(photo courtesy Twin\Tone Records)
Soul Asylum
Inducted 2019
Soul Asylum has been inspiring an incredible level of passion for their music since 1981 when the band, initially known as Loud Fast Rules, formed in Minneapolis. Original members included lead vocalist-songwriter-guitarist Dave Pirner, lead guitarist and vocalist Dan Murphy, bassist Karl Mueller and drummer Pat Morley. In 1983 they changed their name to Soul Asylum and began performing around the Minneapolis-St Paul area (including at internationally-recognized club First Avenue) and quickly developed a core fan base from their powerful and dynamic stage shows. 1984-1986 album releases on hometown independent label Twin\Tone Records included Say What You Will, Made To Be Broken, and While You Were Out, which earned loyal followers and widespread critical acclaim worldwide. In 1987 drummer Grant Young replaced Pat Morley and the band toured relentlessly opening for other American touring bands. These ferocious in-concert performances from Boston to California earned Soul Asylum a reputation as “the very best live rock and roll band in America”, but despite critical acclaim they remained unknown to a larger U.S. audience and radio market. The group signed with major-label A&M Records in 1988. Their first offering on that label was Hang Time and later Soul Asylum…and the Horse They Rode In On in 1990. After playing a series of acoustic shows in the early 1990’s they switched to Columbia Records. In 1992 the band released the Grave Dancers Union album which became their best-seller and featured the song “Runaway Train”. This international hit reached #5 on the Hot 100 Billboard Chart in America and earned them a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. On January 20, 1993 Soul Asylum performed live at the Inauguration of United States President Bill Clinton in Washington D.C. The band’s next album Let Your Dim Light Shine included the track “Misery”, which reached the Top 20. Later in the 1990s and 2000s the band continued touring and releasing albums such as 1998s Candy from a Stranger and Silver Lining from 2006. Soul Asylum’s cathartic live shows and award-winning recordings are impressive, but most of all Dave Pirner’s lyrics spoke directly to the heart of disaffected kids in America better than any other musical act during the early 1990s- making them legends worldwide. And to this day- every December in the Twin Cities- you can count on a live show from the group which acts as an annual holiday homecoming to the Minnesota rock and roll faithful.
