Hunting High and Low [30th Anniversary Edition]

by a-ha

Overview

Anyone who dismissed a-ha as a one-hit wonder must have missed out on the band's fine debut, Hunting High and Low. Though the band spawned many further hits across the rest of the world, "Take on Me" exploded in the States and the group never cracked the top of the charts again. It's a shame, because the album contains a handful of songs that nearly match the manic energy and emotional crack of its big hit. Further, it's a cohesive album with smart pace changeups, and it rarely fails to delight or satisfy a listener's need for a synth pop fix. The opening kick is a huge one: "Take on Me" is a new wave classic laced with rushing keyboards, made emotionally resonant thanks to Morten Harket's touching vocal delicacy. It didn't hurt in the era of MTV that the song's video was a hyperkinetic blend of mind-warping animation and filmed footage with a romantic thriller's heart. Harket's hunky physique and cheekbones also didn't hurt the video's chances at heavy rotation. Getting past that video, "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." is just as thrilling. Starting as a sad ballad, it explodes into something much more, as chugging guitars and operatic synths keep pace with Harket's evocative vocal stylings. If ever a 1980s song qualified as Wall of Sound, "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." would be it. The remainder of the album sees a-ha switching deftly back and forth between dramatic overtures and classic new wave keyboard motifs. "Train of Thought" and "Love Is Reason" are reminiscent of early Depeche Mode or Camouflage, but Harket's rich voice and flair make them purely a-ha. The band explores decidedly European terrain in the theatrical "Hunting High and Low" and dances a pop waltz with the sweet "Living a Boy's Adventure Tale," coming across like a marriage between the Blue Nile and Alphaville. Delightful song snippets "The Blue Sky" and "And You Tell Me" act as frosting on the cake or as glue between the theater and the dancefloor. One can't escape the feeling that Hunting High and Low is a product of the 1980s, but with highs like "Take on Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.," and no lows in sight, a-ha's debut is a treat worth relishing. [A 30th Anniversary Edition was released in 2015.] ~ Tim DiGravina

Product Details

Release Date:	09/18/2015
Label:	Rhino
UPC:	0081227951313

Tracks

1. Take on Me
2. Train of Thought
3. Hunting High and Low
4. The Blue Sky
5. Living a Boy's Adventure Tale
6. The Sun Always Shines on T.V.
7. And You Tell Me
8. Love Is Reason
9. I Dream Myself Alive
10. Here I Stand and Face the Rain

Album Credits

Performance Credits

a-ha   Primary Artist,Vocals
Magne Furuholmen   Keyboards
Claire Jarvis   Oboe
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy   Guitar
Morten Harket   Vocals

Technical Credits

Jakub Klis   Composer
Andreas Bonding   Photography
Arild Evenby   Photography
Henning Kramer Dahl   Photography
P.A. Stenersen   Archive Research
Svein Ericsen   Photography
Bobby Hata   Mastering
Magne Furuholmen   Composer,Lyricist
Jeri McManus   Design,Art Direction
John Heiden   Design,Art Direction
Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff   Art Direction
Sheila Rock   Photography
Daniel Hersch   Remastering
Kate Dear   Project Assistant
Just Loomis   Photography
Wojciech Wisniewski   Composer,Lyricist
Robert Erdmann   Photography
Tony Mansfield   Producer
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist
Bill Inglot   Remastering,Reissue Producer
Larry Williams   Photography,Photography
Steve Woolard   Project Assistant
John Hudson   Mixing,Remixing
Nigel Reeve   Project Assistant
Michael Barbiero   Mixing,Producer
a-ha   Mixing,Producer,Remixing
Dave Schultz   Remastering
Morten Harket   Composer,Lyricist
Alan Mansfield   Producer
Steve Thompson   Mixing,Producer,Remixing
Alan Tarney   Mixing,Producer,Remixing,Performer,Additional Production
Sheryl Farber   Project Assistant
Candice Reckinger   Video Art
Oystein Jevanord   Photography
Craig Anderson   Video Art
Harald Wiik   Management
Knut Bry   Photography
John Ratcliff   Mixing,Producer,Remixing,Photography
Michael Patterson   Video Art
Jonathan Lennard   Photography
Olivia Thomas   Project Assistant
Christopher Hopkins   Archive Research