Track Listing

1. Minor Earth major Sky
2. Little black Heart
3. Velvet
4. Summer moved on
5. The Sun never shone that Day
6. To let you win
7. The Company Man
8. Thought that it was you
9. I wish I cared
10. Barely hanging on
11. You'll never get over me
12. I won't forget her
13. Mary Ellen makes the Moment count

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15232 in Music
• Released on: 2000-06-05
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
After a seven year absence during which the Norwegian pop trio went off to paint or record solo albums, A-Ha return with Minor Earth Major Sky, their sixth studio album. Recorded over a year in New York, this one is a grower, filled with their characteristic subtle melodies, broad, sweeping pop production and a haunting melancholy. Some tracks border on the bland like the winsome "Sun Never Shone That Day", but there are songs that have bite--such as the icy William Orbit-style ballad "Little Black Heart", the big blowsy title track, and the satirical "The Company Man", where the band sing frankly of being ripped off by their record label ("deals fell into our arms / And out of our hands"). There's also a nod to the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" in their epic, socially conscious ballad "Mary Ellen Makes The Moment Count". --Lucy O'Brien

Customer Reviews

Irrepressible voice, great album
I bought this album mainly out of curiosity after not having owned any of A-Ha's earlier material. To be truthful I wasn't expecting a great deal despite having heard and enjoyed the singles 'Summer Moved On' and 'Velvet' before I had heard the rest of the album. Overall though, I was pleasantly surprised. This album is very consistent with only really one bad track on it ('The Company Man'- badly produced, quirky and very uninspiring). Apart from this though the quality on the album is very high with numerous spine tingling moments just made even more memorable by Morten Harket's irrepressible voice. How he managed to hit the notes he did on 'Thought It Was You' and get away with it is beyond me! Other highlights include 'Little Black Heart' (Catchy, cute and clever), 'To Let You Win' (Sentimental and beautiful), 'I'll Never Get Over You' (Stirring-definitely a grower) and 'I Wish I Cared' (Gorgeous and perfectly produced). Although the general mood of this album is a mellow one there are enough chirpy moments to satisfy other moods as well. This album has inspired me to delve into A-Ha's back catalogue and I recommend it highly.

An excellent comeback
When I was 14, I was a huge Aha! fan. I wore leather thongs and ripped jeans, and was completely besotted with the band through Hunting High and Low and Scoundrel Days (which I still love to listen to). I genuinely didn't like Stay on These Roads and didn't bother with Memorial Beach. By then I'd 'grown up' and moved on. I bought East of the Sun, West of the Moon, but it failed to grow on me, and I simply forgot about Aha!
I went to my school reunion last year, and in a mood of nostalgia, I dug out my old Aha! albums and singles, and had a look for any news of them on the internet. After seeing excellent reviews for their comeback record ME/MS, I went out and bought it out of curiosity. Now it's one of my personal favourites, and I love playing it. It's not as dreary and morose as the late 80s/early 90s music which turned me off them back then. And yet it's not as poppy as some of their earlier material. It's almost a maturer sounding Scoundrel Days - lush, sweeping and melodic. Anyone I've played it for has really gone for it - and none of my friends were ever fans.
I think they're an incredibly overlooked band - people associate them with their boy-band looks and gimmicky videos of old. If a new band released this album now, it would be a critical and commercial hit.
Treat yourself and try it out!

Quite simply, the most outstanding album of 2000!
'Minor Earth, Major Sky' proves that the seven year wait for a new a-ha album was certainly worth it. After the slightly disappointing 'Memorial Beach ', released in 1993,the bands time away has been well spent.

All 3 band members have contributed tracks here, and its good to see each one's different influences coming through. The quality of songwriting is in evidence throughout the whole album.

The band seem to have fused together the best parts of their 80's synth period, with the more acoustic guitar based sound of 1990's 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon.' and it has worked to astonishing effect.

This is, without question, the best album a-ha have made. Lets hope there's more where this came from!

Standout tracks: Minor Earth, Major Sky, Little Black Heart, Barely Hanging On, You'll never get over me.