That’s right…a-ha as in the group that had the hit “Take On Me” about 20 years ago. (Boy, am I dating myself.)
I can’t quite describe why, but they just have a bittersweet (no self-reference intended) sound that I truly appreciate. Their first two albums, Hunting High and Low & Scoundrel Days, were well-done musically. Stay on These Roads was okay, but lacked much of the lustre of their earlier works. Then came Minor Earth, Major Sky and it was clear they had regrouped. With Lifelines, it seemed as if a-ha had come full circle. I’m listening to this album now, and it’s just…wow.
I just had to share my love for this amazing group. I’m sure there are other fans out there, but they may be far and few between…
You’re thinking of The Living Daylights, Lobsang. And I agree, it is one of the better Bond themes even if the film it was written for wasn’t up to much.
I’ve always loved them. Morten “gorgeous” Harket has a very evocative voice and they do what they do very well. I also never felt they were claiming to be anything but what they were. Not that I’ve read much about them or anything… but they always struck me as quite self-deprecating.
I liked all of their first album alot. In fact, I didn’t saw the video that made them until the late 90s. Haven’t heard any of their other work though.
I loved that video and thought the song was cute too.
The video had these animated people drawn in pencil-sketch style, similar to the kinds of sketches I do. I thought so, all my friends thought so—“Hey, your drawings look like those a-ha people!”
Sure, there are three a-ha songs that I still listen to regularly.
None of them are “Take On Me.” Although I do still think that’s a good song, I listened to it enough back in 1985 that I guess I don’t need to hear it again.
I do still listen to:
Train of Thought
Hunting High and Low
The Sun Always Shines on TV
I remember the video to that last one - this would be the one with the frozen orchestra. I think High and Low had infrared images of people dancing and playing instruments, but I may not RC.
They have one of the most excellent lyric phrases I’ve ever heard in one song on Scoundrel Days: “Cut my wrist on a bad thought…”
On the other hand, I was really into them in a period of time in which I was also really into Depeche Mode, so morbid and depressing were pretty much my whole musical world.
