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A-Ha - Live at Vallhall - Homecoming

A-Ha - Live at Vallhall - Homecoming

List Price: $29.95
Your Price: $26.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant Show !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Some info about the show, featured on this DVD:

The two shows in Oslo was streamed live over the internet and had approx 3,6 million hits on Saturday and Sunday. More than 500.000 users viewed the live broadcast on Saturday, and average viewing time was 28 minutes.

There were fans from 28 different countries, who came to Norway for these two concert's. Some came all the way from Japan and Australia:

People from the following nationalities attended the concert:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic,
Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Northern Ireland,
Norway (of course), Peru, Poland, Russia, Singapore,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
The Netherlands, Ukraine and the US.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I can't stop watching it! Can't wait for world-tour 2005!
Review: This concert is amazing! It has tons of energy, an amazing set, and yet is calming in a way. I have showed it to many of my friends and now they own it too. It has become a ritual that when I have stressful day at work, I come home and pop in this DVD and just close my eyes and listen. I have a lineup of songs that just takes the stress away. It is so amazing. I am also very impressed with Anneli Drecker. After watching this DVD, I purchased some of her work with Bel Canto. It is definitely different, but I really enjoy her work on Magic Box and Shimmering Warm and Bright. She has an amazing voice. As a side note, she is one of the judges this year on Norwegian Idol. She is kind of like the Paula Abdul judge. She is very talented.
Morten's voice is fantastic. In Summer Moved On, he holds a note for 8 measures and, without missing a beat, he moves into another note for a couple of measures. He truly is an artist. But it doesn't end with the singers. I could watch Pal play the guitar for hours. He is so laid-back and smooth and yet he can be very aggressive. I love the harder sound almost as much as the ballads. Mags is also an important part of the trio. He creates amazing works of art (which you can view in one of the extras on the DVD) he can sing, play the guitar, and I love listening to him play the piano. The combination of Mags, Morten, Pal, and Anneli is an experience that you just have to see to believe. The dynamics of the group is unbelievable. You just can't find this kind of quality in most musicians. I seriously have watched this DVD over 1000 times and I don't get sick of it. In fact, I just ordered another one just in case something happens to mine (from overplaying). Buy it and be amazed. A-ha is way more than just Take on Me...
FYI: I recently read that A-ha signed with UNIVERSAL and is planning a new album in 2005 and a world Tour. USA is included in the tour. At last we have a second chance to prove that we have good taste in this country! Be on the lookout for the album and the tour!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Well worth seeking out....
Review: This DVD A-ha live at Vallhall (HOMECOMING) wasn't
the easiest to find. I found a USA non-PAL format
finally and this disk is loaded with extra's.
Great live concert of the 2000 "Minor Earth Major Sky"
tour peformed in their native Norway Spring 2001.
Great sounding, many older favorites mixed with their new
songs and sound. Very enjoyable group, adult songs played
with their usual class and no frills adds up to a better than
average pop concert. Nice lighting not overdone. What I

think makes this whole DVD worth the price is the 4 videos
from "Minor Earth Major Sky", especially enjoyed the "Velvet"
clip, disturbing in a macabre way but its nice to see A-ha not
take itself so seriously, thats what I like most about getting
to know the years I'd missed when the USA decided to pull the
plug on these talented outfit after their late 1980's 2nd collection. Great to have them back performing. Also, live interviews mixed with what A-ha members (side solo projects)
have been doing from (1994'-2000)when they went their own ways.
They are making their best music now and look forward to them
changeing their minds and come back to the states for some shows.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Well worth seeking out....
Review: This DVD A-ha live at Vallhall (HOMECOMING) wasn't
the easiest to find. I found a USA non-PAL format
finally and this disk is loaded with extra's.
Great live concert of the 2000 "Minor Earth Major Sky"
tour peformed in their native Norway Spring 2001.
Great sounding, many older favorites mixed with their new
songs and sound. Very enjoyable group, adult songs played
with their usual class and no frills adds up to a better than
average pop concert. Nice lighting not overdone. What I

think makes this whole DVD worth the price is the 4 videos
from "Minor Earth Major Sky", especially enjoyed the "Velvet"
clip, disturbing in a macabre way but its nice to see A-ha not
take itself so seriously, thats what I like most about getting
to know the years I'd missed when the USA decided to pull the
plug on these talented outfit after their late 1980's 2nd collection. Great to have them back performing. Also, live interviews mixed with what A-ha members (side solo projects)
have been doing from (1994'-2000)when they went their own ways.
They are making their best music now and look forward to them
changeing their minds and come back to the states for some shows.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: excellent musicians
Review: This dvd puts the emphasis on a-ha the band - not the video pretty boys. There are not a lot of special effects or theatrical visuals in this concert. Instead the concert showcases how well the band plays together (they're not just a studio creation). Morten Harket's voice is terrific - he's on key and he has an amazing range...almost operatic. What a sweet voice..just beautiful. Their music translates very well live too - they have evolved from being a synth band to a much warmer natural sound...drums, guitars, strings.

