Black Gold: Best of [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
Japanese Version featuring as Bonus Track: When I Ran off and Left You

Tracks:

Just Like Anyone
Cartoon
Closer To The Stars (Live)
Somebody To Shove
Close
String Of Pearls
Tied To The Tracks
Runaway Train
Sometime To Return
Misery
We 3
Without A Trace
I Will Still Be Laughing
Black Golds
Summer Of Drugs
Candy From A Stranger
Stranger (Live)
Can't Even Tell
Lonely For You

Amazon.com

Soul Asylum were, in many ways, two distinct bands. Prior to signing with Columbia, Soul Asylum scored minor hits with "Cartoon" and "Sometime to Return." Their hard-won reputation, however, was not as a singles band. Instead, the group built its fan base via incessant touring and a string of hard-charging, heart-on-sleeve albums, including the wonderful Made to be Broken and While You Were Out. Soul Asylum's later years brought the hits ("Runaway Train," "Misery"), the MTV exposure, and the change in the band's style from gritty rock to hook-driven pop. Fans of the band's latter, more commercial period should find this disc interesting, since the set is dominated by this material. There are some treats for rarity hunters, however. A live recording of "Closer to the Stars," an acoustic reading of "Stranger," and a previously unreleased track called "Lonely for You" beef up this collection. While Black Gold certainly could have been more complete, for fans of latter-period Soul Asylum, this is a good starting point, albeit one missing most of the group's most important and interesting early work. --S. Duda

Customer Reviews:

Good collection from Grave dancers on, but heavy on Dim light and Candy from a Stranger.......2006-12-07

This is a decent collection of song from Soul Asylum From 1993 (grave dancer's union) on. They could have drawn more heavy on the Grave Dancer's album which was by far their best seller, but chose to go with a mix from their last next two albums Let your dim Light shine and Candy from a stranger instead, and unfortunate. Although the songs are good, Many fans feel ripped off because their favorite are off of grave dancer are not included. Also, Although A&M re-released some of the Twintone/restless back catalog, about 4 or 5 albums total before grave dancer, they did not include any of that material. This year though they did release their best of Soul Asylum, the twintone years ,which has the earlier recordings from Soul Asylum previous released first by twintone and next in 1991 by Restless, then a few by A&M. But, despite this album missing pieces, a good one for the collection, and not that expensive on Amazon.

Doesn't Showcase Their Best stuff.......2004-05-02

Let's be honest. Soul Asylum isn't the greatest band in the world. But there was a time when they were respected. After "Let Your Dim Light Shine" they fell off the face of the Earth. Unlike many bands who didn't deserve it, after listening to these cuts, these guys kinda do. The only saving graces from this album are the tracks from "Grave Dancer's Union". What they shoulda done is included:
Eyes of a Child
The Sun Maid
Crawl
Nothin to Write Home About
99%
New World

A sad excuse.......2004-02-08

With this out of the way maybe a best of album of the Soul Asylum that actually changed people's lives can be made so those who think this second rate placebo is good can finally hear the real deal.

I suggest something like:

Freeway
Cocaine BLues
Nowhere to go
Goin' Down
Sexual Healing
One Tin Soldier
Freaks
Carry On
No Man's Land
Crashing Down
Judge
Sun Don't Shine
Closer to the Stars
Never Too Soon
Miracle Mile
Lap of Luxury
Passing Sad Daydream
Draggin Me Down
Voodoo Doll
Stranger
Do You Know
Sick Of That Song
Religiavision
Broken Glass
Masquerade
Happy
Tied To The Tracks
Ship Of Fools
Can't Go Back
Another World, Another Day
Made To Be Broken
Never Really Been
Whoa!
New Feelings
Growing Pain
Long Way Home
Lone Rider
Ain't That Tough

Don't It (make your troubles seem small)
Just Plain Evil
Chains
Secret no More
Artificial Heart
P-9
Take it to the Root
Down on up to Me
Little Too Clean
Sometime to Return
Beggars and Choosers
Endless Farewell
Standing in the Doorway
Marionette
Ode
Jack of All Trades
Twiddly Dee
Heavy Rotation
Spinnin'
Bitter Pill
Veil of Tears
Nice Guys (Don't Get Paid)
Something Out of Nothing

Grounded
Be on Your Way
All the King's Friends

Basically, what people need to hear is a boxed set that begins with Time's Incinerator up until Hang time (with about half of the Horse they rode in on thrown in)and a handful of the best covers they did along the way.

Ultimately the downfall may be summed up by "the harder that it sparkles the more it can corrupt."

If that line means nothing to you...you may not want to bother since you have been sold a string of pearls.

Best of from 1993 and Beyond.......2003-12-25

The sad truth is that Soul Asylum is not the band on this album. They may have become the band on this album but for almost 15 years they were a much better and more complete band. Success came after ...the horse they rode in on and Hang Time, but for me their peak was much earlier with Made To Be Broken and While You Were Out, both of which albums were left out.

Never forget that Soul Aslyum started in 1979 as Loud Fast Rules and then changed their name to Soul Aslyum because they didnt want to be seen as a HC band.

And where are the Time's Incinerator songs? How many people even know about this album? Its too bad that Sould Asylum will be thought of as a 90s bad because they are so much more than that.

punk+pop+grunge=good.......2002-10-07

Im not familiar with much old Soul Asylum, so I cant say whats missing other than "Easy Street". But I do know that what is on here is great stuff. All the bigger 90's hits you would expect, plus good songs I didn't know and a few live/unreleased tracks. It's a great thing to have for the person who needs only one Soul Asylum disc, especially at 19 tracks and 70+ minutes. Don't be in Misery, get this.