A Love Supreme [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

John Coltrane

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 20, 1995)
• Original Release Date: December 9, 1964
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Grp Records
• ASIN: B000003N7G
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (134 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #121,709 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

• This is item 3 in The Verve Music Group Desert Island Discs Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
A Love Supreme is a suite about redemption, a work of pure spirit and song, that encapsulates all the struggles and aspirations of the 1960s. Following hard on the heels of the lyrical, swinging Crescent, A Love Supreme heralded Coltrane's search for spiritual and musical freedom, as expressed through polyrhythms, modalities, and purely vertical forms that seemed strange to some jazz purists, but which captivated more adventurous listeners (and rock fellow travelers such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, and the Byrds), while initiating a series of volatile, unruly prayer offerings, including Kulu Su Mama, Ascension, Om, Meditations, Expression, Interstellar Space. From the urgent speech-like timbre of his tenor, to the serpentine textures and earthy groove of Elvin Jones's drumming, Coltrane's suite proceeds with escalating intensity, conveying a hard-fought wisdom and a beckoning serenity in the prayer-like drones of "Psalm," where Jones rolls and rumbles like thunder as Garrison and Tyner toll away suggestively--all the while Coltrane searches for that one climactic note worthy of the love he wants to share. --Chip Stern

Product Description
The second in a series of John Coltrane's classic Impulse! albums which are restored, reissued and newly remastered. Digi-Pak packaging is re-creating from the original LP design. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best album ever., November 17, 1999

By A Customer

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...

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Jazz Masterpiece by the 'Trane, December 12, 2000

By	T. B. Vick "Learn 2 Discern" (The Lone Star State) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Start to your Jazz Collection, February 2, 2001

By	Joseph C. Landon Jr. (Lewisville, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.