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Help me decide....


tonym

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Help. I want some more Coltrane.

Bearing in mind from his Impulse period I only have The VV Master Takes, A Love Supreme and the Johnny Hartman album (I know the shame of it :rolleyes: ), I am deciding on whether to buy the Complete Village Vanguard 1961 Recordings or The Complete Impulse Studio Recordings.

On Amazon right now, they have both for not dissimilar prices.

Are there any reasons for not getting the Complete VV when I have a selection already (weird that I bought the Mater Takes really, as I'm not normally a compilation type)?

Any advice (apart from get them both) would be useful.

Thanks.

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I bet you can't guess what I'd recommend... :P

My first Coltrane album was Africa/Brass and I still love it. I wish the old single disc version was available, but they really are great sessions and I think the two disc set is worth it.

I'd buy the complete Village Vanguard box, but skip the complete Impulse sessions. It turns out that set is incomplete. Even though you have that Master Takes comp, I'd still get the Village Vanguard box, there's a LOT of great music on it.

I'd also recommend Live At Birdland from 1963. I think that's a great album and it has "Alabama" on it. That song really moves me.

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Get Coltrane Plays the Blues and Ole on Atlantic, take two aspirins, and check in here tomorrow.

Well I have a fair bit of his Atlantic stuff (as well as his Prestige dates) but I find his sound later more 'manageable' (obviously, that would be up to a ceratin point!). Plus, the group 'sound' with Tyner et al is quite unique.

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Get Coltrane Plays the Blues and Ole on Atlantic, take two aspirins, and check in here tomorrow.

Well I have a fair bit of his Atlantic stuff (as well as his Prestige dates) but I find his sound later more 'manageable' (obviously, that would be up to a ceratin point!). Plus, the group 'sound' with Tyner et al is quite unique.

If I were you, I'd stick to the period of 1961 to 1964 for now. That quartet was amazing. If you like the free-er stuff then venture into 1965, with stuff like First Meditations.

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So is the extra stuff on the 'Deluxe' editions of Ballads, for example, worth holding out for? Does the Complete Studio Recordings present the quartet discs as they were originally released?

They're in chronological order.

I have the individual albums and the "Complete" set and I really prefer the original albums. I never listen to the box set.

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That 'Village Vanguard' box is a must-have. Incredible music, good notes and great sound. The definitive issue.

I'd also recommend 'Live In Seattle' for some really interesting late period Coltrane, pushing the boundaries in a live recording with Pharoah Sanders. Elvin & McCoy hanging in there, not knowing what to make of it all at times. 'Sun Ship' (a very under-rated and challenging late Impulse session) is also very highly recommended too.

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Help. I want some more Coltrane.

Bearing in mind from his Impulse period I only have The VV Master Takes, A Love Supreme and the Johnny Hartman album (I know the shame of it :rolleyes: ), I am deciding on whether to buy the Complete Village Vanguard 1961 Recordings or The Complete Impulse Studio Recordings.

On Amazon right now, they have both for not dissimilar prices.

Are there any reasons for not getting the Complete VV when I have a selection already (weird that I bought the Mater Takes really, as I'm not normally a compilation type)?

Any advice (apart from get them both) would be useful.

Thanks.

Mmmm to much choice here, so for me I will go with The Complete 'Live at the Village Vanguard' CD's.

This was such a great set of recordings, with Eric Dolphy and Reggie Workman joining the boys. Well worth the investment, and if this is too much that go for the Live at the Village Vanguard 'The Master Tapes', in which Coltrane selected his best of the recordings.

Che.

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Personally I much prefer the Impulse box, though I wish I had the actual albums as opposed to the box. And its been annying trying to re-complete the complete box. But I believe the music as a whole is superior.

If you havent order the boxes yet, they are both available on www.yourmusic.com for 5.99 a disc, no shipping charges. So you can get the VV for 24 bucks, compared to 50 at amazon.

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