Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Das Debütalbum der norwegischen Band A-ha, Hunting High And Low, ist ein Meilenstein des Synthie-Pop. Mit Hits wie „Take On Me“ und „The Sun Always Shines on T.V.“ etablierte sich die Band in den 1980er Jahren als weltweit erfolgreiche Musikikone. Die Mischung aus eingängigen Melodien, emotionalen Texten und Morten Harkets unverkennbarer Stimme verleiht dem Album eine einzigartige Atmosphäre. Die Produktion des Albums fand in renommierten Studios wie den Rendezvous Studios, Eel Pie Studios, The Manor Studio und Air Studios statt. Alan Tarney, der das Album produzierte, sorgte für den klaren und hochpolierten Sound, der die Songs zeitlos macht. Besonders der Titeltrack „Hunting High And Low“ zeigt die musikalische Vielseitigkeit und Tiefe der Band. Hunting High And Low ist ein zeitloser Klassiker, der den Synthie-Pop perfektionierte. A-ha bewiesen mit diesem Album, dass sie mehr als nur eine „One-Hit-Wonder“-Band sind. Es bleibt ein Muss für Fans der 80er und für alle, die emotionale und gut produzierte Popmusik schätzen.
Not my favourite album of theirs but it aging well.
Huh. It's definitely not my cup of tea, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Interesting textures and some rather bizarre chord progressions. Some of the songs I just didn't know how to take, but there were some cool tunes on here.
What an opening track that I can't hear without thinking about its groundbreaking music video. Everything after faded into a nostalgic sound that, while satisfying, didn't blow me away.
Mediocre synth-pop with the meme status song "Take one me". Okaish as background noise. Wouldn't relisten.
Album 651 of 1001 a-ha - Hunting High And Low (1985) Rating : 3 / 5 Synth-Pop. It doesn't do too much for me musically but does bring back memories as this is what was being heard during my college years. It is a typical 80s offering.
Classic John Hughes era music. What’s not to like?!
New Years Eve today and an album full of good party time tunes so well appropriate. This album was very much a guilty pleasure of mine and I actually bought the album on CD although it was sold a few years back on a clear out. My favourite track and probably reason why I bought it was The Sun Always Shines On TV which was a great single. I loved the production back then and sounds even better today played on my upgraded hifi. A good album fully deserving of repurchasing when I see the album at the right price. 3/5 31/12/24
Ok 80s sort of gothy synth pop with one obviously standout song, Take On Me. The other stuff would be fine on a 1985 movie soundtrack.
I don't understand why this album is on the list. Outside of 3 solid singles, there's not much else to see here
I liked this. Softer than I usually like, but there's some good songs on here. 3.5/5
There are a couple of standout tracks (the radio hits), but much of it is forgettable.
Auch wenn es 80er ist, ist es ganz nett.
Could be a low 4 but i don't think I'll reach for the again. Singles are very strong. The album less so.
good unobjectionable synth pop to kick off a long car ride, but none of the songs could compete with Take On Me.
Not nearly as bad as it could be, solid techno pop. Halfway through Train of Thought it struck me that these songs could easily be Brian Ferry or David Bowie songs.
It's hard to form an opinion on this, mostly it's just very generic middle of the road Europop, aside from Take On Me which is really very good Europop. It just sort of washed over me and left without a trace, so three stars I guess?
Couple of decent sythpop songs i enjoy, the big names Take on me, sun always shines. etc
Not my jam, but catchy stuff
Ok
Take On Me is a timeless banger. Rest of the album just fine. This to me would be more suited for Top Songs with that one than an entire album. The album doesn’t stay consistent with the opener.
It's ok
This didn’t need to be on here
I like his range.
They've done a pretty decent job, I like the hit(s) of course, but it pretty much goes down hill from there. Honourable mention to Take On Me
there's some highlights here. definitely more of a tears for fears-adjacent band than i ever figured they were. not bad!
Some good synth pop songs. Not my taste really. 2/3 but will give it a generous 3.
Better than I thought it would be. I thought there'd be just one good track on here, but there's actually a few which were solid.
Take Me On is a classic, but the rest of this album is just fine rather than amazing
smooth synth pop by way of norway. in the vein of duran duran… but better, in my opinion. highlights: “take on me” “hunting high and low” “the sun always shines on t.v.”
Not bad. Totally 80’s.
First time listening to the whole album and not just hearing the hits on the radio. The deeper cuts on here wasn’t really that much, but the hits are hits for a reason.
Yeh, cool pop
Great for its time, but not aging well!
The musicianship and (kind of) buried talent here indicate that a-ha had something special beyond the trappings of 80s pop this album would lead us to believe. This was pretty forgettable outside a few key tracks, but I’m interested to see what else this group has to offer.
I was looking forward to giving this a listen given the success of Take on Me but I’m just not sure I liked the whole album. It was very 80s and at times felt like I could have been listening to Duran Duran or something. No bad thing of course, but just not really my thing.
The singles still sound very catchy, the rest is listenable, but mostly forgettable.
Хороший альбом с кучей отличных песен. Главный хит несомненно выделяется, но не затмевает всё остальное. Лучшая песня - Take On Me.
3 - Kinda a one song album for me, the singer actually adds a lot to this one
Very good. Pleasant 80s music that holds up nicely.
The hooks/choruses are pretty basic, but the rest is interesting and sometimes surprising.
Disco pop with a mega hit, it's not really my jam. Not groovy or funky enough to be my favorite from the genre, though there are still good songs here. I think Hunting High and Low is great and Take Me On is fun, if overplayed.
The Sun Always Shines on TV - where have o heard that before?! In any event it actually wasn’t that bad. Who knew that they had more songs than just Take on Me?
Very eighties vibe -yes!
Såhär lät 80-talet. Hitsen är riktigt bra Take On Me, Hunting High and Low och The Sun Always Shines on TV. Sången är bra. De andra låtarna är mer okej än jag väntade mig. En fyra för hitsen och en 3a till resten borde bli en stark 3a totalt.
Jaha. Hitlåten är ju rätt bra/kul/nåt. Resten är ok. Hunting high and low är väl nästbäst. Men inte superimponerande.
