Track Listing

1. Lifelines
2. Forever Not Yours
3. There's A Reason For It
4. Time And Again
5. You Wanted More
6. White Canvas
7. Afternoon High
8. Did Anyone Approach You
9. Dragonfly
10. Little Bit
11. Oranges On Apple Trees
12. Less Than Pure
13. Turn The Lights Down
14. Cannot Hide
15. Solace

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6301 in Music
• Released on: 2002-06-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Lifelines follows on from the critical and commercial success of A-ha's 2000 comeback album Minor Earth, Major Sky. Produced by legend Stephen Hague (Blur, Pet Shop Boys and New Order) and top production duo Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (Elvis Costello and Morrissey), the album represents a further maturing of style.

The instant synth-pop formula songs of their 1980s golden years are once again replaced by a style which is more serious and solid. The sweeping title track, "Lifelines", opens the album, establishing from the start a philosophical, self-questioning theme continued on "There's a Reason for It" and "Less Than Pure". Despite the push towards a darker sound, the lyrics remain simple but sharp, competently tackling other long-standing issues close to their heart (for instance "Oranges on Apple Trees"). "Turn the Lights Down" is an exquisite duet between Harket and Anneli Drecker, which could easily propel the group back to the top of the charts. But as the tone of the release suggests, the older, wiser A-Ha appear to no longer crave the mass adoration of the past and instead are moving towards a more dynamic and credible musical future. --John Galilee

CD Description
This is the seventh album by the Norweigan pop trio who shot to fame in the 1980's. The track 'Forever Not Yours' has reached the no.1 single spot in seven countries. Eight of thetracks on the album were written by keyboardist, Magne Furuholmen - four of which were collaborations with frontman, Morten Harket.

Customer Reviews

The Norwegians are getting even better!
I loved 'Minor Earth, Major Sky'. 'Lifelines' is even better. As with an album of 15 songs, there are a couple of duff tracks (Mags' 'Dragonfly' and the lightweight 'Afternoon High') but all in all it is superb with melodies that most of today's contempories would kill for and sung to perfection by THAT voice which is in fine form. We are spoiled by the first track 'Lifelines' which is just brilliant. It is close to a career high - only the epic Stay on These Roads or Manhattan Skyline marginally betters it. Can the rest of the album live up to it's opener? Not quite, but it comes very close on several songs like 'You Wanted More', 'Did Anyone Approach You' 'Time and Again' and the album closer 'Solace'. The songs still have that feeling of bleakness and longing that A-ha are famous for and the theme of nature runs through with constant references to the sun, the rain, the moon, the wind and the stars. Misery never sounded this good. 'Lifelines' is much too un-pop to give A-ha the success in the UK they deserve. I have my ticket for the Albert Hall in June and cannot wait to hear these songs performed live. If you only know A-ha from the 'Hunting High and Low' album, give the guys another chance and buy this album. This is the best collection of songs you will hear this year and won't be beaten.

Follow your lifelines through
Most people only consider A-ha now as prospective beneficiaries of the kind of 80s revival that got Gary Numan and Culture Club back in the spotlight.

But then most people would go out and buy Oasis' 'Heathen Chemistry' like record-buying sheep. While the Gallagher brothers songwriting seemed to stall in 1994, A-ha have been onwardly progressing to ever more mature and distinctive sound.

It was clear they benefited from the years away with their previous album 'Minor Earth, Major Sky' full of lushness and melodic quirkiness, and while 'Lifelines' may not have the immediate impact of the single off that album, it's altogether more satisfying.

The genius for melody and rich string accompaniement, exemplified on the title track is bolstered by harder-edged production. 'You wanted more' is a kind of Norwegian 'I will survive' melodrama that shows the looser, more experimental approach in 'Major earth..' has continued, but 'Forever Not Yours' utilises classic Morten harmonising that is typically A-ha.

The experimentation sometimes gets edgy, on the pan-sexual paean, Oranges on Appletrees. But what is always refreshing is that A-ha seem to only care about making music, not how it is perceived.

Although Pal Waaktar Savoy is underepresented in terms of writing credits, Morten and Magne show they are just as capable in that department. Often it is the most unassuming and apparently simplistic work, like 'Leave your lights on' that become the most memorable and returned to tracks.

Just about everything on 'Lifelines' merits its inclusion - there is no real filler, and so much stylistic ground is covered, you feel the band have earned their money. Attention to detail is one of their most endearing traits: witness the briefest flourish of Spanish guitar at the climax to 'You wanted more' and a host of others. Craft over bombast ever time.

if you have a mind of your own when it comes to musical taste and want something with maturity and breadth, at least try out Lifelines.

Contrasts and contradictions but very colourful
This album will confuse the critics. It has the downbeat slightly lonely sound of A-ha which people expect. But they have been true to their past here, with Lifelines and have refered back to the electronic attack of artists such as Depeche Mode and even to the pomp of the Pet shop boys. There is only one really dodgy track on the album: Oranges on Apple Trees.

Try this - there is something for everyone here