a-ha
memorial beach
cut by cut
Dark Is The Night For All Pal: "Some people think it's about a break-up, but it's actually the opposite. It's about breaking away, taking a risk. As it says in the lyrics, 'We need to celebrate the mystery.' In music, as in life, the more you de-mystify it, the more you clarify... the more you lose the magic. Music, lyrics and films that speak too 'clearly' end up saying nothing in the language of the heart."
Move To Memphis
Morten: "This powerful track should pound across fifty states. I love the animal feel of it. It stands out as one of the strongest 'band' songs we have."
Magne: "It's a song about departure. To embrace something new you have to let go of the old. We did.. and it worked."
Pal: "We wrote this while on tour in South America. On the road we'd use sound checks to work on new material."
Cold As Stone
Pal: "With 'Cold As Stone' we kept everything from the original take... vocals and all. When we were laying down the basic tracks, we would set ourselves up on this huge sound stage, the size of an airplane hanger. We'd work on getting the sound right during the day and then come back and attempt the actual recording at the end of the evening. 'Cold As Stone' was one of the first songs we did and it felt like a cornerstone ... something to build on. It set the tone for the rest of the album."
Morten: "The song has a primal feel. It's important, I think, for any band to fight technicalities and let the instincts run the show. This is a vital track for the band and it's interesting that we have ended up using a version we cut live. I'm very proud of this track".
Angel In the Snow
Morten: "This is one of my favourites on the album. It's a song you just want to hug."
Locust
Morten: "This song is a film. It blew me away... I'm still out there."
Pal: "Most of our songs work better with the lights turned out. This is definitely one of them... it's probably my favourite on the album."
Magne: "Making a record is a lot like mixing colours on a canvas. This track has a rich texture and a very abstract solo section".
Lie Down In Darkness
Pal: "I've always found it inhibiting to do guitar overdubs in the studio, with everybody standing around. So halfway through recording this album, I took a few tapes to New York, booked a studio at random with an engineer I'd never met before and went in to try and blow him away. It was great! I felt like I was fifteen again, at my first studio session. It's a method that worked on alot of these songs, including this one."
Magne: "We discovered the sound of the Chamberlain on this record. It's a wonderful vintage keyboard that kept overheating. I'm
in love."
How Sweet It Was
Morten: "This one was conceived, I believe, after a Ray Charles concert in Norway. It's full of undercurrents and is a very important song to me, although I can't really explain why."
Pal: "I like this one a lot. It's both slow and fast at the same time. Mags plays great piano and I also like the fact that no two verses are alike. I wrote the lyrics on my honeymoon and got the title from a candy store across the street from my hotel."
Lamb To The Slaughter
Morten: "A rare piece about deprived innocence. It's got a strong melody and possibly the best riff on the album."
Magne: "This is the story of my life ... a very heavy waltz."
Between Your Mama And Yourself
Pal: We did this one just to clear the air. It was fun to write and fun to play. With the lyrics I had a sort of 'Graduate' scenario in mind... a girlfriend with a good-looking mother."
Memorial Beach
Pal: "Memorial Beach is the name of an actual place near Sarasota, Florida. We were just driving around and happened to pass by and the name got me started. The tune itself actually told me where to go with the words."
Magne: like the dialogue between the guitar and the piano - a nice simple feel. It reminds me of the music Pal and I used to play a long time ago."
Morten: "I feel I've known this song all my life. It's got every reason to be the title track ... for me, it's a classic."
Memorial Beach is the fifth studio album by the Norwegian band A-ha, released on 14 June 1993.
Memorial Beach is the fifth studio album by the Norwegian band A-ha, released on 14 June 1993 by Warner Bros. Records.
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