Reviews (page 7 of 8)
I’m determined to hit that high note on take on me! Recognized a few others, but didn’t love it. Definitely has that 80s vibe.
Some nice and catchy, very 80s. Quite a few songs skipped unfortunately
The album could have done without the rest of the songs.
a-ha, before I even clicked through to see the track list I thought to myself: "This better be the one with Take On Me on it." ha-ha. A perfect song from the era and genre. And, the rest of the record (all 9 remaining songs)? They're mostly in 2-star territory.
Ik meen dat ik 'Take On Me' wel eens eerder heb gehoord :) De rest van de titels zegt me zo even niks, maar ik ga het ondervinden. Het is allemaal bizar theatraal natuurlijk. Jaren '80 drumcomputers en synthjes erbij. Er wordt nog een fagot of hobo uit iemands zak getoverd. Ik haal ze altijd door elkaar, maar ik bedoel de kleine van de twee. Heul veul galm, wat in die tijd soort van verplicht was denk ik. De zanger met zo'n ideale schoonzoon stem, waarschijnlijk nog klassiek geschoold maar bevangen geraakt door New Wave. De kopstem wordt niet geschuwd. Ik kom er wel redelijk doorheen, maar op de hit na vind ik het allemaal niet super bijzonder en klinkt het voor mij toch een beetje als één pot nat. Dit soort muziek heb ik in deze lijst al veel vaker gehoord. Een strenge 2 of een laten-we-het-gezellig-houden 3.
Geen wonder dat dit - de meest archetypische new wave - precies midden uit de 80s komt. Als een soort pilaar die de 80s poptempel omhoog houdt. Een pilaar zoals 'Take On Me' dat is in hun eigen discografie. Bold choice om daar mee te openen. De eerste helft van de plaat weet zich aardig vast te klampen aan dat niveau, maar de tweede helft is precies wat ik verwacht had van de gehele plaat: generieke, plastic synth-pop. Maar neemt niet weg dat ik me best vermaakt heb met kantje nummer één. 6/10 Highlights: Take On Me Living a Boy's Adventure Tale The Sun Always Shines on T.V.
Take on Me is natuurlijk zo'n hit, die draagt het hele oeuvre van a-ha. Maar de rest van de plaat vind ik toch wel een beetje cringe. Hunting High and Low stamt uit de piek van de new-wave mid80's. Daarin zijn ze ook overtuigend. Het is all-in, maar dat maakt het 40 jaar later niet perse een hele leuke luisterervaring. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. vond ik de uitblinker. 5,5/10
Nobody and I mean nobody has ever listened to this entire album. I’ll give it a try. Take on me is an amazing single. The rest sounds like a bad Pet Shop Boys cover band.
The only reason this has a higher rating than Scritti Politti is because of “Take On Me,” which to be fair, is an elite song. As much as I want more non-US/UK artists on the list, I want them to actually be good. There’s so much better 80s pop than this. I can guarantee there’s probably better 80s Norwegian pop than this. Everything outside of “Take On Me” is boring and uninspired, and there’s no reason this should be on the list.
There is more to a-ha than Take On Me; not much more, but there is some. Ultimately they are a one hit wonder band.
I'm questioning some of these albums. I've had several that had one great song and the rest is meh. I know one hit wonders are a thing. So why are those albums with one great song and the rest are meh on this list? Take on Me is an amazing video, the song is great! The rest of this album is so meh. There are some weird, are you trying for a rock opera? songs. Overall it's very we got you hooked with the one song on the radio you now buy the album and realize it's only the one good song. It sucks because you know they make greatness.
Went in with low expectations and I wasn't wrong. 615 albums in, and this is the most milquetoast one so far.
2 good songs and more synth-pop than I can handle
Aside from the singles didn't really vibe with this
Hasn’t aged well. 80s pop and nothing really to recommend outside the catchy hit singles.
I appreciate "Take on me", but the rest of the album is just dull and boring
Sounded exactly how I thought it would, given I haven't heard another a-ha sing assist from the obvious. Take on me is great and nothing else came close. There wasn't another song with same energy when really, it was all a bit slower and croony. Not painful but no need to hear again.
Take on me is a fantastic 80s pop song. The rest I found pretty unremark-a-ha-ble 2
J - 2/5 Best Track - "Take On Me" F - 2/5 Best Track - "Take On Me"
Having listened to this, I can finally mark as completed the task "decide if I like Norwegian synth-pop" that has been sitting on my to-do list for the last 40 years. Apparently the answer is no.
Started off strong, but got boring quickly.
Another instance of an album predominantly included for the hit single. The rest of it is OK, if not a bit subpar. 2.3/5 - > 2/5
Take on me amirite fellas? shit is mid as fuck. only good track this band ever made is the 1st track and after that who gives a fuck
Take on me is a ridiculously good earworm, but i found the rest of the album quite hard to get through.
2/5. As much as I was hoping each song was going to be something that stood out, nothing came close to the opening Take On Me. Sure, the other songs were fine but even without Take On Me to compare, they are not doing it for me. Synth pop only goes so far and it is best taken in small doses, usually. It's just very forgettable quick and only 2, maybe 3, stand out. Best Song: Take On Me, The Sun Always Shines On T.V., I Dream Myself Alive
Feels very "samey" outside the obvious hits. I've been told their later output was better.
Nice to hear Take On Me in good clarity, I have never listened to it with headphones, and it's much nicer and cleaner than I had ever appreciated. Take On Me I had heard a hundred times, though. So how about the rest of these songs? Hunting High and Low has a totally unexpected orchestral climax, like some terrible symphonic metal album. As cheesy here as it is there. I liked the loud and overblown The Sun Always Shines on TV. All the rest were the cheesy, synthy 80's pop I was expecting. Not a bad album, but not one for the re-listen pile.
