I will not waste time and space here repeating what has already been said.

All I will say is that when I hear the first notes of Aknowledgement, it affects me in a visceral way. I feel shivers throughout my body, and a sense of refreshment not unlike reaching the surface of the water, and filling my lungs with air moments before I drown. The light of dawn breaking over the horizon after a dark and frightening night. The embrace of a loved one after a long and torturous seperation.


Halfway through, I'm weeping. I can't help it.

As brilliant as it is, this is not merely an artistic performance. It is a prayer; a human soul addressing himself to the Creator. And a sharing of the intensly personal reaction that soul recieves as an answer in the form of a glimpse of Oneness.

This album is one of the greatest musical treasures of the 20th century. I thank Allah for the music of John Coltrane.

By the way; it may interest the reader to know that Coltrane's original liner notes quite similar to the English translation of Surat-ul Fatiha; the first chapter of the Qur'an.

This is a genuine classic in Jazz, sure, but, this is a powerful spiritual statement of free-spirited unbridled but constructive passion, as you can tell by the title, A Love Supreme. Everyone gets their own values and benefits from well done art, and this is one of those artistic values... So, I end this review here with.. A Love Supreme... A Love Supreme... A Love Supreme... (As was chanted on the CD/Vinyl Album Recording)

Captain Josh.

There are classics. This is one of them. Freakin' amazing - nothing but bare soul laying on the line, worship, reverence, and real life.

Words escape me.

Great sound, great performance of a classic album. Watts is a monster on the drums! How can you go wrong with this line-up of musicians doing this album? You will enjoy it for sure.....

For someone who doesn't usually listen to Jazz, this recording embodies the highest ideals jazz sets for itself. Great, virtuoso performances with a lot of soul and love.

Over the years I have tried to introduce people to this music. Mindset has a lot to do with whether and how you receive a work of art. I wish that everyone could be with me on that hot summer night, many years ago when I first heard this work. If only I could give you the gift of that moment for your very own. If you can open your heart to this music, let yourself meditate through this incomparable thing perhaps you can know the beauty and penetration of a Love Supreme, a Love Supreme, a Love Supreme...

One of the important CD's in jazz. The history of the jazz start from this kind of cd's. Maste piece with a great souns also.

A Love Supreme might be one of the most recognized jazz recordings. You have to read the liner notes as it describes what Coltrane was going through at the time and his devotion to God. This is Coltrane's attempt to honor and praise God. It is an album of devotion with Coltrane at his best. McCoy Tyner plays piano, Jimmy Garrison, bass and Elvin Jones on drums. Haunting, powerful music.

I have heard if "A Love Supreme" a lot of times;Many musicians have spoke or even sang of this work.I wanted to hear it.
"A Love Supreme"is a master's work.It has the unusual quality in that you can intently listen and try to digest the sheet of notes Coltrane could deliver so fluidly,yet it is relaxing enough that you can play it and not focus it and find it enjoyable.A very pleasant paradox!
Any complaint I can offer is that it is so brilliant that it will take a few repeated listnings to be able to grasp its scope.Then you will find yourself suddenly humming pieces of this at any given time during the day.
It is just so"musical"This work is full of emotion and feeling.
Buy this and listen to it at least 3 times entirely and see if you are not singing Coltrane in your head!

When John Coltrane recorded this album in 1964, he intended it to be a tribte to God; the record is an epic four-part suite, with each of its sections representing a stage in the struggle for spiritual unity with the supreme being. The music is full of passion and power, bulging with internal conflict and meditative grace. 'Trane's playing here is incredible- it's as lyrical as anything Miles Davis ever did, a virtuoso display of emotional resonance and controlled chaos. The rest of the players aren't so shabby themselves: The rhythm section of bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones lend the proceedings a surging, driving intensity, while pianist McCoy Tyner radiates angelic slabs of pure melody.

Just listen to the band moving through those four sections! "Acknowledgement" wastes no time in setting the tone for the rest of the suite. It's a mini-masterpiece in and of itself, boiling over with passion and intensity. There's pain in Coltrane's playing, but there's also hope and power- he shoots forth whirlwinds of pure, goreous sound, filling the room with pure electricified magic. "Resolution" builds on the template set by "Acknowledgement," which sees the band improvising on a rugged, bluesy theme. This section has an almost film-noir feel to it, thanks to the heavy tension in Coltrane's playing. Next up is the harrowing "Pursuance," which features a volcanic drum solo from Jones. The heavenly, meditative "Psalm" is an ideal conlusion to the record.

