This is probably the most accessible John Coltrane album post-Kind of Blue. His stints with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk set the perfect foundation for incredible success in the 1960's. While he may have had more accessible albums prior to this (Blue Train is a good bet), his style which set him apart from his other tenor contemporaries didn't really come into its own fully until this album. Additionally this is Coltrane without compromise. He's the only horn here and he makes every minute count, pausing just enough to let his pianist squeeze in a solo here and there (his rhythm section's other components get their chances as well).
Coltrane would have even more success with his madcap interpretation of "My Favorite Things" on the album of the same name, although none of those songs (all standards) have the immediacy of the songs here (all originals). In just a few years, Coltrane would completely revamp his career, shooting off into the avant-garde en route to interstellar space. While I enjoy A Love Supreme very much and may even claim in a moment of weakness to get his later-era stuff, I would recommend anybody new to John Coltrane start here with Giant Steps. It was my first album, so I'm living proof that this works just fine.
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