I am not into it
2.3 Extremely disappointing. For some reason I had a gut feeling this record would surprise me for good reasons. I was thinking some great nu-wave was about to enter my life. But god it was dull. Other than the one hit wonder there was little engaging about it. Aged poorly to boot. At least I know never to bother again.
I’d only ever heard Take On Me before listening to this album and that song remains a banger. Unfortunately, I now know why I’ve never heard any of the others.
One hit wonders. Take Me On as obviously a crowd pleaser. The rest is not my cup of tea
I can almost copy paste my review from the pet shop boys album I rated recently. This new wave synth pop is okay for 1 or 2 songs but that’s it. Take on me is a banger, after that it gets worse and worse. Favourite song: - Take on me
Pari hyvää ja that is it
So unmemorable I didn't even notice when the album ended and autoplay kicked in. This list has way too many 2 star albums with one 5 star song. Some of the synth work was pretty. 4/10 Boring music held up by good production
I guess? I dunno. The first track is obviously a banger, or it wouldn't have the cultural footprint it still does. The rest of the album? Completely forgettable. Like, I can't even remember any of the songs 30 minutes after finishing the album. Definitely not a good sign. I'm not sure how to rate this one, so I'm going with :star::star: cause it wasn't as bad as the Nico album.
I'm surprised to read that there's 5 singles from this album. After listening to the album, I thought this album only sold because of Take On Me. I didn't HATE it, I just thought it was boring
It’s the one with take on me on it
oooh oha jaja hmm mhm jaja jojö ah ja, jaja aaah okay okay, ja okay ja minetwäge a ha okay soso nei wük? also nei hey nei also hey uff ja okay nei nei, nenenene okay ja solala
One memorable but far overplayed song. Otherwise emblematic of an era but not particularly noteworthy.
I can take or leave a lot of 80s new wave, and this doesn't do it for me. A couple good singles, but it really doesn't hold up well as an album.
Reassuring to know that the decent Aha tracks are the ones that everyone knows
Totally mediocre.
I was looking forward to hearing this again after many years, although I think it was nostalgia that forced this decision! I was just leaving school, girlfriends, learning to drive, being quite quick on a football field, discovering new music...village discos and the mecca of them all...The Palace Night Club, Crewkerne, Somerset - complete with laser beams! Sadly, the nostalgia abruptly stopped on the 1st track.....hasn't age well has it? If it wasn't for the nostalgia this would have been a 1 I reckon.
Really put all of the effort and talent into Take On Me and gave their scraps to the rest of the album
If New Order, Wham! and Spandau Ballet had a Norwegian baby, there would be inevitable questions. Was the child conceived in a studio in Shepherds Bush or in a public toilet in Beverly Hills? Would the child have enough lacquer to tame the structural integrity of their towering, feathered shag? But would anybody stop to ask whether the child should have been allowed to live?
Oh Blimey, blast from the past, not that keen to be honest, it is what it is, wasn't keen back in my teens either
Good playing and singing, but every song sounds the same. Only need to listen to 2-3 song.
Let’s be frank here - on hit wonders. The rest are thumbs downs
bouncy pop music, 80s ish
A-ha is Norwegian?! Take on me is the only song I know going into this. Other tracks are super 80s. Not sure the rest holds up to take on me, 2* Highlights: take on me (obv always a banger)
Well, there were two big hits off this album and for good reason. Super catchy, great songs. Let’s face it - they help define an era. There are other tunes on this album that are not hits, and there’s also a reason for that. They are not half as good.
The supercool video for Take On Me makes me not flee from this synth-pop excess. It isn't usual for me to have a video reflect at all on a musical performance, but this time I can't deny my reaction. When the rest of the album plays, well, I just flee--violins and drum machines, synth for substance, can't get much more alienating.
The two songs that were released as singles were good. I did not enjoy the rest of the album.
The only reason I needed to hear this was to confirm my assumption that the massive hit on this album was pretty much everything I'll ever need to hear from a-ha. And I'm not nearly as smitten with that tune as apparently everyone else is. Dude can hit some notes, glad they got the hit, but this was tedious with a side of blah.
Not exactly bad to listen to, but I found this too pop-y and sort of thin. Good for these Norwegians for their global breakthrough, but I can't say I'm a fan.
A struggle to get through. 'Take On Me' is such a strong opener and though it's everywhere and easy to discount - it's a pleasure to actually focus and listen to it. The rest of the album sounds like it could be by any generic synth pop artist. Forgettable
Except Take on me everything else sound absolutely uninteresting and untalented
bijna alle nummers zijn onderling inwisselbaar... net als dit plaatje
A bit TOO 1980s
always disappointing when they frontload the absolute banger and nothing else really competes. i love 80s electronic bullshit tho. 2.5
Well, can’t say I’ve ever been proud to say I listen to a-ha. This album would be better if it was “Take On Me” ten times in a row and if you disagree you go finger a moose. Fughettaboutit. 2/5
Enjoyable Before I die? Nope.
Great first track. Didn't need the rest.
Has those 2 songs and not a lot else...
Love take on me, it's such a good track, and video. But the rest of this album is one to skip
Didn't need a whole album
No es mi preferido
Nothing against a-ha but this was boring. I'm fine by blasting "Take on Me" occasionally and never hearing anything from this album again.
I would have thought this album would be a little interesting but besides the obvious single and a couple of other tracks, it's a rather forgettable album. Don't get me wrong - I don't dislike this band, but this is not a good record.
Very dated now, and just too poppy for me.
Take On Me is a classic, but I didn't like much else on this
Another case of the massive pop single on the album deserving some sort of "before you die" recognition, but not the album itself.
Welp, I see why a-ha were a one-hit wonder. 5 stars for "Take on Me" and its legendary video, 2 stars for the rest.
I'm not sure why this album is even on here. The 80s had much better fare to offer. Having said that I've always maintained that 'The Sun Always Shines on TV' is one ofthe best songs ever recorded. It hit me at exactly the right time in life, and it still puts a grin on my face today. Great song, hidden in the middle of a quite tedious album.
