A Love Supreme

A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME

”If God had an ipod I would be on his playlist” - John Coltrane, 1965

this might be a technical masterpiece but let's be real, jazz is annoying

The more I listen to jazz from being exposed via this site, the more I'm realizing that I just don't really like jazz. I can appreciate the musicianship, but it's just not something I'd choose to listen to.

What can be said about this album that hasnt already been said? Its absolutley incredible. Im not a jazz expert, and have only listened to about 4 dozen jazz albums, so I dont understand the music theory of it all, I just know that its an incredible experience to listen to this.

Takes several listens to really get, especially for those not used to jazz. First track gets improvised, demonstrating Coltrane's insane talent as a sax player. Love the "A Love Supreme" underlying the entire track, starting off the song clearly then stepping out of the shadows via Coltrane's vocals at the end. Second track starts taking an intense turn. This becomes a very powerful album, with Coltrane's attempt to play as though God was speaking through their instruments. It gets crazy from time to time, invoking several instances of emotion and power, like the drum solo in the first part and near the end of Pursuance. In fact, the last track Psalm is entirely a consistent preach which goes along to written lyrics spoken through sax. I wish I could explain the theory behind this work and what makes this "modal jazz," but I'll save that for another few years (hopefully). For now, I find this to be an amazing piece of art with wonderful diversity that demonstrate both immense talent and powerful messages that convey deep emotion to the listener.

One of the most important records ever made, John Coltrane's A Love Supreme was his pinnacle studio outing, that at once compiled all of the innovations from his past, spoke to the current of deep spirituality that liberated him from addictions to drugs and alcohol, and glimpsed at the future innovations of his final two and a half years.

Thank god that was short, I couldn't handle much more. Occasionally that was a good bit but then it would be overthrown by someone who fell on the piano or pushed over a bass.

Jazz is a lot like England's "golden generation" of footballers. On paper, there's a lot of superstars but in practice, each player seems to be out of sync with each other and playing to their own tune.

It’s Coltrane at his best, in what world was I not going to give this album 5 stars? There have been so many positive reviews written about this album that I’m not sure how much else so have to say but it really is that good. Everybody plays so well together and the solos are perfect. My criteria for a 10 is basically that I don’t think the album could be any better and this album certainly fits that description. Favorite songs: Yes Least favorite songs: No 10/10

I like some jazz and I like some jazz less. This is the type where 3 or 4 musicians appear to get together and do their own thing without any interest or care what the others are doing. Personally I'd rather listen to an orchestra tuning up.

Famous sax player Joshua Redman said 'A Love Supreme is the first jazz album I ever heard, and I really hope it is the last I ever hear.' This is the best piece of jazz music that will ever exist.

An absolute monolith. Gnomic on first hearing, enlightening after multiple.

A one-time contender for my favourite jazz album, I've cooled on this over the last couple of years. Not that I think it's anything resembling bad. Frequently funky, surprising and exciting, the closest I can get to laying my finger on the root of my reservations is that those qualities are rarely co-present and that seems like part of the design, which also seems to be deliberately challenging and as a result stops me from getting transported the way Coltrane is. Except when he chants "A love supreme". Despite its simplicity--probably because of it--that always hits me as the most transcendent moment.

01) A Love Supreme, pt 1. - Acknowledgement - 3,0 02) A Love Supreme, pt. 2 - Resolution - 2,0 03) A Love Supreme, pt. 3. - Pursuance - 2,0 04) A Love Supreme, pt. 4. - Psalm 3,0 TOTAL: 2,50 (25/100) God I hate jazz! It's like my left ear is fighting with my right one. Every instrument plays it's own tune. I know this is worthy album, but it's a big no for me.

John Coltrane, already well-establish as a one of jazz's greats, wanted to go in a different direction after his last album. Leaning more into avant-garde jazz, Coltrane blended elements of faith and religion to create what is effectively a new subgenre of jazz: Spiritual Jazz. More spiritual in form than in substance, A Love Supreme is a piece that honor's Coltrane's relationship with God. It is reflective, passionate, and amazing in it's music. Not only that, but this record would mark a move into free jazz, for both Coltrane and Impulse! Records. Context aside, this is a beautiful jazz record. It's a little weird, but makes up for it in spades with expert use of dynamics and improvisation that only seasoned jazz musicians could follow through on. Excellence had never sounded so good. God bless.

Jazz. Raw, unapologetic, beautiful, soulful, all of those other words that have certainly been said about it over the years, and more. This album is great, and definitely deserves a high spot on this list.

