a-ha - Scoundrel Days

The '80s Norwegian pop trio's 1986 album for Warner Brothers, out of print in the U.S. 10 tracks, including the title cut, 'Cry Wolf', 'I've Been Losing You' and 'ManhattanSkyline'. Album Description

Classic synth pop with amazing depth and heart

I picked this album up when it was fresh and new. By then, A-ha's star was somewhat already on the fade in rural Texas. Take on Me had never been especially well loved by my country music appreciating neighbors, but Hunting High and Low practically didn't leave my tape deck (!) for a year. So when Scoundrel Days came out, I saved my money and bought it as soon as I could. I was enchanted. Morten's voice, which was my main attraction to A-ha, had never sounded better. Manhattan Skyline was an immediate standout to me, and I still love its passionate chorus of "I don't want to cry again...". But now, some 20 years later, I still love this album. The music shows surprising depth of focus for a synth driven boy band, and proves what the musical world now knows--that these guys were never just a boy band. The music ranges from pop gems (Maybe Maybe)to passionate numbers like Scoundrel Days. I'd love to let them rework "Cry Wolf" into something less bubble-gummy, but I guess they were under pressure from their label to have another poppy hit. It is good, but not as great as some of their other less commercial stuff. All in all, this is the go-to A-ha album for me, although I own all the rest and regularly listen to them as well. In the end, Morten's voice is simply not to be believed, and both Pal and Mags are unsung heroes of pop-music. This is a seminal record for the era, and I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciated 80's music as one of the great underappreciated discs. September 23, 2008

Excellent! Best a-ha lbum by a mile!!

Some people say that "Hunting High and Low" is better or in the same league as this masterpiece. While I agree that tunes such as Take on me, The sun always shines on TV and Love is Reason are wonderful, life-lasting songs, not everything is above great, unlike Scoundrel Days. Every single song on this album is something to be reckon with. Lately I have been discovered the nitty, gritty lyrics of I've losing you (which I thought was a love song..) and I can't help but listening to it 20-30 times a day, every day. The same with Scoundrel days, Cry Wolf, Maybe, Maybe and so on.

Along with Roxette, a-ha is one of the most underrated European bands of history. Nuff'said. February 13, 2008

MY FAVORITE ALBUM

Hi fellow music lovers,
If you guys are thinking of starting out with a-ha, this is the album to buy first or second what ever. This album IS my personal favorite album, although all albums are awesome! December 9, 2007

21 Years Later!

I bought this (vinyl) album around October 1986 when I was 20, now 21 years later in 2007 it still sounds great! I was in a second-hand record shop today and there it was, the original album in pristine condition! I thought about buying it but since I already have the original album and the CD version I thought why deprive someone else of a great album, so I left the shop without it...that's how good it is! Morten, Mags and Pal, take a bow! 11/10 ! November 14, 2007

Absolutely beautiful.

Scoundrel Days. The title says it all. It's darker and deeper, and more serious than a-ha's debut album Hunting High And Low. If you're not ready to discover something beyond happy(-ish, a lot of Hunting High and Low's songs have sad undertones in their stories), lighthearted pop music, don't go here!

If you are ready, however: GO FOR IT. This is probably one of the most amazing albums ever made. The title track starts it off with a bang: did a murder happen? Is the world ending? Maybe, but who really cares when you hear Morten Harket's voice soar up, up, and away, and Mags' and Pal's instrumental skills grow stronger and stronger with each moment. Each song follows a little storyline, I think. Except perhaps 'We're Looking For The Whales' (my favorite song off of this) and 'Maybe, Maybe', which are the lightest songs on here and can be fun, sort of like a comic relief for a tragedy.

The cover of Scoundrel Days reminds me of U2's The Joshua Tree. Or is it the other way around? This was made a full year before that.

The colors on the cover definitely reflect the songs within: angsty, a little dingy in a good way of course, with a big sky of hope!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! February 23, 2007

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