Packaged together in this five-disc box set from Verve/Hip-O-Select, these titles represent the albums Impulse issued following John Coltrane's death in 1967, and remain some of the most controversial in his catalog (numerous critics thought -- and many still do -- that dubious choices were made in assembling them). The first album, Expression, contains Coltrane's final studio recording in the title track; the rest is compiled from material cut around the time of Interstellar Space. The track "To Be" is also notable because it was the only time 'Trane played flute for the duration of an entire tune. Live at the Village Vanguard Again was recorded in 1966 with the final quintet: Pharoah Sanders, Jimmy Garrison, Alice Coltrane, Rashied Ali, and percussionist Emanuel Rahim. It's notable because only three tracks survived from a much longer tape. Om, recorded in 1965, was not released until 1968. It was presented as a two-part suite totaling nearly 29 minutes on vinyl, but is a single work. It may not have been released in Coltrane's lifetime because it featured his band in transition -- Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner were still in the band, and it featured Donald Garrett on bass clarinet as well as Sanders and Garrison. There are many who believe it was Coltrane who considered the recording a failed experiment, and it remains the most controversial officially released album in his catalog. Even Nat Hentoff's liner notes read like an apology for the music. Issued in 1968, Cosmic Music is also credited to Alice. Trane plays on only two of four tracks, "Manifestation" and "Dr. King," both cut in 1966, fronting his final quintet and guest percussionist Ray Appleton. The other two cuts, "Lord, Help Me to Be" and "The Sun," feature Alice with Sanders, Garrison, and drummer Ben Riley, and were cut in 1968. The final album in the set, Selflessness Featuring My Favorite Things, was released in 1969, and contains "My Favorite Things" and "I Want to Talk About You" captured live at Newport from 1963 with Tyner, Garrison, and drummer Roy Haynes. The title track is a studio recording from 1965 with Tyner, Jones, Sanders, and two percussionists. To say that these pieces contrast is an understatement, but they are fascinating. If you have these five recordings already on CD, these masters are superior to anything issued in the United States before; if you don't, and are interested in Coltrane's later period -- and posthumously released music -- you need them, especially with the super budget-price tag this box carries.