Paul Robeson - The Very Best Of Paul Robeson

He just keeps rollin’ along

If Ted Hughes’ Iron Man could sing, he’d probably sing like Paul Robeson, who resonates with such supernatural weight and alien sadness that it’s hard to imagine it coming from the throat of a mortal man. This booming voice – halfway between Othello and Ian Curtis – is a hard sell for 21st-century ears, but Robeson’s life story puts it in context. The son of a slave, he was a multi-talented actor, singer, sportsman and social rights spokesman who faced extreme prejudice for both his race and political views, and was blacklisted in the 50s. No wonder he sounded intense.

This collection provides a good overview of Robeson’s music via two discs with very different aims. The first concentrates on Robeson’s best-known tracks, starting with the evergreen Old Man River. These tracks, often based on spirituals, boast huge orchestral arrangements which can be rousing (as on the civil rights song Round The Bend Of The Road), or overbearing.

Disc Two fares better, showcasing simpler recordings with Robeson accompanied only by piano or guitar and displaying his range through gospel, country blues and a rendition of Beethoven’s Ode To Joy.

Fantastic Voyage/Future Noise | FVDD 033 (2-CD)

Reviewed by Mat Croft
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