Kan inte påminna mig om att jag hört något av A-ha utöver Take on me och det här var faktiskt bättre än jag förväntat mig. Singlarna är bra allihopa. Inte lika starkt utöver dem, men ändå en låg lägstanivå. Stark trea.
#383. The Sun Always Shines on TV was good. Take on Me is obviously one of the greats. But the rest though is not as good as one might hope. 3/5: decent
I've only ever listened to Take On Me by a-ha before, so it's nice to hear the vocal quirks and talents from that song on other songs as well, for better or worse. This album is kind of just hits and other songs. The hits really do stand out over the others. That's not a bad thing, but it keeps an album from being excellent for me. Favorite Song(s): Take On Me, Hunting High and Low, The Sun Always Shines on TV
The Sun always shines on tv is a highlight. Quite rare for an 80s drum machine album to be good
Decent. Blatantly 80s
Decent pop album. For good or worse: is this the ultimate representation of eighties pop music?
No mal disco, tiene su onda, pero creo que juega en su contra el mayor éxito del grupo y tal vez la canción más popular en la música ochentera: Take on me. Siento que la canción se come, injustamente, al resto del disco, que podría sentirse más sólido y hasta con más personalidad si no tuviera ese monstruo imposible de vencer como primer track.
Lidt skuffet egentlig. Take on me er banger banger, men ikke den dybde jeg havde forventet. Ville ønske jeg kunne give Tears for Fears 4 nu, for det var sgu bedre
Ein paar weltbekannte, super Hits. Der Rest so la la.
It's fine. The song you know is the best one, the rest is pretty standard synth pop.
I've had Take On Me stuck in my head for 24 hours now.
The album holds the three mega hits "Take On Me", "Hunting High And Low" and "The Sun Always Shines On TV". But the rest of the album is a bit too lame for my taste and don´t matches the quality of those three anthems. 3,5
Except for "Take on me," which is the nice song printed in my mind (and I bet in almost everyone else's mind), it's a very generic pop album. I don't know if I'll have more a-ha from the 1001 list, but if not, it's possibly the last time I've listened to some of their albums entirely.
La première pièce est emblématique, avec ses claviers outranciers mais hyper efficaces. Le reste m'a paru plutôt sirupeux
nice easy listening pop
Take on me is good, Sun always shines on TV arguably better, but the rest I find a bit meh
Kinda meh. The highlights are good and the other songs are just kinda there. Not bad, but not super memorable. The singer has great range as demonstrated on Take On Me, but I don’t think he uses it well enough on the other songs where most of the time he’s just doing his best Morrissey impression. Favorite songs were Take On Me and The Sun Always Shines On TV.
It was enjoyable. ‘Take On Me’ is iconic. Yeah that’s it
take on me schreit halt 80er jahr, hans jz nöd (nümme) würkli gern aber wenn das iwo chunnt sing ichs trz volle pulle mit, glungne hit zug der gedanken immerno sehr 80er aber au sehr andersch? de beat sind seeehr 80er aber hans na gern di theatralisch stimm passt bi take on me sehr guet, da findis mite strings chli too much schlecht ischs idem sinn aber nöd? hunting high and low isch jz au nöd de börner ok no cool wie d drums chömmed ah es isch nur es fill gsi aber jo jaa d strings sind mer chli too much blue sky isch seichter als de aralsee ahhwas strings okeee living a boy's adventure funktioniert iwie jap hani eig sehr gern gha, sehr es sanfts lied und mengisch huere schön the sun always shines on tv findi en insaaaane ahfang, de langsam ahfamg und denn wird die ganz energie "usseglah" de refrain findi au cool and you tell me isch sehr churz aber finds wieder sehr es herzigs lied? de schluss isch chli unbefriedigend aber suscht dream myself alive findi en herzige titel aber de rest isch wieder chli langwilig hey ja das album jet chli liecht und schatte, 3 lieder findi recht cool, take on me chammer nöd objektiv bewerte und de rest isch recht langwilig DRAI
I mean. Idk. What makes an album great? Haha. Sure, 2.5 stars.
Meh.
The eighties synths and falsetto on display showing they’re more than just “Take On Me”.
Some bangers, some less interesting songs. Overall a decent listen, but not one of the absolute best.
First 2 songs are great
Such earnest pop music
Quite decent. More of these tracks should’ve been popular. A underrated one for sure. Highlights: Take On Me The Sun Always Shines On TV I Dream Myself Alive
Transported me back to a simpler time in my life where all things pop seemed great - thoroughly enjoyed it but once was enough
I didn't *love* it but there were a couple of surprisingly good tracks beyond Take on Me.
I don't believe that I have ever heard anything from a-ha that has made feel as if I need to listen to more. After this album, I still feel the same.
Surprisingly I kinda liked it
Synth pop. Never really evolved beyond that, and that’s okay. Still fun. Take On Me is excellent of course.
Classic 80s. Take On Me is goated, rest of album is neutral for me
As much as I try to give pop it's due, this seems rather derivative as late as 85, a few good tunes.
It was a fun listen
I feel like this is what you'd get as AI generated keyboard/synth smooth pop with an 80's flair for electronic beats. Take On Me does stand out above the rest, but also suffer from a common problem on these tracks as it seems like most of the song is just repeating the title over and over again. Doesn't feel like there's a lot of depth here, but it is easily approachable and melodic. Most of it is pretty forgettable, but fine.
wait, this isn't the classic 2000 smash hit from power metal superstars Stratovarius? Oh well, i'm sure that's coming later in the list. this is surprisingly good for what i expected to be a one-song album. it's worrying when the only reason anyone knows a second song from you is because it was in a James Bond movie. we're getting into Men Without Hats territory at that point. but this was actually pretty good, although some of the songs sounded like bad spandau ballet impressions at times. a-ha probably have sentries posted to stop tony hadley cutting their brake cables every morning. however does anyone need to listen to this before they die? probably not. it's fine but not really important. no one's getting their worldview expanded unless they've never heard a norwegian man sing an E5 before, in which case it's more of a 1001 singles to hear before you die situation u feel me
Taaaaaaaaaakke onnnnnnn meeeeeeee! Love that song :D The rest of the album wasn't as catchy, but not bad for listening in the background.