I really wanted to like this album. When I was a kid Take On Me made me realize bands didn't have to be just American 4 piece rock bands. Wow the rest of the album was a snorefest or just bad.
It starts with a catchy hit song, the rest is not noteworthy and sounds dated.
Pretty good opening song. But beyond that pretty unremarkable.
One hit wonder, too 80s sounding
We all know the best song. The rest washed over me without making an impression of any real sort.
I hate to say it, but I can see why "Take on Me" is the only song on this album that made it big...
He has a seriously impressive vocal range, but - overall - this isn't really any better than any other 80s synth pop that was out there at the time. Granted, Take on Me is a near perfect synth pop song, but - the album - meh.
Highlights: Take on Me Another one that I think is not for me. I have never been a huge fan of synth heavy 80's pop, especially not when its so downbeat and melancholy. I think this album is only here because of Take on Me, at least that's the only reason I can think of.
Take on Me is such a banger I forgot how much I hate the genre for a second. Unfortunately I was reminded almost immediately.
starts off with the one you know and just kinda blends after that.
take on me isch zwor so overplayed und cheesy aber es stimmt jede ton jedi entscheidig isch richtig no meh catchy gange. döt wos d melodie zweimol afanged isch geniaaal. sie sind sehr simple minds us norwege. zweite song isch sehr da, au wenni mue sege sini stimm cha recht viel. sehr darke song für so haha jo synthpop aber find vorallem d flöte nervig. titelsong het e gitarre (!!) und sehr IV-IVm type chords aber da hani gern. was de titel heisst hani kei ahnig. finden etz chli sehr schmalzig. blue sky hani insano arsch gfunde und living a boy's adventure tale (guete titel gratuliere sehr igängig) findi etz au es nüt vomne song. es isch langsam es goht nienets ane, jo die synths hemmer ghört hender au e hook?? d oboe rettets au nöd aber sie isch nice. das isch kein guete song. the sun always shines on tv het eeendlich wieder chli power und en meeega coole gitarrepart. defür en ARSCH titel wieder. nenneds touch me? da isch de afang vode hook. ultra es cheesefest aber s funktioniert. de erst song ufem album sit take on me wo öpis chan. and you tell me isch okay? ok nai s isch arsch und d nintendo ass tön am schluss retteds nöd. love is reason jooo ich lieb digitali blöser sie töned immer guet und ich liebs. da dörf nur de donald fagen, äh de illinois elohainu. I DREAM MYSELF ALIVE was HEISST das??? song au arsch. wüüüürkli. es lauft hert uf es zwei use. here i stand and face the rain. nenned de song doch face the rain oder so? ihr sind pop und nöd artsy indie tuble. de offbeat im refrain isch no cool. aber de rest isch wie take on me in nomel usenand gnoh und schlechter wieder zemebaut. boah bin ich tempted zum es 1 geh aber chan nöd wells zwei gueti songs het uf dem album. mengmol hend d charts recht.
Alright banger first song
I’m not sure, I think I might have to have been hearing this for the first time at a certain stage in my life. I like Take On Me but the rest of the tracks on the album aren’t quite hitting.
Had high hopes for this but was surprisingly disappointed. Was expecting more synthy up-beat tunes like the hit of the album but it felt full of more 80's ballad-type songs than anything else.
I thought the album was....ok. It was all downhill after the first track.
1.9
A couple of great singles on here, but the rest is completely forgettable.
Take on Me: Is this what this song always sounded like? Why is he doing that with his voice? 3/5 Train of Thought: Not sure about the pan pipes to end the song. 2/5 Hunting High and Low: Fairly generic '80s ballad. 2/5 The Blue Sky: Entirely forgettable, but not terrible. 2/5 Living a Boy's Adventure Tale: Not the worst on the album, but that's not saying much. 3/5 The Sun Always Shines on T.V.: Fantastic as ever. 5/5 And You Tell Me: This one's really bad. 1/5 Love Is Reason: It was alright. 2/5 I Dream Myself Alive: A lot of album this sounds the same. 2/5 Here I Stand and Face the Rain: It felt like something different was happening here, but I’m not sure if that’s just because what came before was so bad. 3/5 Overall: One great song, one good song and a bunch of the most generic 80s pop imaginable. 2/5
Snores ville 2.5/5
couple of 80's classics, but a lot of dross too
Extremely forgettable after take on me, the mixing has some songs way louder than others, and it just felt like a drag to get through.
You guys. I tried so hard. Take on Me is my nemesis. I hate it so much. And it's everywhere. You can't get away from it. And everyone loves it. It makes me feel really alone. I thought it might just be that song and the second track, Train of Thought, seemed ok. But then...you guys. It's not just that song. I don't like the sound of this. It feels bad in my ear holes. I'm sorry. It's not the record, it's me. It must be me. I'm so alone.
Why would you start with Take on Mr, and then k t the rest of the album bore you.
Sometimes one hit wonders are one hit wonders for a reason.
Not my bag
Really? Sure take on me is a great song with a great clip. And the other singles are strong. And yes Scandinavia punches well above its weight in pop. (Even if you remove the Swedish ABBA) But what next? Get the knack? Racey 1? Focus guys.
Great single, with a terrific video, fantastic haircuts, catchy hook, great voice, and awesome cheekbones. I really like that bit in the chorus where the drums go to half time for a few bars, then kick back it as the vocal melody really goes through the roof. One of the all-time great moments in pop. Oh wait, there's another song? A whole album? I didn't realise. I did listen to the whole thing all the way through. it's a pretty good synth pop production of its day, but there is not a single song on here anywhere near as good as "Take On Me". Everything else on this record is completely forgettable. And, to be frank, "Take On Me" was so ubiquitous when it first came out that I don't really ever need to hear it again.
