A-ha released tenth studio album, Cast in Steel

First posted 9/9/2020.

Cast in Steel A-ha

Released: September 4, 2015 Peak: -- US, 8 UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.06 UK, 0.06 world (includes US and UK) Genre: synth pop

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Cast in Steel (2/12/16, --) Under the Makeup (7/3/15, --) The Wake (8/28/15, --) Forest Fire (9/15/15, --) Objects in the Mirror (2/12/16, --) Door Ajar Living at the End of the World Mythomania She’s Humming a Tune Shadow Endeavors Giving Up the Ghost Goodbye Thompson Total Running Time: 47:01 The Players: Morten Harket (vocals, guitar) Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitar, bass) Pål Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars, drums, percussion)

Rating: 3.050 out of 5.00 (average of 2 ratings)

About the Album: After 2009’s Foot of the Mountain, a-ha, the Norwegian synth-pop trio who found fame with “Take on Me” in 1985, announced their retirement. Six years later, however, they returned with their tenth studio album and a world tour. Morten Harket and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy, the band’s singer and guitarist respectively, started work on the album in New York. Pål said he played some new songs at his studio when Morten dropped by occasionally. Morten then recorded some vocals for some of the songs. Magne Furuholmen, the keyboardist, wasn’t initially involved, but said of the reunion, “The other two wanted to do it, and I had to decide: do I block it, let them do it without me, or make a fool of myself, with my statements about this being the end.” WK The three of them were never in the studio together which Pål said was common for the band. WK As of 2020, the resulting Cast in Steel album is their last recording. Like their previous effort, Foot of the Mountain, the album hit the top-ten in the UK, their sixth album overall to do so. The album was supported by five singles, although none charted in the UK or US or even their native Norway where they’d taken 19 songs to the top ten. Outside of Norway, the band did have some international success, primarily in other European countries, but were seen as little more than a one-hit wonder in the United States, even though they’d followed up the #1 hit “Take on Me” with the top-20 song “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” Notes: A deluxe edition included six bonus tracks.

Resources and Related Links: A-ha’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry AZ Amazon WK Wikipedia

Aha’s Foot of the Mountain released

Foot of the Mountain A-ha

Released: June 19, 2009 Peak: -- US, 5 UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, 0.25 world (includes US and UK) Genre: synth pop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. The Bandstand Riding the Crest What There Is Foot of the Mountain (5/5/09, 66 UK) Real Meaning Shadowside (9/21/09, --) Nothing Is Keeping You Here (9/21/09, --) Mother Nature Goes to Heaven Sunny Mystery Start the Simulator Total Running Time: 40:45 The Players: Morten Harket (vocals, guitar) Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitar, bass) Pål Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars, drums, percussion)

Rating: 3.233 out of 5.00 (average of 3 ratings) Quotable: “If this is to be a-ha's final LP, then they've undeniably gone out on a high.” – Jon O’Brien, All Music Guide Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Nearly a quarter century after finding international success with “Take on Me,” the Norwegian synth-pop trio announced that their ninth studio album, Foot of the Mountain, would be their swan song. It turned out the retirement didn’t stick as they returned for a tenth effort, Cast in Steel, in 2015, but no one knew that at the time. The album was produced by Steve Osborne, who’d worked with New Order, as well as Erik Ljunggren, Roland Spremberg and Mark Saunders. It was recorded in New York, Oslo, Hamburg, Stockholm, and Bath between the autumn of 2008 and the spring of 2009. AZ “Despite some obvious '80s influences, Foot of the Mountain is far from a contrived attempt at trying to restore former glories.” AMG The album “eschews the melancholic indie pop sound that dominated its predecessor, Analogue, and instead neatly brings their underrated career full circle by returning to the melodic electronica of their early glory days.” AMG “Opening with the galloping charge of The Bandstand, the album quickly defines itself with the keyboard intro before Morten's instantly recognizable vocals announce their return.” AZ The song “recalls the early noir-ish atmospherics of early Depeche Mode with its pulsating new romantic basslines, eerie spacy synths.” AMG “The glorious OMD-esque Riding the Crest,” AMG which also shows influences of Arcade Fire, AZ is “arguably their most infectious pop song since 1987 James Bond theme ‘The Living Daylights.’” AZ It “sounds like a number from a classic Giorgio Moroder movie soundtrack.” AZ From there, “the album flows into the melancholic What There Is before thundering back into the stunning single and title track Foot of the Mountain.” AZ The latter is “a reworking of ‘The Longest Night,’ a song from keyboardist Magne Furuholmen's previous solo album, A Dot of Black in the Blue of Your Bliss.” AMG It “is a soaring slice of emotive piano-driven pop/rock that would make Keane green with envy.” AMG The song was the band’s 19th top-ten hit in Norway. “Shadowside is a heartbreaking ballad whose string-soaked finale evokes the cinematic choristry of Sigur Rós; and the echoing effects, Chicane-style synth chords.” AMG A ”Peter Hook-influenced bassline turns Sunny Mystery into their most clubby effort to date.” AMG Both sogs incorporate “the most driving and contagious beats and lyrics of A-HA's career.” AZ “The inventive streak that runs through the album’s ten tracks isn't always quite as successful. Closing number Start the Simulator is a brave but misguided attempt at experimental post-rock, based on a rather clunky space travel metaphor that reduces Harket’s beautifully understated tones to Auto-Tuned anonymity, while Mother Nature Goes to Heaven is a wishy-washy and meandering attempt to highlight the plight of the environment, which suggests the band is much better at tackling more personal themes than heavy-handed issues.” AMG But while many acts bow out of their careers with lackluster and hastily assembled efforts, Foot of the Mountain is the sound of a band you feel has much more to offer. If this is to be a-ha's final LP, then they've undeniably gone out on a high.” AMG It “is an album that cements A-HA's position in the world of pop.” AZ

Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for A-ha AMG All Music Guide review by Jon O’Brien AZ Amazon WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 9/9/2020; updated 8/9/2021.

Aha released Analogue

Analogue A-ha

Released: November 4, 2005 Peak: -- US, 24 UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.06 UK, 0.06 world (includes US and UK) Genre: synth pop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Celice (10/7/05, --) Don’t Do Me Any Favours Cosy Prisons (4/17/06, 39 UK) Analogue (All I Want) (1/23/06, 10 UK) Birthright (10/28/05, --) Holy Ground Over the Treetops Halfway Through the Tour A Fine Blue Line Keeper of the Flame Make It Soon White Dwarf The Summers of Our Youth Total Running Time: 54:43 The Players: Morten Harket (vocals, guitar) Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitar, bass) Pål Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars, drums, percussion)

Rating: 3.033 out of 5.00 (average of 3 ratings) Quotable: “A return to form.” – Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Thanks to the international success of “Take on Me” in 1985, a-ha became “one of the most popular Norwegian bands of all time.” AZ “Lead singer Morten Harket's incredible falsetto has wowed audiences for over two decades, and this new album shows real progression without straying too far from the band's trademark sound.” AZ While the U.S. market largely forgot about a-ha after their debut album, they’ve never really been away so “Analogue was hardly a comeback but a continuation of their 20-plus years of hitmaking. If anything, it was a return to form after the disappointing Lifelines album.” AMG The trio’s eighth studio endeavor kicks off with Celice, which features Harket’s “trademark falsetto vocals over a beat driven song.” AMG The song also served as the first single, released only in Europe. It was the band’s ninth, and, to-date, final #1 song in Norway. The title cut, Analogue (All I Want) was also released as a single and became the band’s first top-ten hit in the UK since 1988’s “Stay on These Roads” AMG and the band’s eighteenth top-ten hit in Norway. “Pål Waaktaar's fuzzy guitar dominates Make It Soon but Analogue is mainly a very laid-back album; only a few of its 13 tracks are up-tempo in the style of their classic era ‘Take on Me,’ and most of the tracks are piano led, melancholy ballads including Cozy Prisons, Birthright, A Fine Blue Line, and The Summers of Your Youth.” AMG Graham Nash guests with backing vocals on “Cozy Prisons” and Over the Teardrops. “The harmonies on the latter song sound almost like one of CSN & Y’s own.” AMG Halfway Through the Tour is one of the album’s more unusual songs. It is “a synth-beat number over seven minutes long. It’s a strange song which appears to finish at the standard three-minute mark but then continues for a further four minutes as a flute instrumental with echoes of ‘Nights in White Satin.’” AMG Notes: An iTunes store version of the album included two remixes of “Celice.”

Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for A-ha AMG All Music Guide review by Sharon Mawer AZ Amazon WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 9/9/2020; updated 8/9/2021.

