Even by a-ha's standards, 'Stay on These Roads' is an inconsistent album. Whilst most of their discs include one or two slightly dodgy tracks, or ones that could be described as an acquired taste, there are some here which could have been excreted from Stock, Aitken and Waterman's hit-machine. Also, the production is particularly nasty, even by late 80's standards: a kind of INXS/Bon Jovi lite-rock, and the whole thing sounds curiously synthetic - even the 'real' instruments. Despite all this, there really is much to recommend this album. For one, Morten Harket has never, before or since, sung better, or with more commitment. His performance on the title ...  Read the complete review

Much of my life seemed to happen while this and other A-ha albums were playing the background, so there's naturally a large nostalgia factor going on here. Having said that, I still think there's some smashing music on this album. 1. Stay on these roads: one of the band's classic windswept/echoing sort of tracks. The lyrics are more than usually (!) weird, and this song would not have been out of place on Scoundrel Days - a sincere compliment. 2. The blood that moves the body: released as a single, and rightly so - good paranoid feel to it (echoing footsteps etc) and irrestibly catchy tune (as ever). Ah, where are these songs now? ...  Read the complete review

A-ha were a band that between 1984 and 2009 won the hearts and minds of millions around the world. When I first listened to them a few years ago they certainly won mine. This is their third album (I am aiming to review as many as they have on dooyoo) The album was born out of record label pressure to write a set of songs that were more commercially viable than the moodier predecessor Scoundrel Days. This is almost a return to the classic days of Hunting High And Low, but they kept their maturity and some of the dated synth sounds but with a compelling songwriting pedigree. It has many of the signature a-ha songs and is deservedly one of their most ...  Read the complete review

  This is A-ha's third studio album which was orginally released in 1988. It is the follow up album to their two previous recordings - "Hunting High and Low" and "Scoundrel Days". In the lead up to this album's release  A-ha conducted a very successful UK arena tour which aided its immediate popularity. The previous year they wrote and performed the title song to the James Bond film " The Living Daylights". A lot of attention was on the film because it starred the new James Bond ( Timothy Dalton) which meant even more attention was on the group as title performers. The music video to the song can be seen on the dvd of "The ...  Read the complete review

Aha have not released anything new for years, but if you're after a bit of nostalgia this could be right up yout street. Who are they? Aha are a popular eighties trio, led by vocalist Morten Harket, whose good looks helped the score an impressive run of top ten hits in the mid eighties. They merge synths with soaring vocals and catchy melodies. On this album: There is a good mix of stuff on this album that should please fans and newcomers to their music. My favourites are 'Living Daylights', which is a mean and moody number, used in the Bond film of the same name. The track epitomises the sound of the eighties (it came out in ...  Read the complete review