Black Moon
Studio album by
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
ReleasedMay 1992
Studio
  • Marcus Studios
  • Front Page Recorders
  • Conway Studios (mixing)
  • Precision Mastering (mastering)
GenreProgressive rock, synth-pop
Length48:28
LabelVictory Music
Producer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer chronology
Emerson, Lake & Palmer in Concert
(1979) 		Black Moon
(1992) 		Live at the Royal Albert Hall
(1993)
Singles from Black Moon
  1. "Black Moon"
    Released: May 1992[1]
  2. "Affairs of the Heart"
    Released: November 1992

Black Moon is the eighth studio album, and the first in fourteen years, by English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in May 1992.[2] The band had broken up in 1979, and recorded Black Moon to kick off their 1990s revival.

Production

The track "Affairs of the Heart" originated in summer 1988 sessions by Lake with Geoff Downes under the project name Ride the Tiger. Another song from the sessions, "Money Talks", became "Paper Blood" with a different chorus and new music. Ride the Tiger was finally released in 2015.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Classic Rock[4]
Entertainment WeeklyC[5]
Q[6]

Black Moon received mixed reviews. Jim Allen of AllMusic wrote in a retrospective review that the performers "stripped down their sound and amped up their attack."[3] In his book The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock, Paul Stump compared it favorably to its contemporary Union (by fellow progressive rock giants Yes). He explained that Black Moon "did at least aspire to interest and excite the listener, and it would be a churlish mind that overlooked a vigour in the playing which had formerly been notable by its absence. The material, though, suffered from the Yes malaise: cynicism and over-exposure to the wallet-fattening blandishments of easy-out FM mores, intervals and development procedures had blunted edges and dulled nerve-endings both of players and listeners."[7]

Half of the album's songs were played at the band's 1992-1993 concerts. Greg Lake included the songs "Paper Blood", "Farewell to Arms" and "Footprints in the Snow" in the setlist of his 2005 solo tour. "Farewell to Arms" was played at the group's final concert, at the High Voltage Festival in July 2010.

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Black Moon" (Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Carl Palmer)6:56
2."Paper Blood" (Emerson, Lake, Palmer)4:26
3."Affairs of the Heart" (Geoff Downes, Lake)3:46
4."Romeo and Juliet" (Sergei Prokofiev, "Dance of the Knights" from the eponymous ballet, Op. 64)3:43
5."Farewell to Arms" (Emerson, Lake)5:08
6."Changing States" (Emerson)6:02
7."Burning Bridges" (Mark Mancina)4:41
8."Close to Home" (Emerson)4:33
9."Better Days" (Emerson, Lake)5:33
10."Footprints in the Snow" (Lake)3:50
Victor and 2008 Shout! Factory Bonus Track
No.TitleLength
11."A Blade of Grass" (Emerson)2:15
Sanctuary and Sony Bonus Tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Black Moon" (Single edit)4:48
12."Affairs of the Heart" (Edited version)2:20
13."Paper Blood" (Edited version)1:34
14."Romeo and Juliet" (Edited version)1:33

2017 Deluxe Edition

2017 Deluxe Edition - CD one - Original 1992 album - 2017 remaster - plus bonus
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Black Moon"Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Carl Palmer6:56
2."Paper Blood"Emerson, Lake, Palmer4:26
3."Affairs of the Heart"Geoff Downes, Lake3:46
4."Romeo and Juliet"Sergei Prokofiev, "Dance of the Knights" from the eponymous ballet, Op. 643:43
5."Farewell to Arms"Emerson, Lake5:08
6."Changing States"Emerson6:02
7."Burning Bridges"Mark Mancina4:41
8."Close to Home"Emerson4:33
9."Better Days"Emerson, Lake5:33
10."Footprints in the Snow"Lake3:50
11."Black Moon" (Bonus track - single edit)Emerson, Lake, Palmer 
12."Affairs of the Heart" (Bonus track - edit)Downes, Lake 
13."Paper Blood" (Bonus track - edit)Emerson, Lake, Palmer 
14."Romeo and Juliet" (Bonus track - edit)Prokofiev 
2017 Deluxe Edition - CD two - Live at the Royal Albert Hall - 2017 remaster
No.TitleLength
1."Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression, Part 2" 
2."Tarkus"
  • "Eruption"
  • "Stones of Years"
  • "Iconoclast"
 
3."Knife Edge" 
4."Paper Blood" 
5."Romeo And Juliet" 
6."Creole Dance" 
7."Still... You Turn Me On" 
8."Lucky Man" 
9."Black Moon" 
10."Pirates" 
11."Finale"
  • "Fanfare for the Common Man"
  • "America"
  • "Rondo"
    		•  

    Personnel

    Production

    Charts

    Chart (1992) Peak
    position
    Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[8] 66
    Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9] 77
    German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] 45
    Japanese Albums (Oricon)[11] 16
    Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 23
    US Billboard 200[13] 78

    Singles

    References

    1. ^ "The Great Rock Discography". p. 266.
    2. ^ "The Great Rock Discography". p. 266.
    3. ^ a b Allen, Jim. Black Moon at AllMusic. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
    4. ^ Fielder, Hugh (February 2005). "Eight by Three". Classic Rock. Vol. 76. London, UK: Future Publishing Ltd. p. 104.
    5. ^ Altman, Billy (31 July 1992). "Music Review: 'Black Moon' Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
    6. ^ "Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Black Moon CD Album". CDUniverse.com. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
    7. ^ Stump, Paul (1997). The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock. Quartet Books Limited. pp. 338–9. ISBN 0 7043 8036 6.
    8. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2023". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
    9. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Black Moon" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
    10. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Black Moon" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
    11. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
    12. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Black Moon". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
    13. ^ "Emerson Lake Palmer Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
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