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Amazon.com Robbie Basho, a guitarist active in the 1960s who passed away in 1986, played his instrument with what you might call a visceral spirituality: his music is spooky, intense, and experimental at the same time that it is soothing and transportive. Listening to his music, one is keenly aware of the sound of his fingers as they mellifluously pick and strum, and of the strange tunings at work, but one is also carried out of body. Really. Basho has been called "the father of New Age guitar," but why anyone would want to blame this subtle and masterful musician for the sins of his followers is a mystery. This is an excellent compilation of Basho's early work from the mid-'60s--it steers mercifully clear of Basho's whistling and bizarre "singing," for instance. Nothing from either of the long out-of-print, late-'60s Falconer's Arm albums was included, which is unfortunate as they are likely his most intense recordings (perhaps they will be issued as a disc of their own?). Basho's genre-bending acoustic guitar playing is on the surface similar to the work of John Fahey, Sandy Bull, and Rick Bishop, but his music is highly original, and demands to be heard. --Mike McGonigal
Robbie Basho is always lumped in with Leo Kottke and John Fahey since he shared the Takoma label and was an innovative talent himself, however it's not fair to compare Robbie Basho to either aforementioned guitarist. Basho has been referred to as "psychedelic" and "spiritual". His compositions don't draw on the same roots as Kottke or Fahey, and though his raw passionate sound certainly parallels the power of Kottke's plucking and Fahey's experimental out standings, Basho still traverses a land all his own. True, Basho may be an acquired taste especially when one is familiar with the precision of Kottke, as precision wasn't Basho's aim--expression was. Basho had a punk attitude; he was more interested in making the music then making it "technical". In a sense he comes off as more an idealist and romantic than Kottke, and not as spiritually gimmicky, for lack of a better term, as Fahey.Kottke and Fahey aside. Let's look at Basho. This CD represents a good sampling of his earliest recorded work, it's very raw and edgy and when Basho "sings" (in tongues) or whistles it's eerie but beautiful. Basho's later works are more accomplished in the traditional guitarist sense, but to me less interesting and less obviously innovative than his first few recordings. Basho is endlessly experimental and endlessly expressive. You'll here subtle ambient sounds behind his guitar like bells and chimes. It sounds authentic; one can imagine sitting on a monastery porch next to the guitarist in some far away Eastern land.And I don't know this for sure, but I get the sense that Basho improvises some of the material, there seems to be a basic structure that he will work around, but I imagine he throws in alterations to some degree each time he plays a composition. Again something I don't think Kottke or Fahey would do as freely.This is good music, and thoughtful music. It's really one of a kind. Guitar Soli is a fine place to start, and if you become more interested then look into some of the other recent CD reissues, or search for the used LPs. And a little word of advice, don't listen to Basho the same way you would Kottke, you know in your car cruising on the highway with the windows open and Busted Bicycle roaring through the speakers--well anyway that's what I like to do. This is a different kind of music, and you have to respect that. This is almost ambient, put it on at night, light some candles and incense, read, or write, or just relax, have some tea. Take it easy and enjoy.
