Soul Asylum - A brief history of the band

November 7th 2022

History

Why Soul Asylum are so important to the Alternative Rock scene

Soul Ayslum are one of the most important bands for the Grunge / Alternative Rock scene, with songs like 'Runaway Train', 'Somebody to Shove'. 'Black Gold' and 'Misery'. They stormed the charts, and like Nirvana even did MTV Unplugged in 1993. Formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota birthplace of Prince (The Artist) and using the name Loud fast Rules. The original band featured Dave Pirner (Vocals / Guitar) / Dan Murphy (Guitar) / Karl Mueller (Bass) and Pat Morley (Drums). Instantly they were noticed for their distinctive sound and look, a look that people are still trying to immitate in 2023. We know many people of our staff, that wanted to look and sound like Dave Pirner. In the UK they had success but a lot of people don't give Soul Asylum the respect they should, for me they are up there with all the classic Grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney and Soundgarden.

Why are we talking about Soul Asylum again?, it's because they are playing their first shows in the UK for twenty eight years co-headlining with American Rock giants Everclear. And we think you should go and check them out, when they come to your town. Most people will know the band best for their sixth album 'Grave dancers Union' (Columbia), which was a mega US hit and establishing Soul Asylum as one of the most successful Rock groups of the first half of the 1990's. For some of us, we didn't know who Nirvana even was in the early days it was all about Dave Pirner and his band Soul Asylum. Who were all over the music video networks, especially MTV and the American chart show. Some of the bands early albums now are hard to get, with their debut album 'Say what you Will, Clarence... Karl sold the Truck' (Twin / Tone) which was produced by Bob Mould (Husker Du / Sugar) being deleted.

The early albums where a little more raw than the polished sound that you most know the band for, this is shown on tracks suck as 'Black and Blue'. Which comes out from time to time, for a little airing. Their sound was little Punkier and you can hear elements of The Clash. Grant Young then joined the band on drums, and saw the band release a massive three albums in one year. 1986 was a very big year for Soul Asylum, and you got glimpses of what was yet to come. The first of these recoreds was called 'Made to be Broken' (Twin / Tone), which included the song 'Never really Been'... you might have heard them do this song later on their famous MTV performance. Sadly some of these albums have not got the coverage they deserve over the years, 'While you were Out' (Twin / Tone) and their first record for a new record company 'Hang Time' (A&M) are great steady albums that are well worth listening to. but it was the bands fith studio album 'And the horse they rode in On' (A&M), really showed how great they where going to be.

Blasting into the mainstream like a 'Runaway Train' that was not going to stop, the bands first album for Columbia 'Grave dancers Union', is what I can say is one of the best Alternative Rock / Grunge records of all time. The album was edgy and mainstream, without losing anything in the mix. And contained twelve tracks, everyone of which could have been a possible single. The album was a huge success and spent a massive seventy six weeks on the US Billboad music charts and was certified triple platinum in 1993.

The album hit No.1 on the US heatseekers Billboard album chart, and contained four massive US singles... each of which hitting the top ten in a major chart. These singles were 'Somebody to Shove', 'Black Gold', 'Runaway Train' and 'Without a Trace', each of these would be contenders for our personal favourite songs of all time. I think these songs meant so much to so many people, and shaped 90's music for a lot of Grungers.

Check Out! the Video for 'Somebody to Shove' Below...

I think part of the success of these songs where the music videos that accompanied them, if you have not seen them... then you are missing out. These videos are so magical, and you can see why MTV played them so much. And they really showed Dave off as a great frontman, lyrically, vocally and how cool he looked. The songs are so well written, and get stuck in your head... I know after hearing them the first time when they were first released that I was totally hooked. I never understood why the next record for Columbia in 1995 'Let your dim light Shine', wasn't equally as succesful... but in my opinion was equally good. Take a listen to the singles 'Misery', 'Just like Anyone' and 'Promises Broken' and you will see what I mean. The band had lost nothing, and ok a little darker... but equally as interesting. The World would then have to wait a massive three years for another Soul Asylum album, if you think this band once released three albums in one year.

That was a long time to wait for a record, but the wait in my opinion was worth it because 1998's 'Candy from a Stranger' (Columbia) was a great album. Ok not as successfull as the previous two, but what has that got to do with anything. It had one really big hit single on it though in the form of 'I will be still Laughing', this record was done with British producer Chris Kimsey and was their last for Columbia. This album really does have a more British sound, and reminds me of bands from the UK like Delerious and some of the Brit Rock scene of the late 90's but keeping the traditional Soul Asylum sound at the same time. I have to say I lost contact a little with Soul Asylum after this record, their was some long eight year gaps between the albums... which where released on multiple record labels.

Check Out! the Video for 'Misery' Below...

But I have been listening to them all again recently with the upcoming tour, they have released four more albums since 1998... that's almost twenty four years for only four records. I think this is a real shame, 2006 'The Silver Lining' (Legacy), 2012's 'Delayed Reaction' (429), 2016's 'Change of Fortune' (Entertainment One) and their latest album 2020's 'Hurry up and Wait' (Blue Elan). All these records have their merit, with the 2020's album possibly being the best. This is a band that is coming back into our minds, with more people looking back on the past. And Soul Asylum are on the lips again of many people, especially when they are coming to the UK for the first time in twenty eight years... and this time with Everclear... this is a show that should not be missed.

by Dan Devour