I thought I would like this more. It was fine but not as catchy as I expected and hoped.
Other than take on me I found this boring
Pretty lackluster. Not sure of the significance of this album. Maybe it had to do with the timing of its release and impact on 80's music? I can't say. I did not find this very enjoyable at all-- and I love 80's music.
"But it's got that song...!" It was surprising that that track had more than 1 Billion listens on Spotify and that video on MTV is still memorable. Sadly, the balance of this album is doo-doo. https://youtu.be/djV11Xbc914
This started out nicely with Take On Me. Then Train Of Thought was OK. But then it kept going down hill. The 80s was a poor decade for pop music. Analogue people transitioning to a digital musical world…with a bad voice in this case. My conclusion is that 80s in general is just a 2 star sound.
1 undeniable classic song, the rest of the album just feels dated and didn’t do much for me.
Does any song represent the 80s more than “Take on Me”? This whole album is like a caricature of the 80s. It attempts to have the moodiness of the smiths and the tones of Prince, but falls short. “Take on me” is unbelievably catchy, but there isn’t much else here for me.
it's fine, just not my jam
Falls off a cliff after the opening track
All downhill after "Take On Me" — the rest of the album felt considerably lazier :'(
I thought it was very courteous of them to put the hit song as track 1. Other one hit wonders should take note. This is almost a 1 star album, but I am giving them a star because Take on Me is fine and because I think courtesy should be rewarded.
There were things I liked about this; his voice has great range and was more evocative than I'd given credit for. But ultimately it didn't feel like it transcended the genre, and was pretty much what I expected.
First and last track good
There's a reason that the only "a-ha" song you know is "Take on Me". This was unnecessary and the only reason it's on this list is because of the author's obsession with new wave. It's not terrible as far as new wave goes, but there's nothing interesting here either. 2.5 stars
Really dated. Not feeling this.
Wrote this review a few days ago for Booker T and the MGs. 1.5 hit wonder
Dripping in eighties Synth pop sliding off the page Fun over substance
Må man være så fræk at kalde dem et one hit wonder- eller bliver jeg forment adgang til Norge hvis jeg gør det.
Jeg vil hellere stikke mig i ørene med en rusten issyl end høre det her generiske 80er lort igen
Take On Meh, album is nogal saai
Yksi nerokas meemi (se) ja yksi LP-raita, joka nostaa hymyn huulille (The Blue Sky). Kokonaisuus ei vakuuta.
6/12/24 synthy and fun, wasn’t expecting much after take on me but was pleasantly surprised. decent album to run to. 6/10
Take On Me feels so out of place on this Album. One energetic hit with a really unique sound, followed by a lot of the similarly dreary songs. Inoffensive I guess.
Pretty boring other than the stand outs
Couldn’t get into this one. “Take On Me” is one of the GOATs of 80s synth pop, but the album peaked there for me. Everything following was alright, but I probably won’t listen again.
Perfect opening track. Overall, the album had literal highs and lows. Nice for a trip to the mall.
2,5
This album has only one good song on it. Take a guess which one it is.
Take on me is a classic song but the rest was dismal mediocrity. Meh.
Nah, this was silly over-produced high energy pop music when I was a teen, and it has not improved with age. In fact I'd forgotten how much the guy's vocal histrionics got on my tits.
I was expecting my review to be along the lines of "better than I expected" but I was wrong. I gave a second star as a gesture if respect for the Take On Me video. Otherwise, I was *shocked* to learn later they made multiple albums.
I only listened to the first 6 songs and none were as fun and pop-y as Take on Me. In fact, they kind of sucked and were a little inane. So I stopped listening. Sorry Aha
I can tell why I've only ever heard of one song on this album
banger and then diminishing returns could i write poetry to this? n
Take on Me- 5 Train of Thoughts and Hunting High and Low- 3 Rest of the album- 1
I've listened to this a couple times over the years when I see it mentioned as being great beyond Take On Me. I still don't think it's that good beyond the obviously great single.
A very strong single with a long long b-side.
This was exactly what I expected, dated synth-pop with a strong mid-80s vibe. It wasn't quite as awful as I had imagined, but it wasn't great.
Take on me. Very 80s. They released other songs, but I doubt many can name any of them. Their influence came in the form of their biggest hit.
I found this rather middling outside of Take on Me. I was very disappointed that I didn’t like it, but that’s how it goes sometimes.
1 good song
take on me is great the rest is not very good
At least we got take on me out of this
Started incredibly, what an opening. The rest was a bit bland for me
Not my thing
Sounds exactly like a pastiche of the genre and time it was released. I tried to get in to it but it sounds like Flight of the Conchords ripping 80s European electronic pop, though not funny.
Aside from loving the hit single that starts this record, I found this album to drag on a bit. There was definitely some cool musical bits and fun orchestration here and there. But overall I was hoping for more.
The famous debut studio album of synth-pop band a-ha. It contains the hit singles (Take On Me, Hunting High And Low, The Sun Always Shines On TV). The rest is filler. It's nice to have a Norwegian entry on the list, but I prefer Madrugada by far.
80's synthesizer heavy music. "take on me" by far the strongest track on album & wish it had not been the 1st one on there. after that it all blended together
Couple decent songs, but mostly a lot of synths and programmed drums. If you’re doing synths and programmed drums, why make the most basic, boring music imaginable?
no thanks
I had better expectations about this album and it ended up disappointing me a bit. It's not the worst album I've heard from the 80s, but it's not the best either. I believe and understand that this was the band's debut and I feel that it influenced a lot in making all the songs sound almost exactly the same. I finished listening to the album and there was not a single song that remained in my head. NOT EVEN ONE. Which disappoints me because "Take On Me" is a song that I really enjoy and that I really like. I don't agree with many people who like this album but everyone has their own tastes and who am I to judge? Notable Song: Take On Me
I figured a-ha was a one hit wonder. I thought maybe the appearance on 1001 would mean a hidden gem awaited me, but I don't really care for the album. I hear bits and beats that remind me of other songs, and pretty much every time that happens I'm kind of disappointed it isn't that other song. "Take on me" is a classic though with a classic video too. Favorite track: "Take on me" 2/5
Take on me is the high point
It's ok but not what I enjoy.
