I used this analogy in a review the other day, but let me expand. If you were a big league ball player, had a pretty good career, good defensive, .270 batting average, not bad in the clutch, you'd be remembered fondly enough and people would say 'Now, he was a ballplayer'. If all that was true and you were also Babe Ruth's son, people would say he was OK but he was not his father.
By one of those strange coincidences that occur in life, I saw the two sons play live, one day after the other. Arlo Guthrie on Sunday at Summerstage, Frank Sinatra Jr. on Monday at the Town Hall . Both of these guys are pretty good in their own right, Arlo and "Alice's restaurant" and that entire hippie vibe, and Jr. an orchestra conductor, not bad American standards singer and some 50 years into his career. What's not to like?
They aren't their fathers and i am not sure it was such a great idea to follow in their parents footsteps.
I've seen Arlo on stage several times, and to his credit, he honors his father (especially during his performances with Pete Seger) and remains a unique voice. But that notwithstanding, Woody has such a unique voice, his memory drowns Arlo out. I am sure this is something Arlo has come to terms with by now and I am excited to see the entire Guthrie clan pay tribute to Woody. And it is free.
Junior has had a harder time of it.
Sinatra completely overwhelms whoever Junior might be (not unlike the way John Gotti overwhelms Gotti Junior). FSJ's problem is that his dad was not a songwriter and J, falling so closely in his pops footsteps, was covering the great American songbook in a very similar manner. Remember the Babe Ruth analogy? It's like Babes' son was playing on the Red Sox against Babe on the Yankees. At the same position!!! The comparison is harsher, it is, indeed, in tandem.
My Dad died when I was sixteen, and I have thought about him so much I've used up the memories. He was a very successful business man and I never wanted and never did follow in his footsteps. Yet, I still compare myself to him. I guess it is a form of universal truth. So I guess it doesn't much matter, FSJ and AG would be stuck with their fathers legacy any way.