A-Ha: Classic or Dud?

'Take on Me', enjoyable in a poppy boppy kind of way, pioneering the Artist-Appears-In-Girl's-Bedroom video genre. 'The Sun Always Shines On TV' -BRILLIANT. And the Bond one is quite good too. Can't remember any other songs by them.

trick question as they are hun-dootedly classic.

get the "best of" if you don't have the stomach for much else. "Stay on these Roads" one of my favourite singles, followed by "Sun Always Shines" then "Manhattan Skyline" and "I've Been Losing You" joint 3rd, with "Take On Me" coming 5th (with "over played" points taken off).

Some lovely musical moments considering their pop status, often with downbeat endings that take you by surprise and some often intriguing lyrics as a bonus (what was Losing You all about then?)

I always thought that that Duran hit in the 90s reminded me of A-Ha.

Hell no. Not when both Hunting High and Low and Scoundrel Days are such great albums as they are. :-)

This is perhaps a little hopeful.

They were good. Not great, but really, what's to dislike about them? And why would someone who dislikes the Stones and likes A-Ha be being contrary, Nude? If you didn't like (say) blues vocal stylings and songs built around riffs you'd have plenty to dislike in the Stones and nothing much to dislike in A-Ha.

Don't know much about A-Ha, save for "Take On Me" and "The Sun Always Shines." Both are nice eighties-synthpop songs, well-done and catchy and all, but both a little odd (see infra). Needless to say, the "Take On Me" video is a classic and smart to boot (the Jean Cocteau-meets-Speed Racer angle). Matter of fact, I think the video was probably why that song probably charted as well as it did, 'cause it was kind of an odd song to have charted over here -- didn't really sound much like homegrown or English synth-pop (the Norwegian element?), really fey even for a genre not known for being hairy-chested macho and all (or am I sounding too much like the teenage metalhead I was now?)

In fact, most of Scoundrel Days is pretty good, especially side one and The Weight of The Wind (!)

Surely The Sun Always Shines on TV is one of the weirdest songs ever to get to No.1 in the UK? All power to them for that, at least.

OH! See what you miss when you come in late? That sheds a lot of light on the whole C or D thing for me. Still, I think classic or dud are not too absurd because at some point you still need a term for mass opinion, I'd reckon.

I like them very much. Listen to HEADLINES AND DEADLINES, and you find that it wasn't just a couple of 45s - they just keep on coming.

Vintage instances include: 'Hunting High and Low'; 'Manhattan Skyline'; 'Stay On These Roads'; 'Train Of Thought' - all memorable and exciting.

i'm gonna go buy a copy of Scoundrel Days now - i should never have swapped it for that wierd tape by the World Class Wreckin' Crew/back in the day...

I admired him as a little boy and then I saw the Way and realized his cockfarming status. How did they cause him to give up his career in music? Oh let me guess -- did he said something snide about them?

Props to Zanny on the weirdness of "The Sun Always Shines ..."

I'll keep that in mind, Marcello.

There was an interview in the paper saying how he was writing songs in the vein of Billy Joel and Springsteen, and not getting very far in the old music biz.

Then he saw A-ha hit number one and he realized the pop world was a "vacuous wasteland full of pretty boys", and he decided he should be doing something "better" with his life.

Right! "I'll base my career on catering to 60 year-olds. I will out- complain them in my column and on my radio show and they shall give me their undying admiration. Hey, wasn't the world a better place years ago?" Bravo! Speak it! Must admit it's worked out well.

Tim raises a good point. What of "Summer Moved On"?

There comeback in the 21st century has been hugely successful. 'Minor Earth Major Sky' was their fastest selling album ever apparently and 'Lifelines' went platinum in several countries and spawned a number one single in six.

- 9L
http://www.clubi.ie/grizmond/

"Blue sky...BLUE SKY!"

First few albums are classic, but they should've broken up about 15-20 years ago. I'm okay with this.

Someone call up the Big C, tell him it's another sign that David Cameron is bring down the European social democrat pop dream.

Unfortunately, as their best work was down about two decades ago, an awful lot of people probably believe they already has broken up.

Then again, an awful lot of people don't appreciate "The Sun Always Shines On TV".