This was a really crisp and musical album. I'm not very well-versed in jazz, but the riffs and solos in the songs were fun and bouncy, all while blending into the chord progressions really beautifully. I hadn't listened to Coltrane before, even though I'd heard his name, so it was a really cool piece of music history to listen to him. I also took the opportunity to read about his life and career and it's so clear that he lived and breathed jazz and his passion for music was the reason his work was so groundbreaking.

No. 54/1001 Acknowledgement 3/5 Resolution 4/5 Pursuance 3/5 Psalm 4/5 Average: 3,5 Jazz is not my favorite genre. But I can appreciate the incredible musicianship on display here.

4 guys got on stage and just played their own shit for half an hour. If anxiety had a musical sound, it would be this. I'll give it a 1 star bump because of the technical musicianship of the band members and the undeniable influence he had.

I’m trying. Truly. I’m trying to understand jazz and appreciate it. I know that John Coltrane is a brilliant musician and rightfully revered. But I simply don’t “get” this type of jazz. To me, it just sounds like a cacophony of disparate musicians, and I struggle to find anything resembling a melody to grab on to.

Powerful and intricate, I could listen to this 100 times and continue to glean something different each time.

I have a hard time with a lot of jazz albums, but this one just owns it from start to finish. Everything about this album is excellent - from the rhythms to the sound of the recording and of course the songs themselves. I understand why this is a classic.

Not only a spectacular jazz album, A Love Supreme is a beautiful expression of the relationship between man and God. Coltrane’s saxophone wails and sobs like a sinner yearning to be cleansed.

From the first sound of the gong you are aware that you’re about to witness greatness. Jones’ cymbal washing and later use of timpani is breathtaking, but it is nonetheless Coltrane that stands out as the main character in what can easily be described as his magnum opus. Another milestone by Coltrane that still stands tall almost 60 years later.

Another groundbreaking album and modal jazz classic. This album in four movement takes a more avant garde approach to the form with its experimental rhythms and improvisation. Though less melodic than his work on Kind of Blue, this album is very listenable and has a lot to offer the casual jazz listener. This is one of those albums that rewards multiple listens.

Spiritual. If you're in the right frame of mind, hard to describe it as anything else.

Rare among jazz albums in that I feel like I genuinely get it, I think it's a masterpiece. This might not be considered a ringing endorsement given my general ignorance, but I'll stand by it.

Wow. I've never listened to this, but have always wanted to. What a masterpiece. It is such a beautiful expression of humanity. Always surprising, but in a way that keeps you in the piece. This could be listened to both in the background of a coffee shop and on head phones in the dark. Gorgeous.

Amazing album, fantastic playing, great sound. Still amused by how underwhelmed the singing is after such sparkling music. They sound like they're high schoolers being made to recite something. But hey, it's honest, it's pure, it's amazing.

Monumental. From a simple theme grows jazz played with a sense of spiritual purpose, instilled with passion, intent, and real feeling. You won't find dance hits here, but careful listening will reward those willing to do so.

Oh yes. This is sitting in a smoky bar, drinking a whiskey, and watching the band wail onstage. I am about this life.

I had heard this album a few times and, though I was a fan of parts 1 & 4, I found part 3, with its squonky bits and 2 drum solos a little much. However, on re-listen I like the way that the drums set up an awesome McCoy Tyner solo and in general, I love Elvin Jones’ loose and impromptu playing throughout. I’ve had other Coltrane albums on high rotation over the years but I’m glad that 1001 forced me to listen again this one again, with greater concentration. He takes post-bop jazz and makes it feel spiritual. It's a shame he died a couple of years later.

Gilt als Meisterwerk, nicht wegzudenken aus dem Kanon, gottgleich die Verehrung. Tue mich aber seit jeher schwer mit dieser Aufnahme (der Blue Train fährt cooler). An manchen Tagen hat “A Love Supreme“ die Kraft, graue Wolken vor den schmutzigen Fenster hinfort zu blasen. An anderen stellt sich eher ein Gefühl des Aushaltens ein. Das meist permanent hohe Tempo zwingt zum konzentrierten Hinhören, eine Aufgabe, für die es manchmal eine Kraft und Kontemplation braucht, die man aufzubringen nicht immer vermag. Musik als Rechenaufgabe oder Rätsel - faszinierend und (über)fordernd zugleich. Aber im guten Moment das magisch unbeschreibliche Begreifen ohne je eine Note zu kennen. Ehrlich diffuse Gefühle; selten verrückt, wie die Platte je nach subjektiver Empfindung morpht. Aber ein Sturm ist kein Buchhalter, sondern bläst und tobt unverzeihlich, wo und wie er will. Krasse 4.5

Schon oft gehört - aber wohl nie oft genug. Tatsächlich gibt es jedes Mal was neues zu entdecken auf dieser Reise, die noch so harmonisch und konzentriert beginnt, um dann immer stärker am Geschmack der Freiheit zu schnuppern und die Frage zu suchen deren Antwort 42 lautet, sich selbst in der Gleichung auflösen will und schließlich eins wird mit der kosmischen Existenz.

