John Coltrane - "Acknowledgment (A Love Supreme)"
During the year 1957, I experienced, by the grace of God, a spiritual awakening which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life. At that time, in gratitude, I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music. I feel this has been granted through His grace. - From the liner notes
"Acknowledgment" is a description of Coltrane's "spiritual awakening". At first there is serenity; simply an acknowledgment of newness. And then the substance of the realization is hinted at by Jimmy Garrison's bass line. Elvin Jones surrounds the band with his ride cymbal and snare, and gets under them with his toms and bass drum. Coltrane's playing is too bright for McCoy Tyner, so he looks away, occasionally turning back towards the piano to throw in his delicately timed and harmonically complex chords. Coltrane hurts, but blows through it, occasionally overblowing slightly, losing control. And then he puts into words what Garrison's been steadfastly playing throughout, that this is a love supreme.
Even more than a love song to god, A Love Supreme is also a tribute to music's capacity to express that love. [Buy]
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John Ellison - "Lost The Will To Live"
This is a different kind of love song and a classic of Philadelphia soul. Ellison’s lyrics are an unabashed testament to the destructive power of love lost. Since his girlfriend left him, he’s stopped eating, he can’t go outside for fear of a public outburst of weeping, and he is utterly convinced that he will be “taken away” (to an asylum?). He can’t even make it through the song without breaking down and crying in harmony with the organ , begging alongside the desperate guitar.
The horn section, like those two bad dudes from the Muppet Show peanut gallery, comments throughout: “It’s true. He’s in real bad shape.”
Take joy in his suffering. [Buy]