Wednesday, February 23, 2000

a-ha has been my favorite since 1985. I was 15 and in the front row of their concert of the old Met Center in Minneapolis, MN before it was torn down. These men truly know who to create weak knees! Their voices and instrumentation abilities make my skin tingle. The Sun Always Shines on TV has been my favorite song since the first moment I heard it. It's fun to be nearly 29 and still in love with them. I used to have $350.00 of posters and merchandise as a kid.

My nine-year-old daughter listens to them with me now and maybe some day when we make it to Norway, well, maybe we'll get to meet them. I would love for them to sing at my wedding in Alaska this spring...

Thanks for the skin-tingling, mesmerizing ballads!

Your fan,

Cammilla

Hello, it's DreReich here again, merely admitting my guilt and remorse for writing such a terrible, unneccesary and totally uninformed former review on this album, and I really hope that as soon as whoever is in charge of "screening" these contributions, whoever that person may be, will hopefully see fit to delete my totally completely horrible former review of this album, in place of this newly written, much, much better one! Now, as I was saying, I was completely misinformed! The Norweigian Trio from the '80's was NOT just known for "Take On Me", they had other, better more excellent-sounding dance-pop hits! In fact, after actually giving this album a decent chance, I discovered that I like the sound of almost every track! Adding on to my former review of me liking "Cry Wolf", "Touchy", "You Are The One", "The Blood That Moves The Body", and "The Living Daylights", there is a few more to be considered to have a-Ha be thought of as one of the better '80's groups, them being "Early Morning", "I've Been Losing You", "Stay On These Roads", and the cool, funky "Train Of Thought". So, I've finally been able to get this situation of my chest, and I hope that this better review will be a whole lot more satisfactory to the generable public reading these. There, I feel a lot better now. Goodbye!

This album lived up to the expectations which were first created in 1985 with the release of the hit single (with the equally successful video clip) Take on me. But, it wasn't as good, or as fulfilling as John Doe and The Warrants: The Hits 1984 - 1990. My recomendation to any A-Ha, or Duran Duran fan is get yourself a copy of this, or any of their other hit albums (Sleep On Monday, Her Name was Lena)as you definitely won't be dissappointed.

A top album - John Doe and The Warrants.

I was 14 when a-ha stepped onto the scene in 1985.
Definitely the idea for the TAKE ON ME video was stuning, all that cartoons/live mixing was fresh stuff.
Plus the song was catchy and fast became a # 1 hit on both sides of the atlantic.
THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON TV did just great here in Europe but failed to repeat success in the US - although the mannequins storyboard for its video was just as good.
And the musical bridge boasts a great violin section.
A-ha proved to be polyedric artists: HUNTING HIGH AND LOW, TRAIN OF THOUGHTS are just nuggets, THE BLOOD THAT MOVES THE BODY and THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (from the 1987 James Bond original soundtrack) border closely to high-class pop.
MANHATTAN SKYLINE and I'VE BEEN LOSING YOU are possibly the best tracks off their second album, while STAY ON THESE ROADS is a simple, well-crafted, radio-friendly tune.
The unreleased track MOVE TO MEMPHIS is stunningly poly-rhythmical, sensual and sung by a dark-voiced Morten Harkett.
The guys are long gone from the top of the charts but they're definitely not from my heart!

A-Ha were undoubtably one of the top bands of the 80's worldwide and to achieve this feat while coming from Norway makes it all the better as Norway isn't exactly renowned for producing world class bands.

Headlines And Deadlines contains all of A-Ha's hits in the UK from 1985 through to the release of this compilation in 1991 and some of the songs here higlight how good they could be when they got it right but some of the newer material just doesn't live up to past expectations and this is probably the major factor in the downfall although they have refound their form on the new album Minor Earth Major Sky.

Starting the CD with their most memorable hit and one of the most memorable videos of all time Take On Me still retains that irresistable charm and ending with their only other major hit, the UK No 1 The Sun Always Shines On TV. This is by far the best song on the CD. What may surprise people is how good the other songs on this collection are as they weren't as memorable or big at the time. I've Been Losing You has one of the catchiest chorus' around, The Living Daylights has everything a Bond theme could wish for with that great tune and Stay On These Roads is a top ballad which captures the heart with its tune even if the lyrics don't really stick in your head.

Despite all these classics and numerous others their newer material like Move To Memphis and Early Morning let the CD down greatly and you can't help but skip some tracks.

A-Ha's more edgy and almost spooky rock/pop music is some of the 80's best and this is highlights them at the top of their game and is an essential purchase for a fan of 80's music.