Though a-ha continues to make great new music (check out "Lifelines"), "Take on Me" at the end of the concert is a highlight for me. They seem to really enjoy playing it still. It sounds great live. They look like they're having fun, everyone is smiling. That is not an easy song to sing, and Morten does a great job. The band just let's loose and you can feel the energy pick up. It's a great moment.

One thing though, Morten needs to leave the sound device in his ear alone. It is really distracting - at times I thought he was going to stick his whole arm up his ear.

P.S. check out their latest live cd "how can I sleep with your voice in my head" - it's great.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A-Ha rock!
Review: This DVD was intended as a Christmas gift for my best friend, who is a huge A-Ha fan and exposed me to their music in the early 90s'.
I have to say that I enjoy their music quite a bit so when he told me he'd already bought this DVD for himself I decided to check out the copy I'd bought for him.
It simply blew me away. The band is in top form in front of their hometown crowd and they simply rock the place. They are great showman who bring the songs to life on stage. They play a number of their bigges hits including: The Sun Always Shines on TV, The Living Daylights and, of course, Take on Me.
The DVD also includes an bit of bonus concert footage and some documentaries and interviews. It's a wonderful DVD and belongs in any A-Ha fans collection.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT
Review: THIS IS DEFINITELY A MASTERPIECE FOR A-HA FANS! THE SOUNDS FROM THIS BAND HAVE EVOLVED INTO POWERFUL INSTRUMENTAL PIECES AND MELODIC VOICES PLACED TOGETHER PERFECTLY. BASS, STRINGS AND OFCOURSE MORTENS VOICE ALL WORK TO CREATE A FLAWLESS PRESENTATION. THE DVD INCLUDES BACKSTAGE FOOTAGE, 4 GREAT VIDEOS FROM WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THEIR BEST WORK FROM THEIR MINOR EARTH MAJOR SKY RELEASE. TO COMPLETE THE COLLECTION YOU MUST ALSO PURCHASE A-HA'S "HEADLINES AND DEADLINES" DVD-MUSIC VIDEOS. I RECOMMEND YOU WATCH THIS DVD (HOMECOMING) WITH SURROUND SOUND...AS IT WILL BLOW YOU AWAY! ENJOY!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Historical Event!
Review: This is one of the best DVDs I have seen. It is a permanent record of a historical event. This concert was actually shown live on the internet as it was happening! For alot of people around the world this was the first time they had ever seen this great band in concert. The dvd is a memory of that great day for those who were in oslo as well as at home on their computers. All the hits are here. Nothing is missing! The band is in great form. Everything was perfect. The dvd has great sound and picture and so many extras that would make fans of other bands jealous. We get to see rare behind the scenes footage from the entire tour as well as interviews showcasing the bands 7 years apart. The rare videos for Dragonfly and Star are alone well worth the cost. There is also the live unplugged performance at Grimstad and the 3 videos from the Minor Earth Major Sky album. Plus footage of fans at the post concert fan gathering. This is about as complete a dvd of a band as they can get. If you are a hard core a-ha fan this is one more gem for your collection. If you are a new fan this is a great way to get to know a most legendary and sensational band! Well worth twice the cost and then some. Take Care Sgg

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great concert and loads of bonus added
Review: 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?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful Show, Worth Every Penny
Review: When a-Ha came out with Hunting High and Low, I was in high school. Back then I was a real headbanger and thought any other form of music was not real music. Over the years I have mellowed a bit. During these more mature years, I have discovered many groups, and a-Ha is one of them.

I gauge a group or CD by how often I am in the mood to hear it. There are probably 8 CDs that I listen to more than any of the others I own. Two of these are Hunting High and Low and Scoundrel Days. No CD collection should be without these two titles. DVDs are a fairly new musical choice for me. It has only been in the last year or two that DVDs have become a valid entertainment option in my home. I bought the a-Ha Live at Vallhall to finally see this group live. I was not disappointed.

The concert itself I think is top notch. The sound is fabulous, and the live atmosphere is seemingly genuine. There are times when Morten's face is a hazy shade of blue and red due to stage lighting, but this makes it all the more realistic. If you were in the audience, their faces would look blue and red. The powerful guitar and beautiful keyboards really compliment each other. The sound was more rock-n-roll that I expected, and that was a revelation for me. The live show demonstrates just how awesome a-Ha really is.

So take it from me, a relative DVD newcomer and a two a-Ha cd owner, this DVD is superb.

I may have missed a-Ha back in the 80's, but this concert is the next best thing to being there.


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