East of the Sun, West of the Moon
{{other uses|East of the Sun and West of the Moon (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox album
| name = East of the Sun, West of the Moon
| type = studio
| artist = A-ha
| cover = A-ha East of the Sun West of the Moon.jpg
| released = {{start date|1990|10|22|df=yes}}
| recorded = 1989–1990
| studio =
| genre = Pop rock
| length = {{duration|m=45|s=48}}
| label = Warner Bros.
| producer = {{hlist|Christopher Neil|Ian Stanley}}
| prev_title = Stay on These Roads
| prev_year = 1988
| next_title = Memorial Beach
| next_year = 1993
| misc = {{Singles
| name = East of the Sun, West of the Moon
| type = Studio
| single1 = Crying in the Rain
| single1date = 1 October 1990
| single2 = I Call Your Name
| single2date = 3 December 1990
| single3 = Early Morning
| single3date = 25 February 1991
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r27|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]
| rev2 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
| rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2007 |publisher=Omnibus Press |location=United Kingdom |isbn=978-1-84609-856-7 |pages=30 |edition=5th Concise}}
| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev3score = D+{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/1991/01/18/east-sun-west-moon/|title=East of the Sun, West of the Moon|website=EW.com}}
| rev4 = Melody Maker
| rev4score = (favorable){{cite magazine|first=Paul|last=Lester|magazine=Melody Maker|title=Albums|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/52248943862/|date=1 December 1990|access-date=24 February 2023}}
| rev5 = MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide
| rev5score = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite book |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1999 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=1}}
| rev6 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide
| rev6score = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite book |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=1992 |publisher=Random House |page=9}}
| rev7 = Smash Hits
| rev7score = {{rating|8|10}}
}}
East of the Sun, West of the Moon is the fourth studio album by Norwegian 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.
Critical reception
Entertainment Weekly wrote that "symphonic piano grandeur and alternating blues/metal/flamenco/funk additives collapse beneath the bloated synthesizer slush."
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."
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| extra_column = Producer
| title1 = Crying in the Rain
| writer1 = Howard Greenfield, Carole King
| extra1 = Chris Neil
| length1 = 4:25
| title2 = Early Morning
| writer2 = Pål Waaktaar, Magne Furuholmen
| extra2 = Ian Stanley
| length2 = 2:59
| title3 = I Call Your Name
| writer3 = P. Waaktaar, Furuholmen
| extra3 = Neil
| length3 = 4:54
| title4 = Slender Frame
| writer4 = P. Waaktaar, Furuholmen
| extra4 = Neil
| length4 = 3:42
| title5 = East of the Sun
| writer5 = P. Waaktaar
| extra5 = Stanley
| length5 = 4:47
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side two
| extra_column = Producer
| title6 = Sycamore Leaves
| writer6 = P. Waaktaar
| extra6 = Neil
| length6 = 5:22
| title7 = Waiting for Her
| writer7 = P. Waaktaar, Furuholmen
| extra7 = Stanley
| length7 = 4:49
| title8 = Cold River
| writer8 = P. Waaktaar, Lauren Savoy
| extra8 = Neil
| length8 = 4:40
| title9 = The Way We Talk
| writer9 = Furuholmen
| extra9 = Stanley
| length9 = 1:30
| title10 = Rolling Thunder
| writer10 = P. Waaktaar, Furuholmen
| extra10 = Neil
| length10 = 5:43
| title11 = (Seemingly) Nonstop July
| writer11 = P. Waaktaar
| extra11 = Stanley
| length11 = 2:55
}}
- "The Way We Talk" features Magne Furuholmen on lead vocals.