Simply put, this is one of the greatest albums (jazz or otherwise) ever recorded. No collection is complete without it.

There is nothing I can add to what has already been said about this recording. Simply amazing and will always withstand the test of time.

This is one of the top 5 albums of all time. Coltrane is on fire, McCoy is on fire, Jimmy Garrison is on fire, and Elvin is murderous. Out of all of tunes, my fav is Pursuance. It's passionate, has a hard bopish-avantgarde feel and yet it still swings. Out of the park!

For years my very good friend who prides himself on being a music aficionado and "snob", much like Jack Black's character in High Fidelity, has been raving about John Coltrane and a "Love Supreme". I however, have been firmly encamped in the classic rock, blues and pop of the 50's, 60's & 70's. I always felt the jazz style that Coltrane and others of that genre played, was way above my head. Though I appreciated the musicianship to the degree I could, I didn't particularly care for it. I didn't "get it".

But now as I reach the half-way point in my fifties, I wanted to force my self to listen and try to see just what it is about Coltrane that so many folks find extrodinary. So my friend recommended A Love Supreme. I listened and listened and virtually immersed my self in the recording until passages became familiar. Now I have a glimmer, an embryonic appreciation of the man's gift. I put it on for my 17 year old daughter and she loves it! It grows on you and I think maybe for the first time I'm experiencing what that type of jazz can do for you. Live & learn!

This is a deeply spiritual album. It never ceases to move me in some way everytime I hear it. It feels so real and authentic that if you're not careful, you may shed a tear of joy or two. It's just one long suite, made by Coltrane after he kicked his heroin habit and found his soul and God again. It's not often one describes a jazz album as moving (Miles's Sketches of Spain is the only one who comes to mind), but there's really no other way to describe this wonderful, transcendent, beguiling album.

Many have said this jazz album has changed their lives. Sometimes I think that's hyperbole when someone says "it changed my life" (not just this album, all artistic works). But then, art definitely enhances lives, makes them more meaningful, and maybe ultimately change them in some meaningful way, and this is a work of art, no doubt. I think the change is gradual, but stuff like this can jumpstart many people. It's really inspirational, even today, which makes it even greater than the day it was made. It still speaks to many people. The tones and emotions that Coltrane brings here are universal, and still speak to us all....

Like "Kind of Blue" this is a recording accessible to all listeners, resisting facile classifications (fusion, jazz, modal, musician's music, general public's music, etc.). Coltrane's Promethean questing sweeps up and includes the listener, taking him or her through the hero's journey, which concludes on an affirmative note of thanksgiving and peace. Moreover, the musical motifs are in themselves memorable, satisfying the listener's need for a musical stronghold in which to ground the spiritual thrust of the extra-musical religious-spiritual meanings.

Of the recordings after "A Love Supreme," "Transition" achieves a similar visionary ascent, though much of the recorded documentation of Coltrane's last two years is likely to prove inaccessible or at least less engaging to the average listener. It's music "in" but also "of" the moment, a record of pain and anger, protest and revolution, carrying an unmistakable political subtext that frequently overwhelms the main musical text.

Arguably the most influential instrumentalist of the past 50 years, Coltrane left the listener plenty of choices, should the recordings after "A Love Supreme" prove unsatisfying. "My Favorite Things" is the perfect antidote to the cloying soprano sax sound of Kenny G. (as is the soprano sax playing of the deeply expressive and moving traditionalist, Sidney Bechet). For every serious musician, however, perhaps the one recording by Coltrane that belongs at the top is "Giant Steps." Once a musician has mastered the dominant-tonic movement of popular harmonies, the next essential step is learning how to negotiate the "Giant Steps"/"Count Down" harmonic movement that Coltrane introduced. Before learning the theory, however, a listener needs to experience the stunning freshness that is its musical result. With the motivation, the theory is likely to be realized far more efficiently and effectively.

A HUGE FAN OF JOHN COLTRANE AND ALL HIS WORKS. MY ONLY PET PEEVE IS THIS ALBUM ISN'T AS LENGHTY AS I WANTED IT TO BE.

this is the work of a gigantic heart and soul who has mastered a musical language and shaped that language into sublime emotional poetry. mr coltrane sounds like someone digging deep within himself for these notes, choosing each one carefully to build a supreme architecture. his sax wails, sings, weeps, & cries out, notes formed & twisted & perfectly shaped. great tone. big sound. music for the heavens. an album to listen to throughout your lifetime. don't miss this masterpiece.