80s Synth-pop. Nicht meins. 1 Megahit und der Rest im gleichen Stil gehalten.
2.5
take on me. Other songs werent great. 2
makes sense that i've never heard any other song from this album....one hit wonder. 2 stars instead of 1 because of Take On Me
Yawn
I like the singles, particularly Take On Me which has an iconic video clip, too, but the rest of the album is pretty forgetful and way too synth pop-y to my taste. I like his voice, and I actually like some of their other albums from the 90s but this album wasn't really for me to be honest.
They are still only a "One Hit Wonder".
Very dramatic, very theatrical. It's almost admirable how extremely cheesy it is. Almost.
Take on Me. That’s it.
You ever heard an artist that is almost entirely known for one song and one song only? It may sound like I’m describing a one hit wonder, but that’s not necessarily what I mean. a-ha isn’t a one hit wonder by any means. I’ve just never heard anyone refer to this group when talking about anything other than Take on Me. I’ve also never heard anyone talk about this whole album. I didn’t know this excited until today. In regard to Take on Me, I’m not a huge fan. I lob it in the same category as Africa by Toto, where it’s this hugely popular song I just don’t get. Although I don’t dislike Take on Me as much as that song. It’s catchy enough, but not amazing. The rest of the album though? Consistently pretty lackluster. This came out smack dab in the middle of the 80’s. And it had this goofiness to it that just came with the time period. The best example is the song Love Is Reason. Those horns make it sound like Mario Party mini game music. The instrumentals are just missing the essence that made other synth pop albums better. I can respect certain parts though, like the bass on Train of Thought, or how The Sun Always Shines on T.V. ramps up in intensity part way through. Also I’m just not really a fan of the singer. I’m no professional myself, so I really don’t have any right to critique how someone else sings, but some of the high notes he hits, like on Take on Me, sound forced and strained. This album is just a little rough around the edges. It feels over polished and is rather boring. And I can’t imagine anything of higher quality on future albums from them. Rating: 4/10
Thoughts before listening: I know "Take On Me". Assuming that's on this album then it'll get added to the playlist because it's one of the best 80s pop hits. The band however are not typically talked about as anything other than one hit wonders who put out a catchy song with a killer video, so I'm surprised by the entry on this list. I'm expecting poppy 80s new wave, and I'm really interested to see what they sound like outside of the hit. Review: Well, this album wastes no time getting to the point with "Take On Me" as the opening track. It's still a great tune even detached from the video. The rest of the album ranges from fine to outright cheesy. I do recognize one more song in "The Sun Always Shines on TV" which was a minor hit...and its definitely the second best song on here. The rest are very of their time light weight pop songs, that just don't do anything for me. This is a 2-star album for the strength of "Take On Me".
If there’s any album on this list that is here off the back of one song, it’s this one. “Take On Me” is an undeniably excellent (and iconic) song. Nothing else on the album really reaches its heights. The other tracks are well produced and the vocals are nice, but everything else feels like, “Yup, that definitely sounds like it’s from the 80s.” I also struggled to finish this album—I got it two weeks ago. After a few tracks, I’d always get bored and feel ready to move on to something else. On my third attempt to complete it, I finally did. And that’s crazy, because it’s only 37 minutes long.
Take On Me is a good song… the rest kinda average. Listens: 1 Fave Track: Take On Me Rating: 2
the same song over and over and over. Nice song tho. 2 stars.
"Take on me" has 2.2 billion streams on Spotify? DAmmnn. Anyhow, I cant tell if "Take on me" and "The sun always shines on T.V." are just that much better or they sound really, REALLY 80's too. Overall an ok album.
welcome to the 80‘s ngl „take on me“ is the best song and as the first song everything after it is just… meh
This was fine. Take on me is part of the furniture culturally, but I think it may be a bit overrated musically as it gets a lot of it's credit from the video and the MTV generation. The rest of the album is serviceable pop.
All I can tell you to prove that I’ve listened to it this is it’s the album that features Take On Me and one of the guys is flexing his tricep on the cover.
When this popped up, I hoped I might enjoy it. I didn’t. Hasn’t aged well, and Mr Harket does whine a bit especially on some of those slower songs. Highlights were the 2 upbeat singles (Take On Me & The Sun Always Shines On Tv).
It's got better with age. I thought of them at the time as tacky Duran Duran pretty boy wannabes from Norway. They probably were, but there are some great tunes, especially the singles. Wiki describing them as New Wave? No, it's Electro-pop full stop. Made the wife happy playing it, so all good. It gets a high 2 for 'Hunting High and Low' alone, thr rest is a bonus.
Here we have a classic 80's band known for their opening song Take On Me. Are they more than a one hit wonder? I'd say no. First Norwegian band to be nominated for a Grammy is a good reason to include them on this list, but I think if this was my list, the criteria would be a little more stringent.
Not my cup of tea. Alright album. Besides the one song it just didn't do it for me.
Nah
Beyond the one song, "Take on Me", there is not much else to the album. The video for "Take on Me" is arguably the best video from the 80s and is worth checking out.
Take on me is one of the best songs ever. The rest of the songs on here are not.
The big hit 1st track Take On Me is such a killer song. The rest of the album varied from forgettable to awful.
It was fine. Really fell off after the first few but overall not my taste
2,5
You know what? I was fully prepared to hate all the synthesisers and shit on this album and I still didn't like it but I hated it less than I thought I would so here's a 2
Was ein Kitsch. Startet sogar mit Take on me
Aside from the classic Take On Me, I wasn't finding any other songs of particular interest. Pleasantly surprised to end on Here I Stand and Faced the Rain which I enjoyed -- but not enough to make not of it for future listens.
