This CD was recorded live Live at Carnegie Hall on May 9, 1958 and features the songs 'Every Time I Feel the Spirit', 'Volga Boat Song' and 'Ol' Man River'. Vanguard. 2005. Album Description
If one takes into account the time at which this recording was made, and the surrounding events affecting his life, one can truly appreciate the significance of this album. Experiencing oppression not only from the U.S. but later the Canadian government to travel abroad, Robeson was impeded, but not prevented from singing in the name of peace, human rights, and the rights of the common worker. Victory was at hand when on May, 9 1958, the date of this recording, Paul Robeson announced that his passport battle had been won. This is the recording of a triumphant gentleman, a loving, ecstatic audience, and very importantly, a talented and very attuned pianist (Alan Booth). With this in mind one can more greatly appreciate how special this concert was. The magic of this recording trancends Robeson's impeccable singing. It is the concert as a whole that makes it so spectacular. Listen to 'Joe Hill', think of Robeson's battle, and hear why it is so powerful. Or listen to 'O No John', Alan Booth pounding the keys on the last notes, and the audience's response. Every person in Carnegie Hall was riveted. Well worth the price, and an uplifting experience.
December 4, 2006 |  | One of the best, and latest, of the Robeson recordings... |  |
This concert came along in 1958, when Paul's passport was restored and he was allowed to travel and make a living again, after several years of being on the Communist blacklist. His joy at performing once more for his traditional audience comes through in every track. That same year, he did a concert at his brother's church in Harlem, and when Columbia Records issued that one, it had another winner. Not long after those shows, Paul went overseas for five years, suffering a health crisis that brought him back to America in 1963, broken down and unable to perform consistently. He spent his last decade or so of life on the sidelines, living quietly with his sister in Philadelphia. This concert, then, along with the one at Mother Zion Church, is one of the final triumphs of one of the most interesting American lives. We know now that Paul's stubborn support of the Soviet Union in the Stalin era was a tragic flaw in his character, but he had magnificent gifts of voice and of acting presence, and had he come to the attention of audiences in 1957 instead of 1927, he would likely have earned millions as a singer and actor, and his political and social radical activism would have been a much smaller impediment to his career. If you already own some Robeson recordings, add this one because it represents him at the beginning of what was then "old age." If you own none, this concluding album is actually a fine starting point, because his earlier work suffers a bit from the primitive recording technology of the '30's and '40's.
October 16, 2006Of course his baritone is fabulous. His rendition of Joe Hill is unforgettable - this was a song he sang for the builders' labourers on the site of the Sydney Opera House in around 1969 -also Old Man River, which he made his own. He should have sung this in the film of the musical Showboat but he was passed over for an inferior voice by the producers because he was a member of the Communist Party. A pity. He also sings some gospel on this CD, I'm not mad about religious songs but if you like them then you'll love this.
July 11, 2006 | | New version available in UK | |
This version is now redundant as Vanguard has released a version in 2005 with the original album cover for the first time and with new sleeve notes. The sound is also better. I purchased it from amazon.co.uk.
February 18, 2006I would like to buy Paul Robeson CD with "Old Man River" and "Kevin Barry (Irish)"
September 29, 2005More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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