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Rating: "Lifelines" is the last A-ha album released in 2002. It contains a total of 15 songs that I have the pleasure of describing to you one by one:
"Lifelines" - A sweet and melancholic ballad with a two-voice chorus featuring Anneli Drecker that splits the song in a clear yet remarkably homogeneous manner. It should be listened to accompanied by the video, which I personally found magnificent like the track. "You Wanted More" - Electronic sounds dominate the piece along with Morten Harket's voice. The rhythm is set by the synthesized drums, making the song very "Duran Duran," while the chorus seems like the work of Moby. Indeed, this song "wanted more," but the arrangement perhaps made it less than what it could have been. Nevertheless, a good piece that improves with each subsequent listen. "Forever Not Yours" - The first single released from the album meant to promote its launch. The rhythm is marked by Magne’s keyboard riff and (again) the electronic drums. The song has a '80s revival vibe that is decidedly unoriginal, and here Morten Harket's voice seems almost unconvincing in what he's singing. Forgettable. "There's A Reason For It" - Finally, real drums (at least it seems so). Dark atmosphere and subdued sounds until the explosion (not too violent) in a very '60s Beat chorus. Perhaps more sparkling sounds would have given the track better intensity; still, a good piece. "Time And Again" - Here Harket's voice highlights Paul Waaktaar's songwriting qualities in a piece of incredible sweetness and intensity. It's hard to properly describe this track; you have to listen to it to understand... speechless...
"Did Anyone Approach You?" - Again electronic sounds and '80s vibes, even a dance rhythm mixed skillfully; the voice shifts from low and whispered tones to high tones with choruses that echo the Beat style that A-ha seems to love so much. Third release from this album. "Afternoon High" - Here the Beat atmospheres sound unmistakable with modern and light arrangements. When I think of this song, I feel like I see a shower of flowers raining from the sky and myself in flared pants and drop sunglasses waiting to meet with comrades on the street to protest in '68, but... oops, we're in 2005... the song's over... "Oranges On Appletrees" - Similar to "Afternoon High", but even from the title, you can tell they must have had something to drink before composing this song. Enjoyable track that smoothly carries on the album's listening. Morten's voice reaches astonishing depths. "A Little Bit" - Dark and subdued, led by Paul Waaktaar's acoustic guitar. What's interesting here are the tone shifts from one verse to another that make the song unique. I would have given more space (and volume) to Morten's voice and the orchestra. "Less Than Pure" - The rhythm is pressing in its rhythmic accompaniment. Again the Beat tendency is present but mixes with darker sounds that at times verge almost on New Age. Remarkable mix. "Turn The Lights Down" - A duet between Anneli Drecker and Morten Harket; sweet and light, unpretentious but personally, I do not favor Drecker's voice; I would have much preferred a Sade to accompany Harket in this hymn to love.
"Cannot Hide" - Here they almost sound like "Duran Duran," even in Harket's voice. Fast-paced electronic pop. The chorus reminds us that they are A-ha, with peace to all. At the song's end, Magne has something to say to us in French... "White Canvas" - Here the A-ha present themselves to us one by one and tell us that Magne plays the piano as if he were painting a canvas, Morten tells us that his voice is a palette where colors mix with each other, and Paul also says the most abstract forms need to be recognized to be pleasing. Pleasure to meet you! "Dragonfly" - This is a piece originally sung by Magne Furuholmen for the soundtrack of a Norwegian film. Adapted to A-ha style, in my opinion, it loses that sort of "raw" form that Magne gave it with his scratched voice, sometimes even off-key. Morten gives it a more precise vocal order, and the song turns out more fluid than the original, but if you want to listen to the true essence of the song, you must hear the original version. Heart-rending. "Solace" - The "comfort" of a solid rhythm and the usual sweet and strong voice of Morten together with the string parts provide the song the right dimension to allow the album to close, leaving the listener the desire to revisit everything, their tastes, their ego, and what music means. It reprises the colors of "Lifelines". It's a kiss on the head before sleep, a loving embrace before departure.
In conclusion of my personal review, I recommend this album to all lovers of music for listening, and even for those who, with some years more (skipping some songs), wish to relive some '60s Beat atmospheres. For those who prefer hard rock, rap, and more aggressive styles, they may find the album flat and without appeal, but we all know tastes are personal and, as always, all respectable... Anyway, it's my favorite A-ha album. To quote Woody Allen: if Robbie Williams is an excellent "second course," the Depeche Mode an excellent and imaginative "first course," the "A-ha" of "Lifelines" are, for me, a "complete meal"... I'm happy to offer you the coffee... Loupin
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Lifelines (04:17)
One time to know that it's real
One time to know how it feels
That's all
One call
Your voice on the phone
One place
A moment alone
That's all
What do you see, what do you know?
