What makes The Seal of the Blue Lotus by Robbie Basho notable?

This album is significant for its role in expanding the boundaries of fingerstyle guitar and its influence on the emerging New Age music scene. Critics have noted Basho's innovative use of alternate tunings and complex melodies, which resonate throughout the genre today. Released in 1965, 'The Seal of the Blue Lotus' was Robbie Basho's second album, following his debut 'Venus in Cancer'. At this point in his career, Basho was establishing himself as a unique voice in the American primitive guitar movement, blending traditional folk elements with Eastern philosophy and imagery.