Customer Reviews

Universal Consciousness (Mini Lp Sleeve)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My title may not explain how I feel about this particular CD but of how I feel about Alice Coltrane's work in general. My first experience with Alice Coltrane's music was listening to a beat up copy of Universal Consciousness. After that I nearly bought her entire collection of CDs and I am still waiting for more to be reissued. Therefore, "always at her best" is definitely my impression of her creativity.

So here we are, with a newly remastered edition of Universal Consciousness. . hum, and kind of surprising too. I was about ready to burn a copy from that old beat up record I mentioned above. It took a long time for Impulse to finally get this re-released, and I'm considerably satisfied.

The music itself is one of a kind. Ornette Coleman must have had a fun time transcribing the string arrangements, as mention in the notes. The first time you put this on the listener will want to turn it off, yes I know it sounds like a dis but it's not. This music is not happy-go-lucky, laid back Kerouac at the typewriter music. This is intense listening, made for people who turn on the college stations noise hour and listen to Merzbah. The first time I heard it I couldn't handle it, especially the first track. Now, after many listens, I can play the album while reading a book, or at the typewriter. Not for casual listeners but if you are this album may eventually grow on you.

The remastered CD sounds similar to the record but much brighter. To elaborate on that, as a CD it works well. I can here some things that I didn't hear on the record (like that tinny reggae drum in the first half of "Universal Consciousness") and on some tracks the compositional tone is well rounded out ---plus no crackles and skips. In short, the CD remastering beats me recording and filtering/dehissing my record on Roxio. Plus the production job is pure mastery.

My only complaint is the packaging. I prefer the standardized Impulse cardboard cases, the ones with the gatefold/ insert sleeve and annotated or biography booklet. The package here is (as mentioned by another reviewer) a miniscule version of the original record sleeve which includes a very cool poster, but barely readable liner notes. In addition, it would be impossible to slide it into a standard CD slot since it is bigger than the usual CD jewel case. I understand that this is a unique idea but isn't it more susceptible to wear and tear. Consider this a limited edition as the tagline says.

Music Listeners, give this a try. Like I said it's intense but soon you'll enjoy it. If you like these recordings also check out Ornette Coleman's Skies of America, which has similar string arrangements and time signatures. An abstract masterpiece.

Verve is making this 1972 Impulse recording available as a short-run, limited-edition reissue expiring in May 2005. Whether it self-destructs at that time or is returned to the vaults for another thirty years, awaiting its next reincarnation, is unclear, but it's probably best to take no chances. This album sounds a lot better to me today than it would have at the time of its release. Scarcely 9 years had elapsed since I'd heard Alice McCleod playing in the Terry Gibbs Quartet opposite Coltrane's Quartet at Birdland, and her marriage to Coltrane and absorption by his increasingly mystical music struck me as abrupt and superficial. Moreover, the results bore not even a faint trace of the swinging, post-bop player who had served as a felicitous and provocative complementary voice to Terry's manic vibes.

But after listening to this music and reading Alice's original liner notes, I'm inclined to think of her as a greater influence on Coltrane than vice versa. Hers is the theological mind, steeped in Hinduism and Indian mythology to a degree that makes John along with Lennon, T. S. Eliot, and perhaps Ravi himself look like tyros. Her descriptions of these compositions and their devotional inspiration makes me want to go back and study the Ramayana, Upanishads, and Vedic Hymns not to mention chant a few Hare Krishnas (30 million are required to experience "Mukti," but perhaps considerably less will lead to some knowledge of Om and apprehension of Shantih).

I've listened to this album at least a dozen times and still can't seem to get a handle on the music. Alice's analog organ seems at once incongruous, anachronistic and cutting edge; at the same time her exotic harp takes the edge off, making this quite accessible music. Jimmy Garrison's bass provides pretty much the same drone-like support that was its primary function in the original Coltrane Quartet. Jack DeJohnette, who's never impressed me as a piano trio trap drummer, is in his element here as a tone colorist and energy catalyst. But the album also owes a huge debt to Ornette Coleman, whose orchestral transcriptions of Alice's musical ideas are at once accessible and third-stream.

This is hypnotic, enchanting, inexhaustible music, further evidence that all of the recent propaganda we've been hearing about Ronald Reagan leading us out of some supposed 1970's cultural morass is revisionist history at its worst.

This music stimulates your cosmic consciousness.
Each successive track is more intruiguing than the proceding
track, culminating with the fantastic bass-drenched final track.
Unlike other Alice Coltrane CDs, there is no saxaphone on this
CD, which is surprisingly refreshing. Also very refreshing is
the fact that there are no vocals at all on the CD, notably in
the Hare Krishna track, where you might've expected vocal
chanting. For me, the best way to enjoy this CD is to start
at the beautiful track 3, then play it till the momentous end.
Lastly, it's not Alice Coltrane's fault that the jewel case
does not fit in a standard CD slot.