Speaking of "TV," I could use an excuse to post this cover version...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTdq-tMkayo

Well, their latter albums are not at all bad. They were starting to lose it in the 90s, and their two 90s albums, plus their last 80s album, "Stay On These Roads" were their three weakest albums by quite a stretch. But then, they broke up and reformed, and after that they have been great. "Minor Earth Major Sky" from 2000 was particularly good, IMO even better than "Hunting High & Low", and the rest have also been quite good if quite not up there. Of course their best album remains "Scoundrel Days" and always will, but there were a couple of more recent albums that came close too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FRlAjPjazM

Here's another cover of "TV" by Delays.

Their best noughties moment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUB9Rq8FcEQ

Playing North America next month! Or at least NYC, Toronto, Chicago and LA.

Sondre Lerche opening in NYC.

Texas, guys... Texas!

*hinthinthinthinthint*

"And You Tell Me" is one of my all time favorites of ever.
Hits that perfect twee pop nerve that I'm such a sucker for

Lerche is a huge a-ha fan so no wonder. I guess Donkeyboy are too busy setting Germany on fire to be able to warmup for a-ha in the US like they did in the UK.

Hello:

http://www.rhino.com/shop/product/a-ha-hunting-high-and-low-deluxe-edition

http://www.rhino.com/shop/product/a-ha-scoundrel-days-deluxe-edition

*drool*

Old news, Ned... these were announced a few weeks ago. ;-)

Brilliant albums, nonetheless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urFtSadL42o

I think this is my first exposure to solo Morten material? It's not terribly different from latter day a-ha, actually. How does he hold on to that voice?

There are not enough pics of Morten Harket itt.

"Stay On These Roads" is lovely!

It is indeed.

an amazing album too (aside from Touchy lol).

"The Blood That Moves the Body" would have been a way better Bond theme than "The Living Daylights." Those strings!

I must buy it.

especially Bond-y here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jiEgyZeN-4

Reuniting for an album and world tour.

http://www.classicpopmag.com/2015/03/ha-reunite-album-world-tour/

Currently blasting the first two albums, particularly Scoundrel Days. Superb album.

Indeed.

Scoundrel Days is the best

This is cool, but it's also one of the fastest reunions post-farewell that I can remember.

Tell that to the Damned! (Or Fall Out Boy or...)

From what I can gather, the plan is to do this album and tour and that's pretty much it, but you never know... the first time they broke up, it only lasted about 4 years before they got back together again, this time it's been 5...

It seems that anyone who is familiar with Scoundrel Days rates it quite highly, but I can't help but feel that the album is incredibly underrated in the big scheme of things. For me it's definitely up there with the best records of the '80s.

In the US, for the most part, they ceased to exist the last time "The Sun Always Shines on TV" was aired on MTV. People don't even remember they did a Bond theme, because people never think about the Timothy Dalton movies.

I imagine they have a slightly higher profile in Europe.

I don't know about a-ha's chart performance elsewhere in Europe, but Hunting High and Low, Scoundrel Days and Stay On These Roads all made it to #2 on the UK album chart. East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon made it to #12, which is a bit of a drop.

As far as I'm aware, all of their singles up until and including 'Stay On These Roads' went Top 10 here except for 'Manhattan Skyline', which made it to #13.

However, even though they had a great deal of success here in the '80s, 'Take On Me' and 'The Sun Always Shines On TV' seem to be the ones that most people are familiar with, with possibly 'Hunting High & Low' and 'The Living Daylights' after that. It often feels like a lot of their '80s work, for all its success, has been forgotten about in comparison to other bands/tracks of the time, which is a huge shame.

Oh man, I am all about this.

http://theseconddisc.com/2015/07/17/take-on-me-a-has-hunting-high-and-low-goes-super-deluxe-with-new-box-set/

CD 1: The Original Album (Warner Bros. 25300, 1985)

1. Take on Me
2. Train of Thought
3. Hunting High and Low
4. The Blue Sky
5. Living a Boy’s Adventure Tale
6. The Sun Always Shines on T.V.
7. And You Tell Me
8. Love is Reason
9. I Dream Myself Alive
10. Here I Stand and Face the Rain

