Jump to content

The Black Parade

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 01casey (talk | contribs) at 13:12, 26 May 2007. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Untitled

The Black Parade is the third studio album, released in October 2006 by the rock quintet, My Chemical Romance.[1] It is a concept album, centering on a character known as "The Patient".[2]

The album was produced by Rob Cavallo, who has also produced albums for Green Day. It was intentionally leaked in its entirety on October 19, 2006.[3] In an interview with MTV, bandmember Gerard Way explained the album's title: "...the words "black" and "parade" made you think of death but [also] celebration. And that's what the record felt like, it felt like a celebration of life and death..."[4] Though several reviewers have dismissed the album as a display of showmanship,[5][6] The Black Parade has, overall, been a critical success.[7][8]

The album spawned "Welcome to the Black Parade", "Famous Last Words", "I Don't Love You", and "Teenagers" as its first four singles.[9][10]

My Chemical Romance has embarked on a global tour promoting The Black Parade, consisting of two separate North American trips and a European leg.[11]

Influences

Lead singer Gerard Way has cited the band Queen as a major influence on the album.[1] Similarities have been noted between the guitar orchestration in "Welcome to the Black Parade" and Queen guitarist Brian May's performances.[12][13]

Way has also stated that Queen's A Night at the Opera, The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Pink Floyd's The Wall, and The Smashing Pumpkins' album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness were particularly influential in the production of this album.[14][15]

Chart performance

The Black Parade debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, behind Robbie Williams' Rudebox.[16] In the United States, it also debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. In its first week, the album sold 240,000 copies, far surpassing the 38,000 best-week sales of the band's previous album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.[17]The album débuted at number three on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum after shipping more than 70,000 copies. It debuted atop the charts in New Zealand and was certified platinum there, with shipments of more than 15,000.[18] The Black Parade has also been certified platinum by the RIAA for selling over 1,000,000 copies.[19] It has been certified Platinum in the UK, and has sold 353,500 units there to date.[20]

Reception

The Black Parade received generally favorable reviews from critics. Some of the most positive reviews came from All Music Guide, New Musical Express, IGN, and Rolling Stone.[12][8] Dan Martin from NME compared the album to Green Day's American Idiot, positing that "it's a piece of work that will challenge every preconception you ever had about the people who made it."[7] Ed Thompson of IGN stated, "The Black Parade is a rock and roll gem that celebrates everything that was over the top about the 1970s rock scene."[21] David Fricke of Rolling Stone praised the classic rock feel of the album.[8] Rolling Stone went on to rank The Black Parade #20 in its "Top 50 Albums of 2006" feature.[22] Spin magazine named it the 5th best album of 2006.[23]

EW states that "On their third studio album, a musical H-bomb of an effort, the Jersey quintet combine the rock-opera pomp of Queen with the darker, dirtier tones of their screamo past: Call it a Bro-hemian Rhapsody. Even without its broad concept — a dying cancer patient seeks revenge and redemption — Parade stands as one of the most cohesive, engaging rock records of 2006." It ranks The Black Parade the third best record of the year, being surpassed only by Gnarls Barkley and TV on the Radio.[24]

The album wasn't without its share of criticism, and was panned by such publications as The Observer and Aversion. Stated Jamie Hodgson of The Observer, "...it reeks of a band with ideas above its station."[6] Matt Schild of Aversion thought the album was "over-the-top" and "lame".[5] Theon Weber of Stylus praised the album's use of Queen influences, but went on to summarize the album as "...a goofy record of bubblegum punk, with Queen lapping at its edges and enough good tracks to justify the smattering of empty screamfests."[25]

The album holds a 79/100 score based on 24 reviews at Metacritic, which equates to the site's categorization of "generally favorable reviews".[26]

Versions

There are two versions of The Black Parade that have the same tracks and album art. The difference is that one bears white text on a black background, while the other carries black text on a white background. There is also a limited edition of the album, the product description for which is as follows:

"The Limited Edition special packaging features an 11-11/16" × 5-13/16", long skinny box with hinged lid, wrapped in black velveteen material, with a debossed design on the top. The 64-page bound paperback book inside the box is modeled after a Victorian-style photo album, and contains Gerard's drawings, making-of-the-album notes, and more."[27]

