a-ha: Scoundrel Days : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Like most pop idols who have something between their ears besides fresh air, the Norwegian dreamboats in A-ha hope to be remembered someday for something other than their cheekbones. Their chances, unfortunately, aren't good.

If the stylish electrolocomotion of Scoundrel Days is any indication, A-ha apparently has delusions of Roxy Music art-pop grandeur. Singer Morten Harket has certainly practiced his Bryan Ferry lounge-lizard flourishes with admirable diligence. But as pop art, Scoundrel Days – the viking trio's second album – is pretty shallow stuff. Songwriters Pål Waaktaar and Mags, the instrumental two-thirds of the band, essentially conjure up cool synth atmospheres – the glacial chill of "The Swing of Things," the breezy syncopation of "Cry Wolf" – that otherwise lack melodic depth. Nothing on Scoundrel Days has the pesky immediacy of the cloying falsetto hook in A-ha's '85 breakthrough hit, "Take On Me." "Maybe Maybe" is instead a pale echo of Abba's sugary Spectorian pomp, while the only distinguishing feature of "I've Been Losing You" is its booming Phil Collins drum sound.

The sizable gulf between A-ha's aesthetic ambitions and its minimal achievements is particularly evident in the lyrics, most of which are by Waaktaar. The fact that English is his second language may account for the serpentine logic of his musings and his dizzying non sequiturs. Consider this murky excerpt from the title track: "For want of an option/I run the wind'round/I dream pictures of houses burning/Never knowing nothing else to do/With death comes the morning/Unannounced and new." This is the kind of poetic overreach that would embarrass any band but the Moody Blues.

The commercial future of Scoundrel Days depends, of course, on factors other than objective criticism – such as the adoration of young girls the world over. A-ha's frosty Nordic smiles already decorate bedroom walls from sea to shining sea. As to whether future generations will remember the members of A-ha for anything besides their dental work, it's likely history will have the last laugh. (RS 488)

DAVID FRICKE

(Posted: Dec 4, 1986)

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Review 1 of 2

Not Rated

The criticisms here flew out the window with Fricke's sexist
comment about the adoration of young girls the world over.
I was something like 9 when I first got into A-ha, and I have
never had a poster of the band on my wall, because all I was
interested in was their music; for which I have found no
comparison in over 20 years of being a fan. Yes, I am female,
but that does not diminish my opinion of good music, as Feck
suggests here.
Fans of A-ha include Chris Martin from Coldplay, Keane, Liam
Gallagher, and many other reknowned musicians, who all
ascribe to the particular Nordic individuality of A-ha's music,
Morten's vocals giving it that particularly haunting edge that
is incomparable to any other genre of music, his record
breaking falsetto being put to good use on the more recent
Summer Moved On.
I can assure you, that now that all of the original fan base are
roughly 30 years old, that there are a growing number of their
children being brought up with A-ha's music, so your evil
prophecy of doom about future generations will be wrong on
that count. Not counting the amount of teenagers in the fan
community, or the impact of their latest albums, yes, they're
still going in 2007!
Furthermore, the fact that English is their second language
gives their lyrics a certain indefinable asthetic which Magne
explores in his work as an artist. Any criticism based on the
racial orientation of a band is dismissable in any genre. Ask
Damon Albarn of Gorillaz about your Anglo Saxon opinion
there.
I bought Scoundrel Days digitally last year. I didn't buy it
because it's commercial, or for any cheekbones, I bought it
because The Soft Rains of April has a classic quality and the
title track is regarded as an underrated rock anthem amongst
fans, Manhattan Skyline has new meaning since 2001, so you
can say what you like, I still listen to it after all these years,
and it's still amazing.

Jul 25, 2007 05:07:32

Review 2 of 2

5of 5 Stars

I really felt bad reading all the crap mister DAVID FRICKE have wrote, A-ha is one of the best Pop bands of the 80s and Morten harket one of the most wonderful voices I ever heard, Scoundrel days is a perfect show of art and musical inspiration, the quality A-ha give even today is far more special for the senses this pour guy who wrote the review could understand, because it is beyond his comprehention.I'm sad to realized this prestigious Magazine and web site like Rollings Stone is having this kind of disqualify review personal, it's a pitty. A-ha is and will be a Great refined and high quality Pop band, only this kind of artists remaind over the time, they still are singuing all over Europe and South America, Us is loosing the chance to have them,I can´t understand why? even when the tickets on Irving Plaza were sold in 45 minutes, . Silvia- Argentina Buenos Aires

Jul 24, 2007 09:13:58

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