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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a-ha's finest moment, March 6, 2005
So, after all the euphoria started to die down, as is the way in the sparkly world of pop music, the little girls stopped screaming so loudly and Morten, Mags and Pal finally got around to making a follow up to "Hunting High And Low".
Can still remember the first time I heard the lead single from this album, "I've Been Losing You", on the radio. The DJ in question, believe it was Radio 1 actually, had been saying how they were going to be playing the as yet unheard new single from a-ha. After the song finished, he began talking and was caught out by the "fake" ending.
This sounded radically different to what I'd heard from a-ha previously. Having been a massive fan of "The Sun Always Shine On TV", I knew a-ha could turn their hands to symphonic, BIG sounding pop records, but this was a revelation. Morten's voice sounded slightly more hoarse and worn than it had done previously, the track chugged along menacingly, sequenced synths were buried deep within the mix and the drums, well, it sounded like the drums had been turned up to eleven! (copyright Spinal Tap).
Yet this new, "grown up" sound was still balanced by a-ha's pop sensibilities, a cracking melody that allowed Morten's voice to soar over the arrangement. I was hooked.
From the moment I bought "Scoundrel Days" on vinyl, I was awestruck. There are some truly wonderful pop songs and esoteric lyrics to be found on this album. The title track, "The Swing Of Things", "I've Been Losing You", "Manhattan Skyline", "The Weight Of The Wind", "The Soft Rains Of April" still sound as fresh and vital to me today as they did in 1986. Although some of the synth pads have dated somewhat (there are Yamaha DX7s all OVER the place) the production still sounds great with plenty of room for the melodies and Morten's ever beautiful voice.
The only minor hiccup is Mags' playful "Maybe, Maybe", which to this day still sounds like a musical joke ("Maybe it was OVER when you chucked me out the ROVER at full speed", hmmmm).
To this day, "Scoundrel Days" remains one of my favourite albums of all time, a piece ofmusic that really does "take you on a journey". I remember being 15 years old, listening to it on my walkman headphones as I was in bed at night, the music cunjouring images of landscapes and wide open spaces. Morten's voice on "Scoundrel Days", the title track as he hits the high note just before the second chorus STILL sends shivers down my spine - "And SEEEEEEEEE as our lives are in the making"!!!
Just buy it. It's bloody brilliant!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Afraid This Album May Got Out Of Print, July 25, 2002
"Scoundrel Days" - I'm not sure many people even knew this album existed. I for one think it is as good as "Hunting High And Low". A-ha shows a little more maturity and innovation since their previosu release. There's a spiritualness to "Scoundrel Days" that was just touched upon on their first album. My all time favorite A-ha song is "Scoundrel Days". It starts low, builds and hits you hard in the chorus as Hacket belts out some of the best lyrics from any A-ha track. I also like "I've Been Losing You", "Manhatten Skyline" and "We're Looking For The Whales". I can't believe you can only get the import of this album now. That's a shame, since it is such a strong effort by a misunderstood band.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great except for one song, August 22, 2004
I'm a huge classic rock fan but always loved this album! It is a lot more sophisticated than the Hunting High & Low album, and a lot darker which is probably why it didn't catch on in the US.
The way the music flows UPWARD on a sad song like "Soft Rains of April" is genius...this a similar effect the Beatles used on "She's Leaving Home".
The title song is very visual...like it could be the soundtrack to a short film. And the structure of "The Swing Of Things" begins to get more more complex than that of the usual pop song (you can hear A-ha getting out of the vein of Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus/Instrumental/Chorus).
There are also just some catchy pop tunes like "Cry Wolf", and the really bad "Maybe Maybe" which sounds like it was just a throwaway fun song (though possibly good as somewhat comic relief for this otherwise dark album). Aside from "Maybe, Maybe" I can listen to this whole album.
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