A Love Supreme is generally viewed as John Coltrane's masterpiece. That clearly seems to be the view of most reviewers here on Amazon. As I write this review, the album has received 118 5-star reviews out of 131 (just counting reviews associated with editions linked by Amazon to this one). So, 90% of reviewers give it 5 stars. But more than that, the titles of the reviews reflect extreme passion and devotion: "The best album ever", "A Jazz Masterpiece by the 'Trane", "Immense and Beyond Category", "A true religious experience", "One of History's Masterpieces", "One of the Greatest Albums Ever Made!", etc. Some reviewers even claim that this album is "proof that God exists".

However, I find myself compelled to disagree with the majority view. While I think the album is a very good album that is daring, passionate, and musically inventive, I feel that Coltrane fell short of acomplishing his stated goals of making a humble offering to God and inspiring his listeners to share his faith. In particular, I feel that his playing in the first and third movements is self-indulgent, chaotic, and (at times) both ugly and out of control. While I do not doubt Coltrane's sincerity, his playing does not make me appreciate God's love, mercy, or grace (except in the softer, hymn-like 4th movement). While I listen to lots of jazz and rock music, I also like classical music including symphonies, opera, and even religious works (masses, cantatas) by composers like Beethoven, Mahler, Mozart, and Bach. There are many beautiful works by these composers that convey great sadness, peace, love, and faith in God and stir my emotions much more than A Love Supreme does.

That's not to say that I doubt the sincerity of other reviewers who have indicated that the album does stir these emotions or religious feelings in them. But the album doesn't really touch me on an emotional level in the ways that Coltrane intended; at most, the frenetic playing of Coltrane and his talented bandmates inspires feelings of excitement and irritation in me. My first impression on hearing this album was hat Coltrane was full of anger, not love. Perhaps,being an atheist, I'm just not receptive to his message. However, I do feel moved by classical music inspired by God despite my lack of faith. So, I ultimately feel that Coltrane hasn't really communicated (to me) the feelings he seemed to be aiming for, with the exception of the 4th movement.

Ironically, I feel Coltrane did communicate peace, love, and beauty much more effectively in his Crescent album from the same year. I consider that album better than this one.

One possibility here is that Coltrane meant to depict his struggle to find and stick with God and that the first few movements are supposed to express that struggle and are therefore not intended to convey the feelings of love and peace that I expected. But the titles of the movements and the liner notes do not indicate this. If that was his intention, then I might listen to the album in a different way and come to a different conclusion.

Brand	N/A
Rating	4.8 (953 ratings)
Price	$25.97
Category	Avant Garde & Free Jazz

A Love Supreme

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