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Media Type: LP
Artist: COLTRANE,JOHN
Title: LOVE SUPREME
Street Release Date: 06/20/1995
Domestic
Genre: JAZZ

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.

66 of 75 found the following review helpful:


The best album ever.  Nov 18, 1999
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...

25 of 27 found the following review helpful:


A Great Start to your Jazz Collection  Feb 02, 2001 By Joseph C. Landon Jr.
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.

13 of 13 found the following review helpful:


Universal love  May 06, 2000 By mrovich "mrovich"
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.

23 of 27 found the following review helpful:


A masterpiece  Mar 18, 2000
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.

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