East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon (©1990)

1: Crying In The Rain 2: Early Morning 3: I Call Your Name 4: Slender Frame 5: East Of The Sun 6: Sycamore Leaves 7: Waiting For Her 8: Cold River 9: The Way We Talk 10: Rolling Thunder 11: (Seemingly) Nonstop July

Back in 1990 when this came out I wasn't sure what to expect. I was somewhat disappointed with 1988's Stay on These Roads, and when East of the Sun, West of the Moon opened with their amazing cover of "Crying in the Rain" I knew the boys were back, kicking ass and taking names. Gone were the pretty Duran Durwannabees - they were artists, and although they always be remembered as those 80's guys who did "Take Me On" it wasn't going to stop them from trying to break out of their box. The album clicks on all cylinders all the way through, and to me finishes with "Rolling Thunder" which is the lyrical bookend to the opening track. The album closed with the quietly contemplative "(Seemingly) Nonstop July".

I still think of this as a relatively new album by the band - I can't believe it's closer to twenty than it is to new. I guess I'm getting old (dang). Still, this is an album of really good pop songs, and contains some of the strongest work the band has ever done. In fact I'd probably go so far as to say that for a band who has always been somewhat uneven this album doesn't have any week moments. Even "Sycamore Leaves" which has terrible lyrics is saved by absolutely killer music.

I'd rank this as one of the best albums the boys ever recorded.

Reviewed November 25, 2007

Memorial Beach(©1993)

1: Dark Is The Night For All 2: Move To Memphis 3: Cold As Stone 4: Angel In The Snow 5: Locust 6: Lie Down In Darkness 7: How Sweet It Was 8: Lamb To The Slaughter 9: Between Your Mama And Yourself 10: Memorial Beach

I came across this one last year after looking for the better part of a decade. A friend of mine who is a great fan called this one brilliant. Brilliant? No. Solid and appealing? Definitely.

I always figured Memorial Beach was a stinker since it appeared and disappeared so fast. It’s a much stronger album than I expected, which is kind of a slag, since I always like the band. The opening track, "Dark is the Night for All" is brilliant (okay, so parts of it are brilliant). There are a bunch of really good songs here, which makes me wonder at the fickleness of record execs and their wisdom in deep sixing things so quickly.

The square heads have come a long way from their early days. These guys aren’t just cookie cutter three-minute bubble gum posers. The nearly nine minute "Cold as Stone" is testament to their Pink Floyd prog-rock leanings. Still, the guys can be hit and miss. There really isn’t a dud in the bunch, but some of the songs are just there as background noise. It all works in a prolonged sitting.

I’ve been a sucker for a-ha since the first album, and have always found something to enjoy in their work. Admittedly there are times when I skip a track or two, but even Babe Ruth didn’t hit ‘em out of the part all the time.

There’s enough here to make this one at least memorable (you can groan if you want, but be thankful I waited until the end to work in the obvious pun).

Reviewed September 17, 2003

Minor Earth Major Sky (©2000 WEA)

1: Minor Earth Major Sky 2: Little Black Heart 3: Velvet 4: Summer Moved On 5: The Sun Never Shone That Day 6: To Let You Win 7: The Company Man 8: Thought That It Was You 9: I Wish I Cared 10: Barely Hanging On 11: You'll Never Get Over Me 12: I Won't Forget Her 13: Mary Ellen Makes The Moment Count

I've been a fan since their debut many years ago. They made some great music, and some not so great albums. Then after Memorial Beach stiffed and was hole punched (sadly I missed my chance to pick up a copy when it first came out, but have since rectified - see above) the boys packed it in.

I guess going out on a sour note didn't sit well with the square-heads so they got together for another kick at the can. Apparently the album is doing very well in Europe, and although I doubt it'll crack the North American market, it won't be because of the product.

From the first cut you know the boys are back in top form, and while all of their past efforts had some good moments, they never put out an entire album of killer songs. Minor Earth Major Sky should be the album to put these guys back on top.

Reviewed June 23, 2000

Lifelines (©2002 WEA)

1: Lifelines 2: You Wanted More 3: Forever Not Yours 4: There's A Reason For It 5: Time And Again 6: Did Anyone Approach You? 7: Afternoon High 8: Oranges On Appletrees 9: A Little Bit 10: Less Than Pure 11: Turn The Lights Down 12: Cannot Hide 13: White Canvas 14: Dragonfly 15: Solace

Holy crap, the square heads on definitely on a roll. I thought they'd hit a high watermark their last time out. Lifelines is great from beginning to end. Not a dud in the works. These guys have truly managed to mature into a great band. It's not easy to pick out standout tracks on this one. They all work so well together. I just listen to the whole album when I put it on. A pretty solid accomplishment over 15 songs. Heck even the silly English of "Oranges on Appletrees" has redeeming music.

Reviewed November 1, 2002

Analogue (©2005)

1. Celice 2. Don't Do Me Any Favours 3. Cosy Prisons 4. Analogue (All I Want) 5. Birthright 6. Holy Ground 7. Over the Treetops 8. Halfway Through the Tour 9. Fine Blue Line 10. Keeper of the Flame 11. Make It Soon 12. White Dwarf 13. Summers of Our Youth

Well, I got tired of waiting for this to get a North American release so I had to resort to getting it as an import. A-ha is a band that gets harder for me to pigeon-hole as time goes by. As the guys get older they seem to be more comfortable with themselves, and their albums show a maturity that enhances their songs. The band never really went away, although they continue to be thought of as those 80's guys who did "Take Me On".

The album rests comfortably in mid tempo territory and manages to avoid being too laid back by adding enough grit to the mix to keep things moving along. The one thing I've grown to appreciate over the last few albums is their consistency. There is little in the way of filler - and thankfully there are a couple really solid songs as well. "Analogue (All I Want)" is one of their best pop songs since "Minor Earth Major Sky".

These guys will probably remain one of those bands whose best work will remain unheard by the masses.

Reviewed July 25, 2008