A clean version of The Black Parade was released on December 19, 2006, both in CD and digital download formats.[28] The version of The Black Parade that was released in Japan contains more content than the other regular editions. It contains 14 tracks, but the 14th track contains the song “Heaven Help Us” (which was released with the single version of “Welcome to the Black Parade”), instead of the song “Blood”. The Japanese version is also an Enhanced CD and has the music video of “Welcome to the Black Parade”[29]

The Black Parade World Tour

Main article: The Black Parade World Tour

My Chemical Romance began The Black Parade World Tour on February 22, 2007 in Manchester, New Hampshire's Verizon Wireless Arena. Rise Against is opening for the group on the first leg of the tour. Thursday will open European shows, and Muse will open on the second North American leg. The tour is currently set to end on May 22, 2007 in Portland, Oregon's Memorial Coliseum. There will then be a 10 day stop before the band continues on to various festivals and international concerts.[11] Although the bassist of the band, Mikey Way, has temporarily taken a break from touring due to his recent wedding, the tour continues with a replacement.[30]

Track listing

  1. “The End.” – 1:52
  2. “Dead!” – 3:15
  3. “This Is How I Disappear” – 3:59
  4. “The Sharpest Lives” – 3:20
  5. “Welcome to the Black Parade” – 5:11
  6. “I Don't Love You” – 3:58
  7. “House of Wolves” – 3:04
  8. “Cancer” – 2:22
  9. “Mama” – 4:39
  10. “Sleep” – 4:43
  11. “Teenagers” – 2:41
  12. “Disenchanted” – 4:55
  13. “Famous Last Words” – 4:59
  14. “Blood” – 2:54 (hidden track)

B-sides

  1. “Heaven Help Us” – 2:54
  2. “My Way Home Is Through You” – 2:59
  3. “Kill All Your Friends” – 4:28

Singles

Credits

References

  1. ^ a b "Alternative Press Magazine". AP Article. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
  2. ^ "My Chemical Romance Unveil Black Parade Track Listing, Album Art". VH1. 2006-09-13. Retrieved 2007-04-04. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ "The Black Parade". The Black Parade Official Site. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
  4. ^ "MTV". Interview. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
  5. ^ a b Schild, Matt. "My Chemical Romance: The Black Parade Aversion.com Review". Aversion.com. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ a b Hodgson, Jaimie. "My Chemical Romance, The Black Parade". The Observer. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ a b Martin, Dan. "My Chemical Romance: The Black Parade". NME. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ a b c Fricke, David. "Rolling Stone : Welcome to the Black Parade : Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ "My Chemical Romance Discography - The Black Parade". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2007-03-27. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ "Available for Airplay". FMQB. 2007-04. Retrieved 2007-04-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  11. ^ a b "MCR TOUR". My Chemical Romance. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen. "The Black Parade Review". allmusic. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  13. ^ Fricke, David. "Rolling Stone : The Black Parade : Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ Stewart, Allison. "'The Black Parade': Not Going Gently Into That Good Night". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  15. ^ Häggkvist, Maria. "None more black!". Musicbrigade. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  16. ^ "Album Chart For Week Up To 28/10/2006". Chart Stats. Retrieved 2007-04-04. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  17. ^ Hasty, Katie (2006-11-01). "'Hannah Montana' Trumps My Chem, Legend At No. 1". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2007-04-04. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  18. ^ "RIANZ". RIANZ Charts. Retrieved November 16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "Bilboard Album Charts - Top 200 Albums". Billboard.com. 2007-03-31. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  20. ^ "SALES, w.b. 08/04/07". Music Week. Chart Refugees. 2007-04-08. Retrieved 2007-04-25. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  21. ^ Thompson, Ed. "My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade". IGN. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  22. ^ "Rolling Stone : The Top 50 Albums of 2006". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  23. ^ "SPIN.com: The 40 Best Albums of 2006". SPIN.com. 2006-12-14. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  24. ^ Collis, Clark (2006-12-14). "EW Black Parade Review". ew.com. Retrieved 2007-04-06. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  25. ^ Weber, Theon. "My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade - Review". Sylus. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  26. ^ "The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance". metacritic.com. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  27. ^ "The Black Parade [LIMITED EDITION]". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  28. ^ "The Black Parade [CLEAN]". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  29. ^ "My Chemical Romance The Black Parade Japan CD ALBUM (379256)". eil.com. 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "MCR News". My Chemical Romance. April 23, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-24. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Black_Parade&oldid=133633522"