Aha released Lifelines

Lifelines A-ha

Released: April 2, 2002 Peak: -- US, 67 UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US and UK) Genre: synth pop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Lifelines (7/8/02, 78 UK) You Wanted More Forever Not Yours (4/2/02, --) There’s a Reason for It Time & Again Did Anyone Approach You? (9/30/02, --) Afternoon High Oranges on Appletrees A Little Bit Less Than Pure Turn the Lights Down Cannot Hide White Canvas Dragonfly Solace Total Running Time: 61:34 The Players: Morten Harket (vocals, guitar) Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitar, bass) Pål Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars, drums, percussion)

Rating: 3.333 out of 5.00 (average of 3 ratings) Quotable: “Their most varied, versatile and multicolored album.” – Amazon Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Synth-pop trio A-ha first emerged with the international hit “Take on Me” in 1985. They released five studio albums over the next decade before taking a seven-year hiatus. “Time had moved on, things had grown: Magne Furuholmen was working with visual arts as well as music, Pål Waaktaar-Savoy’s Band Savoy had released their fourth album Reasons to Stay Indoors (2001), and Morten Harket had developed a successful solo career and had become a songwriter on his own.” AZ A-ha wasn’t done yet, though. They returned with Minor Earth, Major Sky in 2000 and followed up with Lifelines two years later. It was “a difference from their last effort yet undeniably a-ha.” AMG The album “proved they were back and brilliant as ever, if not even better.” AZ “For Lifelines each band member contributed his personal compositions to the album, which finally was produced by six different producers including Stephen Hague, Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley and Martin Landquist. Anneli Drecker gave her beautiful voice to some of the songs. As their most varied, versatile and multicolored album, Lifelines gained international critical respect and went number 1 in Germany.” AZ “The album begins with a lush ballad -- which is typical a-ha, pastoral with support orchestration – almost like a modern day Moody Blues. You Wanted More also follows this trait, only darker with spiky electronics.” AMG “Afternoon High sketches out ‘70s pastel glory similar to what Tears for Fears were getting at with parts of the Seeds of Love album.” AMG There are shades of Minor Earth Major Sky in that they keep the sugary neigh pleasant ballads vein to full emotional effect on Turn the Lights Down, Time and Again…Cannot Hide opts for a Jennifer Paige ‘Crush’ vibe with George Harrison-style guitar.” AMG Forever Not Yours served as the lead single from the album and became the band’s eighth chart-topper in Norway. The song’s “pleasant dramatism echoes Darren Hayes’ recent ‘Insatiable.’” AMG Notes: A deluxe edition included alternate mixes of “Did Anyone Approach You” and “Time & Again.” A 2019 deluxe edition added a second disc of demos.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for A-ha AMG All Music Guide review by Kelvin Hayes AZ Amazon WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 9/9/2020; updated 8/9/2021.

Aha released Minor Earth, Major Sky

Minor Earth, Major Sky A-ha

Released: July 17, 2000 Peak: -- US, 27 UK, -- CN, 169 AU Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US and UK) Genre: synth pop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Minor Earth Major Sky (7/10/00, --) Little Black Heart Velvet (9/14/00, --) Summer Moved On (5/22/00, 33 UK) The Sun Never Shone That Day (9/21/00, --) To Let You Win The Company Man Thought That I Was You I Wish I Cared Barely Hanging On You’ll Never Get Over Me I Won’t Forget Her Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count Total Running Time: 58:42 The Players: Morten Harket (vocals, guitar) Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitar, bass) Pål Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars, drums, percussion)

Rating: 3.667 out of 5.00 (average of 3 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “A-ha's sixth studio CD came seven years after their previous album, Memorial Beach, and in that time it seems that a-ha mellowed out. They do not seem to have concern about attracting the youth/dance market, but instead seem to be focusing in on how to make perfect middle-of-the-road pop songs with ‘90s technology. This is not a criticism, as it produces several fantastic songs, such as Little Black Heart and the wonderful I Wish That I Cared. These, and many others, are full of catchy, beautiful melodies and Morten Harket’s vocals are near perfect as usual; his voice has not lowered one octave since their debut.” AMG “The one problem with this CD is the relative sameness to some of the music. The tempos do not change a great deal, and by the end the songs seem to run together. More variety would have been beneficial. However, in terms of production, this is as close to perfect as a CD can get, and the lyrics keep things interesting throughout. Overall, a good album, and one that fans will enjoy.” AMG “On its release Minor Earth, Major Sky was an instant number one, platinum awarded success in Norway and in Germany. Gold discs came in Austria, Spain and Switzerland. The title track Minor Earth, Major Sky and Velvet followed Summer Moved On as singles, the latter hitting No. 1 in Norway and top-10 in Germany.” AZ “The deluxe version of Minor Earth, Major Sky is more than just another reissue of a hit album, with demos, early versions and alternate mixes. Disc two amounts to an entirely new take on the album. Early versions of the title track ‘Minor Earth, Major Sky,’ ‘Velvet,’ ‘Summer Moved On’ and the enormous powerful version of The Sun Never Shone That Day as well as other takes that did not make it on the final cut reveal the sparkles of songwriting and the process of an idea becoming a hit. Four live-performances in Oslo taken from their 2001 tour prove the grandeur of an a-ha live performance.” AZ

Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for A-ha AZ Amazon AMG Aaron Badgley, All Music Guide Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 1/18/2009; updated 8/9/2021.

