Robbie Basho-The Seal of the Blue Lotus ,LP,1965,USA

-Seal of the blue
LotusThe basic texture for this piece was taken from Ravi Shankar's "Dhun in Musra Mund," a raga invoking the Religious Springrasa Mood in Hindu Aesthetics. With this base I inject the Taoistic Taint of the Blue Lotus wich is a musical realm of my own. The guitar is tuned in the color blue, wich is standard Open G tuning with the 2nd and 4th strings dropped to a minor.
-Mountain Man's Farewell
Sometimes I feel the flavor of Cosmic Essences: the hue of nature colours; Moods given to the airs of music. In this piece and several others I enter what I call the Theatre of North American Taoism. This continent is new, the rocks are raw, the winds are sharp, the heart is rash and wild. The Taoistic Essence of China and Japan are aged with the mildness of human culture. Ours, being new bites like the persimmon to be aged to the taste of the universe. Standing on Lone Dark Mountain, overlooking all of North America, the raw echo of the Eagle Man, onto Bowel Mountain an, the Soul Heart of the men red and white who made the Mountain Man Ear, an Epic Picture whose bloodstrain is carried up to a Present of many soul-brothers. An echo of farewell and away into past Karma. The Snowstorm technique, a n innovation of mine is here used at its fullest.
-Dravidian Sunday
Dravidian is an ancient race in India. The theme is poured out with Hindu flesh paints. Elephants of a Golden Age in Hindu history. From this beginning the piece is developed from that time era to the present North American continent and its sounds, exploring and remembering, climaxing and returning to where the clouds move away and birds chirp at that break of day so old and yet so young.
-Bardo Blues
An attempt at a musical rendering of the Tibetan Book of the Dead- Bardo Thodol. It moves thru the beginning of death, subsequent limbo voyages, into rebirth. The voyage moves geographically from Africa to India to the Roof of the World, Tibet. The style is that of my old wandering. For the initial technique I am indebted to the master guitarist - Bruce Langhorn.
-Sansara in Sweetness after SandstormIt is done in D minor modial /Frog minor). Flowing naked into the beauty getting clobbered by a sandstorm and flowing out again.
-Black Lotus - Hymn to Fugen
A blackwash painting of tonalities in the realm of the Black Lotus. I am aided by wodden organ, drums and templebells. I am also very indebted to Allain Ribback on drone guitar. He made these pieces possible. Fugen is the Goddess of the Lotus Sutra, of Charity, of Gentleness. This is a hymn of deep spiritual passion rising and falling and finally rolling on the carpet of the clear with the aid of Sweet Bhikshu Bells.
Pre psychedelic steel guitar ragas by one of the pioneers of the genre!Very meditative and trippy record!His first LP.

note: link removed as this is due for reissue shortly from 4 Men With Beards