Take On Me is a classic, the others were ok too
I will forever associate “Take On Me” with the Washington Nationals and Michael Morse. Morse used the song for his walk-up music before each at bat, and it became such a beloved song-along at Nationals Park that they continued using it as the 7th inning stretch song after Morse left the team. So starting with “Take On Me” definitely colored my opinion of “Hunting High and Hunting Low.” Nothing else reaches those heights, but a-ha is best when they go for that same level of zip and energy. Plus one star in a genre I don’t typically care for on account of Michael Morse.
One good song
Great single, nothing else comes close to it.
Well... I love the first song... and I love The Sun Always Shines on T.V... and that's it. Those were the two songs I knew, and no I know why. The rest is simply not as catchy or memorable. Still, I did not hate it, and for those two songs alone it need to bump it up 1 star.
Surprising depth from a one hit wonder. The faster songs were much more enjoyable than the ballads. 2.5/5
Ei voi kolmesta erota... en voi en voi... + long head juu.. Juu most submissive word in finnish language...
The first step was to skip THE SONG. (You know which one I'm talking about.). They made it easy enough because it's the first one on the album. The rest of the album is pretty much your standard 80s new wave fare. I will say Morten Harket (the singer) has a great voice. But without THE SONG, the album itself just sounds like any 80s new wave pop album and would have been lost in the record store. Try listening to the album without THE SONG, and see what I mean. Top tracks: "Take On Me," "Train Of Thought," "The Sun Always Shines On T.V."
Apparently this was a big album but I've never heard any a-ha song except for Take on Me. I'll bet I'm not alone in that. The album even leads with the big single so is the rest a big letdown? Not exactly. I really enjoyed the second song Train of Thought (single #4) but was bored by the third song & title track (single #5). The album kept going up and down like that for me. Living a Boy's Adventure Tale, The Sun Always Shines on TV (single #3), and Love is Reason (single #4) were decent. Some of the good songs were more subdued and some were typical uhh tiss 80's synth boppers. Ultimately I'd label this album as mostly the latter - right up there with the Pet Shop boys in the genre. All in all, it's an alright album and at least I know these guys had more than one song worth listening to.
Enjoyed
This was solid! I of course never listened to the whole album and now I’m glad I did. Maybe I’ll dance to it at Manray one night.
I really don’t like Take on Me but the rest was better than I expected
A-ha are more multifaceted than expected. We enjoyed the big hits on this - Take On Me being one of them - as well as the songs we were less familiar with.
pretty good!
Its a 3 Bit dated One or 2 hits
Of course Take On Me was great. Enjoyed The Sun Always Shines on T.V.. Other than that, it was ok.
Nemt lyttet. Der er et par massive banger imellem, men godt nok også meget fyld. Jeg holder mig til dem jeg kender med A-ha, og glemmer resten igen. :)
nice highlights
This album doesn't really reach the heights of it's title track: Take On Me.
Alkaa nimestä soimaan päässä vain Sonata arctica, onneks tää ei oo sitä. Kovasti on hittiä! Vähän cringe mutta toisaalta siksi varmaan että he ovat nykynäkökulmasta meemi. Kyllä saa tanssia. En rakastu, mutta kaksi tähteä olisi vähättelyä.
Never liked 'Take on me' or a-ha's style generally
Eighties Scandinavian synth pop from the Norwegian Trio. Opening track Take On Me was a monster hit as was its iconic video and while the other singles especially the title track & The Sun Always Shines In TV are great songs everything else kind of feels like filler ok filler but nothing special. It feels like the album is in the book on the back of Take On Me so I do question if it deserves to be there over other big eighties albums and bands (Inxs Kick for example). It's worth a listen but nothing to special.
Another solid 80s output where the lead single is a generational impact. The remainder of the album retains the soul of the collective work but doesn't hit the dizzying heights of Take On Me.
A lot of fun!
Take on me is really amazing but the rest left a lot to be desired. 3.0
Take on me is a classic the rest of the album was not up to the same quality of songs
Take on Me is undoubtedly a fun track, despite being overplayed. The sun always shines on TV is also a good song. Apart from that tho this album is just okay. Fav songs: - Take on Me - The sun always shines on TV
The words that’s came to mind: melodramatic, soaring, 80s. Good, but could have used at least one curveball.
"Hunting High and Low" is the debut studio album by Nowegian synth-pop band A-ha. The album was a huge commercial success mainly generated from the video release and popularity of the song "Take On Me." The album was produced by Tony Mansfield, John Ratcliff and Alan Tarney and recorded at Eel Pie in Twickenham, London. A-ha is Morten Harket (vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, bass programming, backing vocals) and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars, drum programming, backing vocals). Commercially, the album hit #15 in the US and #2 in the UK. Their big one "Take on Me" kicks off the album. An electronic beat, synth and bass leads to that catchy and bouncey synth melody. Harket's vocals are great, even his falsetto. He likes a girl but is unsure how to get her. Yes, this is so 80's and, no, that was not me singing in my office. The fourth single "Train of Thought" is synth heavy with a very 80's dance beat. Harket's vocals initially are very deep and a dead ringer for Peter Murphy. He's just showing off his octave range. It's about the dehumanizing effect of modern life. The sel-titled "Hunting High and Low" has an acoustic guitar and is a ballad of sorts. There's initially a bossa nova beat. He's searching for that lost girl. Strings are added; this song ends very dramatically. I have to be honest "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." was the only other song I remembered from this album. Deep piano keys and a dreamy synth background. The song changes to a more rockin" song then goes back. This is a good song. "Love is Reason" has synth horns and an urgent electronic drum beat. He'll do anything for her. There is no doubt this is slick, high level 80's synth-pop. It is well produced and performed. It is of its time but I was kept quite interested and there are a couple great 80's songs. I not would put this album at the Human League, OMD or Pet Shop Boys level but this is solid synth-pop and if you like that, you'll like this.
The lead track is an all-timer, great song that still holds up with a video that you could argue is the pinnacle of the art form but as someone who never went deep on these guys the rest is just fine, not bad or anything just pretty good European 80s technopop.
