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(More customer reviews)This is the first time that a-ha releases a full concert on DVD. It was the final concert of the Minor Earth Major Tour in Oslo, and the crowd was composed from fans from every corner of the planet. Some came from as far away as Japan and Brazil.
Four types of people should get this DVD.
One, the fans who are following the band since their beginnings, or even more recently - because if they have been to any show of the tour they will enjoy the memories and if they have not, it will give them an idea of how it felt.
Two, the fans who liked them in the 80's and lost track after that - because they will be filled in about what they missed in the bonus features and get some of their favourite songs in a brand new live version.
Three, those who believe MTV and VH1 when they call a-ha 'one-hit wonders' - they will get the facts right in the bonus features.
Four, people who do not know a-ha yet and enjoy good pop-rock music with well-written lyrics and real sense of melody - because this is what a-ha is about.
I was in the crowd at that concert, and I loved every minute of it. Getting to live it again with this DVD is a real treat. If Magne is the most talkative, Paul is obviously enjoying himself playing guitar (he rocks) and singing backing vocals. He is keeping an eye on everyone on stage. Morten has the difficult task to pull out some often very demanding songs until the end. I still think singing "Summer Moved On" at the end of a concert is suicidal, but he seems to go through it without problem. The backing band is doing a great job and the graceful Anelli Drecker (from the Norwegian band Bel Canto) brings a welcome feminine presence on stage.
The track list is a mix of old and new songs. There are the crowd pleasers: the inevitable "Take On Me", "Hunting High and Low" (listen to the crowd singing), "The Living Daylights", "The sun always shines on TV" and "Manhattan Skyline" to name but a few. The new songs are much more alive than in the studio version thanks to the band rockier sound: "Minor earth major Sky", "The sun never shone that day", the nice ballad "You'll never get over me".... Only sad note: the second encore "Angel" was cut from the DVD. My personal highlights: the 'unplugged' part of the concert, with piano/guitar/voice versions of "Stay On These Roads" or "Crying in the rain" and the wonderful "Mary Ellen Makes The Moment Counts" and Anneli's entry on "I wish I cared" with the little game between Morten and her.
The bonus features are a goldmine. The 4 videos of the Minor Earth album are included. There is a long interview of the three guys and informative individual reports about their whereabouts during the 7 years of separation (including the videos for Magne "Dragonfly" and Savoy "Star"). You also get an acoustic set recorded for Norwegian TV in honour of a Norwegian charity. There is a short 'backstage' feature, and a small report 'in the bus'. You will get a short glimpse of the atmosphere at the 'a-ha fan party' that followed the concert and a 'facts sheet' with biography and career summary.
Do not miss the live album, "How Can I sleep with your voice in my head", released on March 24, 2003 (make sure you get the 2 CDs set version including a video track). It will document the "Lifelines" tour. Now we're ready for the next step... and for a new studio album in 2004?
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A-Ha - Live at Vallhall - Homecoming (2001)This DVD is a recording of the first of two sell-out shows at Oslo Norway's new football arena in March of 2001. The 175 minute DVD features 21 tracks, including unreleased footage, interviews, 4 videos from Minor Earth Major Sky.
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