Customer Reviews

A Love Supreme

5 star:		(164)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

For something like John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" to move the human being to such heightening cannot be overstated in any realm of adulation, regardless of praise's nature tendency to overvalue. It was less than two years ago that, by chance, this disc found it's way into a CD player that I had been borrowing. As a shallow jazzist, at best, I was one day perusing through the limited Jazz section of an independent CD/bookstore in Whistler, BC. I had listened to much Coltrane by then, but only selectively. The limits of my Trane knowledge where painfully obvious by my utter ignorance of his actual works, or albums; all that I had enjoyed to that point was, embarrassingly, downloaded material. When I saw Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" for $15, I didn't think twice about dropping the money. Finally I could hold tangible, material proof of my love for the saxophone - at the time, that's all I really thought the album could hold in value, as I had never known of it's existence, (let alone it's legacy). That night, as friends and I were on a road trip and crammed into one single hotel room, my under-the-kitchen-table mattress proved itself not in propriety, as a sleeping device, but rather as celestial; it was my Coltrane refuge. My under-table mattress was an other-worldly hideout, and with the catalyzing effects of "A Love Supreme," the most blissful, quartet sounds ever to be recorded transformed all that I felt myself to be. Since first experiencing the masterpiece that is "A Love," not once has my hard mind not been softened by the grace, and purity of those four musicians, who recorded a piece, on one innocent day, to shed light upon an often otherwise dark existence. "A Love Supreme" is of the most effusive Trane reveries, and is arguably one of the greatest works of art ever created.

If you are looking to add a copy of "A Love Supreme" to your collection, buy this 2 CD Deluxe Edition. It features the original album, sourced from an original master tape from EMI's London vaults, in its entirety on disc 1. The sonic quality of the recording is as good as it is going to get, although there is a little bit of hiss that is discernable during the quieter bass parts (it must be that way on the original tape?).

The real treat, though, is disc 2. Luckily, the only live version of "A Love Supreme" was documented in Antibes in 1965. It would have been an unspeakable tragedy if that music had just disappeared into the air. The live version is presented here in its best sound ever, as it is an excellent analog transfer from the original mono tape made by French national radio. Coltrane and the rest of the group stretch out extensively in the live rendition, without losing the shape and contour of the suite as originally recorded.

There are even some outtakes of "Resolution" and "Acknowledgment" that miraculously have been preserved. Particularly noteworthy is the December 10 session that features Archie Shepp in the group. Coltrane recorded over some of the original tape, but the fascinating version of "Acknowledgment" with Shepp has been extracted and luckily is available for mankind to study and enjoy, even though there are a few dropouts. This is an amazing, historical moment that has been preserved. The outtakes are the jazz equivalent of the Dead Sea Scrolls. That in itself is a good reason to buy the 2 CD edition.

I'm agnostic, and yet John Coltrane's masterpiece A Love Supreme has almost made me see God. It's got that kind of power to it; though John conceived it as his gift to God, its spiritual theme is in no way restricted to his or any religion. It speaks to something vital in anyone and everyone. It's a jazz masterwork - the musicianship is outright stunning but never needlessly flashy; it's accessible enough to love on the first listen, but complex enough to keep you discovering nuances for years. But of course, if you're looking at this release you already know that. If you're wondering whether to pop for the complete expanded edition herein, then the basic question is: how much of a completist are you?

When first released in late 2002, the double-disc remaster had two huge advantages over the single CD that had been previously available: the marvelous increase in sound quality for the original album, and the added contents of disc 2. On the first count, the sonic improvement is impossible to miss; I'm far from an audiophile and I could hear a jump in clarity right from Elvin Jones's opening gong. This re-remastered version is something serious fans of this album will definitely want to hear, whether it's part of this two-disc edition or on its own (since it's just been put out as a single release). Even though the pre-02 CD sounded great.. this one still stomps it flat.

So then, whether to pop for this edition? That depends on whether you want disc 2. The famed Coltrane quartet only performed the material live once, and it's all presented here, again with the clearest sound you're ever likely to hear. There are differences aplenty between that performance and the original (due to a gap of several months between them), and though there are a couple rusty spots, the inventiveness of the whole quartet makes the familiar suite almost sound brand-new again. The live version gives everyone room to stretch out and soar. There was more space for fiery group interaction and individual solos - they extend the whole running time by almost 20 minutes. It's not quite as smooth and perfect as the album we know and love, but really, how could it hope to be? Rounding out the second disc are three alternate studio takes from the recording sessions, where the regular quartet was joined by Art Davis on bass and Archie Shepp on sax. The two versions of "Acknowledgement" are strewn with occasional tape problems and sudden dropouts in sound, but the performances are a treasure trove for those who want more of a glimpse into ALS's development. "Resolution" is practically a new marvel in itself; John's sax doesn't rip from the start the way the LP version did, but it's remarkable how different the track sounds just because of McCoy Tyner's ever-changing piano work. His soloing takes it into a whole new sphere.