“Take on Me” is the clear highlight here, but a-ha are way more than a 1-hit wonder. The whole album is full of some of the best new wave music ever made, with incredibly crisp production and wonderful fusion of synth programming and played instruments, a type of fusion that often failed during this era. Many of the songs sound modern enough that they could’ve been released by a band like Future Islands in the 2020s.
Oke
Fun 80s pop perfection! Got a bit repetitive after a few songs though! 3.5 stars.
An ok album
I'm not sure you could get more synthy-pop than this album, to be honest. But I'm also not sure you'd want to. I enjoyed the video for "Take me on" a lot more than the song, and am really impressed at the pseudo-animation style given when the video was made. (And I now discovered through the Wikipedia entry for this album that the animation was done by a couple who also worked on "Altered States", which makes total sense.) I never really listened to a-ha beyond whatever the radio imposed, but I'll admit I'm totally baffled to learn that this was a Norwegian band--I would have bet anything they were British (and English to be specific). Shows how much I know. Still doesn't do it for me, though, but it's hard to give it lower than three stars given it's legacy and influence.
would definitely choose as background music and not hate it. 7/10
Rating: 6/10 Pretty good overall, most of the album sounded like generic 80s synth-pop but the highlights were quite good. Favorite songs: Take On Me, Living a Boy's Adventure Tale, I Dream Myself Alive, Here I Stand and Face the Rain. Worst song: Train of Thought.
When A-Ha are writing bangers, they’re writing BANGERS. Most everything else is uninspiring in all the ways, lyrically and melodically.
Three strong singles, the rest is mostly forgettable. Just like most 80's synthpop albums.
I'm Norwegian and I love music from the 1980s, but this doesn't hit me as much as I want it to. That being said, I want to judge this album objectively. All though it relies on my least favorite tropes from the eigthties (dorky synth sounds and lackluster ballads), this is still an insane leap from the other stuff going on in Norway at that time. On a world wide level, it´s still able to put a distinct period to the early synth pop movement. And the main strength of this is clearly melodies — there being three iconic singles on here, and those doesn't even include the best song in my opinion, goes to show that they wrote great songs. I just don't agree with everything they did in arranging those songs. However, The Sun Always Shines on TV and Living a Boy's Adventure Tale are pretty awesome.
Exactly what I would have thought a full a-ha album would sound like, solely based on my knowledge of Take on Me.
I'd never heard an AHA album track before. Or maybe I had and just couldn't remember them, becaues it's 1 minute since the album finished and I can't tell you about a single track outside the big 3 singles. Sun always shines on TV and the title track are decent songs. Take on Me is it's own universe. The others were a background noise I dimly remember. 2.5 - 3.
Feels like they used all of their talent to make “Take on Me” which is a great song but the others were subpar
Huh, not sure why I needed to hear this before I die unless it was to provide a classic example of an MTV band. Pop synth one hit wonder.
Seems like they probably could’ve been more successful at the Smiths and Morrissey not pretty much pigeonholed this genre
Einige Ohrwürmer. Ziemlich melodisch. Aber auch ziemlich abgenutzt.
Easy to listen to and a bit fun. Some good tracks.
Eh
Yay 80s, this was a great listen.
The production on this is incredible.
Typical 80’s pop. Obviously Take On Me is a great song. Rest of album was similar sounding.
A classic 80’s album
Eh, it was whatever. It's just pop. Not my thing, "Take on Me" is a classic but it's kinda overplayed and this just wasn't my type. Totally mid.
I think they might've made a mistake making Take On Me the first song on the album, the rest of the album doesn't really live up to the expectations set by the first song
Take On Me
80s nonsense, you know how it be.
I don't think I've ever listened to that whole album.
Ok, I guess. Not really into the wavey vibey overtly 80s synth sound. But, I can respect that this sound was typical for the decade my parents grew up in. Not too shabby.
I remember this album! I’m surprised it’s on this list. They did have a few more songs, but will always be remembered for Take on Me and “that video”
You can't start the album with the best song. The hits on this album were good, the filler was filler. Sound is unmistakable 80's.
Fairly uneventful listen. Not bad, not good. Background music.
Hunting High and Low might be the most 80s album ever created. Saying, I’d think I would have hated it, but I didn’t. Take Me On is obviously a banger, but the title track and It’s Always Sunny on TV are also fantastic. There is more depth than just the bright synths and drum machines. 7.3/10
Frankly there just isn’t enough oboe used in pop music. Thank god for a-ha. Everything I knew about a-ha previous to listening to this album was in relationship to its opening track (Norwegian band, revolutionary music video, impressive falsetto). I had never been inspired to listen to any more an-ha after hearing “Take On Me.” I likely will not deliberately listen to any more a-ha after having heard this album in its entirety. To be fair, there is a lot of Nordic pop that I really like (Robyn, First Aid Kit, Jens Lenkman). And I like new wave, even if only nostalgically. But I really couldn’t tell you what distinguishes this from The Fixx or Howard Jones or Naked Eyes. It’s fine.
Starts strong with that “South Park in Asspen” track but it descends into 80’s cliché quite quickly. Nevertheless, it’s enjoyable and you do not suffer it that much. Additional star for the South Park memories!
Take on me > all the rest but not lost. It’s good for what it is, but isn’t structured that well and lacks cohesion.
Pop con sintetizadores. Un megahit. Ni fu ni fa.
Take On Me and The Sun Always Shines... are all-time slices of sheer pop perfection. It shouldn't come as a massive surprise that the rest of the album struggles to match that. Some of it comes off like ersatz Bowie, some of it is Mel n' Kim level. Enjoyable enough though
Take on Me! An instantly recognizable classic to start things off with a bang, but then mostly unrecognizable stereotypically 80's tracks to finish out the album. If I'm judging this band by just this one album, I'd suspect they truly are in that 1 hit wonder category. Decent, one huge hit, but nothing else to write home about really.
As 80s sounding as it gets. But still a great album.
Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Paar nette Lieder. Aber das Album ist mir zu eintönig
Gute band, gutes Album
While take on me is certainly a classic, the rest of this album is not particularly interesting. It feels like generic synthpop, which I don't mind, but it doesn't make for anything special. I did not realize that they were from Norway, so I guess I can cut them some slack on the lyrics. Favourites: "Take on me", and "The sun always shines on T.V." is alright too.
Back in the day!
The Sun Always Shines on T.V., Take on me.
Still a one hit wonder.
I’m left wondering if this album is included because of “Take on Me.” Maybe that’s at least part of the reason. Who doesn’t love “Take on Me”? The rest is fine. I’ve never been a huge fan of the overly 80’s sound that is present here. Like it’s almost painfully 80’s. Which makes sense. But I like the energy on this album. I know nothing else of their discography so it’s hard to judge this against much else. But I liked it enough but don’t think I’ll be rushing back any time soon. Standout tracks: Take on Me, Train of Thought, Love is Reason
gave up after living a boys adventure tale ok album a bit boring/slow
Starts off strong but peters out a bit, which isn't ideal for a sub-40min album. Take on Me is still a stone cold classic, and the next three aren't far off, but I wasn't blown away
What a start to an album! I realize it sounds weird, but this is just too much 80s for me - and it feels stuck there too. Apart from 'Take On Me' which is an awesome song I didn't connect with any of the other songs. It feels a bit too cheesy for me. I had a hard time deciding between a 2 and 3, but I think I'll give it a weak 3 since it wasn't unbearable like most 2 star albums are.
I always thought of a-ha as a one hit wonder and was surprised to find this album on the list. Honestly none of the songs reach the quality of "Take on me" but i still enjoyed it. This album really was a mood more than anything else, nothing really stood out but I could still have it on as a nice background album.
A few hits and some decent B-sides but mostly what I expected!
Hot take: The Sun Always Shines On TV is better than Take On Me
Huge fan of the wind pipes. Sick sequencing, wicked cheezeball synths and loops underneath lyrics of longing and despair make for a dancy record that hurts so good.
Some good 80s cheese. Take on Me? First track of their debut studio album? Let's go. Never heard the rest of this album before but really enjoyed Living A Boy's Adventure Tale. Album made me wanna grow a shitty mullet and do coke. Solid 3.
The single is great. The rest of the album is fine.
This might be the most 80s thing I've ever heard.
This would've been a 2 if Take on Me wasn't on this album!
A classic 80s album with some iconic songs. Unfortunately, I don’t think it has enough going on to make it really great
Not really for me, but I do love take on me. It’s well done, just not a huge fan of that much 80s sound
Very specific sound for that time. I like the sun always shines on tv.
a-ha’s first album kinda suffers in context due to the fact that it’s biggest hit completely overshadows the rest of their career, to the extent that as much as I enjoy Take On Me when it comes on at a party I’ve never bothered to seek it out to listen to. It’s a what I like to call a peripheral hit. It’s also probably the least characteristic song on the album, being the most upbeat and with the strongest chorus. It’s not that the rest of the album is downbeat with weak hooks, it’s just that it tends more towards a baroque inspired form of Synthpop that takes it’s cues almost entirely from the second half of Ultravox’s Vienna. I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It drags a little in the last third, but it’s problem is that it’s mostly just a bit dull
after listening to this, album and the band is more than a one it wonder.
Actually really pleased to have this come up. Which we'll get to in a bit. It's an album of its time. New romantic pop done very well. Take me on great track with a ground breaking video which I think stands up to today's standards. The other 2 releases although they didn't have quite the same impact at the time are still very good tracks. The rest of the album is very listenable. And the we come to And You Tell Me. It was the 'B' side to (I think) to Take Me On. I heard it once and thought it wonderful, a thing of utter beauty and it has been a memory at the back of my mind ever since. Unfortunately today's reality doesn't quite live up to yesterday's memory. It's still a good track but not quite how it lives in my mind. A very good album though, a very high 3 (3.8+) but just not quite a 4. I'll think on it before rating it tomorrow.
Listened to this while cleaning. How can you be bummed listening to that opening track?! You'd have to be part of an uncontacted native tribe to have not heard Take On Me. The rest of the album doesn't live up to the highs of that moment, but there were definitely a fair number of solid tracks! As I composer, I definitely noticed a lot of very unexpected chord changes for this type of pop music. Overall, pretty enjoyable.
A staple of my generation. It's got some timeless bangers, but for the most part, it's 80s pop, an dsort of adequate at that.
Fine
Morten 👍🫡
Outside the big hits. Was ok
3.5
3.4 - Enjoyed, not sure if it breaks into the 4's though
take on me still a banger train of thought panpipes! (are they synth?) the synth lines on hunting high and low are cheesey though living a boy's adventure tale is a bit too melodramatic for me the sun always shines on tv is so 80s, but it is a bit of a bop and you tell me almost a bit kate bush-y love is reason sounds like a christmas song generally the album sounds like a total pastiche of itself, but the production is mostly quite tight. I didn't find anything here i'd come back to though. 2.5/5 - barely squeaking a generous 3 star roundup.
Very cool songs on here
A couple of genuine synth pop classics but with some really naff forgettable filler.
I was hoping to like this more, but I found that only a handful of tracks really grabbed me. That said, I still liked this overall. I don't think I've ever listened to much a-ha aside from Take on Me.
2.9 Except the singles it's pretty basic 80s pop, nothing exceptional about it. Fave songs: the singles
While "Take on me" is an absolute banger, the rest of the album is lacking. This Norwegian group is a one-hit wonder for sure.
Fun pop moet het keertje op nieuw luisteren wel nice
Aside from the hits, kind of generic 80s new wave
Aika perus 80 luvun elektropoppi soundia. Take On Me tietenkin ylivoimaisen hiukaiseva, muut kappaleet ihan jees mutta ei mitään erikoisempia
59/100
кроме знакомого сложно оценить остальное быстро (пока только кажется что ОЧЕНЬ ов иц тайм). тейк он ми прекрасная, но не могу за неё весь альбом поощрить. надо слушать
I can see why a-ha is a one-hit wonder. Take on Me is by far the best song on here. The rest of the album isn't bad, just generic 80's pop.
