Customer Reviews

A Love Supreme

5 star:		(127)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This album is pure and raw Jazz. Every song demonstrates Coltrane's prowess on the sax. In one word this album is 'emotion.' Coltrane seems to poor his whole heart into this project. All the players are in peak performance mode and it shows as each take their turn demonstrating their talents. On the track titled "Resolution" McCoy Tyner struts his stuff on the piano, and Coltrane makes his sax literally cry. I would consider this one of the greatest Jazz albums of all time.

Historically speaking, this was one of only two albums that Coltrane recorded all year in 1964. Coltrane's other album that year was titled "Crescent." "Love Supreme" was awarded gold status by 1970 and I can see why, it is a great album.

The beginning of "Pursuance/Part 4 - Psalm" is a drum set that is wonderful and then Coltrane comes screaming into the song with a wonderful brassy sax sound. This is followed by Tyner who is all over the keys of the piano. This last track is pure and raw emotional jazz.

This album could hold a slot next to Miles Davis' work titled "Kind of Blue." The album is dedicated to God, whom Coltrane says in the inserts, is the "Love Supreme." If you don't have this album then you are missing one of the greatest Jazz album's ever recorded. Get it and see why all the reviews below rave on about this masterpiece.

John Coltrane, one of the true masters of jazz, affected every corner of the jazz world when he released this album. The sheer power and beauty of the music breathed new life into jazz and streched the imaginations of many. To this day, A Love Supreme is an album that can be an inspiration to all people around the globe. His music is so extraordinarily powerful - it can make one laugh, cry, get angry, beam in utter rapture, and love and fear God.

To me, on this album John Coltrane not only grabs at every human emotion, but manages to become that emotion. That's what the album really is - it is raw human emotion, pulsating out of every drum beat, every bass hit, every chord, and every saxophone note. When John Coltrane created this album with his quartet, it almost sounds as if he were possessed by God and became everything the human soul embodies.

While some may claim that the album isn't good for relaxing after work or on a Sunday afternoon, I would say that exacly the opposite is true. Every time I listen to that album, I am put in a trance, a state so indescribably euphoric that I could exist like that forever.

But alas, the album is only 45 minutes long...

I'm not exactly an expert with Jazz music. I mainly listen to alternative and classic rock but I'm always open to new types of music. So when a friend of mine said he was getting into John Coltrane, I had to find out what the greatness was all about. So I bought myself a copy of "Love Supreme". I was not dissappointed. I was not only impressed by the music itself, but the musical talents off all the players. This is not purely a John Coltrane record; McCoy Tyner makes a huge impact on this CD as well with his piano playing. I believe it's the second song where he performs an extended solo. Coltrane certainly let his musicians have their space. But Coltrane is certainly the star. His sax playing has as much personality as any vocalist could possibly have. It's almost hypnotizing. I love playing this while relaxing. I also own "My Favorite Things" but I like this one a little better. It's a certainly a must-have to anyones CD collection, no matter what music you normally listen to.

The first jazz album recommended to me was Kind Of Blue, the first I ever listened to. It was a strange feeling to be sitting suddenly in a room where an entire genre of music had become unmasked and was no longer mysterious - this strange, sometime terrifying thing, jazz.

But I was not overly moved. It took this album, A Love Supreme, another "crucial" jazz experience, to move me. What a personal experience! - and yet a universal one - everyone who has written here has expressed a love for the music, or the performer, or both, and what a confirmation of greatness for Coltrane that his own message of love for divinity has spread to all music-lovers. And yet, jazz and Coltrane in particular impart a humility which few other musical forms can claim - where the soloist is merely a medium, his composition "merely" improvisation.

The only statement here which I do not agree with is one encouraging patience - patience with this, perhaps, but don't wait to get it. Challenging it may prove initially, but beyond the intense four-note bass-line, and the energetic Resolution, comes a true resolution in the finale, and the Psalm. Really alas for the brevity of the piece - 45 minutes have never seemed so little...but does it get better than this? - just restart, and the reverence continues.

Truly one of the essential albums of this century.

I am a 16 year old musician who greatly appreciates the work John Coltrane. I just wanted to shine some light on the messages of "A Love Supreme". Coltrane is showing us everything he learned in his life in order throughout the recording. For example, his first three notes in the opening chord are II-V-I, the fist thing he learned. The bass line of "Love Supreme" is up a minor 3rd, and then up a fourth. This is the same pattern used in Giant Steps, which was shown to him by Miles Davis. The song is modal in Bb, and the piano uses the chords (which are all forths) to demonstrate how to voice the chords in modal jazz. Coltrane then "shows" us how he solos over these modal chords. Another interesting thing which most people don't realize is the significance of "Psalm". If you read the prayer given inside the booklet while listening to the song, you will realize that Coltrane is actually speaking the prayer through his horn, beginning at 10:47 in the song. This album is great to listen to, but it contains so much more. I encourage every lister to find these messages given to us by one of the greatest geniuses of our time.

Forget all the mystique and technical commentary about Coltrane -- this is an experience for every listener. You do not need to be a 'jazz expert' (whatever that means) or consumed by religion to appreciate this. 'A Love Supreme' is one of the most accessible, powerful works of popular music in existence. It transcends the genre -- read the reviews, there are plenty of listeners for whom this was their first or second jazz album. If you are new to Coltrane or to jazz, you won't go wrong by starting here.

