Soul Asylum was an outgrowth of a previous band, Loud Fast Rules, established in 1981 by guitarist and vocalist Dave Pirner, guitarist as well as backing vocalist Dan Murphy, bassist Karl Mueller, along with drummer Pat Morley.
Soul Asylum began performing around the Minneapolis-St. Paul region and they quickly developed a core following. Pat Morley was eventually replaced by Grant Young in 1984.
Right before the group signed with Twin/Tone Records in 1984, they had changed their name to Soul Asylum. They launched their debut album, Say What You will in 1984 and immediately developed a core following.
1986 was both a productive and distressing year for the band. Early in the year they unveiled Made To Be Broken, an album that exhibited their growth as musicians. After touring for several months and releasing a collection of outtakes and live tracks called Time's Incinerator, the band recorded and released their third album, While You Were Out before year's end.
An accumulation of smartly written punk songs, the album received great reviews, but once again couldn't break through to a national audience.
The improvements in the band were enough to get them their first major label contract. The band signed to A&M in 1987 and came up with Hang Time the following year, a sensational, riff-heavy record that finally provided the band the sound it deserved. However, after playing a series of acoustic shows within the early 1990's Soul Asylum was picked up by Columbia Records.
In 1992 they released Grave Dancers Union, which became their hottest album. The magical third single, "Runaway Train," propelled by a public service announcement-style video for lost children, helped push the song to number five and the album to number 11.
It turned the band into a household name. The next year, Soul Asylum received the Grammy Award for the Best Rock Song for "Runaway Train."
Soul Asylum's 1995 release, Let Your Dim Light Shine, saw the track "Misery" reach the Top 20, followed in 1998 by Candy from a Stranger that would be their last studio album with Columbia Records.
In May 2004, bassist Karl Mueller was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent treatment. Karl Mueller's diagnosis hastened the band's resolve to commit another album together. His insistence on finishing the record became the driving force behind its completion.
Karl Mueller recorded his last Soul Asylum album that year. However, the cancer later returned, and he died at his home on June 17, 2005.
Renewed and revitalized, Soul Asylum creators Dave Pirner and Dan Murphy came back to rock's front line with the July 2006 launch of The Silver Lining, their very first studio release of new material in 8 years ever since Candy from a Stranger.
The Silver Lining, Soul Asylum's ninth full-length cd is every bit as quirky and off-centered rock as their fans have come to expect, an indication that the Minneapolis-bred music group has lost none of its edge.
The album was not as commercially successful as some had hoped and the band was dumped from Columbia Records' roster. Pirner said, "It's almost sad to say, but you could see the whole grunge-rock-band thing getting totally over-saturated and people were looking for something new." The band took a step back.
You may still find their music online by surfing the net. Look up: radio rock online, origins of rock music, or piano rock music. Discover new music while enjoying bands you know and love.
Tags: origins of rock music, piano rock music, radio rock online