Let's look at a few key tracks and how the remastered and expanded upd changes the listening experience.
1. "Scoundrel Days" The opener originally felt slightly muffled. In the remaster, the reverberated piano and Harket’s whisper-to-crescendo vocal are separated perfectly. You can hear the room tone.
2. "The Swing of Things" This seven-minute deep cut is the fan favorite. The new update reveals a hidden layer of acoustic guitar strumming that was previously buried in the mix. The orchestral swells at the 4-minute mark are breathtaking.
3. "Manhattan Skyline" Perhaps the band’s most beloved non-single. The remaster highlights the dramatic dynamic shift from the gentle verses to the explosive chorus. The guitar distortion is gritty, not fuzzy. The bonus disc includes a string-only version that will give you chills. aha scoundrel days remastered and expanded upd
4. "I’ve Been Losing You" The lead single now has a punchier kick drum. The synth bassline (played on a Yamaha DX7) is articulated with machine-like precision.
The keyword "Scoundrel Days Remastered and Expanded UPD" refers to the latest digital and physical reissue (often tracked as the 2015/2020 deluxe editions, but recently updated for high-resolution streaming). Here is the breakdown:
Early listens from fan communities (Aha.com forums, r/80smusic) have praised the remaster for fixing the original’s sometimes brittle high end. The live disc is already being called essential—Harket’s voice, often compared to a young David Bowie or Freddie Mercury, soars without studio safety nets. Let's look at a few key tracks and
In a 2025 interview, Magne Furuholmen noted: “We were trying to destroy our own myth with Scoundrel Days. The polished boy band image? We wanted grit, silence, even ugliness. This reissue finally lets people hear what we actually heard in the studio.”
Early reviews from audiophile and A-ha communities are glowing.
“The new Scoundrel Days remaster finally reveals the album as the dark-pop masterpiece it always was. The expanded material—especially that early piano demo of the title track—rewrites what we thought we knew about the songwriting process.” – Michael T., Stereophile Magazine Early reviews from audiophile and A-ha communities are
“If you only buy one A-ha reissue, make it this UPD. ‘The Swing of Things’ has never sounded so deeply melancholic. This is reference-grade restoration.” – The Second Hand Record Shop Podcast
Release Date: October 17, 2025 (aligned with the original album’s October release month)
Label: Warner Music / Rhino Records (in partnership with Aha’s own Swing of Things Records)
Formats:
Pre-orders include an immediate download of the newly remastered “Manhattan Skyline” and the unreleased outtake “Broken Satellite.”
In music archiving and retail contexts, “UPD” almost always stands for “Updated” or “Update.” It signals that the release in question is a newer digital or physical pressing—correcting metadata, adding tracks, or remastering from better sources compared to a prior reissue. Sometimes it’s used internally by streaming services to flag a refreshed album page.
This is where the Expanded tag justifies its name: