Reviews (page 8 of 9)
I liked this much more than I expected to. While this type of synth pop is not my sonic preference, it was very well executed. "The Sun Always Shines" sounds like it influenced U2's "Beautiful Day", and a listen to The Weeknd's "Dawn FM" shows how influential A-ha's sound still is. They are more than their 1 hit. I'd give this 3.5 if I could, but I'm feeling generous today.
'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
Some solid 80's new wave that opens with a bona fide classic of the genre. 3.5 but will round up to 4 just for Take On Me
A strong 4/5 for this synth pop 80s classic with some surpringsly melancholy vibes at times. Biased results ciz it gits the mood for the beach vacation.
Onmiskenbaar A-Ha, dat wel.
Je kunt eigenlijk bijna niet aan iets anders denken dan die voor die tijd fascinerende 'getekende' clip van Take on Me, maar ook het hele album blijkt verrassend goed luisterbaar voor een synth-pop plaatje uit 1986.
Vond dit nog best goed te pruimen. En zeker de hitjes zijn te gek.
Mixed bag. De bekende nummers zijn top/jeugdsentiment, de overige nummers kon ik niet zo goed plaatsen.
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.
A classic, but nothing outside of take on me really blew me away.
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
The song you know is the one you know for a reason.
The sound of the 80’s. Great then, now outdated.
Sort of a one trick album. It features some okay ‘80s tracks that are all overshadowed by the Goliath opener.
Listens: 3 Enjoyed: Yes Surprised how much I enjoyed this one to be honest. The highs are very high and the lows are slightly above average. The balance between dance and rock is excellent. Im going for 4*s, ideally I'd go for a very high 3.5 and 3 seems way too low so 4 it js
Unfortunately, they're right, A-ha is a one-hit wonder. Fortunately, that MTV staple will always have a special place in me.
really enjoyable album, I think I enjoyed the back half more than the front
actually liked it
Didnt know the other songs were good aswell, pleasant suprise.
surprising album coming from a band that i thought was a one hit wonder, still not really my thing but i can appreciate it
A couple of bangers and maintains the vibe for the whole albums
After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back. I enjoyed this album alright.
oh it has THIS SONG didn't have super strong feelings. it was fun, but just ok.
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.
Good album. Best song is obviously “Take on me.”
Been there, done that. A-ha is meh
It was alright. Very very 80s. Take On Me was great and it was an enjoyable album, but I can't see listening to it again.
I guess this album was big at the time, but I have always considered a-ha to be one hit wonders, and there's nothing on this record that changes that for me. Maybe it's that new wave is just so out of my wheelhouse that I don't understand the context, but it's not doing it for me. It seems strange to me that this is on this list.
Eh, it's good 80s pop I guess
I wondered if I’d recognize anything other than the big hit from this and the answer was no, I didn’t. Liked it all well enough, for its style and era, but not much of beside that one hit really grabbed me.
Real cool album - it actually made me like aha more. Super soft songs with enough variation to keep it interesting
The synthesizer usage is unmatched. Then again, it is indeed the middle of the 80s. Favorite songs: The Sun Always Shines on T.V., Living A Boy's Adventure Tale
Best songs: Take on Me Like the use of string instruments in Hunting High and Low.
Didn’t listen
Take On Me is one of my favourite 80s pop songs, lot of good memories belting that one out on the dance floor with my buddies. But the rest of this album does nothing for me... they call it a one hit wonder for a reason.
This is a cool album from what I would describe as the "mature" period of new wave/synth pop that followed the earlier work of bands like Gary Neuman and Human League. This is a great example of that style, and the lead singer of the band has an incredible voice that fits in great with the synthesizer sound. A really strong debut album, and it's incredible that this band had never played a concert before Take On Me reached #1 in the US 4/5
Other than their major hit, I found this album rather boring. 2/5
Great classic songs
In its time, it was 5 stars and I wore out my cassette tape of it listening over and over. Not a best album of all time, though.
A bit fluffy and it’s short for a debut.
Surprisingly enjoyable. Really only one radio hit, but the whole thing feels like 80's montage music. Will definitely revisit a few tracks in the future.
4.0
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.
C’est quand meme bon serieux, j’ai ete surpris et j’aime ca hehe 3.85
Meh. Typical 80s pop
3.5
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.
Pretty good synthpop album, really loved the first half but the latter half was a little one note and uninteresting but I still overall enjoyed it. The instrumentation is fantastic and Morten's vocals are absolutely transcendent, one of my favourite singing voices of the 80's.
Solid
Good individual songs, but not enough to sustain an album. You can see why they were (and still are) so popular though
One hit wonder, but overall good album. Everything kinda sounds the same
A couple of bangers but largely uninteresting.
Not a fan
Tja, niet helemaal mijn ding. Wel een paar klassiekers. 3*
Solid 80s synth pop album!
Fun songs. Throwback vibes to being a kid.
Disco com hits dos 80 que funciona bem na sequencia.
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
It's a shame Morten Harket didn't utilize the wide range of his voice more often because it too often sounds like any other eighties synth-pop ensemble's singer. But the band's dramatic debut album makes for very melodic and intriguing music.
All the Morrissey lately has tainted this version of New Romantic songsmithery. The accent didn't help me overcome the apprehension. Some pretty nice falsetto and triceps in the cover art though...
There's not nearly enough synths on this! Some real Highs, Take on Me is a case in point. And quite a few Lows too. Almost a middling album but enough to keep it interesting. And I am partial to that Norwegian falsetto.
nice
I liked this, there were more hits on it than I remembered!
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.
TAKE ON ME REPRISE
Vocals are unbearable, otherwise, there might be a good melody or two in there.
That is the most '80s sounding album of all time.
Take On Me reached meme status. Such a good song but hard to listen to with an objective ear anymore because I'm just tired of it. I'm not a fan of the electric keyboard or drum sounds so I was prepared not to like this album or at least not love it but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. Title track is really good. Great vocal range and voice. Songwriting is dramatic, creative with instrumentation, orchestral at times with strings, brass, and even woodwinds on Living a boys adventure tale. Not a fan of the static drum machine although the programming is good, this album could benefit from a real drummer at least on some tracks or in addition to the drum machine. Songwriting is very good here, they obviously know what they are doing with lots of non-diatonic chords. Definitely made me double take a like at the vocal transition to the chorus in living a boys adventure tale. The vocal octave jump in this song in the last chorus is fantastic. Really fun intro on the sun always shines on t.v. which starts dreamy with pads and sustained vocals, then becomes dissonant with a borrowed chord and then drops into a guitar and synth-bass driven groove. The chorus is in a major key but falls right back into that minor groove in such a natural way. Aha knows how to let a phrase breathe - I noticed this in I dream myself alive with the massive layered harmonies in the hook that is a call/response with the instrumentals. The hooks are simple and I think that's one reason they are so memorable on this album. Even the hook in Take On Me which spans 2.5 octaves is just ascending notes, 3 at a time. Very strange key changes in here I stand and face the rain that reminds me of we are the robots by kraftwerk. Overall, well crafted songs but is hampered by thin digital synths and midi drums. Some songs are fairly forgettable which is not good on a short album. Mixed bag but the highs here well make up for the lows.
For whatever reason, the lead-off track, Take On Me, has entered the lexicon of earworm songs that have become ingrained in our society. Yes, the song is 37 years old, but I've heard it more in the past 10 years than when it was released and it's popularity has taken on a whole new level. Apart from that song, a-ha delivers a predictable blend of mid-80's mediocrity most people didn't listen to if you bought the album. Actually, the songs aren't bad and it wasn't difficult to listen to the whole thing through, but really nothing essential here.
Correct pop album
Has anyone heard this "unplugged" version of "Take On Me"? Shows how good the song is, even without its lush synth arrangements and Morton Harket having to go to the famous falsetto highs at the end of its chorus. https://open.spotify.com/track/7htt7UuxHL5wneOcMWJP5E?si=K-aG8WMmS5qCORpI0R96sg&utm_source=copy-link To return to the original album from which this timeless hit is taken from, not all of those eighties arrangements and vocal feats have aged as well as "Take On Me", unfortunately. As a matter of fact, and under closer scrutiny, a lot of the songs in this record are somewhat disappointing, and this only in the compositional level. For example, there's "Train of Thought" and its awkward faux post-punk grunts on verses, followed by incomplete choruses, leaving you dangling in the air--a bit of a problem that can also be found with "Here I Stand And Face The Rain". And speaking of chorus, there's much to complain about the ones of "The Blue Sky" and "Love And Reason", but this time for opposite reasons, as they confuse catchiness with bland, pointless repetition... Fortunately, two exceptions are saving this record from a 2/5 grade (which is a tribute to their inherent greatness, given how hackneyed and cheesy-sounding a lot of the other tunes are sounding today). There's the title track, whose epic chorus and incredible orchestral flourishes could have been recorded yesterday, and "The Sun Always Shine On T.V." that somehow transcends its dated sound through the sheer force of its vocal melodic lines, pretty much in the same way "Take On Me" does. Now I have two questions: can three great tracks against seven tedious ones make an essential album? But more importantly, where can I find those tracks without the clunkers and add them to my record collection? Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 835 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 90 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 40 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important: 36 (including this one)
My tried and tested formula for any album where I know the singles by heart (Achtung Baby or Eliminator for example) of not playing the singles and seeing how strong the rest of the album is has badly let me down here. I deeply dislike the singles and the album tracks do nothing to change my mind. Saving grace: at least it's quite a short album. But still shockingly mediocre (And You Tell Me is shockingly awful) and a model for everything that was bad about 80s production. There's no end of the badness here. (Not even started on the lyrics). Is this really the thousand and first best album ever made?
Unspectacular 80s pop. And take on me
I don’t get the love for The Sun Always Shines on TV. In contrast, I would like to have Take On Me played to me as I shuffle off this mortal coil, so this album’s got that going for it, which is nice.
