All IMHO -
So, my first musical love was Journey, but it wasn't my own discovery as it was influenced by my brother. So in 1985, when the incredibly innovative music video for "Take on Me" played on Video One (we didn't have cable so no MTV), I was mesmerized. Now, the tune itself is pop-light and catchy, but it was the animation of the video segments, the storytelling, and the uber-gorgeous Morten Harket that captured my young heart! I was hooked and a-ha became my number one band.
Ah, blessed are those money-grubbing "tween" (word that didn't exist back then) magazines like TigerBeat which I shed many a dollar (courtesy of Mom) to acquire for the sheer purpose of covering every space of bareness on my bedroom walls. More than any other pinup, the room was graced with those of Morten or of the trio: Morten Harket, Pal (paul) Waaktaar, and Magne "Mags" Furuholmen.
To this day, the "Take on Me" video is one of the most memorable of the Eighties and is oft copied or paid in homage to - there is yet to be an animated video that doesn't bring up comparisons to a-ha's debut.
circa 1986
So their 2005 debut album, HUNTING HIGH & LOW, would become a hit seller and one any pop-loving music lover from the Eighties would grow up to own.
I waited eagerly for their sophomore effort, SCOUNDREL DAYS, which released in 1986 along with a promotional tour. Oh, if only we had the Internet and such integrated announcements then! I ended up finding out about ticket sales for a-ha at the Universal Amphitheatre a week after it started, and I also didn't know about a thing called ticket brokers. My love for a-ha was so great, I am sure Mom would have allowed me a decent amount of cash to get something as close to front row center as possible. Needless to say, my ignorance afforded me two seats in the Loge towards the back of that section, a couple off dead center. At least I got tickets, right?
Anyway, this ended up being my first concert ever and I had to find one person willing to take me who could also drive me there! I was able to convince a friend who was my youth leader (church stuff) to take me and she was a doll for doing it. However, as she had no idea about the band nor their music, it was hard for me to enjoy the evening to my fullest potential; that and the fact I was so far back, I could hardly see their faces and this was before the helpful addition of Jumbotrons.
After that concert, I swore to my young self that one day, I would see them again and see them perform in their native country of Norway. As the years rolled by, and as I purchased every album that followed (1988's Stay on These Roads, the theme song for "The Living Daylights" - Timothy Dalton's first James Bond turn, 1991's East of the Sun West of the Moon, 1993's Memorial Beach, and a compilation album entitled Headlines and Deadlines I found while living abroad in Paris), I waited for their next concert tour in the States. And I waited. And waited.
I pretty much gave up by 1991 since that album wasn't even promoted in the U.S. and I found all the other albums by chance or as an import only, so the possibility of them touring in Los Angeles, let alone the U.S. seemed next to nil.
Also by the Nineties, my musical groups had evolved away from what I loved so much as a pre-teen and it didn't help that the American music scene pretty much considered them dead after their second album; some never even knew they had released a sophomore effort. But there burned a tiny candle of hope within my breast that a-ha would return and I kept wishing.
The nearest opportunity that arose was their performances at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, but there was no way I could get there, let alone during the Olympics! But knowing they were back on the scene was a relief. And then later that year, they disbanded. Needless to say, I was crushed.
I followed Morten's solo effort WILD SEED, heard Mags became a well-respected artist, and Pal Waaktaar formed Savoy with Lauren Savoy and later became Paul Waaktaar Savoy when they got married. I'd filed a-ha towards the back of my memory warehouse* under my childhood memories and left it alone.
Skip to "the year 2000 (one must sing this like Labamba ala Conan O'Brien)!"
a-ha had reunited to perform at the Nobel Prize ceremony in 1998, and they worked well enough together to release the album Minor Earth|Major Sky. Perhaps absence made their hearts grow fonder, because the songs that comprise this album were some of the best a-ha has ever made.
Minor Earth|Major Sky (2000)
Without a doubt, this is the album I have been recommending to anyone who is willing to fore go any prejudices about their sound in thinking they are only a product of the synth-pop Eighties. What actually hurt them was the fact that every album they released was a constant change in style - I think people expected SD to be another HH&L, but their second album was more rock than pop, and it confused listeners. (I say people & listeners because their fans stayed true and embraced their changes.)
Also, whether or not one loves their music, a-ha has been an innovator with every music video they have released. Nothing will surpass "Take on Me" but their artistic creativity and their desire to put out something interesting is evident in every video they have made (possibly minus SOTR but I think it was a question of budget. That's my story and I'm sticking to it).
One of my favorite songs is "Velvet" which is off MEMS and I remember thinking it was a racy video which shows murder, flesh, and a party at the morgue. A far departure from the pretty boys who tried to rescue the girl from animated bad guys, non?
The year 2000 brought showed the Norwegian trio embracing the advancement of the Internet by broadcasting their MEMS concert live via webcast from Norway. I beseeched my tech friends by asking to borrow their bandwidth (which meant going to their place and begging to use someone's computer) so I could watch this historical event. They were kind enough not to laugh at me, inquired if a-ha were still alive, but let me have full use of a room to watch from beginning to end.
