Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Smart pop , August 14, 2005
By the time this album came out in 1988, my interest in A-ha was a bit on the wane. I had been a diehard fan, loved every single song in their first album and one of my favorite songs of all time is in their second ('The Swing of things'). By then I was playing football and being "tough", moving into harder (and more "manly") Metal. Yet, while A-ha's symphonic synthetizers and passionate lyrics still beaconed, somehow the release of this album failed excite me at all; I remember reading with disinterest of the release of the first single, Stay on These Roads, in a local Sunday paper and thought I had moved on.
A few weeks later I happened to hear the song in the radio. I wasn't blown away, it was better, it moved me deeply; it is lush, panoramic and intoxicating. I couldn't disagree more with a previous reviewer who advises to "skip it", Stay on hese Roads is one of the most moving songs I've ever heard. I purchased the tape a few months later and it became a staple in my walkman.
Yes, A-ha was getting more mature, but there were hints of it in their previous albums. For a band that was influenced, first and foremost by The Doors, A-ha had somehow, deliberately or not, turned into a poppish band. As a digression, there is a video on the net of the very first release of 'Take on Me' (not the cool MTV video) and by golly it is just a step above Wham! in the bubble-gum chart. Of course, that made them appealling to a much younger audience; a few years later I found an article-review of a concert from this album, and most of the comments were made by 12-14 year old girls. The benefit to them is that as A-ha tours Europe today, they sing to mostly to 28-30 year old women (far thinking Norwegians!). There was however, an edge to their music that they refused to hide, and an undeniable caliber of talent. That is where this album comes in.
SOTR was different; 'The Blood that Moves the Body' is a mature and somewhat troubling song (as so many others penned by Pal). Yet it is VERY well arranged and constructed. 'This Alone is Love' showcases the band's awesome musical abilities, it is a controled and passionate song; it goes beyond the length of a regular song without falling victim to musical over-ambitiousness. Here, Mags' keyboard creativity makes the song soar. The same can be said -to a slightly lesser degree- about "Out of the Blue Comes Green', yet in this one, it is Morten's voice that sells the song.
'Hurry Home' is a song I can listen to all day, despite some of the layered yelps in the background. It is a great song.
'The Living Daylights' written originally for the Bond movie by the same title, sounds much better than the original version released with the movie a year before. If you ever feel playful, listen to it while driving.
'There's Never a Forever Thing' is in a way the opposite of 'This Alone is Love'; it is shorter than usual and surprisingly simple. A bit sappy for my taste these days, but a beautiful song nevertheless.
"You'll End Up Crying' is the odd duck. It is extra short and just... odd. It's sung by -I've always thought- all three of them. Very nuanced in its arrangements, listen for the only time a tuba ever sounded good in a song! I absolutely love this one.
'Touchy' and 'You Are the One' I left for last. These songs are hard to listen to today, at least for me. For a while I thought that 'Touchy' needed to be figured out, like it had a hidden message or something. The answer is no; the song doesn't really say anything, and here the band comes dangerously close (but not quite) to bubble gum pop. And while today I'd feel like ducking the album a star for them, I have to be fair to the teenager in me and admit that there was a time in which I enjoyed them shamelessly.
The art of the album really fits it; there is a blue, delicate and wet quality to it, a winterish vibe, if that makes sense.
This is perhaps a little gem that may have gone unnoticed by you in the 80s. With very minor exceptions it is something worth picking up today. It is superbly produced and put together, magnificently performed and intelligently written. Questionably A-ha's best album, we only wish more pop was this sophisticated.
|
|
|
21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Undercooked A-Ha, December 16, 1999
This is the only effort by the Scandinavian crew that I came away from with a bad taste in my mouth. The album has the feel of a collection of earlier songs that were passed up for publication. This is the type of half hearted effort that comes about when a group or artist feels pressured to release a new album. The only bright spots are "Hurry Home" and "Stay On These Roads". Not enough . Bring on the raspberry jam guys.
|
|
|
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!, June 25, 1999
By A Customer
a-ha's third album, and their last synth-pop venture, is a complete success! Their maturing sound, which becomes evident on their next album, peeks through a bit here and delivers wonderfully. Too bad a lot of people missed out on it. Highly recommended!!!
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by a-ha 
