Jump to content

Trane - Fearless Leader box


Evonce

Recommended Posts

Just popped this open a while ago. Already owned about half of it, but I'm looking forward to the "new" stuff. Booklet is excellent, including a thoroughview from Lewis Porter, a discography, and original album notes. Sound is good so far - it'll be a couple days before I'm thru the whole thing. (I'll leave the technical comparison with the previous K2s to someone else.) Anyway, it's an attractive package.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 66
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

OK, my quick take on the sound. There aren't any K2 remasters in the box; the liners just say remastered by Joe Tarantino. Comparing the tracks from Coltrane and Soultrane to the K2s, I find the boxset tracks slightly less punchy but still of good quality (better than the original CD issues). The Prestige RVG of Lush Life is slightly brighter than the box tracks. Traneing In sounds better here than it did in the K2 version, to my ears.

The last three discs were new to me, so I can't compare. They have a softer impact because they're stereo, with bass and drums off in one channel. However, in headphones last night, I was impressed by how clear everything sounded, and that goes for the mono tracks too. The volume level is just about perfect, with no danger of artificial scrunch from over-compression.

Long story short, you may find one or two individual remasters that sound slightly better, but the box overall has a very likeable, dynamic sound.

Edited by Evonce
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm glad this is out, though I'll likely just stick with my separate releases. But ... what's up with all the titles that get ascribed to Coltrane? Damn, he's got to be cringing in the grave.

For Atlantic: Heavyweight Champion

For Prestige: Fearless Leader

And then, when Universal decides to cash in on Trane's 100th birthday:

For Impulse: Omnipotent Benefactor

... followed by patchier comps, such as:

For Savoy: Heroic Transcendentalist

For Blue Note/United Artists/Roulette: Gracious Liberator

... and?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm glad this is out, though I'll likely just stick with my separate releases. But ... what's up with all the titles that get ascribed to Coltrane? Damn, he's got to be cringing in the grave.

For Atlantic: Heavyweight Champion

For Prestige: Fearless Leader

I actually think the Atlantic title is somehow fitting. But the Prestige is ridiculous.

Guy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm glad this is out, though I'll likely just stick with my separate releases. But ... what's up with all the titles that get ascribed to Coltrane? Damn, he's got to be cringing in the grave.

For Atlantic: Heavyweight Champion

For Prestige: Fearless Leader

I actually think the Atlantic title is somehow fitting. But the Prestige is ridiculous.

Guy

Same here... even more so since he was anything but a fearless leader... Rollins and Roach produced much more interesting and daring music in that time, same for Monk... don't get me wrong, I love most of the Coltrane Prestige output, and since I missed all those chances to get the 16CD box cheap, I will likely get this one some day... but his music is not that very special, sure he starts developping his solo style early on and it's getting quite advanced (but to not much effect) on "Black Pearls", for instance... but the Prestige albums are more like "round up a few of the usual guys, pick some standards, do a record in a couple of hours" affairs... no fearless leading needed there!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Same here... even more so since he was anything but a fearless leader... Rollins and Roach produced much more interesting and daring music in that time, same for Monk... don't get me wrong, I love most of the Coltrane Prestige output, and since I missed all those chances to get the 16CD box cheap, I will likely get this one some day... but his music is not that very special, sure he starts developping his solo style early on and it's getting quite advanced (but to not much effect) on "Black Pearls", for instance... but the Prestige albums are more like "round up a few of the usual guys, pick some standards, do a record in a couple of hours" affairs... no fearless leading needed there!

The way Trane is marketed in general gives me the heebie jeebies. He's always presented as this "spiritual" musician (even for pre-ALS Trane), but in a very kitschy, superficial and new-age way.

Guy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey am I the only one who got a freebie with my set? When I opened the box from Concord I found a copy of Red Garland at the Prelude along with my Trane box! No mention of it on the included shipping order.

Nope, I received the same CD today - plus they Fed Ex'd it overnight, which was an upgrade. :tup:tup:tup

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gotta plug my "official" review: www.jazzshelf.org/traneprestige.html

In a nutshell, I love this set. Despite already knowing a lot of the contents, my appreciation for this Trane phase grew considerably in hearing all the material together. I've been listening to it for two weeks straight now, and about four days in, I forgot the Atlantics and Impulses existed. It's self sufficient and addictive.

The sound is really good, as far as I'm concerned. I've checked it out in the car, in headphones, and on the main stereo. Only last night did I make space for it on the boxset shelf, because since purchasing it, I've been toting it everywhere I go. :)

To break the spell last night, I jumped to the mid-60s with "Brasilia". Of course, now I'm hooked on the Impulse box again. Coltrane never fails to inspire awe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I received a promo of the Fearless Leader box recently. While the music and remastering are good and I appreciate the new liner notes, I'm not too happy about the jewel box design, which causes one CD to lay

over the other on each segment of the box. There's too much potential for disc damage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I received a promo of the Fearless Leader box recently. While the music and remastering are good and I appreciate the new liner notes, I'm not too happy about the jewel box design, which causes one CD to lay

over the other on each segment of the box. There's too much potential for disc damage.

Any on-line photos out there that demonstate this?? (Or at least give some hint of the packaging configuration.)

Haven't seen one of these sets in person yet (and given the state of the stores around here -- I might not see one for months).

Edited by Rooster_Ties
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...