East of the Sun, West of the Moon
1990 studio album by A-ha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
East of the Sun, West of the Moon is the fourth studio album by Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha, released on 22 October 1990 by Warner Bros. Records. Named after a Norwegian fairy tale, the album was something of a departure from the band's earlier radio-friendly sound to a darker, moodier tone. It peaked at number one in the band's native Norway and reached top 20 in various European countries and Japan. It was co-produced by Ian Stanley, formerly of the band Tears for Fears.
| East of the Sun, West of the Moon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 22 October 1990[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1989â1990 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 45:48 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | ||||
| A-ha chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from East of the Sun, West of the Moon | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | D+[4] |
| Melody Maker | (favorable)[5] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [6] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [7] |
| Smash Hits | |
Critical reception
Entertainment Weekly wrote that "symphonic piano grandeur and alternating blues/metal/flamenco/funk additives collapse beneath the bloated synthesizer slush."[4]
AllMusic wrote: "This is a nicely crafted collection of songs, performed and sung beautifully, with lots of echoes and suggestions tucked into the music. While not an album one can discuss at length, it's an album that's a pleasure to listen to and one that deserves a better reception than the one, unfortunately, that it seems to have gotten."[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Crying in the Rain" | Howard Greenfield, Carole King | Chris Neil | 4:25 |
| 2. | "Early Morning" | PÃ¥l Waaktaar, Magne Furuholmen | Ian Stanley | 2:59 |
| 3. | "I Call Your Name" | Waaktaar, Furuholmen | Neil | 4:54 |
| 4. | "Slender Frame" | Waaktaar, Furuholmen | Neil | 3:42 |
| 5. | "East of the Sun" | Waaktaar | Stanley | 4:47 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Sycamore Leaves" | Waaktaar | Neil | 5:22 |
| 7. | "Waiting for Her" | Waaktaar, Furuholmen | Stanley | 4:49 |
| 8. | "Cold River" | Waaktaar, Lauren Savoy | Neil | 4:40 |
| 9. | "The Way We Talk" | Furuholmen | Stanley | 1:30 |
| 10. | "Rolling Thunder" | Waaktaar, Furuholmen | Neil | 5:43 |
| 11. | "(Seemingly) Nonstop July" | Waaktaar | Stanley | 2:55 |
- "The Way We Talk" features Magne Furuholmen on lead vocals.
2015 deluxe edition
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Early Morning" (early version) | |
| 2. | "East of the Sun" (early version) | |
| 3. | "I Call Your Name" (instrumental demo) | |
| 4. | "Slender Frame" (demo) | |
| 5. | "Waiting for Her" (demo) | |
| 6. | "Cold River" (demo) | |
| 7. | "Trees Will Not Grow on the Sand" (demo) | |
| 8. | "Rolling Thunder" (demo) | |
| 9. | "I Call Your Name" (NRK live) | |
| 10. | "Manhattan Skyline" (NRK live) | |
| 11. | "Early Morning" (NRK live) | |
| 12. | "Slender Frame" (NRK live) | |
| 13. | "Rolling Thunder" (NRK live) | |
| 14. | "Sycamore Leaves" (NRK live) | |
| 15. | "Crying in the Rain" (NRK live) | |
| 16. | "East of the Sun" (NRK live) | |
| 17. | "(Seemingly) Nonstop July" (NRK live) | |
| 18. | "I've Been Losing You" (NRK live) |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." | |
| 2. | "Cry Wolf" | |
| 3. | "I Call Your Name" | |
| 4. | "Slender Frame" | |
| 5. | "Touchy!" | |
| 6. | "Scoundrel Days" | |
| 7. | "Rolling Thunder" | |
| 8. | "I've Been Losing You" | |
| 9. | "Early Morning" | |
| 10. | "Take On Me" | |
| 11. | "Credits" |
Personnel
A-ha
- Morten Harket â lead vocals, backing vocals
- Magne Furuholmen â keyboards, backing vocals, string arrangements (5), second vocals (8, 10), lead vocals (9), harmonica (10)
- Paul Waaktaar-Savoy â guitars, backing vocals, second vocals (4), bass guitar (6, 7, 8), acoustic piano (11)
Additional musicians
- Jørun Bøgeberg â bass guitar (1â5, 9, 10, 11)
- Per Hillestad â drums (1â6, 8â11)
- Chris Hughes â drums (7)
- Martin Ditcham â tambourine (3, 4), percussion (10)
- Phil Todd â saxophone (3)
- David Bedford â string arrangements (7)
Production
- Christopher Neil â producer (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10)
- Ian Stanley â producer (2, 5, 7, 9, 11)
- Nick Davis â recording, mixing
- Haydn Bendall â additional engineer (5, 7)
- Steve "Barney" Chase â additional engineer (5, 7)
- Kim Champagne â art direction
- Jeri Heiden â art direction
- REY International â design
- Just Loomis â cover photography
- Lauren Savoy â inner sleeve photography
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[24] | Gold | 100,000* |
| France (SNEP)[25] | Gold | 100,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[26] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| Norway | â | 125,000[27] |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[28] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[1] | Silver | 60,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||