by Skip Jansen
This 1968 album, a monumental piece of folk guitar invention from the pioneering American six-string master, fuses the drones of Indian raga to flamenco and traditional folk in a similar fashion to his peers John Fahey and Sandy Bull. Robbie Basho had a profound influence on a younger generation of acoustic folk guitarists such as Leo Kottke and Stefan Grossman, who adapted many of his techniques into their repertoires. The Falconer's Arm, Vol. 2 is the second in a thematic series of works the guitarist recorded in the '60s for Takoma. His later work went further into new age territories and mysticism, yet his '60s recordings remain as essential to the anthology of American folk music as the work of John Fahey, with whom he shared more than a few traits in his six- and 12-string improvisations.