

Running Down the Road ends with "Running Down the Road." It's magnificently produced, with explosions of electric violin and ravaged feedback (seems like Van Dyke Parks must have passed through here)—but feedback or no, a song is a song, and this one doesn't match up to its showcase. If you've ever heard Dylan and the Band sing "This Wheel's On Fire" (it seems Arlo has) you'll notice the similarities, but what that band accomplished on their down-home equipment sends more chills down the spine than all of Arlo's electronics.

It's a fine album. But I get the feeling it's no coincidence Arlo's riding a Triumph 500 on the cover. Next time you see a kid hustling down the road on that big bike, it probably won't be Bob Dylan's gatekeeper—just Arlo trying to keep up with Van Dyke Parks and Lenny Waronker. (RS 49)

CHAS. BURTON