The success of MEMS led to their next album, LIFELINES, in 2002 along with a live album entitled HOW CAN I SLEEP WITH YOUR VOICE IN MY HEAD (a line from one of my favorite songs, "The Swing of Things" from SD). And then two years later, it finally happened.
Now that a-ha were back on the scene, there was some activity abrewin' about them. And with the expansion of the Internet, there was finally information at the ready that was never as easily available to fans located across the globe.
Early 2004, it was announced that a-ha would be the main act as per of Bergen, Norway's annual Folkefest outdoor concert. The date was June 4, 2004, with information about when tickets would go on sale and how fans could purchase them. I swore that if I was able to score tickets to this festival, I would get myself to Norway, come hell or high water!
So sometime in March, several minutes past 11pm local time, I phoned Norway's Ticketmaster until I got through. I was able to get an English speaking saleswoman who was patient enough to explain the available ticket locations and the costs. I purchased two tickets - and there began my plans to head to Norway!
I took two weeks off from work and because there were no direct flights to Bergen from Los Angeles, I bookended the visit to Norway with a couple of days in London (also my first time to the U.K.) . The summer days ran long so I waited for 4 hours on my feet from the time the concert began with opening acts till 10pm when the evening barely got darker and a-ha graced the stage.
18 years after seeing them in Los Angeles, I fulfilled my childhood wish of seeing a-ha perform in their native Norway. I traversed this adventure alone but it made sense as no one within my network of friends could possibly feel the joy I felt as I sang every song to my heart's content. It was a triumphant moment in my life as I made my own wish come true.
Even now, a-ha continue to release albums and go on tours. While their name in the U.S. only come up during "One Hit Wonders" or "Eighties Flashback" video countdowns, a-ha continue to do well internationally.
circa 2004
For one thing, they have aged incredibly gracefully and look amazing still (especially Morten, and I think Mags is even hotter now than when he was younger!).
They've been paid homage by many bands including The Delays' cover of "The Sun Always Shines on TV" and Coldplay's Chris Martin who
So, my first musical love was Journey, but it wasn't my own discovery as it was influenced by my brother. So in 1985, when the incredibly innovative music video for "Take on Me" played on Video One (we didn't have cable so no MTV), I was mesmerized. Now, the tune itself is pop-light and catchy, but it was the animation of the video segments, the storytelling, and the uber-gorgeous Morten Harket that captured my young heart! I was hooked and a-ha became my number one band.
Ah, blessed are those money-grubbing "tween" (word that didn't exist back then) magazines like TigerBeat which I shed many a dollar (courtesy of Mom) to acquire for the sheer purpose of covering every space of bareness on my bedroom walls. More than any other pinup, the room was graced with those of Morten or of the trio: Morten Harket, Pal (paul) Waaktaar, and Magne "Mags" Furuholmen.
To this day, the "Take on Me" video is one of the most memorable of the Eighties and is oft copied or paid in homage to - there is yet to be an animated video that doesn't bring up comparisons to a-ha's debut.
circa 1986
So their 2005 debut album, HUNTING HIGH & LOW, would become a hit seller and one any pop-loving music lover from the Eighties would grow up to own.I waited eagerly for their sophomore effort, SCOUNDREL DAYS, which released in 1986 along with a promotional tour. Oh, if only we had the Internet and such integrated announcements then! I ended up finding out about ticket sales for a-ha at the Universal Amphitheatre a week after it started, and I also didn't know about a thing called ticket brokers. My love for a-ha was so great, I am sure Mom would have allowed me a decent amount of cash to get something as close to front row center as possible. Needless to say, my ignorance afforded me two seats in the Loge towards the back of that section, a couple off dead center. At least I got tickets, right?
Anyway, this ended up being my first concert ever and I had to find one person willing to take me who could also drive me there! I was able to convince a friend who was my youth leader (church stuff) to take me and she was a doll for doing it. However, as she had no idea about the band nor their music, it was hard for me to enjoy the evening to my fullest potential; that and the fact I was so far back, I could hardly see their faces and this was before the helpful addition of Jumbotrons.
After that concert, I swore to my young self that one day, I would see them again and see them perform in their native country of Norway. As the years rolled by, and as I purchased every album that followed (1988's Stay on These Roads, the theme song for "The Living Daylights" - Timothy Dalton's first James Bond turn, 1991's East of the Sun West of the Moon, 1993's Memorial Beach, and a compilation album entitled Headlines and Deadlines I found while living abroad in Paris), I waited for their next concert tour in the States. And I waited. And waited.
I pretty much gave up by 1991 since that album wasn't even promoted in the U.S. and I found all the other albums by chance or as an import only, so the possibility of them touring in Los Angeles, let alone the U.S. seemed next to nil.
Also by the Nineties, my musical groups had evolved away from what I loved so much as a pre-teen and it didn't help that the American music scene pretty much considered them dead after their second album; some never even knew they had released a sophomore effort. But there burned a tiny candle of hope within my breast that a-ha would return and I kept wishing.
The nearest opportunity that arose was their performances at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, but there was no way I could get there, let alone during the Olympics! But knowing they were back on the scene was a relief. And then later that year, they disbanded. Needless to say, I was crushed.
