John Coltrane, A Love Supreme (1965)

My brother had this album. And when he played it to me it was a revelation. It was another cliché life-changing moment. The world stopped while I sat in awe of what was happening. I stared at the speakers, stared at the CD player, held the cover, read all of the liner notes, studied the packaging. I knew who John Coltrane was from his playing with Miles Davis; this was my introduction to Coltrane as a leader. I would go on to collect some 70-odd recordings (and some of them really are quite odd) by John Coltrane. But I still go back to A Love Supreme. Often. Nearly always in fact. It’s one of few albums I can say I could never get sick of listening to. Ever. I could have it on a loop. It is a Desert Island Disc; a Top 10 Album For All-Time, etc. The quartet is stunning here. Sure you listen for Coltrane’s spiritual evocation but Elvin Jones could be the star of the show when you listen to how he makes his drums sing. And the bass and piano parts are wonderful too. The instruments all pushing and pulling in the right direction. I sat alone listening to the vinyl version recently. Just leaving the world to do its own thing – while I sat inside Coltrane’s world. It’s an incredible place to visit. I know every inch of the music here – but I find something new to hear each time I play it. Some days it’s my favourite album. By anyone. Ever.

Sample Track: A Love Supreme: Part 1, Acknowledgment

The Vinyl Countdown is a document of every LP I listen to, brand new discoveries and old-old favourites; extremely pre-loved, previously abandoned or with the shrink-wrap having just been removed it’s all here at The Vinyl Countdown