The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts is a reissue of American rock band My Chemical Romance's third studio album, The Black Parade (2006). The reissue combines the original album with several unreleased demos and live tracks created during the recording of The Black Parade, titled Living with Ghosts.
| The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album (reissue) by | ||||
| Released | September 23, 2016 | |||
| Recorded | April–August 2006 | |||
| Studio | El Dorado Recording Studios (Burbank, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 89:54 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Producer |
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| My Chemical Romance chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Black Parade/Living with Ghosts | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Rock Sound | 8/10[3] |
Background
The band's previous release was in March 2014, titled May Death Never Stop You: The Greatest Hits 2001–2013, a greatest hits album containing material spanning their entire career, as well as some previously unreleased material.[4]
Release and promotion
On July 20, 2016, the band posted on their official Twitter and Facebook pages a cryptic video of a flag bearing the then-new "MCRX" icon with the piano intro from "Welcome to the Black Parade", ending with a date, "9/23/16".[5][6] The video was also published on the band's YouTube channel with the title "MCRX".[7] This led to numerous rumors and reports on the band's possible reunion, fueled by speculation from fans that noted the band deleted their break-up announcement from Twitter,[8][9] and further boosted by attention from notable names in rock music, including Hayley Williams and Alex Gaskarth.[10] The date was revealed to be for the release of the 10th-anniversary reissue of The Black Parade with unreleased demos,[11][12][13] to be released on September 23.[14] A reunion would not occur until three years later.
We've been really touched and blown away by the response to the teaser trailer. We are not touring and there is no reunion planned – only a release for the anniversary of The Black Parade. Thank you so much for continuing to keep MCR in your mind and in your hearts.[15]
Two months before its release, an early version of "Welcome to the Black Parade", titled "The Five of Us Are Dying", was made available for streaming, and the album was available for pre-order.[16] On My Chemical Romance's official website, the band dedicated the reissue to their late A&R executive Craig Aaronson, who died on October 29, 2014, stating:[17][18]
We, the members of MCR, dedicate this release to the memory of Craig Aaronson, our friend, our relentless champion, our A&R man. He was appreciated, he was loved, he will be forever missed.[17]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Bob Bryar, Frank Iero, Ray Toro, Gerard Way and Mikey Way
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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" (featuring Liza Minnelli) | 4:39 |
| 10. | "Sleep" | 4:43 |
| 11. | "Teenagers" | 2:41 |
| 12. | "Disenchanted" | 4:55 |
| 13. | "Famous Last Words" | 4:59 |
| 14. | "Blood" (hidden track; starts at 1:31) (omitted on the Japanese edition) | 2:53 |
| Total length: | 51:51 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Heaven Help Us" | 2:56 |
| Total length: | 51:54 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Five of Us Are Dying" (rough mix) | 3:49 |
| 2. | "Kill All Your Friends" (live demo) | 4:22 |
| 3. | "Party at the End of the World" (live demo) | 2:47 |
| 4. | "Mama" (live demo) | 3:59 |
| 5. | "My Way Home Is Through You" (live demo) | 2:45 |
| 6. | "Not That Kind of Girl" (live demo) | 3:03 |
| 7. | "House of Wolves (version 1)" (live demo) | 4:00 |
| 8. | "House of Wolves (version 2)" (live demo) | 2:52 |
| 9. | "Emily" (rough mix) | 3:11 |
| 10. | "Disenchanted" (live demo) | 4:01 |
| 11. | "All the Angels" (live demo) | 3:13 |
| Total length: | 38:02 | |
Personnel
- My Chemical Romance
- Bob Bryar – drums, percussion
- Frank Iero – guitars, backing vocals
- Ray Toro – guitars, backing vocals
- Gerard Way – lead vocals
- Mikey Way – bass guitar
Charts
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[21] | 15 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[22] | 12 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[23] | 11 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[24] | 3 |