I had this CD when I was a kid and it was great then. Still great.
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.
It's only good if it's what you're looking for, but if it is easy 4 stars
“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.
VERY 80s
This starts with Take On Me? Wow that's a high mark to keep up. Hunting High and Low is deceptively complex. Every time I seem to wane interest in the sound, there is a new thing thrown in.
2 good radio songs.
Good pop music that’s fine for today… The album opens with the megahit take on me it’s a banger, just undeniable! Then is train of thought it’s a good song but it almost sounds like he’s trying too hard to sing in another accent (but this problem mostly goes by the end). But saying that about the last song I like his vocals quite a bit in hunting high and low this is an honestly amazing swooping ballad! I honestly thought that track 4 was called “ mr blue sky” but no it’s just “the blue sky” anyway it’s a little shit the instrumentation and singing quality is what I’d expect but the lyrics… wow they’re bad. Side one ends with living a boy’s adventure tale it’s great and honestly could’ve been a single great slow track to end the first half of the album! Side two opens with their second biggest song the sun always shines on tv, I loved how it starts all sad and slow then forms into this awesome new wave rocker ( but a-ha must’ve been a 1 hit wonder because I’ve never herd this song before). Then is and you tell me, a shortie and a slow song nothing special but good. Love is reason isn’t much of a song being like 80% repetitive chorus but it’s not bad. I don’t hate I dream myself alive but I think it feels a little static in comparison to the other songs on the album ( but the samples are cool). The album closes with here I stand to face the rain, I was actually surprised by this it’s really well crafted probably the best song on side two and well worth the wait! Side 1: 4/5 songs are great Side 2: 2/5 songs are great 4+2=6 Half 6= 3 3/5 solid but fairly weak for new wave to be fair.
This is a great album! Full of joy.
Non-stop bops sadly did not reach the top
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.
Take on Me followed by nine other tracks. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Take on Me Date listened: 12/07/22
Enjoyable. I'll look more in to a-ha but wasn't my favorite. Take on Me is a classic still, but other than that, decent album.
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
Aparte del bombazo de "Take on Me" hay otras canciones interesantes como "The Sun always shine on T.V.". En realidad veo más influencias de este disco en bandas recientes de lo que pensaba (White Lies o Editors). En algunas canciones el uso de los sintetizadores ha envejecido muy mal.
The main single being the opener sounds incredibly risky, as it sets up high expectations. Somehow A-Ha meets them with songs that are equally bombastic and memorable. This was a surprising listen and makes me wanna check out their catalog further.
Not bad, but not for me.
I was expecting the old known hit into mediocre deep cuts pattern, and was shocked to find a perfect pop album. It reminds me of Carly Rae Jepsen's Emotion if I were to compare it to a record with which I'm much more familiar. The accessibility is the only soundscape similarity, though: There are a couple more cuts in Take On Me's style, a taste of what would become outrun, and some slower numbers. It all may age poorly on a revisit, but for now I'm too busy grinning, riding the high of the last hour.
Expected more. But still OK.
Better and more varied than expected.
that one song
There's been a lot of albums from the 80s on this list, but this might be the most 80s of them all. You got the drum machine, the synths, and the voice. I think the synth is the most interesting work, some very elaborate beats going on.
Una llàstima que la resta del disc ni tan sols s'apropi a la força de 'The Sun Always Shines on TV', 'Hunting High and Low' o, és clar, 'Take On Me', un dels singles definitius dels '80. Malgrat la qualitat desigual, un disc encissador de synth-pop 80s, fantàstic per disfrutar a l'estiu
The opening track is a pop masterpiece but the only way is down from there. The Sun Always Shines On TV being the only other track that made any kind of impact on me. I guess I’m going 4 stars on the strength of the Take On Me. My favourite Norwegian band - apparently.
This is a massive synth-pop album that contains some of the biggest genre hits of its era - Take on Me and The Sun Always Shines on TV deserve every single bit of praise they have received (not least because of Morten Harket's versatile voice). The title track, however, is something else. It's more acoustic with a cinematic breadth seldom seen in 80s pop and a breathtaking, sweeping orchstral arrangement. But that song remains the exception, as synth pop is is ruler supreme on this album. And while the highs are incredibly high, there is quite a bit of filler material here, most of which is fine. This was a good first effort for Norways most famous musical export. Many more - even better ones - were to follow. 4/5
super enjoyable experience I listened to the 30th anniversary super deluxe edition and had a lot of fun hearing all the different takes and demos hell, I think I liked some of those demos more than the original songs as well as the bonus tracks like Stop! And Make Your Mind Up just had such a fun, fresh sound honestly a lot of these songs I thought had the same quality and charm as Take on Me and I'm surprised that so many of these songs are so overwhelming buried by the song that made them a one-hit-wonder overall, 10/10, super enjoyable, check out the 30th anniversary edition, just a great album
Stórfengleg debut plata þessarra norðmanna sem eru mér mjög kærir. Fullt hús stiga.
Hunting High & Low is very much a mid-80s album. Accessible synth-pop made at a time when it was a commercially safe choice. Nevertheless this album has two things that set it a little apart: Firstly, the beautifully emotional voice of Harket and secondly, the melancholic tone of many of the songs. It ensures that this album goes just a little deeper than many of its contemporaries. And even though there is really nothing wrong with the songwriting, it really does have the 80's issues of filler sounds, the need to fill up silences with an extra synth-trumpet, drumcomputer-loop and background violin. Especially clear in the song Hunting High And Low. Solid Debut for this Norwegian Band and I'm glad to have learned about songs like The Blue Sky and Here I Stand And Face The Rain
run of the mill 80s pop. take on me is a classic banger
Weak 3, one real jammer on this
So this must have been defining for me as 10 year old. My taste has changed but some classic tracks on here. The stuff I dont know I can pass on but good is great.
I get how this album got its name after I kept having to hunt higher and lower for the right volume. "Take on Me" is at least 4 times louder than "Train of Thought", I had to keep alternate; screw Spotify whether it's their problem or not. Like an uplifting, energetic Tears for Fears. The synth effects are solid, danceable with a bit of melancholy and hope. Excellent vocals, appropriate usage of his higher register. Excluding the annoying volume shifts, the production is all-around superb. On the other hand, the tracks were formulaic and didn't experiment much, but there's diversity while still consistent. I'm a huge fan of synthpop, so I enjoyed all the tracks, but hardly anything grabbed my attention, and if it did it was usually some cool vocal technique. Still, it's a super fun album, and if I was looking for good mood dance vibes, this is a top candidate.
Listened Before? N How is it possible that I have never listened to this whole album before now? I have no clue. Take on Me is one of my all time favorite songs, but I never went beyond that. This is a synth-pop classic! Most songs are good or great, and there are a few real gems! Added to Library? Y Songs Added to Playlist - Take on Me, The Sun Always Shines on T.V.
Better than I expected, but still not great. Nice of them to put their hit at the beginning. Best track: Take on Me
Great pop album with synthesizer that set the tone for popular music for many decades to come.
Take On Me deserves 3 stars. There’s not much else on the album but you might get into 1 or 2 other songs
Take on me should have been a single
Really solid album. Only knew them for a couple songs.
Lotsa mid on here. Very grocery store. Mostly shmeh with a standout banger
Is great
Just a solid set of synthetic pop with an incredible voice and some 80s keyboard cheese. Think the front half is much stronger than the second half. Fantastic hooks. Favorite tracks: "The Sun Always Shines on TV", "Train of Thought", "Take On Me", "And You Tell Me"
Great pop record, take on me is a classic lol
it was good to hear some old tracks again
I was prepared to hate this album. It's new wave and that one song that I already know is kinda annoying. But I didn't hate the album. Sure, I hated some of the TRACKS on the album but not the album as a whole. That, in itself, is quite the achievement. Congrats, A-ha, on being new wave and not entirely sucking. Here's a 3-star rating as a reward. Don't spend it all in one place.
Repetitive, Take On Me was the standout, but four stars for the great 80's vibe.
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
I liked the video when I was 9 years old. I think I had the 45. Couldn't get past the 2nd track 2/5
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.
I have a soft spot for synth pop. The dynamics on this album give my eardrums a workout. Nothing really tops "Take On Me" but the whole thing brings me back to the sound of my childhood. I had no idea they were Norwegian. If someone came out with an album that sounded just like this today, with slightly more contemporary lyrics, people would flip out over it and say it was amazing. We need a synth pop revival on par with the garage rock revival of the early 2000s.
I won't dwell on "Take on Me", but it is quintessential 80s electronic pop. Somehow has transcended how cheesy it is with the catchy riffs and impressive falsetto. I think the video really cemented it though. I can really only say I've heard "Take on Me" though, the rest of the album is completely unknown to me. It's fine, but not my thing. I really can't listen to it in general as the 80-ness gets to be much, but I'd say in general I think the world slept on the rest of this album a bit. Maybe I just haven't met a-ha fans but I've never heard anyone talk about any of their other work. 3.5 to 3.
7/10
For a band that is quintessentially 80s, this was a very good album that went beyond Take On Me. Aside from their biggest hit I enjoyed the variety of music on here. The first half is a lot better than the second half with songs Train of Thought shining through.
Not a big fan of this synthesizer/drum machine-driven sound of 80s alternative music. It's okay, but not something I would listen to again. 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3.
prilično dobro al je take on me duplo bolja pjesma od većine
ovaj album je stvarno dencibilan, moram priznati. ima dobrih stvari, nisu oni one hit wonder.
Dobar album sveukupno, al je jaaako dosadan I’m sorry.
