Customer Reviews

Black Moon

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4 star:		(3)
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"Black Moon" was the band's comeback album after being broken up for close to 12 years. It gets mixed reviews from ELP fans, but I have always really liked it and thought that it was underrated. There are no long epics on this one as the longest track is only just under 7 minutes. Most of the songs are short, and would probably be considered somewhat more commercial than a lot of what ELP has done in the past. I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing though. The songwriting is strong throughout, and the performances are all good. It certainly blows away the band's previous two efforts, "Love Beach" and "Works Vol 2". "Black Moon" has a nice mix of rockers, Emerson lead instrumentals, and Greg Lake ballads. Lake's voice sounds a bit older here, but he still sings with gusto and verve. Highlights include the title track "Black Moon", the rocker "Paper Blood", the ballad single "Affairs Of The Heart", "Changing States" and the album closer "Footprints In The Snow". At the time the album was released I liked the fact that they had seemed to modernize their sound a bit. "Black Moon" is far from the best ELP album, but I think it was a fine comeback for the band and holds up well still today.

More than a decade divides the last bandeffort, around when they broke up and their resurrection in the beginning of the nineties. In between Emerson and Lake have teamed up with Cozy Powell and released one album while Emerson and Palmer gelled together with Robert Berry on "The Power of the 3". So they never lost contact for ever and it was only a matter of time before they came back in original form. They started on a new recordlabel and issued "Black Moon" in 1992. This is a record in its own right, more reminiscent to the Emerson, Lake and Powell album than earlier efforts. But is a true ELP album, all the classic ingredients and more are here to be found. The band sounds classic and fresh at the same time. It is like you greet a old friend, a long time not seen. Contrary to earlier albums with most of the time Lake on the producershelm this one finds Mark Mancina in his place, a renowed composer, who also contributed the track "Burning Bridges". The opening (title) track is a footstomper and a real showstopper, closely followed by "Paper Blood", a more rocksong with its harmonica-intro courtesy of Lake. Already 2 goods songs to start with. Comes a Lake ballad "Affairs of the Heart", written with Geoffrey Downes. Although the linernotes reveal nothing of this collaboration it is commonly known that Greg Lake had a short stint with the band Asia (then home of Palmer after the ELP demise) where he replaced John Wetton a while. No records were made in that format though, but a single song surrected and a nice one it is. Much in the same vein as for instance "In the Beginning" of "Still ... You Turn Me On", it is a kind of acoustic ballad but with all the members playing assorted instruments. The album has also an adaption of a classical work, a ELP trademark, this time from Prokofiev "Romeo and Juliet" with plenty of keyboardplay. Emerson builds layer of layer of piano, organ and synthesizers to each song, using the newest studiotechnics, which were not invented or widely available in the first era of the bandrecordings. This one is easly recognisable as and ELP record and never fails to please, listening to it is a joy. "Farewell to Arms" and "Better Days" with the funny spoken intro are great songs, closer "Footprints in the Snow" a clever ballad again. The band is in topform, the playing is more than correct. "Close to Home" is played by Emerson solely on the piano. I cannot discover what was Lakes role to be credited to this composition. Lakes singing has more depth than before and the way he plays guitars and bass is certainly prolific. Palmers drums and percussion underpins the tracks with dynamics. The new CD edition has also 4 (single)edits but I cannot see what they add to the already outstanding longer versions. The "Black Moon" shortcut was issued as a single and is it understandable to put this track on the album as a bonus but for the other 3 songs less because they are just cut midway and therefore it is not a delight to listen to, after one listen I don't feel the need to hear them again. Anyway, this is only a footnote, the album as a whole is fine return to form. The bandmembers finally found the opportunity to restart and not only that but were more than able to come up with one of their best efforts. In its trail they played all over the world again, as can be heard en viewed on the also excellent "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" CD and DVD (with a different songlist), which included some material from the "Black Moon" album. Hail to the new old band!

This is a big commercial sounding pile of nothing.
The drumming could have been programmed and Palmer not even missed.
Not a good one.

It gets 2 stars because it is ELP,but other than that,a huge disappointment.

Save yer money.

A nice cd from ELP.The highest moments are Black Moon, Paper Blood and Romeo and Juliet.The bonus tracks look to be cut, but...ces't la vie.Enjoyable.It sounds quie clear.