Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The last great ELP album...., May 14, 2008
This is Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's last great album. It was the first one by the original trio since 1978's dismal Love Beach. Black Moon doesn't match their heyday from 1969-1974, but it's still consistently good and focused. The title track, Paper Blood, and Affairs of the Heart are standouts here. I saw them on this tour, and they were really good. Emerson and Palmer were really into the concert (Emerson destroying his organ, and Palmer's drum solo got a standing ovation...when does that happen!). Lake's voice has gotten deeper here, but it hadn't deteriorated to what it is today. It isn't as ambitious or as intricate as Tarkus, Brain Salad Surgery, or Welcome Back, but it's still pretty good. You can really appreciate this album considering the follow up, In the Hot Seat, was a royally screwed up mess (Lake and Emerson not getting along, Emerson suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, Lake's voice fading away), that this album is a masterpiece by comparison. After ELP's heyday, they pretty much self destructed, due to the usual rock star garbage (drugs, egos, tired of the road). They broke up rather acrimoniously in 1997, so future reunions and albums are out of the question, so enjoy the last great studio album they ever did.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Album, September 25, 2008
If you liked the Greg Lake moments on Love Beach & Works you will really enjoy this album. No it is not as proggy (or rambling) as their earlier more popular works but a great listen.
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0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Bad reunion CD with 4 bonus tracks., September 25, 2003
This is a re-issue of the 1991 CD, with 4 bonus tracks added. The original CD had 10 tracks and was 48 minutes long. I haven't heard the bonus tracks, but they are just different versions of songs from the original CD. Since none them were any good, I can't imagine that these new edits would be any better. It is interesting that CD's that are just barely 10 years old are getting re-issued with bonus tracks.Most of the tracks on this album are relatively short songs. The songs are bombastic and repeititive. There is a main theme that is just repeated. There is no depth to the music or the song writing. For the most part, there is nothing here to remind you of the old ELP. The cover is indicative of the album. It is just a boring picture of a merry-go-round. There is no excitement, energy or interest in the cover. The album does get a little better near the end. The last three tracks are enjoyable. Closer to home is a nice piano piece and Better Days has a good, driving beat. ELP broke up in 1979 due to differences in musical direction and the great progressive rock blow up at the end of the seventies, when the progressive rock bands were done in by their own excesses (especially ELP and Yes). The group sort of reformed in 1984 as Emerson, Lake and Powell (with Cozy Powell, who died a few years ago). They broke up again to reform in 1991. They played in concerts, released some live albums and then released one last studio album, In The Hot Seat, which is along the same lines as Black Moon (bad). They took a break while Keith Emerson had surgery on his hand. Emerson most recently has done a reunion tour with the Nice.
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