Take on Me is a belter of a tune! Some of the other songs are a bit generic and ehh. Others pop (like The Sun Always Shines on T.V). Overall it's quite nice, but it's only Take on Me that's worth revisiting.
Apart from the singles "Take On Me", "Hunting High and Low", and "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.", it's not bad, but nothing to write home about.
Reasonable 80s euro pop lifted up to a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ by 2 great singles
I've only previously heard "Take On Me", which is still a great song after all these years. One of the best synth lines ever made. The rest of the album is standard 80s new wave fare. One of the songs, the singer had a very close approximation to David Bowie's voice and style. Overall not a bad album
Quintessential '80s pop, but without all the cheese. A lot of the music during this decade would make you cringe despite your enjoyment of it, but a-ha strikes the balance between the shimmery, bold, synthy pop and the "coolness" factor. It still sounds dated after how many decades, but I don't think that takes away from how good it is in this case. Standout tracks are Take on Me and The Sun Always Shines on TV.
ok
80s synth.
Fun pop, pretty light in terms of good songs though
I find this to be a typical new wave synth-pop album in manyy respects. The musicianship/programming is top notch and the vocals are different than a lot of other bands of this period. Compare them to Human League, Heaven 17 or even Depeche Mode and you’ll find that the lead singer, Morten Harket, has a bit more range than those lead singers even if the top end of his range is falsetto. We’re not talking Jimmy Somerville/Bronski Beat falsetto, Harket uses it more sparingly. The best songs on this album are probably those that were released as singles. Made me want to see their videos. Interestingly, the video for “Take on Me” has over 1 billion views which is pretty rare. When I first saw it on MTV, I think it was the fist to use animation so kudos to whoever thought of that. All that said, I still think it is just a 3. Maybe 7/10.
Take on Me, A perfect pop 80's song with an iconic video to go with out, it defined the 80;s. The rest of the album however? Just over top sugar pop and not very good at all.
Take On Me will forever be a top of the lungs sing along. The rest of the record is standard 80’s Euro pop.
Take on Me is great. I don't know what i expected from the rest of the album. It was fine. Very 80s.
Take On Me is a banger, that's for sure. But the rest of the album has nothing that grabbed me as something I had to hear. It's fine, nothing I wanted to turn off either, but nothing I'm going to put on again (except for Take On Me)
Very listenable 80s pop.
Only by listening here did I realise I'd never listened to more than the singles. Was pleasantly surprised. Solid 3.
A surprisingly varied album 3.5
They most certainly have better albums than this one though it was a guilty pleasure album for me at some point in time. 'Take on Me' was never a fave despite, or possibly due to, its overplayed success. Favorite song on the album is 'Here I stand and face the rain.'
longheadiä loistattaa kuvassa heh, hyvännäköstä...alkaa popeimmalla popilla mitä pop on poppinut...hyvä biisi silti. eka puolisko hyvää 80luku humppaa ja toka puolisko paskaa 80luku humppaa. ei muuta sanomista, perushyvää albumia train of thought
Take On Me has been memed to death and I've heard it a million times. That didn't stop me from having it as a helicopter theme in Metal Gear Solid V, hehe. + Train of Thought + The Sun Always Shines on TV + And You Tell Me + Love Is Reason + I Dream Myself Alive Might I say that Here I Stand And Face The Rain is the best song from the album? I get the most feelings from this one.
Does alright. Take on me is legendary.
If you only know "Take On Me," you may be pleasantly surprised. There are several above-average synth-pop songs here that are worth investigating. That being said, it clearly is dragged onto this list on the strength of that track, which is, of course, an all-timer if ever there was one.
Ei ollut sillätavoin kehno kun odotin. Ansiokasta poppia. 3/5
Melkein tekis mieli antaa nelonen mut ei ihan taivu. Take on me:n lisäksi muitakin hyviä hittejä, erityisesti mahtipontisuudessaan upea the sun always shines on t.v. pari heikompaa vetoa valitettavasti laskee arvosanaksi 3/5
The slow ballads are pretty weak but I’ll take everything else. Take Me On obviously is legendary
Pretty generic 80s synth pop. Singer has a unique voice.
Good to listen to the hits- a trip down memory lane. Not much else there though, there are lots of better all round albums or more cutting edge sounds surely?
19th June 2023 Listened half on Monday but finished on Tuesday morning. Ashes, chilled evening watching Mario bros movie and playing PS5. Was the night we heard someone shouting outside. 80s synth pop legends, this album is dramatic, lush and feverful (?!). 3.5 if I could.
There's more to this album than just iconic opening track ‘Take On Me’. 'Hunting High And Low' is a nice Nordic take on mid 80s synth pop and new wave. Some of it hasn’t dated well, but there’s still plenty here to like. A fun listen overall.
Singer has heaps of range, some of the keyboards are, as they themselves put it, “juicyfruit”
Hang-Ten broheim we are peaking on this synth wave coming into shore and it's been a fun tubular ride. Falsetto's aplenty and a number of tracks that feature more of his range as a lead singer. Didn't know anything other than Take on me but still had good time.
I was hoping more of the songs would bang as hard as Take on Me but no such luck. Pretty meh 80s new wave album otherwise. Generous 3 here.
Take on me is a stand out song.
Pretty good to hear other songs on this album
Bland
This was a pleasant surprise - I enjoyed it FAR more than I expected I would! Not so much that I'm going to rush out and buy myself a copy, but enough that I would most certainly listen to it again. "The Sun Always Shines on TV" is pretty damn great.
A few good songs and a few okay songs. Solid 80s album.
The other songs on this album are not even close to Take on Me so it's a bit disappointing
Hot take: Their follow up album, the without any hits, is miles better. This is here for one song, and it can be argued that one song is only here because of a music video that made everyone lose their collective shit and now seems rather quaint. Video or no video, "Take On Me" still rips. It has the unique distinction of sounding both like a relic from the '80's and a timeless love song. Not for nothing, but apparently a-ha were a huge influence on Coldplay. Now that I think about it, Coldplay has to be the only group to ever suggest that a-ha was the reason they picked up a musical instrument and started a band. That sounds about right.
The opener is amazing of course. The rest is good, but kinda trails off.