A classic album that stands the test of time. Melodic harmonies and soaring vocals. Like time travel back to the 80s
1985. Take on Me
A decent album. Not great, not egregious, just the exact, forensic point of okayness. I have never warmed to Take on Me. Overwhelmingly overplayed and slightly gimmicky, I always preferred The Sun Always Shines on TV (and honestly, I've never bothered paying attention to a-ha before). However, as the opener, I will acknowledge more of a charm than I have previously recognised, but not enough to persuade me to like it fully. The other singles are better, often quite melancholy, and one has to relish Morten Harket's lyrical idiosyncrasies (who doesn't marvel at "Please don't ask me to defend/ The shameful lowlands/ Of the way I'm drifting/ Gloomily through time"?). But, and this is with all the goodwill in the world musterable for this album, I can't really call it an essential listen. There's fair filler and, although it's enjoyable to spend an hour with these fetching Norwegians, I'm not going to build a shrine to them.
Pop ochentero con toques de música de baile. Buenas voces y ritmos
A-ha have always been much more than a one hit wonder. Take On Me ranks as one of the best pop songs and certainly the most memorable film clip of all time and for that, a-ha deserve their place on this list. Hunting High and Low is a fantastic pop album. Very mucb of its time but also innovative in terms or its synth arrangements, I would hazard a guess that they were a tiny bit influenced by Sparks (but who wasn't in some way or another). Listening to the album again after so long, I am surprised Love Is The Reason and The Sun Always Shines on TV didn't chart better at the time. Some of the songs sound dated or are obvious filler which is the main downside of the album.
Take on me is a classic but the album drifted after
Saved Prior: Take on Me, The Sun Always Shines on T.V. Off Rip: Living a Boy's Adventure Tale, And You Tell Me Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Take on Me is one of the greatest songs of all time because of how crazy his voice is on that chorus, but the album reaches nothing close to that high again and fades into run of the mill romantic synth pop. But man oh man is Take on Me incredible.
after the first song, just okay to 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.
If anyone asks what the 80s sound like, I'd give them this album. Have had a lot of albums from the 80s and everytime I just expected it to be as good as this one, but they never really make it. And it always makes me think of my mom :)) 5
So many memories!
The two big hits are still great, but the rest wasn't much to my taste.
No thanks.
I thought that, after Take on Me, this album was gonna slide down a slippery slope with songs that don't catch up to that wondrous song but no this album has some good songs. I want to shout out The Sun Always Shines on T.V.; that's the best song on the album. There is definitely some mid 80s material but it's not that bad; definitely something to sink your teeth into if you want to hear more from a-ha. Favorites: Take on Me, The Blue Sky, Living a Boy's Adventure Tale, The Sun Always Shines on T.V., I Dream Myself Alive.
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.
Polly put the kettle on. Polly put the kettle on. Polly put the kettle on, we'll all take E. Fuck me what a tea party that was. I was off my barnet. I ended up shagging Keira Knightley round the back of a broken ferris wheel. Her skinny elbows kept prodding me right in my sweet spot. Complete filth that lass. You wouldn't know it from her prim and proper characters on screen, but get her within a whiff of an abandoned fairground and she's as rough as arseholes.
Was always going downhill after Take On Me. Insert some sort of metaphor about Michael Owen's football career and/or Alan Partridge.
You're just a shit Duran Duran, shit Duran Duran, shit Duran Durrraaaannnn. Actually that's not true, I enjoyed this, I'm a sucker for well crafted '80s pop. And Take On Me innit, stone cold classic.
It doesn't exactly keep up with Take on me. But tbf, that would be a hard thing to do. I don't hate, just doesn't keep that fucking energy that radiates from Take on me.
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.
foreplay should be before the main event
Don't start your album with the best song
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).
The sun always shines on TV is a great song but the rest is pretty dated 80's pop rock
Pretty bland for an 80s pop record
National anthem
Some classic singles on this album. Great start with 'Take on Me' and a great finish with 'Here I Stand and Face the Rain'.
'Take on Me' starts the album off super strong, from the first notes that make you want to bop your head. 'Hunting High and Low' is another really great piece from the album. It seems like the album suffers from the plague of all albums that have a really standout song, and it's that the other songs don't live up to the expectations set by the stellar song. All in all, the album is enjoyable, but the experience doesn't feel like it's complete enough to fully stand out.
VERY samey
There’s literally one reason that this album is on this list and it’s a worthy reason. The rest of it wasn’t terrible though. We all know which song is the favorite
Couple of bangers but i was ready for so much more
Much more than "take on me"
Wonderful voice, but New Wave just really doesn't do it for me, a few exceptional tracks aside.
“A product of the 1980s, with highs like 'Take On Me' and 'The Sun Always Shines on TV.”
Take me on is an all time classic song. However much of the rest of the album is pretty much just 80s pop and it doesn’t get nearly as good as the first song. 5.5/10
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.
One of the best albums I listened to in my rotation.
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.
Groovy. That’s it it’s groovy.
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.
It's not really my sort of thing, but no there's no denying it's a classic 80s pop album.
Obviously track 1 is great and the rest of the album is pleasant enough whilst mostly unremarkable. 3/5
Very 80s feel pop
Take on me is good.