I once read, in a comparison between Coltrane and Stan Getz -- another outstanding tenor sax -- that while you admired Getz' incredible technique or the way he interpreted a particular passage, with Coltrane you were taken by the immensity of the experience. 'A Love Supreme' is exactly that -- a wave of sound, from Coltrane's incomparable saxophone to McCoy Tyner's piano, Garrison's bass and Elvin Jones unforgettable percussion. If you're looking for background music or easy listening, look elsewhere. For 35 minutes of some of the most powerful music of the past century, five stars isn't enough.

Let me get this out of the way; I am a pagan. I've been pretty discontent with religion since I was maybe 13 years old. But this was John Coltrane's way of praising God and getting his religious beliefs through. The liner notes were written by Coltrane and they explained his devotion to God, his music, and his fellow bandmates. Overall, this was an album sparked by faith. And if this is a way to pay tribute to God through music, then this is one touching album to do it. Parts of it actually leave me in awe for hours at a time, almost to the point of tears, and some of the music stays with me for long periods of time. If you can get an irreligious person to be moved by an album with a dogmatic message to it, then you've definitely accomplished something. The same cannot be said for bands like dc Talk, no offense against them.

John Coltrane has always been one of my favorite musicians ever, and his sax playing always floors me, the way Steve Howe from Yes does to me with the guitar. I feel his playing, as well as the others in the band (especially Elvin Jones' killer drum solo on Psalm 3). Every note of this album to me reflected his spirituality and there has never been another album that has expressed religious devotion so beautifully and so clearly than this one (though Genesis' 23-minute opus "Supper's Ready" comes close). To those who like passion with their religion; leave the Bible on the shelf, and listen ot his! God bless you Coltrane, and rest in peace!

When most people (myself included) hear the phrase "avant-garde jazz" it's taken as a code for emperor's new clothes albums that only critics seem to love or just plain unlistenable. For A Love Supreme however, this is DEFINITELY not the case. At times it is simplistic (Acknowledgement is based in just four notes) and incredibly complex. But it is BEAUTIFUL throughout. I could go on and on in describing it, but you just have to listen to it to get the full experience. If you don't have the album and were curious enough to look on this web site for this album GO AHEAD AND BUY IT! You won't be disappointed. This is an album that must be listened to and studied, you can't just let it be background music. It is so beautiful, don't live another day without this musical masterpiece in your life!

1964 - John Coltrane had bounced back from a bad heroin habit several years earlier and become an instant Christian. His music would continue to have a spiritual theme until he died, but this is the album that stands as his most enduring work. I can't profess to say what does and doesn't deserve such a title as Absolute Masterpiece; I'll just mention that I'm agnostic and I still get a vivid rush of emotion from hearing this disc. In a short-but-not-really 35 minutes, Trane and crew produce something universal that stretches beyond any single belief or religion. John was right in the middle of his transition between the easy blues/bop style of his roots and the extended crazy-hyper 128th-note wanderings that would take over his later work. ALS finds him and his quartet turning up the heat, but never really approaching the half-unlistenability of some of those final albums. But I digress.

A Love Supreme features some fiery-hot blowing from all members involved, sometimes approaching the point of head-spinning cacophony but never really getting there. It's got an insane degree of polyrhythmic chemistry (I'm very sure I still don't even understand half of what's going on), but the music still has an unmistakable beat and groove that anyone can follow. Amid the initial swirl of complex group interaction, the central theme of "Acknowledgement" is a mere four notes (although Coltrane takes it all over the scale in at least a dozen places). "Resolution" branches out a little more, its main lead rooted more in Indian music than American jazz. The first 3/4 of the album is a dazzling balance of foot-stomping swing and stellar melodic work that can take years to figure out.

Until the very end, that is. "Pursuance" simmers down near its finish (just past the 10-minute mark) with a very accomplished bass solo, sliding uninterruped into the finale "Psalm." Now this is where everything comes together. Drummer Elvin Jones abandons the shuffling hi-hat for thunderous rolls of timpani. The bass and piano stick to a simple melody.. some chords here, a simply rooted line anchoring everything else.. while Coltrane's sax rides over everything like a high-flying bird headed straight for the sun. I want to describe the final crescendo, but I'm afraid the mere phrase "breathtaking harmony" doesn't quite do it justice. I could try to describe all the colors and shades of a Jamaican sunset too, but that still couldn't accurately convey the sense of experiencing it yourself.

Where a lot of jazz (or any music) can work as either a focal point or a pleasant background, A Love Supreme demands your attention if you want to really get into how it all works together. If you're willing to give this album some time and thought, it won't let you go.

With this album Coltrane proved that jazz can be, and is, about more than just virtuoso chops and technique. The Spirit World and the inner pursuit of knowing oneself were not things to which most jazz and/or jazz musicians aspired to, previous to this album.

This album is a glorious "first shot fired" in the revolution of spirit-jazz. The music contained herein is at times meditative, at times swinging, at times mournfully rumbling, and always focused on the task at hand... communicating feelings to the listener.

This album is often compared to a later Coltrane album, MEDITATIONS. If you own that one and have found that it is too much for you, try this one. Both albums epitomize Coltrane's spiritual leanings, but while A LOVE SUPREME most often resembles some sort of humble prayer, MEDITATIONS most often resembles The Creator unleashing all of its fury upon those who dare to remain unhumbled in the presence of The Gods.