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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A better choice than the UK release,
By
This review is from: Singles 1984-2004 (Audio CD)
I got this edition of the greatest hits over the British release on the strength of another reviewer on this site. It replaces the rather insubstantial "You Are The One" with "Move to Memphis" and "Minor Earth, Major Sky". While this version lacks the bonus video for "Take on Me", I still think it is the better release.Once their hey-day passed, A-Ha were often dismissed as a trivial pop band. The truth is somewhat different - while they were definitely a sort of pop, it was more mature than the 80s pretty-boy bands they were so often compared to. Some of their work could be pleasantly throwaway, and sometimes the synth/drum-machine production weakened the material, but often there was a dark, cinematic, even epic undertone to their music. Witness the magnificent "Hunting High and Low", with its orchestral climax, or "Manhattan Skyline", even UK number 1 "The Sun Always Shines on TV". Morten's voice is beautiful, dripping with melancholy. This is adult pop, but not boring. Even the most disposable track (the weak "Touchy!") has its moments. Thankfully this collection includes their recent singles - at least as strong as the older stuff. Standouts include "Summer Moved On" with Morten hitting a beautiful long note that takes your breath away; "Minor Earth, Major Sky", an excellent, enigmatic track; and "Lifelines", one of the simplest, most beautiful songs they've ever made. This was the first A-Ha CD I bought, but not the last. Already I've got their most recent albums, "Minor Earth, Major Sky" and "Lifelines", both of which I heartily recommend.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews) 41 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five Stars for the band!,
By DIMITRI B BOGACHEV "hitriman" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Singles 1984-2004 (Audio CD)
I do not give 5 stars to this CD, 5 stars go to the tremendously talented trio from Norway that have survived decades of changing musical styles, trends and genres and stayed true to high quality songwriting, touching and moving melodies, producing a multitude of hits in many countries, and building a huge fanbase and legacy for themselves. To think that some look at A-Ha as a one-hit onder! I will let those listen to Britney and Clay Aiken and encourage others to build an A-ha collection.
I do not need this Greatest Hits album, because I have all of their CDs, from synth-pop oriented light-hearted Hunting High and Low to most recent and quite dramatic soft-rock masterpiece Lifelines. This is their second hits collection after early 90's Headlines and Deadlines. It goes along with similar recent releases from other 80s pop legends like Erasure and Pet Shop Boys who also started around the same time and had their first "greatest hits" released around the same time. For either band, the second collection does not add whole lot to the first one. They all had more hits in their early years, mid 80s, and you can find 3-4 songs from each of the earlier albums on this one, while more recent albums are less represented. Which does not mean their music quality declined as years went by, and that is particularly true about A-ha. The trio split up in early 90s after their fifth album Memorial Beach, but only to amaze their fans and make new fans with their last two strong and beautiful comeback albums Minor Earth Major Sky and Lifelines (neither of which saw a US release, very unfortunately). If you do not have any A-ha albums, you can get this one for a fair overview of their career, but, believe me, you will miss a lot of excellent songs that were not necessarily hits but deserve attention from anyone who appreciates good music. There are 7 albums out there, and if you find budget-priced used ones, combined they may cost you just as much as a new copy of this import collection. Whatever the price, you will not regret. 15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a-ha Beyond "Take on Me.",
By The Groove - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Singles 1984-2004 (Audio CD)
It's easy to see why so many Americans wrongfully dismiss a-ha as a one-hit wonder band. Since their platinum debut, "Hunting High and Low," which spawned the Number One hit "Take On Me," the pop trio from Norway saw their next four albums flop in the US before they disappeared out of consciousness. But while their success in America was short-lived, a-ha has built and maintained a healthy following in Europe, where they landed 13 Top Ten hits in England. "The Singles 1984|2004" is the band's second compilation (the first was 1994's "Headlines and Deadlines," which, like this album, was released outside the US), covering twenty years of hits and singles. Looking beyond "Take On Me," we have other notable gems like the 007 theme "The Living Daylights," "I've Been Losing You," the energetic "The Sun Always Shines on TV," and a personal favorite of mine: "Lifelines." Even better, these songs have been digitally remastered, and you can definitely hear and feel the improvement over the original recording. All in all, I think a-ha is a band that never really got a fair shot in America, where they were all-too-quickly written off as pretty boys whose music took a backseat to their chisled looks. But this hits collection features some well-crafted pop tunes and international hits that will please fans and may even win over a few converts.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
NOT the one hit wonder the American music industry would ...,
By Michael O. Byrd - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Singles 1984-2004 (Audio CD)
have you believe. This is one of the greatest bands around, and still going after 20 years. If you haven't heard much from a-ha since "Take on Me" start here or better yet, just start buying the albums. I bought this to have all the single on one CD for taking to the gym, but there's nothing here you can't get on their CD's and you are missing a number of great songs if you forego the albums. They are also easier to get a hold of. I wound up ording this directly from AMAZON.DE (German Amazon) which is where this is imported from. It actually wound up a few dollars cheaper to order it there than here. The GERMAN was a little rough to get through but BABELFISH can help. Enjoy getting to know a-ha.
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