Actually pretty good. Hangs together much better as an album than I imagined.
About how I expected it to be, some catchy parts but largely cheesy and overwrought 6/10
6/10. Well, it has Take on Me on it. Otherwise, fairly bland, though never too unpleasant.
Enjoyable enough. 7/10
Not super into this.
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.
Ach die 80ies. Es war nicht alles schlecht, aber noch weniger war wirklich gut. Ich habe 'Take on me' immer gemocht, dieses Album aber natürlich wie so viele nie durchgehört. Nicht richtig schlecht, aber auch nur mittelmäßig. Gnade vor Recht, muss man im zeitlichen Kontext betrachten etc. bla bla.
It has its decent moments and overall is a well produced album, but doesn’t seem to know quite what it wants to be. I enjoy the more new wave moments, but some of the drum machines and synth date the album and take away from the wonderful vocal and bass performances. Having said that, I’m glad to have been exposed to a-ha beyond ‘Take on Me’
Holy falsetto
A couple of stand out tracks and even then I suspect Take On Me is only as successful as it is because of a genuinely great music video. This is not an album I can ever see myself listening to again. Not terrible but mostly dull to me and heavy on the 80s production that has never moved me.
Obviously. Outside of the single this kinda sucks.
Absolutely average
Very 80s. I'd heard Take on Me of course but nothing else to my knowledge. Definitely sounds like the Take on Me band.
Pretty solid! "Take on Me" is one of the best pop songs ever made as far as I'm concerned. There's some other pretty good songs on here as well. "The Sun Always Shines on TV" is great, though I prefer the much more recent live, acoustic version. Overall, definitely glad I listened to it.
Потрясающий голос, классные аранжировки. Буду ли я это переслушивать? УЖЕ ПЕРЕСЛУШИВАЮ
Opening track is 80's pop perfected. Rest of album hovers around this template without ever quote getting there again.
klassisk 80'er, danse
80’er synth pop, catchy
Classic a HA
This is good. I love that you could play 5 seconds from anywhere in the album and immediately know it's mid 80s. Good fun and more to it than I expected.
Peak 80's. A mix of slow and fast, upbeat and morose, but "Take On Me" pretty much outshines everything else.
I expected this to just be take on me, plus filler. It had other bangers. It also had a lot of filler
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
i actually really liked this album! i thought the singing was very fun and a good vibe overall. loved it.
I was in high school when this album came out and so heavily into hard rock and heavy metal that the idea of a fully synth-laden pop band was anathema to me at the time :) Having said that, this lead single (and as it turns out the only song I can even remember from the band) was not dismissed by me... because of *the video* - which everyone knows. And the reason that it was/is important is that the video was so damn compelling at the time that it got me to look past my stubborn narrow-minded music tastes at the time and just enjoy it for what it was and is - a truly great pop song - that's not a light statement: "Take On Me" is so perfectly constructed as to stay interesting and high-paced throughout its perfectly short-enough length. ...oh wait, there's more to this album? Unsurprisingly the album is very very 80s - the pulsing 16th note synth bass, layered keyboards, rigid electronic percussion, heavy reverbs. So yeah - it's dated. But it sounds good - it may not be my favourite genre but it's a highly melodic throwback with decent songs that is a fun 37 minute retro-ride. 7/10 3 stars.
[Michael Bluth looking into bag marked ‘The a-ha album with take on me on it’ “I don’t know what I expected”
Take On Me is an all time favorite, but the rest of this album is just boring new wave bs. Sorry, a-ha.
“Hunting High and Low” by a-ha (1985) After scanning the lyrics and listening to the first two disco/techno/pop tracks, I was prepared to skewer this album. But I have to confess that my appreciation increased as I listened—so much so that I had to erase my initial impressions and start over. Now I have a nice addition to my road trip playlist. Lyrics, melodies and chord structures are mostly supplied by songwriter and guitarist Pål Waaktaar. He shows ample creativity in tonal structures and melodies, yielding more than a few pleasantly head-scratching moments. (Yes, head scratching should be pleasant for a serious listener!) Disappointment over the lyrics can be set aside, since poetry and song in the English language is not to be expected of a Norwegian band. However, it should be said that lyrical non sequiturs are illogical in any language. I would like to hear this re-done in Norwegian. Guitar is not much on display on this album, which is baffling, given guitarist Waaktaar’s centrality in the creative process. Mood-appropriate vocal harmonies are compositional highlights. And there’s the nice oboe solo work by Claire Jarvis on the very cool “Living a Boy’s Adventure Tale”. Snappy programmed ‘drumming’ with EQ pleasantly cranked up on the treble end, but it lacks dynamic variation (and thus passion) in the emotional peaks. Where’s Phil Collins when you need him? Programmed bass likewise lacks life, but there’s plenty of danceable rhythm here, if you can keep up. Cascading, shimmering electronic backgrounds and counter melodies add needed color. It’s all well recorded and mixed, although I’m listening to a 2015 remaster of a 30 year old original, so there might be some cheating going on. Vocals by Morten Harket are remarkable. His more than adequate range has a curious timbre at the lower end of his range, making his tenor voice sound deceptively baritone, to nice effect. At the same time, he is quite weak (and flat) on the higher end of his natural range, but he has a strong, almost piercing falsetto. The chorus of the opening track “Take on Me” demonstrates all this. Fascinating. The title track “Hunting High and Low” has a nice jazz chord progression (seasoned with major seventh chords), and an entrancing melody, but it tends to wander aimlessly. The beautiful acoustic intro reveals Waaktaar’s guitar-based compositional approach, but after the intro, it almost drops out entirely (at least in the mix). It’s arrestingly odd. My favorite tracks (3, 5, 7, 10) are the ones that are definitely not ‘dance tunes’, nicely distributed to provide animation to the record’s construction. The closing track “Here I Stand and Face the Rain” is potentially powerful, but the first four lines of the second verse need to be replaced. My assessment went from “1” to “4” in 45 minutes. I don’t think that’s ever happened before. I hope this album is within your budget. 4/5
Where would the 80's be without a-ha
Looooove!!!