Already listened to it but I will continue to listen to it many, many times

I was working while listening to this, and unlike Black Saint, I wasn't distracted by any obnoxious muted horns, so I'd say I liked this very much. I also love using commas, apparently. 5 stars babeeeeee

This is is, this is the one. This and Kind of Blue. If you had to pick two jazz albums to take with you before jazz disappeared, it’d probably be one of those. It’s truly an achievement in sound, playing, recording, all of it. It’s no wonder this is cited in so many lists. Favorite song: all Least favorite: none

One of the most well-known Jazz records for a reason. It's not my first listen, and it won't be my last. I have not listened to a lot of John Coltrane, but this is a great album.

Grew on me a ton second listen, Psalm is so beautiful

She coltrane on my john.

Love these style records. I’ve been playing more jazz in general but never sit down and throw on a full record. I think after I finish this full list I might find a best of jazz list as my next project.

As a saxophonist, it almost feels criminal not to give Coltrane 5/5, but even though I am amazed by the techniques and improvisation that I could not dream if doing, Coltrane's style of jazz has never been my favourite. Still 4/5 because I can hear the influence of Coltrane through much other jazz that I do enjoy very much

A beautiful masterpiece. Coltrane's expression in this album is conveyed from every complex section to the most subtle of ditties. Pt. III - Pursuance is a spiritual journey. Jazz is not my forte or most expansive genre, but it doesn't take a trained ear to know Coltrane's magnus opus is musical genius.

Peppy yet mollifying.

I enjoy jazz when accompanied by great food, or good conversations with wonderful friends. I also use it sometimes at work but not typically as my focal point of attention. I enjoyed this album, my least favorite being in part I when they keep vocalizing “a love supreme” and I was hoping this wasn’t a trend to continue. Luckily it wasn’t, I loved part II but I think part III was my favorite with how it started with the drums and had all these sections building.

So much jazz recently! I keep prefacing these reviews with "I'm not the biggest jazz fan. But I can appreciate it." This album is no different. Yeah, I mean, it was pretty good. It's just kind of background music for me at this point. Pleasant but not super engaging. Nothing Earth shattering for me. I feel like I need to listen to it again to process it more, but to be honest I just don't really want to. It feels like blasphemy rating Coltrane 2/5 because the man is a legend and obviously super talented, but it's just not my bag, baby.

I get it, this is classic John Coltrane, supremely sophisticated syncopation, rampant rattling rhythms. It's subversive to the wholesome big bad era that preceded. The jazz aficionados are lined up, looking down their noses, obliging me to rate this a 5. To me this is just jazzy, in the pejorative sense. It's like having an annoying squeaking sound in the car you try to root out and can't find, then you try to ignore it, but it wears out your subconscious mind. It's like cacophonous, chaotic traffic in Kathmandu. I do love horror-infused music, like Skinny Puppy, so maybe I should listen again and reframe it as intentionally terrorizing droning.

I'm not super versed into jazz. I'm a barely casual enjoyer of the popular stuff. I like other Coltrane albums but this feels super weird and erratic for me. With runs going on for a long time to weird places, hitting accidentals that throw my ears off. Everything is purposeful in his album but the language he is speaking in, I'm not fluent in.

Couldn't finish. Too much anxiety

Sorry Jazz, you are just not my thing. It’s not you, it’s me.

I am still trying to get more into jazz. This was an okay listen, and it wasn't necessarily difficult to get through but I'm not sure if I enjoyed it. Still, I appreciate the talent here.

Just great

Beautiful, made me want to listen to more jazz.

This is a perfect album. It is daunting. Do not listen to with screaming kids - it will make it worse.

I was disappointed that it ended so quickly. I enjoyed it so much that I had to listen to it a second time! I like that this recording is angular but doesn't go too far out like some of his later recordings. A true jazz classic.

Esse disco tem gosto de uísque 5/5

Even people who don't like jazz would give this 5 stars.

Very good.

Undeniable. Such a beautiful record.

A spiritual experience from beginning to end, John Coltrane’s masterpiece.