I've never regretted shelling out the extra shekels for this expanded package, and I doubt anyone else similarly enamored with A Love Supreme will be either. For those who aren't yet.. of course the single CD is still an absolute essential. Share the love.

Ok first of all, musically, this album is incredible and you can't go wrong. So why 3 stars? Simply because there's this manner in many conversions to CD of old recordings these days to SEPERATE THE INTRUMENTS IN DIFFERENT CHANNELS. I find this REALLY awful in the fact that, for the whole album, the saxophone comes out MY LEFT EAR. The drums, MY RIGHT. The only instrument which is actually well balanced is the piano. This is down right UNBEARABLE for half an hour! I don't understand what these guys were thinking!

Anyways, I got the problem fixed by hardwiring in an adapter to convert the audio to mono on my stereo. It gets especially annoying with earphones.

They should have definitely included a MONO mix onto the CD. I've heard other old recordings that were separated as such and they all included a mono track.

I only like certain jazz... this was too much for me... I do have someone who will love it though

The only reason I hadn't already tasted this Coltrane album is that I enjoy a lot of styles of music and sometimes, a classic slips through the cracks. Also, Blue Train being an all time favorite of mine and I thought Coltrane couldn't get any better.

Well, it does in many ways.

Not to say that the more accessible Blue Train is not as good, but this Love Supreme is so dense, so intricate that it needs more listening time to fully reveal itself.

At this price, it's just too good an album to miss!

First of all, John Coltrane is absolutely my favorite saxophonist in history. Those who say he plays the saxonphone like a singer pinching their nose obviously have no musical experience. I play the tenor sax and trust me, no one and I mean no one has ever reached such a smooth and melodic sound. You seriously should try Briteny Spears if you are going to criticize how he plays. The saxophone is easy to play but tough to make as beautful as Coltrane did. He deserves so many praises.

Secondly, Love Supreme is in my mind one of the greatest examples of the brilliance jazz contains. This is freedom. Coltrane put so much emotion into this album. His focus was God, and he proved to be divine with the sax himself. Whether or not you may find A Love Supreme to be entertaining and listenable, there is no doubt that Coltrane truly expressed his strong emotions in his playing. I feel that the beauty A Love Supreme has is through its expression of freedom and emotion. Some might say his repetion of notes is annoying, but Coltrane used this as a release of feelings. The repetion just shows his passion for God and his for of expression. This is the album that shows Coltrane at his highest time of musicianship: passion and emotion for the notes and God.

Après deux écoutes successives, une prestation routinière de fin de contrat, plus technique et free que spleen et hypnotique. Mais cela reste quand même du Coltrane et même dilué cela demeure plein de saveur et de magie.

I'm a big fan of Coltrane, and though I at least like all of his material, several albums stand out to me as really being special. This is definitely one of them.

I enjoy Coltrane's fast playing, but have always felt that he played better when he dropped the tempo down a bit. Now, there is a lot of playing on this album that I wouldn't necessarily call slow, but it's more relaxed and "tender" than some of his other work. I feel that this is the best of his earlier work. John really hit it out of the park with this one. Every music fan should, if not own, then at least listen to this all the way through once in their life. And, if you're a jazz fan, then you'll definitely need to own this. It is a monumental achievement and is a piece of history.

I have tried many times to describe this album to others but have failed with fumbled words and detached phrases. I believe the reason why is, this is the type of music that touches something deeper than your ears or mind.

Admittedly I am far from a religious person, but spirituality is a different matter, and this album is truly a spiritual experience. Coltrane was filled with a spirit that transcends time and place and removes the listener from all material entanglements thus allowing a freedom seldom provided outside of meditation. A pure form of unspoken language in a private conversation, personal and accesible.

To think that four individuals can come together to make a piece of this magnitude gives hope to all. Very few albums will receive 5 stars from me but this album is a no-brainer.

If anything buy this album simply to have it...because unlike others, I believe every house needs A Love Supreme inside.