This synth-pop album was the debut album by a-ha - and boosted by its hit single "Take On Me" - it became the band's breakout album. The band was immediately launched into world fame, far from its humble beginnings as a Norwegian local group. The album itself is a fun journey through new wave music from the 80's and is a blast of nostalgia when listened to today.
Not a fan. Classic 80s music that I don't like aka new-wave.
1.75
hermoso
Can't help but love "Take on Me", and other songs are also good, but averages out at about 3*
Solid Album very groovy and catchy I can see why it sold so much lolz
A-HA! Took me a couple of goes to get past the first song coz it's such a banger. Once I did though found the others pleasant enough, some I found a bit dull but some were fun, and yeah you know what I do think love is reason enough
A bit weird, not really full of bangers
Well, we know the main hit of this album don't we! Did enjoy a few more on here, some of them were just hilarious and made Luke and me laugh a lot
This was fucking awful. God the 80s was awful.
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
Obviously the big pull here is the opener, but The Sun Always Shines on TV was equally incredible. Unfortunately the rest of the album is just kind-of-okay synth pop.
Energetic ProtoDream Pop, honestly Take On Me is overrated compared to the rest of the album.
A slog of a listen - songs tend to drone on without soul or purpose, meandering through with plenty of annoying synths and vocal accents but no substance to speak of
Take On Me and The Sun Always Shines on T.V. stand out.
Inoffensive to the point of being boring.
Take On Me is an all-timer, the rest of the album didn’t do much for me.
It’s got the meme song Enjoyed some instrumentals But it’s not for me.
Probably better off in 1001 Singles You Must Hear Before You Die. Hunting High and Low sounds pretty much exactly like the made-for-radio synth pop I expected it to be, with some tracks (And You Tell Me especially) coming off as borderline parody. It's all fine and listenable—aforementioned track notwithstanding—but feels hollow for the most part. There's glimpses where it seems like the band may be aware of that, but I doubt they were thinking about more than the charts. Key Tracks: Take On Me, The Blue Sky, The Sun Always Shines On T.V.
an old friend once told me that his fiancee's favorite band was a-ha and I laughed before realizing he was serious and they were planning a trip to europe to see them play live. this was like 2003. the marriage didn't work out but do you really want to marry someone whose favorite band's best album mostly just sounds like songs Duran Duran didn't think were good enough to release?
4.5 Nunca había escuchado el álbum, pero Take on Me es una de mis mejores canciones de todos los tiempos. Después de escuchar el disco entendí por qué vendió tantas copias a nivel mundial, aún así hubo un par de canciones que no me atraparon del todo. Además, Take on Me le da puntos extras y es injusto comparar su nivel con el resto de las canciones
One star for one hit
Obviously I loved this album.
Some great songs, brings back memories.
It was ok nothing grear
Att a-ha var ett one-hit wonder har och kanske fortfarande är min tanke? Men jag är inte helt övertygad, under några perioder under lyssningen fanns det något i mig som ändå kände att detta går att lyssna på. Jag måste också medge att det är en väldigt mäktig röst sångaren (Morten Harket) har. Vad jag trodde var en självklar 2:a jobbar sig nog ändå upp till en 3:a på grund av Harkets röst. Bäst: "Take on me"
Soft.
What you expect aha to sound like.take on me then a bunch of soft rock? 5/10
A-ha's debut showcases sharp synths, Harket's range and a wide variety in sounds, which convinces me of the quality of this record and it's significance in a period when synth pop went through it's highest commercial success. However, I have already had my fair share of this style when I finish listening to Take on Me. Train of Thought slows down the tempo gigantically, and Hunting High and Low is a ballad too cheesy for me. Something I experience quite a few times with synth pop, is that the vocal mixing is very inconsistent and causes a distracting experience between tracks. Because I enjoy the subtlety of the synths on the Blue Sky, I feel this record deserves a 2/5.
