Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
While not quite as strong as the band's debut, Scoundrel Days is still a-ha succeeding as a marketed "pretty boy" band which can connect musically and lyrically as much as any musical sacred cow. The opening two songs alone make for one of the best one-two opening punches around: the tense edge of the title track, featuring one of Morten Harket's soaring vocals during the chorus and a crisp, pristine punch in the music, and "The Swing of Things," a moody, elegant number with a beautiful synth/guitar arrangement (plus some fine drumming courtesy of studio pro Michael Sturgis) and utterly lovelorn lyrical sentiments that balance on the edge of being overheated without quite going over. Although the rest of the disc never quite hits as high as the opening, it comes close more often than not. A definite downturn is the band's occasional attempts to try and prove themselves as a "real" band by rocking out, as on "I've Been Losing You" -- there's really no need for it, and as a result they sound much more "fake," ironically enough. Other songs can perhaps only be explained by the need to translate lyrics -- "We're Looking for the Whales" isn't an environmental anthem, and neither is "Cry Wolf," but both also don't really succeed in using nature as romantic metaphor. When a-ha are on, though, they're on -- "October" snakes along on a cool bass/keyboard arrangement and a whispery vocal from Harket; "Maybe Maybe" is a quirky little pop number that's engagingly goofy; while "Soft Rains of April" captures the band at its most dramatic, with the string synths giving Harket a perfect bed to launch into a lovely vocal, concluding with a sudden, hushed whisper. The '80s may be long gone, but Scoundrel Days makes clear that not everything was bad back then.
© Ned Raggett /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Alan Tarney, Producer, MixingEngineer - A-Ha, MainArtist - Magne Furuholmen, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Drum Programmer - Morten Harket, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - John Hudson, MixingEngineer - Gerry Kitchingham, Engineer - Graham Prescott, Strings
© 1986 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1986 Warner Records Inc.
Alan Tarney, Producer, MixingEngineer - A-Ha, MainArtist - Magne Furuholmen, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Drum Programmer - Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Morten Harket, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - John Hudson, MixingEngineer - Gerry Kitchingham, Engineer - Michael Sturgis, Drums
© 1986 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1986 Warner Records Inc.
Alan Tarney, MixingEngineer - A-Ha, MainArtist - Magne Furuholmen, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Drum Programmer - Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Producer, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Mags, Producer - Morten Harket, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - John Hudson, MixingEngineer - Gerry Kitchingham, Engineer - Leif Karsten Johansen, Bass Guitar - Michael Sturgis, Drums
© 1986 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1986 Warner Records Inc.
Alan Tarney, Producer, MixingEngineer - A-Ha, MainArtist - Magne Furuholmen, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Drum Programmer - Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Morten Harket, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - John Hudson, MixingEngineer - Gerry Kitchingham, Engineer
© 1986 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1986 Warner Records Inc.
Alan Tarney, Producer, MixingEngineer - A-Ha, MainArtist - Magne Furuholmen, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Drum Programmer - Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Morten Harket, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - John Hudson, MixingEngineer - Gerry Kitchingham, Engineer
© 1986 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1986 Warner Records Inc.
Alan Tarney, Producer, MixingEngineer - A-Ha, MainArtist - Magne Furuholmen, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Morten Harket, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - John Hudson, MixingEngineer - Gerry Kitchingham, Engineer - Øystein Jevanord, Drums
© 1986 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1986 Warner Records Inc.
Alan Tarney, Producer, MixingEngineer - A-Ha, MainArtist - Magne Furuholmen, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Morten Harket, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - John Hudson, MixingEngineer - Gerry Kitchingham, Engineer
© 1986 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1986 Warner Records Inc.
Alan Tarney, Producer, MixingEngineer - A-Ha, MainArtist - Magne Furuholmen, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Drum Programmer - Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Morten Harket, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - John Hudson, MixingEngineer - Gerry Kitchingham, Engineer
© 1986 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1986 Warner Records Inc.
Alan Tarney, MixingEngineer - A-Ha, MainArtist - Magne Furuholmen, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Producer, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Drum Programmer - Mags, Producer - Morten Harket, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - John Hudson, MixingEngineer - Gerry Kitchingham, Engineer
© 1986 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1986 Warner Records Inc.
Alan Tarney, MixingEngineer - A-Ha, MainArtist - Magne Furuholmen, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Producer, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Writer, Drum Programmer - Mags, Producer - Morten Harket, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals - John Hudson, MixingEngineer - Gerry Kitchingham, Engineer - Michael Sturgis, Drums
© 1986 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1986 Warner Records Inc.
Album review
While not quite as strong as the band's debut, Scoundrel Days is still a-ha succeeding as a marketed "pretty boy" band which can connect musically and lyrically as much as any musical sacred cow. The opening two songs alone make for one of the best one-two opening punches around: the tense edge of the title track, featuring one of Morten Harket's soaring vocals during the chorus and a crisp, pristine punch in the music, and "The Swing of Things," a moody, elegant number with a beautiful synth/guitar arrangement (plus some fine drumming courtesy of studio pro Michael Sturgis) and utterly lovelorn lyrical sentiments that balance on the edge of being overheated without quite going over. Although the rest of the disc never quite hits as high as the opening, it comes close more often than not. A definite downturn is the band's occasional attempts to try and prove themselves as a "real" band by rocking out, as on "I've Been Losing You" -- there's really no need for it, and as a result they sound much more "fake," ironically enough. Other songs can perhaps only be explained by the need to translate lyrics -- "We're Looking for the Whales" isn't an environmental anthem, and neither is "Cry Wolf," but both also don't really succeed in using nature as romantic metaphor. When a-ha are on, though, they're on -- "October" snakes along on a cool bass/keyboard arrangement and a whispery vocal from Harket; "Maybe Maybe" is a quirky little pop number that's engagingly goofy; while "Soft Rains of April" captures the band at its most dramatic, with the string synths giving Harket a perfect bed to launch into a lovely vocal, concluding with a sudden, hushed whisper. The '80s may be long gone, but Scoundrel Days makes clear that not everything was bad back then.
© Ned Raggett /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:38:57
- Main artists: A-Ha
- Label: Warner Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 1986 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1986 Warner Records Inc.
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.