ROBBIE BASHO VENUS IN CANCER RARE BLUE NOTE 1969

$

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       ANOTHER One Of THE         

     'LEGENDS'

   'ROBBIE BASHO'

"VENUS IN CANCER"

  BTS 10

GORGEOUS BLUE NOTE Recording 

A

Beautiful BLUE NOTE 

~ ORIGINAL 1969 ~

Robbie Basho’s Venus In Cancer is an album of guitar compositions that

are some of the most beautiful ever composed. Basho is little well known

for his work, despite writing over six albums in his lifetime. Venus In

Cancer is one of the greatest in the Basho discography and one of the

most captivating guitar albums ever written. With supreme tenderness,

Basho weaves rich tapestries that entwine like ivy. Venus In Cancer is an

album of guitar compositions that are some of the most beautiful ever

composed. Basho is little well known for his work, despite writing over 

 six albums in his lifetime. Venus In Cancer is one of the greatest in the 

 Basho discography and one of the most captivating guitar albums ever 

 written. With supreme tenderness, Basho weaves rich tapestries that 

 entwine like ivy.  - Jim Harris<click here! 

                                Robbie Basho

Review

The late Robbie Basho’s music has a special strangeness that is enhanced by his unawareness of how odd it really was. Basho was the hard sell of the Takoma team, a magnificent guitarist who insisted on singing impossibly romantic tales of Indian princesses on snow-capped mountains in a voice best described as the male counterpart of Yma Sumac’s. Even in the ’60s he was a man out of time; now, two decades after his death, he sounds like he came from another planet. Maybe he did, but if you have what it takes to follow him to his otherworldly dwelling, it’s a pretty amazing journey.

Venus In Cancer occupies a special place in Basho’s discography. It was released on Blue Thumb following five LPs on Takoma, and it realized Basho’s ambitions to be not just a singer-guitarist, but a total musician – a composer, arranger, player, and performer all rolled into one. Tompkins Square has treated it well; the mastering is present but in no way goosed, the booklet filled with testimonials by in-the-know types such as Steffen Basho-Junghans and Max Ochs.

The cover image of a nude maiden shielding her virtue from some androgynous imp with hooves for hands is pretty stupefying, but it’s the music that’ll really get you. Basho’s interlocking patterns for at least two six-strings on the opening title tune are lovely and understated, just the thing to lure you in. The other two guitar-only tracks are even better; “Kowaka D’Amour” is mysterious, complex yet masterfully articulated; “Cathedrals et Fleur de Lis” is dramatic and more than a little holy.

And then there are the vocal tracks. “Eagle Sails the Blue Diamond Waters” unfolds from a 12-string figure unashamed off its grandeur. Basho’s picking is gorgeous in itself yet really just a frame for Basho’s quivering, wordless vocal. It’s Incan princess stuff all the way, but utterly sincere. I shake my head every time it comes on, but damned if I don’t play it over and over again. The lyrics to “Song For The Queen” are so corny that they’d make Kahlil Gibran blush, but Basho doesn’t stop there; violas and French horn splash his vocal melodrama across a wide screen. “Wine Song (Sweet Wine of Love)” is less ambitious, and suffers by comparison; if you’re going to sing about moonbeams shining in someone’s eyes, take it over the top or take it home. Still, the bulk of Venus in Cancer is dream-spinning of a very high order. If you hold any affection for the work of James Blackshaw or Steffen Basho-Junghans and haven’t heard this stuff, be aware that treasure awaits you.

By Bill Meyer

The Record;  

The vinyl; shows a noticable front warp that...

                           DOES NOT AFFECT AUDIO...                             

SIDE 1;

Graded VERY GOOD+ (VG+), very nice. Much shine with some 'graying'/few 'very superficial surface 'hairlike whisps' and few very small marks (not significant); none of which, affect beautiful audio sound.

SIDE 2;

The shortest/last cut, Wine Song, (5:50), shows a small scratch (through cut) that produces light 'tic' with NO SKIPPING.

Graded VERY GOOD+ (VG+),  much shine with some 'graying'/NO scratches seen with the exception of last cut (see above). Labels are stellar; some spindle wear seen under bright light only. 

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ROBBIE BASHO

VENUS IN CANCER

BLUE NOTE -

USA ORIGINAL LP

 SOUNDS GREAT!

~A jewel!~

The 'gatefold' Cover;

The gatefold cover remains very nice with some/little wear. Graded STRONG VERY GOOD+ (STRONG VG+), (INSIDE SEAM ~ NO 'MIIDLE SEAM TEARING')! Cover has NO ring impression (front), but shows a little back ring impression. A very little 'tip' corner wear, a bit of top seam 'peeling', 'beginning split', very few surface wrinkles that accompany a VG+ grading. Looks to be a name on back upper right corner (please see pictures), and a price tag on front; can be removed.

RECORDS COME IN 'HI-GRADE' MFSL PVC INNER SLEEVES (FOR PROTECTION)

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FRONT COVER                                                                                                        

 <NOTE>Advertisement cover, see actual auctioned cover/labels in pictures above

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(***PLEASE SEE THE PICTURES OF THE LP AND COVER ABOVE***)>NOTE: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. What you see is what you get.