A HA Major Earth

Recorded at the Oslo Spektrum in December 2010, Ending on a High Note: The Final Concert is a chance for those a-ha fans who couldn't get a ticket for the Norwegian synth pop trio's last ever live performance to bask in the glory of their triumphant swan song. Their third live album, following 2001's Live at Valhall and 2003's's How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head, features 16 of the 21 tracks that were played on the globe-conquering tour's emotional finale, which wisely celebrates the entirety of their career, with every one of their nine studio albums represented (although songs from 1990's East of the Sun, West of the Moon and 1993's Memorial Beach are only included in the CD/DVD edition).

A difference from their last effort yet undeniably a-ha. This time, the Norse purveyors of quality pop have opted for a variety of producers, ranging from Stephen Hague to Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. The album begins with a lush ballad – which is typical a-ha, pastoral with support orchestration – almost like a modern day Moody Blues. "You Wanted More" also follows this trait, only darker with spiky electronics. "Afternoon High" sketches out '70s pastel glory similar to what Tears for Fears were getting at with parts of the Seeds of Love album. There are shades of Minor Earth Major Sky in that they keep the sugary neigh pleasant ballads vein to full emotional effect on "Turn the Lights Down," "Time and Again," and like MEMS's Garbage homage "Sun Never Shone." "Cannot Hide" opts for a Jennifer Paige "Crush" vibe with George Harrison-style guitar, while "Forever Not Yours"' pleasant dramatism echoes Darren Hayes' recent Insatiable.

Released not long after A-Ha’s twentieth anniversary, Singles 1984-2004 rounds up 19 of the group’s A-sides, beginning with 1985’s international number one hit single “Take on Me” and concluding with 2002’s “Lifelines.” In the U.S., A-Ha are often seen as the quintessential MTV-driven new wave one-hit wonder - the pen-and-ink animation of “Take on Me” defining an era - but the group had a long, fruitful career as hitmakers in Europe, and this collection presents an excellent overview of that career, containing such continental smashes as “The Sun Always Shines on TV,” “Hunting High and Low,” “I’ve Been Losing You,” “Cry Wolf,” “The Living Daylights,” “Stay on These Roads,” “Crying in the Rain,” “Summer Moved On,” and “Forever Not Yours.” It may not be enough to win over skeptics but it’s more than enough to prove that A-Ha were not one-hit wonders, and it will surely satisfy anybody who is wanting a solid collection of their biggest hit singles.

Norwegian pop trio A-ha has had their catalog revamped and repackaged a number of times since their inception in the 1980s, but 2016's Time and Again: The Ultimate A-ha brings their canon of hits up to date with the inclusion of material from each of their ten studio albums. The first disc of this set is generally concerned with their hits, beginning, appropriately, with the sunny synths of "Take on Me" and winding chronologically through the years to the sweeping orchestral ballad "Under the Makeup" from their 2015 LP Cast in Steel. The expected tracks like "Touchy!," "The Living Daylights," and their lush cover of the Everly Brothers' "Crying in the Rain" are all included alongside later-era cuts like 2000's "Summer Moved On," which was a number one hit in their home country. The second disc in the set is dedicated entirely to alternate mixes and remixes of their hits, some of which hold some historical value like Jellybean's previously unreleased 1986 remix of "Cry Wolf" and Justin Strauss' rare dub mix of "You Are the One."

a-ha will reissue Minor Earth Major Sky and Lifelines, their ‘comeback’ albums that were issued at the beginning of the new millennium.

Since coming together in 1982, Norwegian pop trio a-ha have established a personal and artistic chemistry that can accommodate three strong personalities. There was a long hiatus after 1993's Memorial Beach and a formal reunion for 2000's Minor Earth Major Sky, followed by two more studio outings. They split again in 2010 to pursue solo careers, but reunited for 2015's Cast in Steel. In 2021, the documentary a-ha: The Movie toured global film festivals. The band's 11th studio album, True North, and its accompanying documentary film appear during their 40th anniversary year. The trio recorded and filmed over three weeks in a studio some 55 miles above the Arctic Circle in Bodø, with the Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Anders Eljas. Filming was done by Stian Andersen. Half of these 12 tracks were composed by guitarist Pal Waaktaar-Savoy, with the other half by keyboardist Magne Furuholmen. Each man produced his own work.