A-Ha: Homecoming - Live At Vallhall [DVD] [2002]

Unlike their grainy, experimental, mixed media Live in South America film, Homecoming is a conventional a-ha concert recording, shot and edited in an engaging, if occassionally clinical manner.
The performances are first rate, although the emphasis on material from the Minor Earth Major Sky album is a little anachronistic now that Lifelines has been released. The same thing happened with the dual release of Memorial Beach and Live in South America, where none of the Memorial Beach material was showcased, but this isn't really an issue.
Paul gets to turn the amps up to eleven and engage in some welcome guitar solos (including a slightly extended run during Manhattan Skyline and a diversion into the James Bond Theme during The Living Daylights).
Morten is in superb voice throughout, and Magne hold the whole show together, delivering all the familiar motifs with aplomb: the whole band is clearly having a ball.
The extras are all first rate: the Minor Earth Major Sky videos are all excellent, particularly those for Minor Earth Major Sky and Velvet. The interviews and documentary footage are good, but marred by an irritating voiceover. Still, you do get the uninterrupted videos for Savoy's Star and Magne's version of Dragonfly to compensate.
On the down side, Morten's video for A Kind of Christmas Card only gets a few nominal clips.
Unfortunately, the concert itself isn't banded, so you have to flick in and out of the menu if you want to skip tracks or select ahead. This is unusual among concert DVDs and I can't understand why it's the case here.
Also, there aren't many shots that encompass the whole crowd: most of the shots of the audience are of small pockets at the front, so we get to see fans in extreme close up, occasionally singing along with the wrong words, and once we even see a girl at the foot of the stage talking on a mobile phone (!). Why wasn't that edited out?
Even so, it's a worthwhile investment for any a-ha fan, and provides ample encouragement to tag along to their forthcoming shows on the Lifelines tour.

This is a live recording of a-ha's homecoming concert in their hometown of Oslo. It features a mixture of older and new songs. The newer songs from the 'Minor Earth Major Sky' albumn are excellent! The older songs are done in a new way which makes it accessible to people who may not be huge a-ha fans. You really get to feel some of the atmosphere inside the Vallhall stadium. It is fantastic to watch the whole stadium joining in with 'The Living Daylights' and its not hard to wish you had been there!

The extras on the DVD are excellent. There is an interview with the band, backstage footage, videos, bonus live footage and extra information about the band. Everything a fan could want!

It is worthwhile buying this DVD. a-ha have proved themselves to be an excellent live band who continually produce good music. Morten's fantastic voice and the talent of Mags and Pal bring a new dimension to the concert. Everytime I watch it I notice something new. The band seem comfortable and enjoy themselves which makes the concert even better. So, put it on, turn the lights down and enjoy a welcome homecoming....

The Cold AS STONE website rated this as a "landmark release" from Norways greatest pop band, and it quite simply is an essential purchase for anyone with even the slightest interest in A-ha. This concert captures the Norwegian trio playing a concert in front of their home crowd, and they do not disappoint. The hits come fast and furious, with most of their comeback album (Minor Earth Major Sky) thrown in for good measure.

Standout tracks include Mary Ellen, Summer Moved on, Take On Me, The Living Daylights.....in fact I could list just about every song on the disc.

It also includes the four videos from MEMS, interviews, an overview of their time apart, and much more. This is a five star release from a five star band.