Search - John Coltrane :: Best of

Don't be deceived

jameson L. radiacion | Staten Island, NY United States | 09/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All the other reviews that i have read on this page refer to the best of coltrane that is put out by atlantic -but according to the songs listed and the picture and the fact that it is stated above - the album that is on this page is the Pablo Records, The Best of John Coltrane, a title that may be a bit deceiving as this album is not a typical "best of" album but in fact is a collection of live tracks recorded on tour in Germany. But the title is no exageration and this may very well be the best of coltrane, much more so than the atlantic records "best of" (rather than buy that best of album you should just get the albums that atlantic takes the tracks from). this album however, showcases coltrane and his famous quartet featuring elvin jones, mccoy tyner, and jimmy garrison who are, as usual brilliant. tyner sounds like he has 27 fingers with which to play the piano, and jones explodes on these sets to the point that you begin to imagine that they are on a battlefield. also the sound of these recordings is gigantic, you can literally hear the physical space in which the instruments and performers are working - unlike the village vanguard recordings, it sounds as if the auditorium that they are in is quite large and you can hear that distance and the acoustic integrity of the space in the music. this is an incredible album and probably my favorite coltrane joint."

Sentimental value

Christopher Jones | Tacoma, WA United States | 07/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In many ways, if you're new to Coltrane, this isn't the CD I'd typically recommend you start off with. First off, it's more or less a "greatest hits" from his Atlantic period, and I'm prone to believe that such compilations--while broadly illustrative of a particular period in an artist's career (or sometimes an artist's entire career)--do little justice to the particularities of an artist's conception. Better off to get two or three actual "albums"--that way, you get a concise statement of what an artist was thinking at a particular time, rather than a pieced-together assemblage of music from different sessions.That said, I love this recording. It is the first Coltrane recording I purchased. IF you're new to Trane, buy this first. Read the illuminating, lucid liner notes by the great Nat Hentoff. That'll prime you better than anything to Coltrane's musical philosophy. Then listen to the album. My Favorite Things, Naima, Equinox--seminal recordings from a seminal artist. These recordings have all since been remastered and re-issued on CD; but please start here. I'll bet that this CD will be out of print soon since Atlantic is re-issuing all of Trane's original albums from that period. Get it while you still can!"

Please Note

J. Holmes | 01/28/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"At least two of the customer reviews above refer to a different album than the Pablo 'Best of...' There is no rendition of 'My Favorite Things,' for example. Other than that, the recording is a bit tinny, though the jamming is of the highest caliber. If you are just starting out with Coltrane, I would suggest a different album as a 'first buy.'"