Aha released Memorial Beach

First posted 1/18/2009; updated 9/10/2020.

Memorial Beach A-ha

Released: June 14, 1993 Peak: -- US, 17 UK, -- CN, 132 AU Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US and UK) Genre: synth pop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Dark Is the Night for All (5/24/93, 19 UK) Move to Memphis (10/14/91, 47 UK) Cold as Stone Angel in the Snow (9/6/93, 41 UK) Locust Lie Down in Darkness How Sweet It Was Lamb to the Slaughter Between Your Mama and Yourself Memorial Beach Total Running Time: 49:33 The Players: Morten Harket (vocals, guitar) Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitar, bass) Pål Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars, drums, percussion)

Rating: 3.200 out of 5.00 (average of 5 ratings)

About the Album: “For its fifth album, a-ha varies its style somewhat, trying for a U2 approach on lead-off track Dark Is the Night for All. This is a long way from the peppy appeal of ‘Take on Me,’ but just as far from an improvement.” AMG “An earlier version of Move to Memphis appeared on the compilation, Headlines and Deadlines ,” WK released in 1991. “Some lyrics from Locust were reused on the Savoy single ‘Whalebone.’” WK Savoy was a side project launched by guitarist Pal Waaktaar and keyboardist Magne “Mags” Furuholmen during aha’s hiatus. Aha wouldn’t release another album until 2000.

Resources and Related Links: A-ha’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry AMG William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide WK Wikipedia

Aha released East of the Sun, West of the Moon

First posted 1/18/2009; updated 9/12/2020.

East of the Sun, West of the Moon A-ha

Released: October 22, 1990 Peak: -- US, 12 UK, -- CN, 122 AU Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.06 UK, 0.06 world (includes US and UK) Genre: synth pop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Crying in the Rain (10/1/90, 13 UK) Early Morning (2/25/91, 78 UK) I Call Your Name (12/3/90 44 UK) Slender Frame East of the Sun Sycamore Leaves Waiting for Her Cold River The Way We Talk Rolling Thunder Seemingly Nonstop July Total Running Time: 42:46 The Players: Morten Harket (vocals, guitar) Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitar, bass) Pål Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars, drums, percussion)

Rating: 3.500 out of 5.00 (average of 3 ratings)

About the Album: The synth-pop trio best known for the international 1985 hit “Take on Me,” showed they deserved to be taken more seriously. “This is a nicely crafted collection of songs, performed and sung beautifully, with lots of echoes and suggestions tucked into the music…It’s an album that's a pleasure to listen to and one that deserves a better reception than the one, unfortunately, that it seems to have gotten.” AMG The album, with a title taken from a Norwegian fairy tale, was co-produced by Ian Stanley, formerly of Tears for Fears. than “the band’s earlier radio-friendly sound” WK on hits like the aforementioned “Take on Me” and “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” and songs from the 1988 Stay on These Roads like “Touchy!” and “You Are the One.” Still, the “darker, moodier tone” WK of East of the Sun isn’t a complete surprise. The Norwegian trio had hinted at more serious work, especially on their sophomore album Scoundrel Days on songs like the title track and “Manhattan Skyline.” In Norway, the album was a-ha’s fourth consecutive #1, led by their cover of the Everly Brothers’ Crying in the Rain. The song was the band’s sixth #1 song in Norway. In the UK, it was a top-20 hit. Follow-up singles I Call Your Name and Early Morning didn’t chart in Norway, but were minor hits in the UK. The Way We Talk is an album highlight. At only a minute-and-a-half, it’s the shortest song in the trio’s catalog. It features a faraway sounding voice accompanied by a moody piano, an interesting departure from the band’s typically more synth-heavy sound.

Resources and Related Links: A-ha’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry AMG Steven McDonald, All Music Guide WK Wikipedia

Aha released Stay on These Roads

First posted 1/18/2009; updated 9/12/2020.