CD 2: The Demos 1982-1984

1. Lesson One (Autumn 1982 “Take on Me” Demo)
2. Presenting Lily Mars (Naersnes Demo)
3. Na Blaser Det Pa Jorden (Naersnes Demo)
4. The Sphinx (Naersnes Demo)
5. Living a Boy’s Adventure Tale (Naersnes Demo)
6. Dot the I
7. The Love Goodbye
8. Nothing to It
9. Go to Sleep
10. Train of Thought (Demo)
11. Monday Mourning
12. All the Planes That Come In on the Quiet
13. The Blue Sky (Demo)
14. You Have Grown Thoughtful Again
15. What’s That You’re Doing to Yourself in the Pouring Rain
16. Take on Me (Demo)
17. I Dream Myself Alive (Demo)
18. Hunting High and Low (Demo)
19. And You Tell Me (Demo)
20. Here I Stand and Face the Rain (Demo)
21. Love is Reason (Demo)
22. The Blue Sky (Second Demo)
23. Never, Never
24. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. (Demo)
25. Presenting Lily Mars (Rendezvous Demo)

CD 3 – Singles, Extended Versions and B-Sides

1. Take on Me (Original 7-Inch Version, 1984)
2. Take on Me (12-Inch Mix, 1984)
3. Stop! And Make Your Mind Up
4. Take on Me (12-Inch Version, 1985)
5. Take on Me (Instrumental Mix)
6. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. (7-Inch Mix)
7. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. (Extended Version)
8. Driftwood
9. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. (Extended Version No. 2)
10. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. (Instrumental)
11. Train of Thought (7-Inch Mix)
12. Train of Thought (U.S. Remix)
13. Train of Thought (Dub Version)
14. Hunting High and Low (7-Inch Remix)
15. Hunting High and Low (Extended Remix)

CD 4: The Alternate Mixes (previously unreleased)

1. Take on Me (Video Version)
2. Train of Thought (Early Mix)
3. Hunting High and Low (Early Mix)
4. The Blue Sky (Alternate Long Mix)
5. Living a Boy’s Adventure Tale (Early Mix)
6. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. (Alternate Early Mix)
7. And You Tell Me (Early Mix)
8. Love is Reason (Early Mix)
9. Dream Myself Alive (Early “N.Y.C.” Mix)
10. Here I Stand and Face the Rain (Early Mix)

DVD: The Videos

1. Take on Me (1985 Version) – directed by Steve Barron
2. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. – directed by Steve Barron
3. Train of Thought – directed by Candace Reckinger and Michael Patterson
4. Hunting High and Low – directed by Steve Barron
5. Take on Me (1984 Version) – directed by Stevie Price
6. Take on Me (1985 Alternate Cut) – directed by Steve Barron

Take on Me (1985 Alternate Cut) – directed by Steve Barron

Having watched the commonly available version about, oh, a zillion times, I think an alternate cut might fuck up my whole world.

Here's hoping they do a similar thing with Scoundrel Days!

Morten Harket is 60 today.

"I Dream Myself Alive" by A-ha, performed by a student accordion trio of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Pyongyang 💙 pic.twitter.com/etiKiSHvEa

— Comrade Natalie 🇰🇵 (@NatalieRevolts) September 17, 2020

― xyzzzz__, donderdag 17 september 2020 21:48 bookmarkflaglink

would have never dreamt it possible I would be rinsing an a-ha song to start my day when there's a new Wizkid single waiting for me, but here we are. I only knew them from their 80s singles, many of which I loved, but never went further than that. who knew there was an Italo track sitting on their first album!

(reposted from the North Korea thread, minus any of the tankie intent that may have been involved in this)

Propaganda is...good again!

never look back (back, back)!

Was in on ILX that someone noted "Take On Me" and "Maria" from "West Side Story" feature the same unusual key change? Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

Goddamn YES PLEASE

https://tribecafilm.com/films/a-ha-the-movie-2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOhiDxuOEuI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc6MumuychA

the first album is great then they went downhill quick!

Nah.

Watched the movie last week. It's a good look at the band's history, the members' perspectives, the depth of the catalog, etc. After the bruised egos and Magne's doubt there would be a new record, nice to read _True North_ is coming out later this year. Glad that unlike other long-term bands, they seem to be able to set aside issues and continue on.

Have been obsessed lately with this track, particularly its chorus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkn3Y7HMbkA

i am listening to scoundrel days for the first time

uhhhhh holy shit

Quite right, and very glad you now understand the greatness.