Nice to hear a whole album. Loads of hits, great voice. Can’t unsee Morten Harket as Viking on Masked Singer though. Spoilers, sorry.
het lijkt ook echt een ghostbusters soundtrack. Leuk album niets leeft wel op naar de eerste banger
Eén heel grote schijf maar voor de rest nu niks dat ik echt graag hoorde.
I happened to listen to this n the car with someone who, when I put it on, said "oh, I never did buy this album. I wonder what it's like". And it's OK. There are the couple of hit singles, sure, that everyone from that era will know. And there's some stuff running across a wide variety of early 80s electronic, new romantic, poppy stuff. But nothing to outstanding. The verdict: "I'm glad I didn't buy that. It's a bit boring". Yeah, 3 stars.
great singles
eh
Classic 80s! It's just SO 80s and a bit dated today. Standouts: Take on Me, The Sun Always Shines on TV, Hunting High and Low. Singles: --------------------------- Take on Me (#1 all over the world) Love is Reason (Released in Norway and Philippines) The Sun Always Shines on TV (Top 10) Train of Thought (#5 IRE, #8 UK, #14 GER) Hunting High and Low (Top 10 world-wide, but not in USA)
Overall, I likes it. I thought it would go downhill after take on me, and it certainly did, but not as bad as I expected. I was surprised to recognize a song from the 90s, the sun always shines on TV! Overall, I would have given it a 2.5 if I could. I'll round up because I did enjoy it.
8o's Yay - AHA Not so much
3.5/5. Shoutout Norway.
I'm not a huge fan of 80s pop, but this was pretty good. Singer's voice is great.
Surprisingly OK
Pretty standard synthpop… but pretty good listening. Good melodies, good song structures, hit-or-miss hooks. First half of the album is stronger than the second. Could be a 2 or a 3; 2.5 seems right. Not really my thing but perfectly decent. Best song: Take On Me (shocker)
Some nice tracks to discover but mostly you’ll be fine with just Take On Me
80-tal och sång på engelska av nån som int talar de som modersmål är alltid chilll.. take on me är en otroligt bra sång, resten helt trevligt men når int ens nära den första sången. Sku take on me vara sista låt sku de kanske va bättre?
“Take on Me” is five stars.
It was alright, just alright. 3*
Was ok but peaked at song 1.
Super-nostalgic. The songs released as singles are fantastic, even it’s more due to familiarity. There are some tracks that fall a bit flat. Harket’s voice is pretty big throughout though.
It’s a shame that nothing else on this album hits the highs of Take On Me, but it’s a solid collection of 80s synth pop!
Less good Tears for Fears
Whoever said A-ha are a one hot wonder has never been to Europe. They were one of the most successful bands of the late 80s over here. They had around 15 big hits, including the title track of a James Bond movie, and 3 top 10 albums. That being said, this album definitely has some filler. Half the songs are good, but the filler really isn't. In general the singles are the good songs. Obviously Take On Me, but also my favorite song on the album: Hunting High And Low.
Take on Me is an amazing song but the rest of the album felt kind of flat.
Another album that has an absolute banger opening tracking but then falls off. It's not bad music, it's just very 80s. Nothing super special.
Meh, started with a well known beloved by many song and then the rest was pretty boring and flat.
A couple of serious nostalgic classics, with a load of less impressive euro synth pop schmaltz
Nice slice of nostalgia
Fine
2,5
Only a couple of standouts (obviously including the amazing single) on an otherwise "samey" album. I guess I was hoping for something more, though at least the album is consistent. I was surprised by the sophistication of some of the lyrics and some tidbits here and there do sound like early Depeche Mode maybe?
This is more sophisti-pop than I was expecting. I need to give this album low marks for those tracks. Take On Me is an incredible single that I never tire of. The instrumentation and overall feel of these songs are a great representation of 1980s synth pop but other than the lead single nothing stands out. This could have been replaced by a Culture Club or Cyndi Lauper album that both had much more impact.
I was hoping there would be some deep cut in here that blew me away but I guess Take On Me is their hit for a reason. The rest was fine but bland. I did think And You Tell Me was pretty good.
3.5 It was fun but a little repetitive. Liked the one song I knew. As it goes....
Not bad! And a nice thing to listen to compared to yesterday. No particular highs or lows just good old 80s pop. Phew.
Put it on when you want to pretend you're in a light hearted 80s movie! Some songs excellent...others required a skip. Super classic 80s vibe through and through tho. Sun always shines is a crazy good track I'd never heard before. Some higher energy/electronic tracks def stand above the slower/quieter stuff. Can hear a lot of inspiration for modern synthwave and 90s industrial music in there.
3.5/5
Pop con sintetizadores. Un megahit. Ni fu ni fa.
The Sun Always Shines on T.V., Take on me.
A-ha: The classic '80s techno-pop band. We can just skip past that first song that everyone knows and has seen the video of. After that, the album mostly transitions into prefab '80s pop. Good quality, but prefabbed from the overused '80s sounds. These are the songs that remind you of clubbing or some stylized restaurant in gray with pink accents. There are a few additional exceptions where there was real original though songwriting. Hunting High and Low is the main other one. But it can't escape the '80s time capsule. As an album, it's just ok. Peel off Take on Me, add it to a playlist, and call it a day. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Take on me är en otrolig låt. Tror nästan aldrig jag hört någon annan a-ha låt. Än är jag inget superfan, det är väldigt 80-tals teatraliskt. Hunting high and low känns verkligen som en låt ur en musikal. Jag är dålig på att bryta ner rent musikaliskt, men melodierna är catchy stundtals, men texterna är inget som riktigt kittlar sinnena tyvärr. På det hela taget rätt svagt album, men med schyssta beats.