=2015 deluxe edition=
{{Track listing
| collapsed =
| headline = Disc two
| title1 = Early Morning
| note1 = early version
| length1 =
| title2 = East of the Sun
| note2 = early version
| length2 =
| title3 = I Call Your Name
| note3 = instrumental demo
| length3 =
| title4 = Slender Frame
| note4 = demo
| length4 =
| title5 = Waiting for Her
| note5 = demo
| length5 =
| title6 = Cold River
| note6 = demo
| length6 =
| title7 = Trees Will Not Grow on the Sand
| note7 = demo
| length7 =
| title8 = Rolling Thunder
| note8 = demo
| length8 =
| title9 = I Call Your Name
| note9 = NRK live
| length9 =
| title10 = Manhattan Skyline
| note10 = NRK live
| length10 =
| title11 = Early Morning
| note11 = NRK live
| length11 =
| title12 = Slender Frame
| note12 = NRK live
| length12 =
| title13 = Rolling Thunder
| note13 = NRK live
| length13 =
| title14 = Sycamore Leaves
| note14 = NRK live
| length14 =
| title15 = Crying in the Rain
| note15 = NRK live
| length15 =
| title16 = East of the Sun
| note16 = NRK live
| length16 =
| title17 = (Seemingly) Nonstop July
| note17 = NRK live
| length17 =
| title18 = I've Been Losing You
| note18 = NRK live
| length18 =
}}
{{Track listing
| collapsed =
| headline = DVD: Live in South America
| title1 = The Sun Always Shines on T.V.
| length1 =
| title2 = Cry Wolf
| length2 =
| title3 = I Call Your Name
| length3 =
| title4 = Slender Frame
| length4 =
| title5 = Touchy!
| length5 =
| title6 = Scoundrel Days
| length6 =
| title7 = Rolling Thunder
| length7 =
| title8 = I've Been Losing You
| length8 =
| title9 = Early Morning
| length9 =
| title10 = Take On Me
| length10 =
| title11 = Credits
| length11 =
}}
Personnel
A-ha
- Morten Harket – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, backing vocals, string arrangements (5), second vocals (8, 10), lead vocals (9), harmonica (10)
- Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – guitars, backing vocals, second vocals (4), bass guitar (6, 7, 8), acoustic piano (11)
Additional musicians
- Jørun Bøgeberg – bass guitar (1–5, 9, 10, 11)
- Per Hillestad – drums (1–6, 8–11)
- Chris Hughes – drums (7)
- Martin Ditcham – tambourine (3, 4), percussion (10)
- Phil Todd – saxophone (3)
- David Bedford – string arrangements (7)
Production
- Christopher Neil – producer (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10)
- Ian Stanley – producer (2, 5, 7, 9, 11)
- Nick Davis – recording, mixing
- Haydn Bendall – additional engineer (5, 7)
- Steve "Barney" Chase – additional engineer (5, 7)
- Kim Champagne – art direction
- Jeri Heiden – art direction
- REY International – design
- Just Loomis – cover photography
- Lauren Savoy – inner sleeve photography
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ 2020 weekly chart performance for East of the Sun, West of the Moon ! scope="col"| Chart (2020) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Hungary|15|year=2020|week=42|rowheader=true|access-date=22 October 2020}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for East of the Sun, West of the Moon ! scope="col"| Chart (1991) ! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| European Albums (Music & Media){{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/91/MM-1991-12-21-OCR-Page-0024.pdf |title=European Top 100 Albums – 1991 |magazine=Music & Media |volume=8 |issue=51/52 |date=21 December 1991 |page=24 |oclc=29800226 |via=World Radio History}}
| 99 |
|---|
| scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100){{cite web |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1991 |title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1991 |language=de |publisher=GfK Entertainment |access-date=7 February 2019}}
| 57 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications and sales
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for East of the Sun, West of the Moon}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|artist=A-ha|title=East of the Sun|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1990|certyear=1991|access-date=7 February 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|artist=Aha|title=East of the Sun, West of the Moon|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1990|certyear=1990|date=4 December 1990|access-date=7 February 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=A-ha|title=East of the Sun|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1990|access-date=7 February 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|nocert=true|salesamount=125,000|salesref={{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/93/MM-1993-01-30-OCR-Page-0030.pdf |title=Scandinavia |magazine=Music & Media |volume=10 |issue=5 |date=30 January 1993 |page=30 |oclc=29800226 |via=World Radio History}}}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|artist=A-ha|title=East of the Sun, West of the Moon|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1990|access-date=7 February 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=A Ha|title=East of the Sun, West of the Moon|award=Silver|type=album|relyear=1990|certyear=1990|id=1993-993-2|date=9 November 1990|access-date=28 January 2022|refname=UKcert}}
{{Certification Table Bottom}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{A-ha}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon}}