Stay on These Roads A-ha

Released: May 1, 1988 Peak: 148 US, 2 UK, -- CN, 55 AU Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.1 UK, 0.1 world (includes US and UK) Genre: synth pop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Stay on These Roads (3/14/88, 5 UK, 56 UK) The Blood That Moves the Body (6/6/88, 25 UK) Touchy! (8/15/88, 11 UK) This Alone Is Love Hurry Home The Living Daylights (6/22/87, 5 UK, 29 AU) There’s Never a Forever Thing Out of Blue Comes Green You Are the One (11/21/88, 13 UK) You’ll End Up Crying Total Running Time: 43:16 The Players: Morten Harket (vocals, guitar) Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitar, bass) Pål Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars, drums, percussion)

Rating: 2.875 out of 5.00 (average of 4 ratings)

About the Album: After 1985’s Hunting High and Low and the international #1 hit “Take on Me,” the Norwegian synth-pop trio a-ha fell off the radar in America with their second album, Scoundrel Days, only managing a #50 peak with the song “Cry Wolf.” With their third album, Stay on These Roads, a-ha seemed ready to redeem themselves as a group who could craft catchy songs that deserved radio attention in the U.S. The singles Touchy! and You Are the One weren’t on par with “Take on Me,” but seemed deserving of at least minor attention in the states. They failed to chart there, but were both top-20 hits in the UK. Even more surprising was the The Living Daylights didn’t even dent the charts, considering its placement in the James Bond movie of the same name. It seemed like a surefire top-40 hit. It was – in Norway – where it became the trio’s fourth #1 song. It was also a top-5 hit in the UK, but in the U.S. it went nowhere. The title cut was also a top-5 hit in the UK and #1 in Norway. It maintained some of the more intriguing, less-poppy sound of some of the material on Scoundrel Days but proved a-ha could still craft very listenable fare even when they were being more serious. While the album only got to #155 on the U.S. Billboard album chart, the band showed they still had an audience in the UK, where Stay on These Roads was their third straight to peak at #2, and in Norway where the album was the band’s third #1.

Resources and Related Links: A-ha’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry AMG William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Aha released Scoundrel Days

First posted 1/18/2009; updated 9/10/2020.

Scoundrel Days A-ha

Released: October 6, 1986 Peak: 74 US, 2 UK, -- CN, 17 AU Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.3 UK, 0.3 world (includes US and UK) Genre: synth pop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Scoundrel Days The Swing of Things I’ve Been Losing You (9/22/86, 8 UK, 21 AU) October Manhattan Skyline (2/16/87, 13 UK) Cry Wolf (11/24/86, 50 US, 5 UK, 45 AU) We’re Looking for the Whales The Weight of the Wind Maybe, Maybe Soft Rains of April Total Running Time: 38:41 The Players: Morten Harket (vocals, guitar) Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitar, bass) Pål Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars, drums, percussion)

Rating: 3.938 out of 5.00 (average of 4 ratings)

About the Album: “While not quite as strong as the band’s debut, Scoundrel Days is still a-ha succeeding as a marketed ‘pretty boy’ band which can connect musically and lyrically as much as any musical sacred cow. The opening two songs alone make for one of the best one-two opening punches around: the tense edge of the title track, featuring one of Morten Harket’s soaring vocals during the chorus and a crisp, pristine punch in the music, and The Swing of Things, a moody, elegant number with a beautiful synth/guitar arrangement (plus some fine drumming courtesy of studio pro Michael Sturgis) and utterly lovelorn lyrical sentiments that balance on the edge of being overheated without quite going over.” AMG “Although the rest of the disc never quite hits as high as the opening, it comes close more often than not. A definite downturn is the band’s occasional attempts to try and prove themselves as a ‘real’ band by rocking out, as on I’ve Been Losing You; there’s really no need for it, and as a result they sound much more ‘fake,’ ironically enough.” AMG “Other songs can perhaps only be explained by the need to translate lyrics – We’re Looking for the Whales isn’t an environmental anthem, and neither is Cry Wolf, but both also don’t really succeed in using nature as romantic metaphor.” AMG “When a-ha are on, though, they’re on – October snakes along on a cool bass/keyboard arrangement and a whispery vocal from Harket; Maybe Maybe is a quirky little pop number that’s engagingly goofy; while Soft Rains of April captures the band at its most dramatic, with the string synths giving Harket a perfect bed to launch into a lovely vocal, concluding with a sudden, hushed whisper. The ‘80s may be long gone, but Scoundrel Days makes clear that not everything was bad back then.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: A-ha’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry AMG Ned Raggett, All Music Guide