The new version was recorded live at The Guthrie Center. That is the new name of the church in Housatonic, Mass that once belonged to Alice. The same church from whence he took out the garbage and dumped it over a hillside. His arrest for littering not only prevented him from being drafted to Vietnam, but also provided the plot for Alice's Restaurant. In 1991 Arlo was able to buy the building and establish The Guthrie Center an interfaith spiritual center with programs for children who are recovering from abuse.
Few performers go into the studio and re-record their first album almost thirty years later.
But that is exactly what Arlo did. He even copied the cover artwork, which shows a now 48 year old Guthrie at the dining table dressed in nothing but a mysteriously suspended napkin. People began requesting copies to give their children. The book is dedicated to Arlo's two grandchildren and has received a favorable review from the New York Times. The release of the new version of Alice's Restaurant will be followed by the release of his first album of all new material since the 1986 album Someday.