This music goes straight to the marrow of existence.. It vibrates with the love and conviction of a man who has been enlightened. I do not wish to sound preachy or religous.. Coltrane, to put it into more matter of terms, was taking music to its most basic elements.. This is a classic among classics - it is not jazz- it is Coltrane.. It is not bebop - it is Coltrane..

I know that everyone insists this is the mother of all Coltrane albums. Don't get me wrong it's a fine piece of work. I just don't see the rainbows and stars shooting out of the cd player when it is on.

John Coltrane was truely ahead of his time! Vacuum tubes were still the state of the art when this album came out! Yet, the Fidelity is pretty amazing... Jimmy Garrison down-shifting on the Bass on the first cut ( "Acknowlegement" aka "Love Supreme" )with Elvin Jones and McKoy Tyner rounding things out, just Blew My Mind! If you DON'T "feel" this one, you have NO SOUL!

This disc ranks as one of the most moving recordings these ears have ever heard. The haunting chant of the chorus during the title track really allows a listener to feel as though they were there in the studio. It is amazing what Coltrane did with just instruments and skilled musicians. There wasn't any electronic amplification or sweetening here. One has to wonder just what would have been accomplished if they were allowed to utilize some of the equipment at our disposal today. "Acknowledgement" is a rolling tidal wave of emotions. Grab it and feel the love !

I bought this CD. I listened to this CD. And then I listened again, and again...ad nauseum. I get jazz. I love jazz. I "get" spiritual jazz. This music is a load of crap. It is boring, goes nowhere, and I fail to see why, when so much brilliantly done spiritual oriented jazz has been created, one would rather kneel at the alter of such mediocrity. That Coltrane may have advanced the modal boundaries of jazz/sax does not a great (or even good, evidently) album make. Trance-inducing offerings by Szabo, Tjader, Byrd, Hubbard, Hancock, Hutcherson, Horn and many others actually DO achieve the accolades unrightfully heaped upon this monotonous drone of a squak, so forego the lip service paid this and pursue those players for genuinely moving soul food if you, too, are able to listen to the MUSIC with your ears, instead of the hype.

Clearly influenced by his years free from heroin and alcohol, and his subsequent spiritual odysseys into Islam and other eastern orthodoxies, and his theretofore newfound sense of freedom to make music according to his own inspiration, A Love Supreme is unquestionably Trane's cleanest and most spiritual music. "Allah Supreme....Allah Supreme." Is that a refrain in A love Supreme? Well, that's a question for the ages, but it sure sounds right and I wouldn't bet against it. This is the Album....this is Trane! This album has long reigned as the supreme work in its genre.

It's difficult to discuss Trane and only discuss Trane. It's impossible to fine-tune the late saxophone prophet with a review of one album--and I'm not saying that can--but if I were to attempt such a thing, this would be the album. Trane was a ubiquitous musical innovator, and only God knows where he was going with his music. No one could fathom the depths of Trane's creative emotions, he all but yearned to make the meek strong, cure the leper, make the lame walk, and turn water into wine (no pun intended), by simply manipulating breath through a reed instrument. Did he work all those miracles? We could argue. Now I'm not implying that the man was Moses, but he did things with his ax that no one had ever done before. Trane parted the red sea of the jazz world and came through with a new sound and many followers. His music was at once, his crusade and miracle, and his saxophone was his staff.

Now some would argue (perhaps very successfully) that Trane's best jazz plays from a much darker period in his life, when he and others on the jazz set were perpetually inebriated or stoned beyond cognition on and off the set; nevertheless, I'll accept all takers in saying that this work represents the best of the person we know as John Coltrane, and is perhaps his best music, if it's not his best jazz.

The great John Coltrane is one of the most important and influential jazz musicians of all time, and one of the greatest musical masters of the twentieth century. When I listen to John Coltrane, honestly; I don't hear a soprano saxophone--I hear John Coltrane. And that's exactly what he intended. A sound Supreme.

Now have I shaped a halo above Trane or this album? Both.

Yes, there is no better jazz album (or if you prefer, disc).

Listen to the urgency, the striving, the aspiring. This was John Coltrane's paen to the divine. This was his leap for the immortal and his immortality. He succeeded both ways more than he would ever know.

Churches have been organized around this music. This is no joke. Modern-day fundamentalists should listen too--hint: it's about The Big Guy (or Gal).