Before today, the only song by a-ha that I was familiar with was Take On Me (the first song on this album). a-ha are a Norwegian synth pop band, that rose to fame with the song and video for Take On Me. I remember the sketched music video well. After the success of that song, it seemed like, on this side of the pond at least, the band kind of fell off of the face of the earth. Interestingly though, there were 5 singles released off of this album in Europe (Take On Me, The Sun Always Shines On T.V., Hunting High and Low, Love Is Reason, and Train of Thought), and they are actually still actively making music and touring over there as well (latest album release was 2022). This album is full of 80's nostalgia. Not because I was familiar with all the songs, but because all of the songs had that signature 80's heavy synthesized sound, with electric drum machines and synthesizers in the forefront. Aside from the 5 singles mentioned above, the other songs were good, but felt a bit like filler (didn't really stand out). I was hoping that another of their songs would impress me enough to topple Take On Me from my "favourite song" slot, and that is what The Sun Always Shines On T.V. did. Not that I don't like Take On Me, but it just got played to death, so it lost a lot of its grandeur over the years of repetition. The Sun Always Shines On T.V. starts off slow, but is a real rockin' 80's pop song. Overall, not a bad record. Probably not something I would revisit, but I can see how it may have been influential in the 80's. Favourite songs: The Sun Always Shines On T.V., Take On Me, Love Is Reason, Hunting High and Low Least favourite songs: And You Tell Me 3/5
Un album typique 80s comme on les connait
A pleasant listen, but definitely of it’s time. “Take On Me” and “The Sun Always Shines on TV” are highlights.
Surprisingly average. Like a tepid version of The Killers.
Your typical electro 80s album, kind of disappointing honestly. Opened real strong with the first two songs or so then everything sounded the same.
LOL
Super 80s, but this album only had a fee bangers besides Take On Me.
Enjoyable easy listen
Good 80s vibe and sound
Take on me good. The rest bit mediocre in my opinion
Ça aurait dû être un single
rien d’exceptionnel
take on me! first album of Norwegian new wave 1985, wowza
Take on me- one of those timeless songs that never manages to be overplayed. Just so anthemic and joyful 👍 Train of thought- Wish the lyrics hit harder in places and it had a catchier hook, but a very solid song 👍 Hunting high and low- Slower more heartfelt song👍 The blue sky- pretty standard synthpop Living a boys adventure tale- I think the title perfectly encapuslates the clumsiness of this track The suns always shines on TV- great bombastic instrumental, wish lyrics were a bit more connected👍 And You tell me- Mercifully short Love is reason- Inoffensive filler I dream myself alive- Again feel like it could be lyrically elevated, I love the name and think more can be done with the concept. Still a good song👍 Here I stand and face the rain- Love a bit of layering to finish an album, another solid song👍 A beyond iconic song with some nice synthpop tracks to go with it. Really not groundbreaking but I’m glad I listened to it. 3/5
A decent synth-pop album. At its best it sounds like a more pop oriented Laughing Stock era Talk Talk, but more often then not it is a generic synth pop album that occasionally strikes all the right chords. The quality of the song writng makes it a slight cut above 3 stars
Take on Me is one of those 80s synth pop songs that I liked. The next track has the same sound although I don't remember it. I was ready to call them a one hit wonder but thought I should check first and discovered that they released 10 albums. Who knew? Speaking of Who, this album was recorded at the boathouse converted into Eel Pie Studios which was owned by Pete Townshend. (Pete liked it since he could drive his boat there after his driving license was taken away.) The 80s sound starts to wear and the backing vocals on tracks like Blue Sky drive me nuts. The Sun Always Shines on TV kicks it up a notch which works. This album was noted as influencing Coldplay. I considered -1 for this but let it go.
Wow, 1.2 BILLION listens on Spotify for Take Me On! I always did like that song and the singer really belts it out on the chorus, not aided by Autotune. A couple of other tunes were bearable, but there were a couple of stinkers as well. I was thinking a 2, but I think that's what I gave Duran Duran and this is definitely better.
With "Hunting High and Low", a-ha are out to become reigning champions of 1980's synth pop, one programmed beat and stratospheric falsetto line at a time. It's a very competent, accomplished and sophisticated piece of work, if not always genuinely exciting. The whole album is pristinely engineered, almost to a fault. A synthesised orchestra unfurls across each arrangement, giving all the bombast of a Beethoven symphony mixed in with digitised sounds, programmed trebly drum machines, one-note bass synths. It all sounds pure and utopian, but there were times when I was hoping for a little more grit or authenticity in the mix. I was surprised to hear that half of this album’s tracks were singles. “Take on Me” is absolutely ubiquitous, and none of the other singles come close to exhibiting the duo’s same knack for crafting earworms or utilising Morten Harket’s stunning upper range. The closest they get is “The Sun Always Shines on TV”, with its urgent, aching cry of “Touch me / how can it be?” The other singles (“Love Is Reason”, “Train of Thought”, “Hunting High and Low”) don’t seem to occupy anywhere near the same space in public consciousness as the lead single 40 years on. They’re also, to put it plainly, just not as engaging. “Train of Thought” is reasonably solid- and cast in a darker and more paranoid shade than “Take on Me”- with a decent hook and rising vocal throughout its chorus. But then “Love Is Reason” sounds horrendously dated with its squeaky clean synth refrain and a bland central melody and lyric. Across the rest of the album, it’s a similar story: “The Blue Sky” and “Living a Boy’s Adventure Tale” are okay, with some good woodwind and falsetto in the latter. “You Tell Me” is a wandering sophisti-pop interlude to sap away any energy. Ending “Here I Stand and Face the Rain” brings things to a sweeping close with its crashing minor chords and brooding, ominous mood: going out on a dark note in an era of Cold War paranoia. All of it is very well recorded and engineered, with a sublime vocal performance from Harket. I just wish there was more of the same heights achieved by its two biggest singles.
Better than anticipated, generally enjoyable. very 80s though
I had never listened to a-ha beyond That One Song, but I understanding their place in the synthpop family tree now. Clear connections to Bowie, New Order, and beyond.
Take on Me is just so well known the rest of the album just kind of fades into oblivion. But I did enjoy the title track and Here I Stand and Face the Rain is a nice closer.
This didn't do much for me - "Take On Me" without the video really loses something, too. Fave track - "The Sun Always Shines On TV" maybe, but that's because I've heard some cover versions I like more? "Here I Stand and Fave the Rain", maybe, as it gets a little gothy....
Hittibiisi on kova ja pari muutakin ihan kovaa seassa. Taipuu kolmoseen.
I was way too hungover for this one
Unique, would give it another listen