One sign: what do I do?
Just follow your lifeline through
What if it hurts, what then?
What do we do, What do you say?
Don't throw your lifelines away
One time
Just once in my life
Yeah One time
To know it can happen twice
One shot
Of a clear blue sky
One look
I see no reasons why we can't
One chance
To go back to the point
Where everything starts
One chance
To keep it together when
Things fall apart
Just one sign
To make us believe it's true
What do you see
Where do we go?
One sign: how do we grow?
By letting your lifelines show
What if we do, what now?
What do you say?
How do I know?
Don't let your lifeline go
02 You Wanted More (03:40)
You know the way
You've been before
I've seen the signs
Outside your door
You set the rules
The bitter days
Can't be ignored
It's just the same
Just like before
You wanted more
I love the sun
I love the rain
You gave it up
But all in vain
I love the way
It was before
So bittersweet
To be adored
We had it all
You let it go
You wanted more
But in the end
What is a friend
If not some one
To help pretend
Remember me
You know my name
I'm still the same
But not for you
That's not enough
You wanted more
I love the sun
I love the rain
You gave it up
But all in vain
You couldn't change
You know the score
So bittersweet
To be adored
We had it all
You gave it up
You wanted more
But in the end
What is a friend...
You loved the way
It used to be
The way you are
You and me
You came too late
You left too soon
Just like the rings
Around the moon
We had it all
You let it go
You wanted more
We had it all
You gave it up
You wanted more
03 Forever Not Yours (04:06)
Hold me tight, this is a lonely night
and i've hurt you baby, 'cause you're my light
Make me strong, just like you make me weak
and your hands reach out for me
even in your sleep
I'll soon be gone now
Forever not yours
It won't be long now
Forever not yours
Memories they keep coming through
The good ones hurt more, than the bad ones do
The days were hot, and the nights were deep
And I miss you, baby
I miss you, baby
I'll soon be gone now
Forever not yours
It won't be long now
Forever not yours
I'll soon be gone now
It won't be long now
Forever not , forever not yours
I'll soon be gone now
Forever not yours
It won't be long now
Forever not yours
I'll soon be gone now
Forever not yours
It won't be long now
Forever not yours
by Cure_@hotmail.com
04 There's a Reason for It (04:21)
Don't know how it got away from me
Don't know how I let things go, you see
Don't know why it took a sudden turn
Didn't seem to be a big concern
And everything is all too much
Hot and bothered, you're cool to the touch
And everyone is worlds apart
It must have been this way from the start
When there's nothing here to save the day
Then we have to say
There's a reason for it
When there's nothing left for us to do
You're left without a clue
There's a reason for it
Don't know how it got away from me
Don't know how I let things go, you see
Don't know why it took a sudden turn
Didn't seem to be a big concern
And everyone is all too well
All well-adjusted people
Can't you tell?
And everything is all too fast
Just add water Nothing's built to last
When your colleagues can't recall your name
Time and time again
There's a reason for it
When your name's the butt of every joke
Just about to croak T
here's a reason for it
And everyone is worlds apart
It must have been this way from the start
When there's nothing here to save the day
Then we have to say
There's a reason for it
When there's nothing left for us to do
You're left without a clue
There's a reason for it
There's a reason for it
There's a reason for it
There's a reason for it
06 Did Anyone Approach You? (04:10)
You never look up
You never look back
You never say anything based on fact
You've got issues going way back
You never say 'hi'
You never say much
You never make an effort to stay in touch
I've got this feeling something happened here
Something happened here
Did anybody feel you?
Did anybody deal you?
Did anybody make you do some things now?
Did anyone approach you?
Did anybody coach you?
Did anybody tell you what to say now?
Hopeless - it's not hopeless
Doubtful - but not hopeless at all
You never looked up
You never look back
You never did anything in between
Are things black and white with you
You never believed
You never belonged
Never made milestones to call your own
I've got this feeling something happened here
Something happened here
Did anybody hide you?
Did anybody fight you?
Did anyone decide to do some harm now?
Did anybody read you?
Did anybody bleed you?
Did anybody feed you lots of junk now?
