Customer Reviews

Minor Earth Major Sky

5 star:		(102)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Wow. This new a-ha album is the album I always wished they made. A-ha suffered greatly from never being able to sustain an album with sheer quality, they've cracked it. Maybe it took this time for them to open up and give more meaning to their songs. A classic example of that is the haunting "To let you win" which stands out as a major progression in Morten's songwriting ability which was only hinted at on his debut album Wild Seed. "Velvet" will be familiar to the die hard fans, but this track now oozes class with Morten's vocal, which will always have been a classic in it's own right. A pleasant surprise was the exceptional "I wish I cared", written by Magne on his own, this is his best song to date, although he'll never admit it.

This is not a singles album in a commercial sense, apart from the first single "Summer moved on" and the insanely catchy "You'll never get over me" which will drive you to heaven with it's stunning melody and backing vocals you would be pushed to find songs which will do well in the current market place. My only hope is that A-ha will defy that, as their record deal depends on this album being successful. Even if this is not the case and they never make another album I will always be grateful that they found the will and resolve to make this album which has touched a part of me I thought was lost forever.

I have been anticipating this album for the last year and when you wait for something so long then it's usually a anticlimax. Not true about Minor Earth/Major Sky. It's beyond my wildest expectations. It's a master piece of pop/rock music.

A-ha songwriting skills are execptional. The melodic music descripes their lyrics in great technicolour. Together the music and lyrics create a visual image in your mind. Listen to the rock based Minor Earth/Major Sky - it has a feeling of epic vastness to it. "Little black heart" is spine chilling with it's haunting melody."Summer moved on" is classic a-ha. All the songs deserves a mention, the list just goes on and on.

Over all the music can probably be descripe as elecronic with acoustic instruments intertwined - they make use of the acoustic guitar a lot which works beautiful. All songs sound different but there is a unity on the album. Only A-ha can make beautiful melancholic upbeat music. Good production really support the great music.

If you are a A-ha fan then you'll love the album. If you don't know A-ha then check it out if you want somthing different from today's mainstream pop that doesn't have any artistic integrity.

This is a terrific cd! It's bursting with potential radio/single hits. Besides the masterful first smash "SUMMER MOVED ON",there's the second upcoming single: "MINOR EARTH MAJOR SKY"; with it's guitar riffs & rock beat.The ballad "VELVET" which was said to be the second single will no doubt come out as one sometime. Then there's "LITTLE BLACK HEART"; "THE SUN NEVER SHONE THAT DAY"; "I WISH I CARED"; & the beautiful and moving ballad "TO LET YOU WIN". AHA has long been ignored in the U.S. while continuing to have hit after hit in the rest of the world. Still, there are those of us here that have appreciated their great melodious music beyond the hit "TAKE ON ME". Hopefully, with better promotion, more people in the 'States' can enjoy their music too. Check out any of their 5 studio cd's;all solid. Also another five-star cd is MORTEN HARKET'S solo cd "WILD SEED".Great listening stuff!

This is a masterpiece no one should miss! Fantastic songs, perfectly sung by Morten "agelvoice" Harket. My favorite songs on the album are "Minor Earth/ Major Sky" and "Thought that it was you"

Whatever price you will be paying for this CD, every cent will be worth it! It's been 7 looooong years since their last album "Memorial Beach", which didn't have such memorable sales figures and hits. When I found out that A-ha had released a new album, I was flabbergasted! When I heard the title track, I was in awe! Listening to the rest of the 12 tracks simply left me speechless! My heroes are back...and I certainly do hope they are here to stay! A-ha's sound is simply unique! They are equally capable of writing slow, dark, moody, haunting songs like "Minor Earth Major Sky", "Little Black Heart" and "To Let You Win", melodic acoustic tracks like "The Sun Never Shone That Day", "You'll Never Get Over Me" (my personal favourite!) and "Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count" or sweet soft ballads like "Velvet"! You simple cannot box A-ha up in one particular sound! The songs here are so diverse, you get a little bit of everything you could ever ask or hope for in a pop-rock CD! 41-year-old Morten Harket's vocals are still top-notch and they range from low and bassy ("To Let You Win") to an all-time high ("Summer Moved On")! Wow! This is a musical masterpiece! Much better than all the stuff the boy bands out there like A-1 (have you heard their cover of A-ha's "Take on Me"? A disgrace!) are putting out! Get this CD! After listening to it, I guarantee you will be persuaded to (as Morten howls in "Summer Moved On"), "Stay, don't just walk away"! :)