I followed Morten's solo effort WILD SEED, heard Mags became a well-respected artist, and Pal Waaktaar formed Savoy with Lauren Savoy and later became Paul Waaktaar Savoy when they got married. I'd filed a-ha towards the back of my memory warehouse* under my childhood memories and left it alone.
Skip to "the year 2000 (one must sing this like Labamba ala Conan O'Brien)!"
a-ha had reunited to perform at the Nobel Prize ceremony in 1998, and they worked well enough together to release the album Minor Earth|Major Sky. Perhaps absence made their hearts grow fonder, because the songs that comprise this album were some of the best a-ha has ever made.
Minor Earth|Major Sky (2000)
Without a doubt, this is the album I have been recommending to anyone who is willing to fore go any prejudices about their sound in thinking they are only a product of the synth-pop Eighties. What actually hurt them was the fact that every album they released was a constant change in style - I think people expected SD to be another HH&L, but their second album was more rock than pop, and it confused listeners. (I say people & listeners because their fans stayed true and embraced their changes.)Also, whether or not one loves their music, a-ha has been an innovator with every music video they have released. Nothing will surpass "Take on Me" but their artistic creativity and their desire to put out something interesting is evident in every video they have made (possibly minus SOTR but I think it was a question of budget. That's my story and I'm sticking to it).
One of my favorite songs is "Velvet" which is off MEMS and I remember thinking it was a racy video which shows murder, flesh, and a party at the morgue. A far departure from the pretty boys who tried to rescue the girl from animated bad guys, non?
The year 2000 brought showed the Norwegian trio embracing the advancement of the Internet by broadcasting their MEMS concert live via webcast from Norway. I beseeched my tech friends by asking to borrow their bandwidth (which meant going to their place and begging to use someone's computer) so I could watch this historical event. They were kind enough not to laugh at me, inquired if a-ha were still alive, but let me have full use of a room to watch from beginning to end.
The success of MEMS led to their next album, LIFELINES, in 2002 along with a live album entitled HOW CAN I SLEEP WITH YOUR VOICE IN MY HEAD (a line from one of my favorite songs, "The Swing of Things" from SD). And then two years later, it finally happened.
Now that a-ha were back on the scene, there was some activity abrewin' about them. And with the expansion of the Internet, there was finally information at the ready that was never as easily available to fans located across the globe.
Early 2004, it was announced that a-ha would be the main act as per of Bergen, Norway's annual Folkefest outdoor concert. The date was June 4, 2004, with information about when tickets would go on sale and how fans could purchase them. I swore that if I was able to score tickets to this festival, I would get myself to Norway, come hell or high water!
So sometime in March, several minutes past 11pm local time, I phoned Norway's Ticketmaster until I got through. I was able to get an English speaking saleswoman who was patient enough to explain the available ticket locations and the costs. I purchased two tickets - and there began my plans to head to Norway!
I took two weeks off from work and because there were no direct flights to Bergen from Los Angeles, I bookended the visit to Norway with a couple of days in London (also my first time to the U.K.) . The summer days ran long so I waited for 4 hours on my feet from the time the concert began with opening acts till 10pm when the evening barely got darker and a-ha graced the stage.
18 years after seeing them in Los Angeles, I fulfilled my childhood wish of seeing a-ha perform in their native Norway. I traversed this adventure alone but it made sense as no one within my network of friends could possibly feel the joy I felt as I sang every song to my heart's content. It was a triumphant moment in my life as I made my own wish come true.
Even now, a-ha continue to release albums and go on tours. While their name in the U.S. only come up during "One Hit Wonders" or "Eighties Flashback" video countdowns, a-ha continue to do well internationally.
circa 2004
For one thing, they have aged incredibly gracefully and look amazing still (especially Morten, and I think Mags is even hotter now than when he was younger!).They've been paid homage by many bands including The Delays' cover of "The Sun Always Shines on TV" and Coldplay's Chris Martin who
considers Morten Harket as "disarmingly beautiful" and has performed with Mags and has covered the title track from HH&L.
The latest cover is from A.C. Newman (New Pornographers) who does a haunting rendtion of "Take on Me."
Their last effort, 2005's Analogues, never caught my immediate attention, so I've yet to determine if I love it or not, but I will check it out again sometime. Wikipedia lists 2009 as a possible album release year for them, so I guess I'll be on the lookout. And I will continue to watch them (because if they don't start really aging soon, I call bodysnatchers!).
Footnotes:
*memory warehouse - from the so-bad-it's-pretty-damn-funny film DREAMCATCHER.
The latest cover is from A.C. Newman (New Pornographers) who does a haunting rendtion of "Take on Me."
Their last effort, 2005's Analogues, never caught my immediate attention, so I've yet to determine if I love it or not, but I will check it out again sometime. Wikipedia lists 2009 as a possible album release year for them, so I guess I'll be on the lookout. And I will continue to watch them (because if they don't start really aging soon, I call bodysnatchers!).
Footnotes:
*memory warehouse - from the so-bad-it's-pretty-damn-funny film DREAMCATCHER.
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