Let me just say from the begining this is very beautiful music. All 6 tracks were recorded between april and june 1971 in New York after Alice Coltrane got back from a 5 week visit to the Indian Subcontinent in December of 1970. You can tell her Indian experience influenced the music on all of the Universal Consciousness album. It was produced by Ed Michel and Alice Coltrane. Alice Coltrane plays Organ and Harp,Jimmy Garrison on bass,Jack DeJohnette,Cliford Jarvis,And Rashied Ali on drums, Tulsi on tamboura and a string quartet with transcription by Ornette Coleman rounds out the groups sound. The music is beautiful and exotic. It is relaxing but at times can be chaotic and loud. Alice Coltrane's harp and organ playing creates a beautiful swirling sound that is complemented by ,the sitar sounding instrument, the tamboura and the string quartet. This is not ordinary music. This is healing, spiritual music that can only be experienced properly by a patient, open minded and relaxed listener. I would not suggest that this music be played while driving or at a party. This is more for listening during late night and early morning introspection with the lights down low. If you dont like abstract, Free, improvised or experimental jazz music you shouldn't buy this album. You should go back to watching MTV. If you do like experimental,abstract jazz and classical music I would suggest this album. I think I would get Journey in Satchidananda and Ptah, the El Daoud albums before I got this one.This one is good but I dont think it's as good as those two. This album sort of sounds like Sketches of Spain(minus Miles Davis Trumpet) mixed with Sun Ra(minus the vocals).
The CD package is really cool, it looks like a little record and comes with a little poster!! The 96KHz, 24 bit digital transfer reissue sounds great and is only available until May 2005.
This album took me a couple of listens to appreaciate it but I am very glad that I bought it now. If you like her acoustic stuff you might like her electric organ playing. If you like Pharoah Sanders, John Coltrane,Miles Davis,Sun Ra,Ornette Coleman,Eric dolphy,MMW, or oriental and Indian music you will love Universal Consciousness.Listen under the right conditions and this music will reward you. It is a call for a meeting of all religions to reach a Universal Consciousness. Running Time 36 minutes, 40 seconds.

Alice's unwavering and adventerous spirit is breathtaking on this album. her compositions are unique and dazzling. her instrumental use is refined and beautiful. this album can be frighteningly intense at times, but it swells over with radiant joy and life. a true rare gem of an album and one that deserves limitless play in every open minded jazz fan's household.

You have to give it to Alice Coltrane--she had a brand name, but did not try to cash in by coping her husband. Who knows if John would have gone in this direction with Alice had he had not died in 1967.

This is avant gaurd jazz, but nothing like that of John Coltrane, who Alice played paino with in his last band, replacing McCoy Tyner. This music is big shells, filled with harps, saxes, a violin, all kinds of instruments to add to the free floating texutre. This material sounds as derived from early 1970s space rock as much as jazz.

Rashid Ali's drumming did not provide enough of a backbone for John Coltrane's peicing sounds, but with Alice, it is a perfect wonder. His soft free time is perfect for this etherial music.

Generic new age musicias should listen to this.

An enormous departure, "Universal Consciousness" finds Alice Coltrane shedding the vestiges of the legacy of John Coltrane and pursuing a new direction.

The music was recorded over three sessions-- the first featured Coltrane performing on organ and harp backed by bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Jack DeJohnette with a string section (violinists John Blair, Leroy Jenkins, Julius Brand and Joan Kalisch, with string arrangements by Coltrane and "transcriptions" by Ornette Coleman). The second, a month later, included some overdubs to the previous session, finds Coltrane accompanied by Garrison, tamboura player Tulsi and drummer Clifford Jarvis. The final session matches her in duet with her husband's last drummer, Rashied Ali.

The pieces contained within are odd, even for Coltrane. She's heard primarily on organ, whether it be delicate and sensitive ("Hare Krishna", "Sita Ram") or explosive and fierce (duet with Ali "Battle At Armageddon"). The String arrangements are on three tracks and are intriguing-- they support Coltrane delicately when she's in a sensitive light and they push in a more aggressive one.

Oddly enough, this album is incredibly well received but I've never thought it more than average-- the two duets with Ali are essential, but much of the rest of the material felt disposable to me.

2 1/2

There is a cool cosmic vibe throughout the mystical medleys, but at the heart of these compositions lies limp dynamics and rather superficial interplay.