The last great ELP album....
Grigory's Girl | NYC | 05/15/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"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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