Very 80s one hit wonder
Favorite songs: Take On Me; The Sun Always Shines on T.V. For an album that largely was the space for a one hit wonder, I did find a few of the other songs worth a listen. As a whole I think the album underwhelms.
The singles are good. Everything else is poor.
1 - Hey, I know this song. 1.5 billion streams on Spotify - guessing some other people know this song too. 2 - I listened to this song but can't remember it now that #3 started playing 3 - See #2 4 - Blue Sky was cool 5 - Kind of liked it 6 - Liking this one - cool synths 7 - Nah 8 - Better than #7 - alright 9 - It was ok - kind of repetitive 10 - Not a bad closing song. Synths good again Overall, it was better than maybe I expected it to be. Not sure it belongs on the 1001 albums I need to hear. I haven't really listened to many full albums from the 80s, and it was cool to hear an album from a band who is known as a one hit wonder.
Deep versatile voice, a lot of the songs carried by it. Surprisingly diverse beyond take on me, but very 80s.
Overall not much to this album except "Take on me". Everything else falls short of relevance. 2/5 Won't listen again
Nothing that I haven't heard a 1000 times before from 1000 other 80s bands. Take On Me fell particularly flat
Ok
Naff aside from the obvious
An extra star for track one but the rest…ugh.
Kinda disappointing, TBH. Take On Me is obviously a classic, and I always like the rich orchestration, jazz harmonies, and thought that goes into 80s pop; this is no exception. But none of the rest of the album grabs me. On the very last track I thought they had something, then they got weird and boring. "And You Tell Me" is pretty funny, but at 1:51..... that's not enough to carry the album.
Pari kovaa hittiä, mutta varsin unohdettavaa settiä noin muuten.
Well I took it on and it's just not for me.
not as bad as most '80s synth stuff, couple of okay songs
Except for the first song, this is boring synth pop.
Take On Me and Sun Always Shines On TV are two of the greatest pop songs of the 80’s The rest of this, not so much Nothing particularly wrong with it but it’s a bit bland and samey But those two singles are more than worth a listen
This album starts off with one of the most famous songs of the ‘80s “Take on Me”. I don’t think I had ever heard any other A-ha songs besides that before this listen. The album had some great songs. Some of my favorites were “Hunting High and Low” and “The Sun Always Shines on TV”. The more that was going on in the song the more interested I was in it. With that being said some of the other songs just didn’t do it for me and were a bit of a slog to get through.
I actually owned this album on cassette (don't judge me, I was seven years old!) and I still don't remember any of the awful filler which pervades it. The two big singles, Take on Me and The Sun Always Shines are still great though.
Really? The album only has one good track, and it's on the 1001 list? 2/5
"Take On Me” is perhaps second only to "Never Gonna Give You Up" on the Mt. Olympus of earwormy annoyance and ubiquity. Sure the video is visually interesting but the music ... not so much. For all its pretension to stylishness and (opera-level) sophistication, so much of this barely rises to level of synthy '80s sugar high, and now these keys sound decidedly analog, the music tech equivalent of a green screen. "Love Is Reason" and "I Dream Myself Alive" might be interesting songs in another band's hand. Title cut and "Living a Boy's Adventure Tale" are best of tepid and mostly forgettable lot.
Nope.
I probably would have liked this if I listened to it as a baby. My parents didn’t have the cassette and they apparently didn’t want to play any of this band’s music on the radio other than Take On Me. Perhaps an under rated band???
Obvs a banger to open with. A xylophone? Oh it gets a bit weird.
One banger, rest is mid
Beyond Take on Me, this wasn't that great, imo. I had some hope that I might enjoy one or two of the other several singles, but that wasn't the case. I think the 'success' of this album hangs entirely on one great song and a sound that was exactly the flavor of the month written it came out. I don't think this holds up well after so many years.
lmao take on me.
very cheesy 80s pop starts with take on me but is otherwise pretty bleh 2.5
I really wanted to find out that they shouldn't have been a 1 hit wonder but everything else was meh. A poppier Joy Division
Not sure I’d consider it an album everyone should hear before they die. Enjoyable but nothing special
Meh
It's pretty boring. Take on Me is obviously one of the greatest songs ever. The fact that Harry Styles is hailed as a genius for rehashing it 40 years on is proof that don't slaps. Bit the rest is Soft Cell or the Human League but with none of the edge. I get at the time it would have felt revolutionary to have this go so pop, but 40 years on you just wish they backed it up with the songs..
It's OK. A couple of great songs on here and some less so.
Like the hits, but the the slow songs
Holy same song
Very 80s. Not as bad as I remember, but no classic
Just another pop album
Kind of forgettable. What's next?
Back in the mid-80s I was a huge fan of a group that Tony Mansfield headed up called New Musik. Yeah I know that's not a very inspiring name. They were an early synthpop band from London that released the pioneering album, From A to B that actually was one of the best of this emerging genre. But unfortunately most people have never heard of them. Gawd I'm sure I wore out the copy of that album because I was heavily into this "new wave" thing that was sweeping the airwaves back then. I'm bringing him up because Mansfield went on to produce this album from the Norwegian band, A-ha. Much of his strong production values are evident here, but it's also obviously geared towards mainstream airplay so this album is quite "poppy" sounding. Take on me might be their biggest hit, but IMO the Sun always shines on TV is definitely their best song. Unfortunately, the rest of the album sounds like a very commercial and dated sounding Depeche mode and is not very compelling to listen to.
Hunting High And Low starts well with a classic the rest of the album can't live up to, instead sinking to 80s depths we don't want to hear very often. 2.
Quite enjoyed bits of this, but did feel that it dragged (although it's less than 40 minutes long). It's fun, synthy pop music - not a huge amount of complexity, nuance, or variation. I didn't know any of the tracks apart from Take On Me, they're all in the same vein as that but without the same levels of catchy energy. 2/5.