I love jazz in most of its forms, especially experimental, so I'm biased. Jazz is storytelling in its most primal elements. This is what I heard from Coltrane. There is this air of the instruments fluttering around the opening track Acknowledgement like a bird in the fresh morning. Slowly, flower heads unfurl, motifs emerge that ground the listener in the music and allow them to see the direction and purpose behind the seemingly random instrumental flight. Then just when you're starting to Get It, See It, out comes Coltrane with "A Love Supreme" - and could it be any more obvious where these melodies are going? Just after the realization hits, the joyful chaos is guided to rest by a graceful bassline, and the listener is left basking in the emotional experience, lingering in a new desire for flight. Once you have Acknowledged your life's new pull, you can dive into the journey towards the heart of the issue in Resolution. Along the journey you face discomfort and fear, but also new relationships, both within and without yourself. You change, you grow, out of the conflict and into assuredness. The second track feels much more like safety of being underground at nighttime. You fall asleep in this close dark space, rid of any anxieties of the future. Your waking is abrupt, urgent with the energy of Pursuance percussion. You are immediately hot on the trail, bounding out of your den with renewed energy and scampering nimbly through the landscape. At first it is imperceptible, but gradually you notice you've been running uphill, and by the time you become aware, you're at a wondrous elevation. It's too late to turn back - you're out of breath, you've come this far already, and you push on through your second and third wind. The air is getting thinner. Your movements are getting less and less controlled. With a final breathless push, you shift an entire mountain and emerge panting onto the rocky peak plateau, with the entire world stretching around you as far as you can see. As the blood returns to your brain and the sun re-turns towards the horizon, the knowledge of how far you have travelled starts to hit you. Was the sun over your shoulder when you sprinted away from last night's shelter? Can you find your way back? It feels so different up here, exposed, raw. And now, feet and lungs aching, your breath forms the shape of a Psalm as you realize you are not alone. When your eyes first opened to acknowledgement, when you gained strength in resolution, when you sprinted through pursuit, you were never alone. Your voice cries out with the saxophone, trying to make sense of this Being you've witnessed, why your heart has been so closed to Their Presence this entire time. With you is the guide you've been aching for. It doesn't matter which way you turn down the mountain to continue life's neverending flow - you walk every cardinal direction with blessed feet. The open sky, once so tender and bare, forever now folds around you like a cloak. THIS is the type of music you should listen to before you die.

Exploration. Fusion before it was a thing. Quality stuff.

An album you can get lost in. Just a beautiful piece of music.

John Coltrane's passion for all spirituality was one that most churchgoers and meditators strive to reach. devotion to a higher power is tricky for me, same as devotion to anyone, but the passion and pure love Coltrane puts in his performance here can be felt no matter how much of a heathen i am. even that variation on those four simple notes from the beginning feels so careful and attentive in each go around on the third part. i used to hear that knights spent a night in a chapel praying non-stop to God to show piety and be worthy of serving the Lord. i feel like this is the musical version of that act.

Part 1 was very interesting. Slow and smooth, but with a nice sound. Great for background, or even when fully listening to it.

Huge fan of this album! Solid from start to finish. Only complaint is that the album was too short! I would have enjoyed more of that.

Supreme Album - really liked this.

this guy's pretty good at the sax

Jazz may be polarizing, but I love jazz. This is a classic, and beautifully done.

One of the best Jazz albums my dirty ears have ever laid on. Incredible. Cinema.

An absorbing and powerful blast of spiritual modal jazz. It’s impossible to not listen to this suite full through once your start. All the musicians are masterful at their instruments and interact and support each other in unique ways. It’s nimble, intense, and challenging without being overwhelming or difficult. It strikes a perfect balance of avante-garde freedom and accessibility. It’s emotional and meditative. It’s wonderful.

Amazing, I just love it. This made me love jazz.

Acknowledgement: I’m loving the sleek and sexy saxophone that Coltrane is playing here. Combined with the drums and piano, is makes for a very chaotic mix. But in a good way. Around the halfway point the sax gets very raspy (?) which I loved. And then it goes back into that 4 note melody that was at the beginning. The drums are nuts! Both chill and chaotic. Loved this first track. Resolution: Stared with some very light bass which made me turn the volume up, THEN THR TRACK EXPLODED WITH THE SAX! Caught me off guard. Lot more fluid than the last track but still amazing. This piano solo is making me tap my feet. Coltrane is a GOD on the sax. I love this one. May be better than the last track. Idk. Pursuance: Was WONDERING when Elvin Jones would get a drum solo. FUCK! I love this! This one is so energetic! McCoy Tyner is going crazy on the piano, combined with the drums, making me wanna dance. Definitely FEELS like I’m running after something, Pursuance is an apt title. Coltrane hitting those notes again.. ANOTHER DRUM SOLO???? The Love Supreme theme coming back on the BASS??? This is my favorite track so far. Definitely a 10. Psalm: The opening feels like I’ve reached the end of a long journey. Which is fitting cus this is last track on the album. They’ve switched to a new type of drum that’s very bass heavy. But it sounds awesome so I’m not complaining. Fuck this album keeps getting better and better. Just when I think it peaks, it brings in something I didn’t expect. The journey that this albums takes you through is incredible. The chaotic first track to the heavenly final one is just…. Ugh, so goood!!! Y’all gave me a great opener to this project. Uhhhhh, 10? Yeah I’m thinking 10.

