A Love Supreme
by John Coltrane

From AfterHours 02/08/2007 17:46 | #259 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

It opens with a Chinese gong that carries its vibrations across Coltrane's saxaphone bursting through, with a light series of percussion gently bustling beneath, before the bass groove of his now signature "A Love Supreme" theme, a humble, beautiful dedication to God, casts its spell on the work. Coltrane continues to increase a series of wonderful variations on the theme throughout Acknowledgement, a masterstroke of an opening, brilliantly coaxing us along until, kneeled down, a voice comes forth in a gentle, relaxed mantra, singing "A Love Supreme" over and over again, meditating on the theme, before all instruments subside, excepting a lone bass number searching for the way. Coltrane will show them. He will be led forth by God.

Resolution breaks through with a monumental melody, towering above all else, and then holds back while a solo for piano dominates the next couple minutes, rising chords move upwards towards the sky, relentless drumming ecstatically following suit, weaving in and out and working off one another. Suddenly Coltrane charges into the mix, repeating a controlled assault on variations of the opening melody, huge phrases calling out to the Lord as he swiftly climbs upwards.

Pursuance one of the most emotional, awe-inspiring, towering masterpieces in all of music, is the pinnacle of Coltrane's career. After opening with an amazing series of drum rolls and an outstanding, flawlessly crafted piano number that builds perfectly right into the second phase of the song, Coltrane arrives with such conviction and abandon that it is hard to believe. Here walls come down, we are transported straight into the very essence of undying conviction and spirituality. Each time Coltrane and the climaxing drum rolls meet are moments of the most intense powers colliding. The song ends with a massive percussion climax before some intimate minutes of lone bass are spent repeating Coltrane's meditative themes.

The conclusion of Pursuance leads straight into the mesmerizing finale of Psalm. A completely overwhelmed Coltrane plays as if being touched by God. Beneath his extravagant, poignant melody arises great rumblings of percussion, casting an epic spell and a divine conclusion on the work, before each instrument eventually coalesces in unison as the psalm closes.

As John Coltrane's masterpiece, A Love Supreme is the most humble offering, a true miracle, an intensely emotional prayer that manages to carry forth undivided by religion or belief. Regardless of faith, it speaks personally to each of us. It is a beacon showing light on the beauty and artistry that raises the humanity in us all. (Edited)

From ffudnebbuh TOP 100 COMMENTER 10/02/2009 19:10 | #6556 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

My parents bought this in 1964..I remember the beatles just came out and it was a strange combination of music in our house (Edited)

In my opinion the best jazz album ever recorded, I consider it superior to 'Kind of Blue'. Favourite track: Psalm (Edited)

From souplipton 06/12/2016 04:13 | #168501 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

John Coltrane was a legend on the saxophone, and that reputation was well earned. His highest accomplishment was this testament of his faith and devotion to god. A highly emotional recording, it incorporates interesting ideas into its techniques, such as playing each note of prayer through his saxophone on the closing section Pslam. Deeply emotional, it marks one of the better jazz album ever made.

there's nothing to "get," you just listen to it until you know every note, like a guitar solo. you don't appreciate a guitar solo until you know it. that's jazz. anyway, I rarely only listen to this record once and sometimes flip it over and over upwards of 5 times b4 I stop. it deserves its spot as #2 jazz album on this site (unless you count Astral Weeks as a jazz album in which case this would be #3, w/e). glad to see it back in the top 100 and glad it's AOTD!