I was a bit wary of hearing another A-Ha album, after I was so disappointed with East Of The Sun... and Memorial Beach, but this has renewed my faith in this band. This is a masterpiece that no true music fan should be without. Unfortunately, there are no plans to release it in the USA, but as an American, I think I can safely say that most people over here wouldn't be able to appreciate an album like this anyway. It's doing very well in Europe though, and I'm glad to hear it. They deserve it. This CD is incredible.

I have pretty much been an A-ha fan from the beginning--August 1985--when I first heard "Take On Me". Over the years, in America, the band has faded into oblivion with so many other '80s artists. I always felt that they were more talented though. I fell out of touch with their music until January of 1991, when I happened to see "East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon" sitting in the new release bin of my local record store. On a lark, I bought it. I was sold from that moment on. A-ha is like the Eurythmics, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran and Inxs in that they are all able to grow and change without completely losing their fan base. They make great records that only a select few music buyers have the opportunity to enjoy. With "Minor Earth, Major Sky", in America, A-ha will probably not return to the Top 40 since we seem to be dominated by...hmm...how ironic, teeny-bopper music. Now, the men of A-ha are considered "adult contemporary" because of their age. This cd has a slew of Top 40 hits like "Minor Earth, Major Sky", "Little Black Heart", "Velvet", "Summer Moved On", "The Sun Never Shone That Day", "I Wish I Cared", "You'll Never Get Over Me", and "I Won't Forget Her". Definitely recommended for those who are A-ha fans, non-fans, and out-of-touch fans. Hopefully, it will be released in America sometime later this year.

This album is wonderful! After listening to clips on the internet for weeks, I finally got the album. It is such a nice mix of all of the talents of the band members. There is something on this album for every fan-whether their 1st of 5th album is your favorite. The songs are incredible- I have listened to nothing else for the last week!

Don't be deceived by all the whiners giving this album bad reviews because it's different! In browsing through reviews I've seen comments that Morten Harket's voice is off key in places (true enough--when it lends to the song. It's intentional people.), the songs all sound different from each other (this also is true and I thing it's exceptional), there's no catchy pop songs (I have them all stuck in my head on a daily basis, personally), and assorted other whining showing a complete lack of appreciation for the maturation of a-ha as musicians and song-writers. (/end soap box) The fact is this album is a collection of introspective songs with interesting melodies and gorgeous singing (a crush on Morten Harket? Who me? :) ). Here come the song descriptions, if you want to bottom line skip down.

The first song is the title track. Moody and atmospheric with a steady, driving guitar rhythm, it features sparse and ever-so-slightly echoing lyrics with a light touch of soaring synthesizers and occasional orchestral emphasis. It sounds astral, I wasn't really surprised at all that the video takes place on the moon.

Next up is "Little Black Heart", a Magne/Paul collaboration which begins with some gentle guitar work and slowly rolls into a minor-keyed techno-pop verse, followed by a brief ascent into a lyrical chorus. Lather, rinse, and repeat that pattern and then soar into a hopeful bridge: "someday we will shine/like the moon in the morning/like the sun when it's dawning". It defies the bitter melancholy of its title.

The romantic-sounding "Velvet" is third, and a simple but lovely song it is, dominated by soft guitar strumming and soaring lyrics. This is also on the soundtrack to "One Night At McCool's" and has a delightfully morbid video. I also think it's much, much better than the original version--sorry Savoy, but nothing tops Morten's voice for sheer beauty.

"Summer Moved On" is THE song that caught me. Morten's voice is heartbreaking, and the 20 second long note (proceeded and followed immediately with other lyrics) blows me away every time. The guitar work is lovely, the background vocals are perfectly subtle, and the rhythm of the song is gorgeous, particularly Morten's voice soaring up and being punctuated by a burst of dramatic strings. I can't say enough about how much I love this song. Listen to it! And then get "How Can I Sleep With Your Voice In My Head" and hear it live and be amazed at that 20 second note all over again. I think it may be the overall best song Paul has ever written.

