a-ha - East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Considerably Less Synth, More Traditional Rock-Oriented 1991 Release from the Norwegian Trio that Brought You the 1985 Hit 'Take on Me'. crying in the Rain – an Everly Brothers Top-20 Hit – is Included. Album Details

 Progression
East of the Sun/West of the Moon and Memorial Beach are the two CDs that alot of people who are diehard a-ha pop music fans seem to loath. I have been an a-ha fan from the beginning and I just recently bought these two albums. I didn't know what I was missing out on, I wish that I had bought them sooner. Yeah this is a different sound than the synth pop of the 80's, I would characterize these two albums as Progessive Rock instead of pop. ESWM sounds like an evolving both of music and songwriting. ESWM and MB albums grew on me quickly and are quickly becoming my favorites. Some have stated that they didn't like these two albums because they have a darker feel, I say that's a good thing. They are edgy and fresh, even now. The same can't be said about Analogue, what a collosal failure! May 7, 2008

 good not better
than their previous effort. It's a sudden change in direction for them, it seems this cd is more low key and eclectic which is okay for some folks. I generally don't mind it but i didnt feel that same connection that i did to previous efforts (Hunting High and Low and their first effort). East of the Sun is by no means a bad cd, it has a few tracks that i did enjoy like:

Early Morning
Waiting for Her
Rolling Thunder
Crying In The Rain

It's enough to give 4 stars for this cd but the group needs some extra oomph in their next effort for me to warrant another cd purchase. Perhaps more listens to this one and i'll like it a tad bit more we'll see. But for now East of the Sun, West of the Moon is a slighly above average purchase for a-ha fans. For those that are new to the group, you might want to try their first cd or Hunting High and Low (which i believe are better). April 8, 2008

 the end of an era in A-ha's music
Luis Mejia (son)- Aha's works of the 80's were excellent, some were lazy too but this album is an inspiration of sweet sounds, beautiful melodies and sets at the greatest state of pop.

Being released in 1992, it still contains the rythms that have always characterized A-ha. The ballads are amazing and the lyrics are maybe the best that Paul Savoy have written. The use of keyboards of A-ha keeps being a wonder, and even when in they use mainly a synthesizer amog all the songs, they're still the dominant musical feature.

Within the songs, ballads like Crying In The Rain, Rolling Thunder, Slender Frame and the title track are the best content in the album, being soft, sensitive and delicate. Another great feature is the pop sound keyboard applied in the fast tracks such as Sycamore Leaves and Cold River, which applies also excellent guitars by Paul. I Call Your Name and Early Morning are nice pop ballads but in times they seem out of tune. The Way We Talk is a song for staying shock for the new style of "ruining an album just at the end". Now here is where experience enters among listeners, even before spliting, they were just starting to try some alternative sounds, such as in (Seemingly) Non Stop July, and as a person hears the new century albums, one notices the brutal change.

When it comes to the bad aspects I can say a lot, too. First of all it isn't new for A-ha to try to enchant the audience with beautiful choruses for hiding the not-so-good structure of the songs. Also they've stayed in the same musical mood since Stay On These Roads, the structure of these songs and sound patterns can be characterized in their past 4 albums.

In conclusion, even with it's failures, it's excellent for we, the fan audience and also for the new listeners for identify their sounds and create ideas. June 30, 2007

 Average
A few good songs on this one. Not my favorite, but not my least favorite of their work either. February 8, 2007

 A-ha's most mature/eclectic album to date
Ever since I heard the pulse-pounding rhythm and magnificent vocals of 1985's awesome hit, 'Take On Me,' I have forever remained (and will remain) an A-ha fan. I recognize that holding onto the music of the 1980s is not always easy to prove to others as "worthy contributions." However, the Norwegian trio is in a class above the fray that is highly removed from the 'stamp&go' mentality of pop music. "East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon" is the best example I can think of to prove this statement. Turning away the trademark 'synth sounds' that had been known with their group for the last 3 albums, A-ha has now taken an adult-contemporary/soft-rock approach with this album. The result is nothing short of amazing and consistent.

From the powerful melancholic rendition (would we expect nothing less from A-ha by now? haha) of Carole King's classic 'Crying In The Rain' (originally a hit in the 60's by the Everly Brothers) to the short somber closer of 'Seemingly Nonstop July,' A-ha makes a terrific sound change that is both pleasing and fitting. Morten Harket has a simply gifted vocal range that allows him free reign to sing anything put in front of him. Magne Furuholmen and Pal Waaktaar have a unique sense of melody, arrangment and lyricism which is put to the test and mastered with this album. Not only do the tracks have a soft, groovy and sometimes dramatically-operatic tone, but they also have perceptive depth and sensibility. Check out the title track and see how one can feel lost and long for that place of serenity lying out of reach. Check out 'I Call Your Name' and notice the heartbreaking image of being still in love with your spouse while the whole relationship has fallen apart. 'Waiting For Her' may seem adolescent, but Morten's delivery makes it all the more relevant for anyone in that situation. 'The Way We Talk' is a short but pleasant gift when Magne takes center stage as lead vocals, and does an impressive job with it.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend this album to fans of A-ha or just fans of this type of music in general. As a music fan, nothing impresses me more than seeing diversity and versatility with an artist(s). A-ha made a stunning leap with "East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon" and that caused many listeners to dismiss it as shoddy, mismanaged and overall poor in nature. But I urge the interested reader (and listener) to judge the recordings for themselves, not what the critics dictate. Just because one changes their sound does not mean they have changed their hearts for the craft. After all, don't we (as individuals) have different sides to ourselves that not all totally understand? Think about it .... go out and purchase this wonderful album and feel connected for a short period of time with the themes, sound and tone of this album .... I would give it over 10 stars if I could! March 28, 2006

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