Another 80s sleeper with a one hit wonder
I mean take on me is the real takeaway here.
Ei yhdellä hitillä kovin pitkälle pötkinyt. Muutama toivonpyrähdys siellä täällä, mutta aika pitkälti Take On Men varassa koko levy. Varma kagonen
Overall not that impressed, there were a couple decent tracks, but not enough to save it from a mediocre rating.
Never been a fan of a-ha and nothing here that is of any surprise. Bland, glossy, insubstantial
80’s rubbish, maybe being harsh but not my thing. Take on me saves the album getting a 1.
'Take On Me' is an absolute classic. 'The Sun Always Shines on T.V.' is also a good song. Rest of the tracks are pretty boring. 2/5
Onmiskenbaar A-Ha, dat wel.
Goede binnenkomer. De rest is teleurstellend.
This is yet another album that starts off with 3 great songs (obviously "Take On Me" being the real winner) and then it doesn't really go anywhere after that. The sound is quintessential 80s but there are much better offerings in my opinion, such as Tears for Fears's Songs from the Big Chair.
Couple of 80s power Ballad classics that i cant help but love. but the rest was a puddle of pee
A great single doesn't make a great album
Listening to Take On Me, it was a lovely piece of pop. Then it was all eighties dribble.
Take On Me will always be great, the rest felt bland.
Not my cup. of tea
Why is this on this list?? Prefs: Take on Me, The Sun Always Shines On T.V. Moins pref: Living a Boy's Adventure Tale
Unfortunately, they're right, A-ha is a one-hit wonder. Fortunately, that MTV staple will always have a special place in me.
Kicking off with easily one of the best pop songs ever written, but would I ever have listened to this had it not been in this book? Even as an A-ha fan as a child? No. I remember when A-ha had their own cartoon strip in Look-In magazine. At least I know I'll like 2 of the other songs. Well... Ironically Hunting High and Low sounds much more like a bond theme than their bond theme. It's not very good though. Sun Always Shines On TV is still another slice of pop brilliance. The rest is perfectly competent, if edgeless, 80s synth pop. The Blue Sky probably stands out among those, sounding a bit like contemporary era Depeche Mode. This shouldn't be in the book, the only reason it's important is Take On Me and Sun.
Been there, done that. A-ha is meh
Other than their major hit, I found this album rather boring. 2/5
A good song
OK, so you have to appreciate this album, because it contains 'Take on Me', which you either enjoy ironically or you loved because of the music video. Beyond that, it's a boy and his synthesizer, and if that's all it is then I'd rather be listening to Wesley Willis.
Niet mijn ding.
Meh. Typical 80s pop
Although undoubtedly strengthened by the famous opening track, as well as The Sun Only Shines on TV, my overall feeling is that this is a somewhat uninspired album which tries, and ultimately fails, to emulate its contemporaries.
A couple of bangers but largely uninteresting.
Not a fan
Better than I remembered but still not really my thing. Hunting High and Low (the song) was ace. I could see why they ended up doing a Bond track.
Boring
huge hit better singing The The i am so skeptical for why this is on 1001 albums, but actually it sounds really fun to drive around to sun always shines on tv actually sounds like the kmfdm stuff that my roommate listens to and you tell me is unlistenable im sorry bad bad electro punk twee is bad i do not understand why this is considered a great album these are some obnoxious melodies
Yeah, I am not a big 80´s fan, I guess. At least not a-ha...of course the released singles are and always will be bangers...But for example Hunting High and Low is just meh to me...sorry a-ha.
Vocals are unbearable, otherwise, there might be a good melody or two in there.
Sure, Take On Me is a great song, but there is nothing else on the album that comes close and as a whole it just washed over me as a mass of bland synth pop.
“Take On Me” has always sounded like it should have been a one-hit wonder. The rest of this record more than confirms that impression. What’s the most apt description of A-ha: a pale and unsophisticated imitation of Roxy Music? A poor man’s Depeche Mode? (Who’d a thunk one would ever find oneself defending Depeche Mode!?!?) While the video, for its originality and quality, might – might – be worth knowing before one passes, one could very peacefully and contentedly pass without knowing this record.
Another 80s album that really hinges on one big song Take On Me is obviously fantastic (as is The Sun Always Shines on TV) and the title track was really nice and an effective change of pace. The rest of the album was really underwhelming though
One hit wonder for a reason...
Starts off with a banger. goes downhill from there.
80s pap. Yeah there a couple of huge singles but its all a bit sham. The lead singer thinks he's a bit Bowie and doesn't pull it off The synth sound is really repetitive. It has a joyful vibe but its not for me. Not that great really. Lightweight. 2
Not bad, but not for me.
Lotsa mid on here. Very grocery store. Mostly shmeh with a standout banger
One hit wonder. What's next? The Mambo No. 5 album? I like Take on Me, but starting off an album with your best song is usually a pretty bad idea. It goes downhill after that and the rest is unmemorable boring new wave - meaningless mumbly lyrics, repetitive synths and uninteresting melodies. The worst offender is "I Dream Myself Alive" where the singer repeats the title phrase like 50 times. I don't know, I wasn't counting. Or paying attention, really. Maybe I just dreamed that up.
i mean take on me is classic but otherwise didn't find it all that interesting
One-hit wonder. They put the hit as the first track on the album so there's not much point in listening to the rest of this album of typical 80's synth-pop.
Having grown up in the 90's, there's something about this particular brand of 80's music that just sounds silly to me, like a joke. "Take on Me" might as well be the flagship song for that. I'd like to think that I'm shaking that preconception, but listening to this album tells me that I haven't yet.
