Album of the Day

Norway's a-ha surely owed much of its popularity to MTV, but a closer listen to the group's albums makes clear that its music was worthy of that success. The 1986 set SCOUNDREL DAYS, the trio's second longplayer, takes the melodic synth-pop of their debut in a darker but equally satisfying direction. While producer Alan Tarney is back behind the boards, such strong originals as “Cry Wolf,” “Manhattan Skyline” and “The Swing of Things” show the trio had more than just love songs on their minds. A big international hit, SCOUNDREL DAYS sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, and we'll give the collection another spin to wish guitarist Pal Waaktaar a happy birthday.