Hopeless - it's not hopeless
Doubtful - but not hopeless
Hopeless - it's not hopeless
Doubtful - but not hopeless at all
Hopeless - it's not hopeless
Doubtful - but not hopeless at all
Something happened here
Something happened here
08 Oranges on Appletrees (04:16)
Oranges on apple trees
Birds that mate with bumblebees
Oranges on apple trees
Water comes and water goes
Where it ends up no one really knows
Water rises, water falls
Where it comes from no one knows for sure
It seeps from every pore
We have seen the rain before
Not like this - Its flooding every shore
People come and people go
I can hear their laughter through the door
But no ones keeping score
Oranges on apple trees
Birds that mate with bumblebees
One big happy family
Endless possibilities
(yeah and more)
Oranges and apple trees
I see your face in front of me
Cant believe what no one else could see
I feel it deep inside of me
Everything we love shall be released
And everyone will see
Oranges on apple trees (for sure)
I used to be the only one
Not now since you've come
You and I have seen the signs
That's why the wind died
The wind died
That's why the Oranges on apple trees
Birds that mate with bumblebees
Endless possibilities (now)
Oranges on apple trees
All the things that we can see
Multi-gender wannabes
Oranges on apple trees
Birds that mate with bumblebees
One big happy family
Endless possibilities (yeah yeah yeah)
Oranges on apple trees (for sure)
10 Less Than Pure (04:13)
We're going to go downtown
I hear this great new place has opened up
And when we get there
I don't know it's taken ages
Don't you know
How long how long
Will this go on
How long how long
Time drags on
How long I find
I can't go on much longer now
But the place in question's hard to find
Not a cab ride to the door
As you wonder in your doubtful mind
Is it really worth all that and more
We seem to be a little lost or something
I'm not really sure about the choice we're making
The toil it's taking on
How long how long
Will this go on
How long how long
The time drags on
How long
I find I can't go on much longer now
But the place in question's hard to find
Like an illness with no cure
And our heads are getting wearier
And our hearts are less than pure
Less than pure
How long I find
I can't go on much longer now
And the place in question's hard to find
Not a cab ride to the door
And our heads are getting wearier
And our hearts are less than pure
12 Cannot Hide (03:19)
Can you see me baby
Standing in the light
I feel your cat's eyes on me
Faster in the night
I move inside
Got those eyes
Something's burning baby
That's alright
You and I
Here tonight
Meet me on the other side
'Cause you can do me right
Take me where I cannot hide
'Cause you can do me right
Meet me on the other side
You don't know me girl
I'm faceless in the crowd
The things I could show you baby
Come on, come onto my cloud
I'm alive tonight
Something's falling baby
You and I
Out of the sky I can see it in your eyes
Meet me on the other side
'Cause you can do me right
Take me where I cannot hide
'Cause you can do me right
You need, baby, you're alive
'Cause you can do me right
Take me to the other side
'Cause you can do me right
Meet me on the other side
I speak French today baby.
13 White Canvas (03:27)
Stories are painted
In lines on your face
Misunderstandings
And little mistakes
A chance to start over
Is all that it takes
You know if you do
Your life is a canvas
The colors are you
Follow me out
Follow me 'round
Let's make the road up as we go along
Just as we planned
You want to believe it
You know that it's true
Your life is a canvas
The colors are you
You cannot erase them
The words that were said
Just paint them over
Inside of your head
All that is needed
You know you must make
One lead of faith
Everything else will fall into place
Follow me out
Follow me 'round
Let's make it up and go back
To where it began
All that is needed
Is one leap of faith
Everything else will fall into place
Anywhere you'll ever go
Everyone you'll ever know
You may never find it
Everyone you'll ever see
Anyone you choose to be
How you look will decide
How you look will decide what you see
Follow the moon
Follow the sun
Let's make a deal this time
To stay with the plan
All that is needed is one leap of faith
Everything else will fall into place
Everything else will fall into place
Stories are painted
In the lines of your face...
14 Dragonfly (03:19)
I will never let you down
I will always be around
In the time we are here
We'll see love disappear
Don't ask how
Don't ask why
Just fly, dragonfly
Just fly, dragonfly
I will never bring you down
I will always stick around
I will heat you when you're cold
In the time we have left
We'll raise eyes to the sky
Don't ask how
Don't ask why
Just fly, dragonfly
Just fly, dragonfly, dragonfly
Don't ask how
Don't ask why
Just fly, dragonfly
Just fly, fly, fly, dragonfly
15 Solace (04:20)
Some sign of forgiveness
Some form of relief
Is all that she asks for
Is all that she needs
She waits for the day when
She feels more at ease
Some time to be cared for
Some time left in peace
Cold stars of the future
Burn bright in the past
These moments of solace
They won't last
They don't last
You're wasting the moment
Biding your time
No one got ahead
Standing in line
So something is over
Before it's begun
So close you can taste it
But now it is gone
Cold stars of the future
Burn bright in the past
These moments of solace
They don't last
They cannot last
You're hoping for solace
Well, just look around
Everyone here is
Standing in line
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