If you know German, or get the Kindle version, you can translate and read this in English: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0196GB0H0/ref=rdr_ext_sb_ti_sims_1 My Take on Me: Autobiografie (German Edition) later -1
There's also this 15 minute interview: Amazon.com: Watch Meeting A-ha - All telling interview | Prime Video For rental or buy. later -1
Yes the Barry Page book is really good. My friend has a list of all the songs. To be updated soon A-ha List Of All Songs
Not the biggest a-ha fan but I lended some deluxe editions of their albums on the library and I enjoyed them a lot. Favorite tracks : Lifelines,Liedown in darkness,Velvet,Angel in the snow,Blood that moves the body and October.
Just realised the Japanese Singles Collection has two tracks that were never been released on CD before: I've Been Losing You (edit) & Stay On These Roads (US edit). Forever Not Yours (edit) was on a promo CD but is hard to find.
Listening to the Tony Mansfield early mixes of HH&L. I am a big fan of Mansfield. I love New Musik and Naked Eyes but this sound was not right for a-ha and by 1985 had sounded dated. John Ratcliff was right to remix the album after the record company refused it.
Kind of agree but I was also surprised how much of his original mix was left as the core of the final version.
@Chris Hopkins Dear Mr Hopkins I think the criticism of Barry's Page a-ha book is rather unfair but I guess it depends on what you want from a music book. I have read parts of it and I am happy with it. The information is partly based on recent interviews from the band members so if there are "tall tales" then it's down to the band. As for opinions, I disagree with his comments about many of my favourite songs but I would rather read a fan's opinion than simply a set of "cold facts" that I could get from wikipedia. You say it doesn't go into detail about the songs but what sort of detail are you looking for? The meaning behind the songs? Artists typically don't like explaining every song as it means it loses some of the mystery as lyrics mean different things to different people. The technical aspects of the recording? There is only so much you can say about this, especially with a band like a-ha who didn't innovate much musically unlike say Depeche Mode. However I have picked three totally random songs from their discography to look at using the book. The songs are Scoundrel Days, Memorial Beach and The Summers of Our Youth. SCOUNDREL DAYS Music written by Magne Furuholmen and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy Words written by Pål Waaktaar-Savoy Produced by Alan Tarney Like much of the band’s material from this period, the track had gone through several lyrical and musical evolutions to reach this point. The riff itself had predated Bridges and had been composed by Magne using a jazz guitar that his grandfather, Kaare Aasen, had given to him as a child. During the Poem album sessions in 1980, the riff was resurrected for the ‘The Leap’, which embodied a Joy Divison-like vibe in the verses, while the whimsical musical interludes, featuring a series of 60s-inspired la-las, added an interesting contrast to the lyrics’ dark hue. MEMORIAL BEACH Written by Pål Waaktaar-Savoy The title of the album’s stunning closing track had been inspired by a trip to the Sarasota area of Florida, where Pål chanced upon its name. ‘A grey day, an abandoned beach – I instantly knew that I had the story for a song,’ he said. ‘The same thing with “Locust”; it’s like a book that you never want to end. With its slightly lower pitch, there’s a definite Doors-like feel to the demo, which evokes the brooding melancholia of songs such as ‘Blue Sunday’ and ‘Indian Summer’. The wistful vibe was carried over to the final version, which certainly benefits from a less-is-more approach, with Magne’s trickling piano parts working perfectly in tandem with Per Hillestad’s gently shuffling percussion. THE SUMMERS OF OUR YOUTH Written by Magne Furuholmen Produced by Martin Terefe with a-ha Additional production by George Tanderø A demo recording reveals the song had originally been sung by its writer, but it was the highly effective vocal pairing of Morten and Magne which would grace the finished recording, with the contrasting crystalline and brittle tones perfectly complementing the emotional content. It’s Magne’s vocals that are utilised on the verses, which play out like a movie in the songwriter’s head, allowing him to rewind back to his adolescence. This is only a selection of the comments about the 3 songs. You will need to buy the book to read more. But I feel the writer does a good job of summarising the songs and providing an interpretation of the lyrics. Mr Hopkins, I understand you had plans to publish your own book on a-ha. Although it seems Barry is the first to publish a detailed book in English about the band, I would certainly read yours and would be interested to hear your insights regarding the songs. I say this genuinely, not in a sarcastic sense.
@Human racer Thanks for the kind words. I have no plans at this moment to do a book on a-ha but I'm happy to help out with any others. Something which I have offered to do before, including the one in discussion.
I have an original pressing of East of the Sun and this new reissue uses the 2015 remaster. Is it regarded as a good one or a typical compressed, modern remaster?
If the old East LP is anything like the compact disc, it's a hellova nice sounding mastering. I wasn't too impressed with the Scoundrel Days remaster LP. Love the old 86 US 'cut out bin galore' mastering
"Celebrating 30 Years of East of the Sun West of the Moon: Purple Velvet 180g vinyl." Looks and sounds fantastic.
