The Seal of the Blue Lotus

The Seal of the Blue Lotus is the debut studio album of composer and guitarist Robbie Basho, released in 1965 by Takoma Records.

The Seal of the Blue Lotus
Studio album by
Released1965 (1965)
Recorded1965
GenreAmerican Primitivism
Length45:33
LabelTakoma
ProducerRobbie Basho, ED Denson
Robbie Basho chronology
The Seal of the Blue Lotus
(1965)
The Grail & the Lotus
(1966)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Great Folk Discography7/10[2]

Release and reception

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Skip Jansen, of Allmusic, favorably compared Basho's Eastern-influenced musical approach to that of John Fahey and noted the influence of Ravi Shankar. Jansen gave the album four out of five stars, concluding that it is "An essential document for folk guitar fans."[1]

In 1996, Takoma Records issued The Seal of the Blue Lotus for the first time on Compact Disc, with an alternate cover. The album has again been re-issued by 4 Men With Beards on 180 gram vinyl[3]

Track listing

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All music is composed by Robbie Basho

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."The Seal of the Blue Lotus"7:40
2."Mountain Man's Farewell"8:38
3."Dravidian Sunday"6:36
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Bardo Blues"7:27
2."Sansara in Sweetness After Sandstorm"6:08
3."Black Lotus (Hymn to Fugen)"9:04

Personnel

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Adapted from The Seal of the Blue Lotus liner notes.[4]

Release history

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Region Date Label Format Catalog
United States 1965 Takoma LP C-1005
United Kingdom 1996 CD
United States 2012 4 Men With Beards LP 4M223

References

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  1. ^ a b Jansen, Skip. "Robbie Basho: The Seal of the Blue Lotus > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  2. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (2010). The great folk discography. Volume 1, Pioneers & early legends. ISBN 9781846971419.
  3. ^ "Catalog: The Seal Of The Blue Lotus (180 Gram Vinyl)". Runt. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  4. ^ The Seal of the Blue Lotus (sleeve). Robbie Basho. Santa Monica, California: Takoma Records. 1965.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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