1985. Take on Me
Best Song: Take On Me. Always feels lame to pick the big target as the best song, but it really is the only choice here. So unique, with much more adventurous vocals than the rest of the album. Worst Song: Hunting High and Low. Sounds too much like the song that plays during a movie montage, where the animated protagonist is literally looking high and low for their missing friend. Overall: Coming into this having previously only heard "Take On Me", I honestly expected more. The rest of the album is just this squeaky clean, super-sanitized pop. Also, I don't usually care about the cover art, but the decision to choose this tricep-popping picture is an interesting one.
The two big hits are still great, but the rest wasn't much to my taste.
the beauty of doing this list using youtube is that you get to see the videos. the video for sun always shines on tv is a quintessentially 80s nightmare where the band are playing their song in a cathedral full of mannequins. pulling off all their best 80s moves with the aren't i handsome perma smirk in full flow. can't decide if i love or hate the video, but its left more of an impression than most of the dross on this album.
A tame affair. Decent for mainstream eighties pop but the bar is set very low. Take On Me is an evergreen, entertaining pop hit but the rest of the album is fairly middling. Underwhelming.
This is not an album I needed to hear. Take on Me holds a place in the 80s ear-worm songs, and the video was interesting. The rest of the album feels disconnected, and the title track feels like an unused James Bond theme or like something for Jaws 5 (was there a Jaws 5 already? IDK).
Pretty bland for an 80s pop record
VERY samey
Couple of bangers but i was ready for so much more
“A product of the 1980s, with highs like 'Take On Me' and 'The Sun Always Shines on TV.”
AHA! So My first play of the Norwegian Boy Bands first album. Morton and the boys did themselves proud with their innovative video for "Take On Me" which is no doubt a seminal piece of Mid 80's Euro Pop. The rest of the album... well very much of a muchness in my eyes. The three singles are ok but not one I would have in my collection.
One great, classic. A bunch of pretty basic songs.
Take On Me is a classic of the decade...the rest is not so much. It's not a terrible listen. The singer is pretty good and it's never painful to listen to, but it's just kind of there. In fact it's pretty frustrating. They come so close to making good, memorable songs but just fall short. 5/10. I wish I could give out half stars.
This would not have been my pick for 1001 albums.
I mean, it’s not unlistenable, but there’s a reason I only know of one of their songs even though they’ve made ten albums. Some glimpses of good synth pop, but not nearly enough, and the only great pop is the opening track.
Singles stand out, but after a few listens, I didn't feel much for this one.
Very 80s feel pop
Decidedly 80s flavor, which is tasty in its own right. Opens with Take on Me, which is the only A-Ha song I “know” and I was singing at the top of my lungs, unable to reach any of the high notes, making my dogs howl, but enjoying myself immensely. Train of Thought has a Bowie-Ish feel. Hunting High and Low made me uncomfortable. Boundaries are a good thing, my dude. The rest of the album is 80’s pop synthy ridiculous goodness. Not my jam, but not awful. Very short album at 10 songs clocking in at just over 35 minutes.
Kinda disappointing, TBH. Take On Me is obviously a classic, and I always like the rich orchestration, jazz harmonies, and thought that goes into 80s pop; this is no exception. But none of the rest of the album grabs me. On the very last track I thought they had something, then they got weird and boring. "And You Tell Me" is pretty funny, but at 1:51..... that's not enough to carry the album.
Obviously. Outside of the single this kinda sucks.
Absolutely average
klassisk 80'er, danse
Peak 80's. A mix of slow and fast, upbeat and morose, but "Take On Me" pretty much outshines everything else.
Kolejny popowy material, tym razem z troche innej epoki, z innej lokacji i innego kalibru, bo Hunting High And Low to debiutancki album norweskiej bandy o bardzo orginalnej nazwie dla czleka spoza krainy fiordow, a-ha, plyta z 85, wiec z czasu najwiekszej synthowej epidemii, co czuc na praktycznie calym materiale, ktorego jest 35 minut, chociaz rownie dobrze mozna zapoznac sie z pierwszymi 3 minutami i 45 sekundami i juz wiedziec co, gdzie, jak i dlaczego, bo wlasnie tyle trwa otwierajacy trak take on me, ktory jest wizytowka bandy, a tu ciekawostka jednym z najbardziej popularnych songow z europy w czasach wczesno jutubowych, wiec nie dziwne, ze znam go z katowania stacji radiowych tym wlasnie songiem, bo o ile sam trak ma w sobie cos co mozna nazwac duchem tamtej epoki, tak od strony muzycznej jest to produkcja raczej sredniawa, mam na mysli caloksztalt plyty, bo tak synthowego popu dawno nie slyszalem tutaj, banda troj osobowa, glosny wokal, pan na gitarce i pan od klawisza, do tego drumy z automata, tak samo basior i mamy disko polo pelna geba, co do samego wokalu, to pan Harket brzmi troche jak lidlowy bowie, za co oczywiscie plus, ale ciezko znalezc cos na czym mozna zawiesic ucho na tej plycie, oczywiscie poza openingiem, gdybym mial wskazac traki ktore jeszcze jakos sie wyrozniaja, to bylyby to and you tell me o wiele wolniejszy trak niz reszta materialu, wiec nie jest tak popowo, a kolejnym jest zamykajacy here i stand and face the rain, ktory sampluje z poczatku jakies chorki koscielne, albo tak to przynajmniej brzmi i jakos zmienia sie w ciagu tych 4 minut grania, egzotyczne smyczki i produkcja robia tutaj robote, czego nie mozna powiedziec na reszcie materialu, gdzie na niektorych kawalkach trzeba regulowac glosnosci samodzielnie, na plejaka wrzuce jedynie take on me, jako swoista wizytowke albumu
Take On Me is an all time favorite, but the rest of this album is just boring new wave bs. Sorry, a-ha.
Not a fan. Classic 80s music that I don't like aka new-wave.
1.75
A bit weird, not really full of bangers
wasn't that great - seems like all 80s bands were one hit wonders. an extra star just for take on me which is great tbf