John Coltrane A Love Supreme Reel To Reel Tape (Ultra Tape)

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Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time - Rated 66/500!

A Love Supreme is John Coltrane's classic album originally released in 1965 on Impulse! Records. Coltrane's immortal A Love Supreme (1964) and Ballads (1963) both are music landmarks. Here, with Analogue Productions' Ultra Tape 15 ips 1/4-inch analog tape copy, the music sounds its purest and most vital. The tape playback brings crystal clear fidelity to the highest and lowest frequency ranges.

The original master tape is available, but it's not in the best shape. This tape transfer is from a flat tape copy made by Rudy Van Gelder and used for cutting in the U.K. in April of 1965. Of course, the original recording was in December '64, so only a handful of months later. This tape was discovered at Abbey Road and had been untouched between 1965 and 2002. So, while the original tape is available, and while Analogue Productions would always opt for the original whenever they can, in this case this copy was the better choice as the tape has incurred less overall wear and sounds much better than the original.

Jazz critics have lauded A Love Supreme as Coltrane's most important recording. The rave reviews that appeared in the magazines Downbeat, Jazz Hot, Jazz Podium and Swing Journal reflected this: critics all over the world, in America, Europe and Japan recognized Coltrane's declaration that his musical devotion was now intertwined with his faith in God. In many ways, the album mirrors Coltrane's spiritual quest that grew out of his personal troubles, including a long struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.

From the opening gong and tenor saxophone flutter, a four-note bassline builds under the sound. This simple riff becomes the musical framework for the rich improvisations that comprise John Coltrane's 33-minute musical journey.

* It is standard practice in all recording studios to keep the tape "tail out." This reduces "pre-echo" and it means that the tape should be placed on the right hand side of the recorder, re-wound and then played.