For the naysayers and doubters: Put away your Kenny G and smooth-jazz albums. At least for the time it takes to listen to "A Love Supreme." Put it on. Play it over and over. Listen for the nuances of 'Trane's sax, the young McCoy Tyner's majestic piano chords, Garrison's and Elvin Jones' resounding bass and rhythm lines. Listen without prejudice for about 10 or 30 times. Put it on in your car or at home. Above all, play it for your children. Then say you're not moved.

These are not "old farts" in the words of one Amazon reviewer. These are masters who were recording one of the greatest gifts humankind has ever known. Yes, the recording is not the best; it was 1964, an analog/two-track world before zeros and one and who-knows how many channels. Yes, Coltrane explores some upper register sounds (yeooo; my i-pod's turned up too loud!) But what these four master musicians did has only grown in stature these forty years later. When people who appreciate music 40 years hence have forgotten about what passes for ersatz jazz these days they'll be listening to this one.

If it's not, it's second to Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. No matter, this is a masterpiece, and hard to review objectivelly simply because it's so damn good. It's one of the few albums that both the music fan and musician (similar to Trane, I play tenor sax) in me can appreciate. This is a masterful album-long suite, released after Trane kicked his heroin habit (sadly, he died a few years later), devoted to God. And it's truly a moving piece, with Trane's lyrical tenor and, at times, soprano sax dominating. That's not to discredit the rest of the band, of course, since they play brilliantly. But Trane steals the spotlight, treating our ears to both his ridiculous talent and his formidable skills with a melody (particularly on pt. 4, which is an instrumental set to the meter of Trane's poem in the liner notes). Music, no matter the genre, doesn't really get much better than this. I know I sound like some raving cult member, but these days we jazz fans sadly are a cult. Anyhoo, buy this today along with Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. Neither record will disappoint.

Before I begin, let me cover some ground that should be addressed . . . Mark J. Slezak's review of this CD has been rated as not being helpful. THAT IS RUBBISH. Reviews should NOT simply gush praise upon a CD - something which I shall being doing forthwith - they should offer an honest opinion buttressed by some foundation of familiarity. Mark admits that he if fan of jazz and notes several artists that he admires; then he offers his opinion with respect to Coltrane's "A LOVE SUPREME." His review has value and, for some, has merit. I would suggest a listen to Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz (A Collective Improvisation). A chaos most infuriatingly beautiful.

As for my opinion of John Coltrane's "A LOVE SUPREME" - there are hundreds of thousands of nascent Jazz fans who have one single CD in their collection: Kind of Blue And, if truth be told, my Jazz Listening Fellow Felons, knowing such a fact as this inspires a bout of crestfallia in yours, definitively. I am dejected that so many venture out to the beach head with >* AVENTURA *< scripted on their hearts; tipp'd on their tongues, only to wet the souls of their feet before they scurry back to the soul brown beauty and sock-it-to-me safety of the 'ALL BLUES' of Miles Davis . . "Ah-whata good place to be" -> (London 0 Hull 4). Truth, I think of all the JAZZ they've missed, and it makes me feel kind of . . .

"A LOVE SUPREME" is a rather nice compliment to "KIND OF BLUE." The CD is adventurous and bold, but Mr. Coltrane, always your friend, offers a tether as he takes you from track to track to track. This you may hold on your first and second dive for LOVE SUPREME can be just a bit frightening at first blush for the softer Venice Biennale ear. Upon first listening, the unfamiliar, faced with this unfamiliarity, may be nudged to listen away to weaker sounds. But, with each successive listen, you will - on my sacred honour -fall deeply for Coltrane's "LOVE SUPREME." For I assert - with a certain kind of klint - that "A LOVE SUPREME" is a very nearly a perfect sound, from note 1, to note 2, to note OUT.

dma

I have to disagree with the majority of folks here who consider this cd the jazz end all. I find it grating, and darn near unlistenable. I have built a small but quality jazz library the last few months. Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, Cannonball Adderley, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans and Thelonius Monk to name a few. This guy is by far my least favorite. His playing on Miles Davis cd's I have and with Monk is largely enjoyable and I know he's a giant. But this stuff?. The live recording on disc two was so grating I couldn't make it through. It sounded to me like a bunch of Geese being slaughtered. Give me the other guys anytime.

It had been some time since I listened to this album but, it dawned on me when I did recently that this might be the best album to represent the changes in America in the 1960s. A lot of groups are credited with writing music that captured the tension of the time, particularly that found in the civil rights struggle.