Thank God for the mighty John Coltrane.

I see quite a few people have been searching this link haha!

Coltrane trades heroin and alcohol for God. The result is pretty wild, and at times restrained, chaos. This may not be very easy to get into, but it's really solid in terms of its flow song to song and the overall thematic elements.

Maravilhoso

"Birdland on fifty-three The street sounds like a symphony We got John Coltrane and A Love Supreme" -- U2 With those words from Rattle and Hum, I got hooked on this jazz. I had no idea what it was. I was a member of one of those "12 CDs for a penny" clubs then (which you would just cancel and then rejoin in perpetuity to build your collection) -- and I figured hell, why not see what ol' Bono was singing about? And it was one of the best music choices a peripatetic twentysomething ever made. I loved this disc so much. Needed to chill at the end of a day? Trane. Need a great soundtrack for cooking someone dinner? You know it. Opened my mental doors for Miles and Cannonball and Mingus and Brubeck and on and on. It's a near damned perfect piece of music from front to back -- holy, sexy, and just unbelievably gifted.

A Love Supreme deserves its reputation for a multitude of reasons. For all of its spiritualization and complexity, it is pretty much one of the more, if not the most, accessible jazz record ever made. One can essentially grasp what John Coltrane and his assembled band (Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner) were aiming to achieve here. The results gathered have done nothing but astound and influence practically every square surface of musical noise over the course of sixty years. Revelations either patterned after John's or conjured up on one's own experience have been soundtracked by A Love Supreme. Jazz, and all of music, would be a much less enriching place without this album. Sure, there have been wild twists and turns before this but, if one wants to draw a line in the sand, this is where to start.

A masterpiece

Nothing less than a masterpiece

No words needed

One of the best recordings EVER.

Holy shit. Psalm.

Really nice music. A fave.

very good jazz song

A love supreme, a love supreme, a love supreme. I think I still resonate with Alice Coltrane's music more but I can see why this is an all time classic. Shit bangs

Love this album

Good chill jazz. lots of emotion.

Another of those albums that is above any sort of criticism. Awesome.

Che bello il jazz. 4 note e mi prende. Un po' forse ripetitivo sul finale, ma non ci sono dubbi. Vinile alla prima occasione.

Obvious classic. Easy five stars.

I’ve listened to this album for nearly 30 years and still find something new in it.

A++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS ALBUM IS A MASTERPIECE I WILL TAKE NO NOTES!!! Top 5 favorites album of all time. I don't think there will ever be a time in my life when this album doesn't swallow me up whole. When I die please bury me in A Love Supreme.

I mean, what hasn't already been said? This album paved the way, it's possibly the most famous Jazz record ever published, it's genre-defining, the copy list of praises goes on. I first listened to this album at age 14 because I got into Jazz rap (thanks Rejjie Snow) and went down the Mac Miller - Joey Bada$$ - Madlib - Duke Ellington pipeline. This record still fucks. I still enjoy it uninterruped, but honestly? There's even BETTER Coltrane Records out there: Ballads, Coltrane and Ellington, Impulse (especially). That's what makes him so good. His most famous album isn't his most accessible nor his most interesting, but it's still a solid 9 out of 10. It would be wrong to give it a 4 even though there's likely albums on here with a 4 I *personally* enjoy and listen to more. My own taste doesn't deserve to swing this rating too much. Have your 5 stars, John lad. Time to go listen to Wise One (your best track).

Any negative reviews for this album are part of an elaborate scheme by big renewable energy and big truck transportation to besmirch the name of COAL TRAIN!!!!!

The rolling drums on part three are really a stand out of the album. But the entire thing is phenomenal. Part one is such a phenomenal, deep layered opening, it's loud attention grabbing and eye opening. Part 4 is is an equally good closer, my intimate and subtle but still enthralling. Part 2 is easily the weakest, if it wasn't a Coltrane album I might say it's forgettable but it obviously isn't and probably has a hidden depth i don't fully appreciate. 9/10

If you look in a dictionary for "drum powerhouse", you'll find a picture of the liner credits of Elvin Jones' performance in this album. Just brutal.

Nice.