"The Sun Never Shone That Day" feels lighter and less intense afterwards, a very pop dance tune with characteristically depressing lyrics. Can't help but love it for its upbeat and happy sound.

"To Let You Win" starts out with a ringing of church bells and slowly simmers throughout. It's one of two songs on the album co-written by Morten, and it does sound significantly different from Mags' and Paul's tunes. It took a while to grow on me, but it's got a soothing groove, Morten in a deep baritone for most of it, and gently regretful lyrics.

"The Company Man" ... well, this one is still growing on me, to be honest. The music is great and groovy, but I always struggle when artists do those "rock and roll experience" songs (Bon Jovi "Garage Band", Eric Clapton "You Were There" immediately come to me) because they're difficult to do without becoming cheesy and/or self-righteous. But the overall sound of this song is pleasant, and it doesn't damage the album.

Morten's second contribution, "Thought That It Was You", is next, and is my current "flavor of the day". I do find myself debating its meaning a bit--there are some very obvious Christian references, but then also a couple of other lines that don't fit that mold. The music is difficult to describe, as it varies frequently from hardly noticeable to heavy on a sparkling-sounding synthesizer and an interesting guitar sound. The chorus is lovely--I just love Morten's voice on those soaring higher notes ...

... which we get plenty of in "I Wish I Cared", the only song on the album written exclusively by Magne. I was quite surprised to find they released this as a single--would definitely not fly on American radio, just doesn't have the right sound. But we get plenty of Morten's vocal strength, simple but meaningful lyrics ("this is how it has to be/no more us and no more we" gets me every time), and gently undulating music under it all.

"Barely Hangin' On" I just barely discovered but I already love it. It reminds me very much of early Beatles in terms of lyrics, execution, and there's even a jangling in the background that reminds me of "I'm Only Sleeping". Towards the end of the song there's a skipping sort of verse leading up to the final crescendo of the chorus in a satisfying way.

"You'll Never Get Over Me" is the other song with a major vocal contribution from Lauren Savoy; although I like the rising and falling play between her and Morten's voices, her pronunciation sounds little-girlish. This song features some beautiful guitar, and is extremely well put-togther--another of my favorites. Put some headphones on and listen carefully for the subtle doubling of Morten's voice, particularly the words "whenever our voices speak/it's never our minds that meet". This is one of those places people without an ear for music might think Morten is off-key, but it's really a subtle blending of harmonies. Really a lovely breakup song, with one of those fun false endings. Just when you think it's over you get your heart pulled back into your throat.

"I Won't Forget Her" is a crazy retro-sounding song. Extremely poppish, but very smooth and groovy. The vocals are excellent (as always) and there are a number of interesting synthesizer riffs. Another good one for the headphones. The kind of song that if you close your eyes and lie still, you might find yourself floating in the depths of it. Or maybe that's just me.

"Mary Ellen Makes The Moment Count" ... ah, a-ha does "Eleanor Rigby". I think this is the weakest song on the album for that reason alone--it reminds me so strongly in content of "Eleanor Rigby" that I find myself unable to enjoy it. Just makes me was to dig out my Beatles albums.

So here's the thing: it ain't "Hunting High And Low". Nor "Memorial Beach", nor anything in between. "Minor Earth Major Sky" is its own shining example of how artists can change and still be great. It's an eclectic collection of songs to be sure, the only steady factor being Morten Harket's voice, but it works, and quite well. I consider it one of the best albums I own. I'd put it in the same league as The Cure's "Disintegration" or "Bloodflowers", in its own quirky a-ha way, but it may fall short of the sheer greatness of "Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs" or Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours". Time will tell.

After 7 years in "silence", a-ha finally decided to get back together. And we should be thankful. Because again, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy shows that he is one of the best songwriters around and Morten Harket's voice is as good as ever. The first single from the album, Summer Moved On, is a brilliant example of this.

This is not a classic, a-ha has yet to release their masterpiece (although 1993's much overlooked "Memorial Beach"and "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" from 1990 come close). But when you think of all the trash that it's out there (Britney Spears etc.), pop music does not come any better than this in the year 2000.

Song highlights: Minor Earth - Major Sky, Velvet, Summer Moved On, You'll Never Get Over Me