The album sounds like the songs are well written and would be something I’d like. However, it has the type of 80s style production that, to me, make everything flat and dull.
Solid first song, vibey
Come back to this one
Definition of one hit wonder I guess. One hit on this album and the rest of the songs are garbage.
Catchy, melancholy synth-pop tragedy
There's some great music on here - by which I mean "Take on Me", mostly. And some other good moments I guess, but it's a 37 minute album I'm impatient for it to end only halfway through.
Great 80s hits, especially take on me.
Take on me is so good! And some of the others are great 80s pop hits too
Made me listen to take on me unironically and not my favorite genre
Its sort of generic 80's pop but with more of a groove to it. Stand outs: Take on me, the title track, I Dream Myself Alive
It's really hard to reach the heights of that first track. That's an era-defining bit of business right there. Nothing else quite has that 80s synth kick.
Boring overall. Better synthpop exists (flock of seagulls anyone?)
An 80's hit maker. The opening track is iconic. This is the PEAK of synthpop goodness. It's bouncy, layered, fun, anthemic, and funky. All round awesome album.
1. ICONIC 10/10 2. pretty cool 6.75/10 3 gooood 7/10 4. kinda boring 4/10 5. i give up
Opening song, Take on Me, is very well known and liked. There's a good reason for that, too. The song is just good. Other than that, most songs are kind of a miss for me, but I can see why they'd be liked.
Impossible to be a teen in the 80s, as I was, and not know 'Take On Me' (and have a grand ol' time attempting the high notes in the chorus!). Admittedly, I honestly don't remember ever hearing any other song by them. I just listened to this album now and I can say with all certainty I didn't miss anything. Just too 80s-synth-pop for me without enough in it to keep me interested. Was right for the time, I know, and it's not bad, it's just utterly dull to me as a listener.
pretty good. ofc take on me is good. but the sun always shines on tv was amazing and added to playlist v
Not horrible, although take on me sounds totally different than the rest
It's an alright album, but I have to say that the lyrics and emotion they're going for don't match the sterile 80s synth sound. It can be done, but it just feels too silly. Like the backing synth in take on me... it just undermines the emotion. This is a great album to throw in the background for a party, but defies series analysis. I will say I did like stand and face the rain. I listened to this album 5 times and couldn't find a song that was truly bad, but I didn't find many super standouts. 3.25/5. Not bad for a one hit wonder.
The difference between the hits and the chaff of this album is huge. There are a few real five star songs on here such as Take On Me and The Sun Always Shines On TV. On the other hand, the rest of the songs are just really boring to the tune of two stars. I'd really like to give this four stars because those two good songs are so good. But they really are the only ones.
Take On Me is a tune 😂 classic. Reminds me of playing GTA Vice City on PS2 when I was like 14. STYG covered this too. You'd have to be pretty cold hearted to not like this kinda 80's music, it's upbeat and feelgood. Defo a 4.
Honestly thought it was gonna be different based off of Take on Me coming from this album, but a lotta synth of course, very 80s
So habe ich mir Depeche Mode immer vorgestellt, ohne es je gehört zu haben. Nix für mich.
Aha, wusste gar nicht dass die Norweger sind ;) Tolles Popalbum, teilweise vielleicht etwas seicht aber einige Hits mit Ohrwurmpotenzial. Ein Album wie eine laue Sommernacht in Skandinavien.
Ok, it's not my style, and it feels weird to rank it together with yesterday's Motorhead, but I gotta give it a 5
A combination of bangers and boredom, mincing and melancholy. It’s just about fun enough to save itself from a 2/5
Wonderful throwback to the camp 80's.
A-ha - an album bolstered by three bona fide pop classics - rest is likeable 80s synth pop ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Like then she comes back and like gets the drawing out the bin but he might be alive and everyone is looking and like she runs away and he comes back and ...it don’t make much sense now I think about it.
80s. A-ha. What's not to like.
Good stuff, first track is overplayed but still a classic. 3.5
A childhood landmark. The Sun Always Shines on TV is grossly under appreciated.
sounds a lot like Morrissey in parts - but not as morose or right-wing.
Decent, didn't love the whole album but liked enough I'd probably listen again. Plus, classic 80s vocals.
Meh
Actually enjoyable. Good 80's music.
Seems pretty dated.
Aburrido, escuchas la primera canción y después te echas a dormir una siesta.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would
Ok pop, some nice tunes wouldn't seek out more of their stuff
I like Take on Me but didn't fancy a whole album of it, but it was pretty decent. The title track was good
3.2 - After “Take On Me” it’s forgettable 80s electro pop. There are good power ballads but nothing worth a second listen.
Def an unnecessary one hit wonder album
Pretty good but Take On Me kinda overshadows the rest of the album
Take on Me is the GOAT of the album, and for it being a "pop" album it doesn't stick to a general formula, props on that
Grand
just meh
Good 80s album, but on their own, only the title track stands out from the rest of the songs
There's a reason why you only know one song from this album...