Coltrane, already a very popular tradition jazz player, put out an album in 1964 that challenged most everything musically while capturing a spiritual side of jazz that would influence others to come.

Any critic that sits down and attempts to name the ten most influencial artists of America would have to stumble upon John Coltrane.

Working with big names for years before being recognized, John Coltrane was eventually called by Miles Davis to help with a recording. That recording ("Kind of Blue") could be discussed until Kingdom Come, but most know that nearly all musicians involved with it went on to do great things.

Coltrane was very popular before this 1964 release, but until "A Love Supreme" he hadn't connected, come to terms, with his spiritual side through his music. Battling through depression (brough on by drugs more than likely), he looked towards his religious roots growing up in North Carolina to record this album.

The opening bass line is one of the most recognizable in any music to date. "Acknowledgement" is an ode to (the Christian) God, but many claim that "Allah Supreme" is chanted as a look back to a previous time when he came into contact with Islam.

Regardless of any of that, "A Love Supreme" is one of the most well known jazz recordings of all time. Some regard Coltrane as thee definitive jazz musician and one of the best musicians ever. After all these years this album still holds up. It's spiritual, it's uplifting (one "verse" consists of a poem "spoken" through John's sax!), and at times catchy. It's accessible for those looking to get into jazz, but even those who have memorized every note and improvisation still find much to discuss.

A must for any jazz collection.

At #47 on Rolling Stone's top 500 rock albums, this is one of those records that everyone simply has to have. But it is great stuff, and worthy of it's postion. A bit challenging, not just "silly love songs", but worth the investment of your time. The editorial review here sums it up well: "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..."

Well i'm from the hip hop generation, but recently i have found myself going back to get a more full circle view of music John coltrane is the first jazz cd i have brought and wow i was truly amazed and taken back i definetly recommend this cd for all ages..

This is one of the best Jazz albums that I have ever heard! Oh, to the Reviewer below me COLTRANE PASSED AWAY IN THE LATE 60's, COLTRANCE PUTS MUSCIAL INEPET DUDS LIKE WARRENT AND RATT TO SHAME..HIS ONE SINGLE SONG THAT IS ON THIS ALBUM IS HARDER TO COMPOSE THEN 10YRS OF WARRENTS AND RATTS MUSIC COMBINED...

One of the problems about music writing is that some albums get built up so much , that they become cheapened and burdened by all the praise heaped on them - and the praise is REALLY heaped on this album .

After all , a great record is an accident . It is so hard to have all the factors come together at the same time - the songs , the musicians , a good engineer and a producer who will let the recording experience unfold without trying to impose a personal 'sound' on the finished product .

Despite all these things being in place , things can still go wrong .

On this album , it all went right .

The main reason for that is the great empathy , understanding and respect between the musicians .

To my mind , this album is about a state of mind and its unfolding . If that sounds obscure , it's not meant to be .
I can't think of any other way to put it .

Listen to this once in your life , even if you don't like jazz .
You may find something missing from other music after you listen to this . Stick with it , as the mood changes throughout .

It is a classic , but it's also a record made by human beings . Do keep that in mind .

When he made this album, John Coltrane considered it to be his gift to God. It's certainly worthy of that status, having some really amazing instrumentals, including, of course, John Coltrane's masterful saxaphone playing. I'm a drummer, and I can testify that this album is also a prime example of really skillful jazz percussion. If you're looking to start a really fine jazz collection, this would be an important album to include.

If you liked this, I recommend Coltrane's "Giant Steps." It's a little bit less serious, slightly more bouncy, but of similar excellence.

This is one of the best selling albums in the history of jazz, and with good reason. I can remember the first time that I heard this: the opening notes played by Coltrane felt like a call to arms or the beginning of a journey, and they were. I had read an article prior to hearing this piece (which I believe was written by Coltrane's son) where he said he remembered his father walking the floor upstairs and working on each passage he played to get to the true essence of what he was trying to say with the music. This care and attention shows, and that always stuck in the back of my mind whenever I listened to this. Its truly a magical moment when you hear his voice chanting "A Love Supreme" after he has been playing that passage of notes on his saxaphone matching the syllables of the words. The musicianship here is incredible; McCoy Tyner is phenomenal on this set as is the rest of the band. Coltrane created a masterpiece here and I am always taken to a special place each time I hear it. I have given this as a gift to so many people because there is something about the spirituality and passion of this music that I think everyone should experience.