Grave Dancers Union

Grave Dancers Union
Cover art by Jan Saudek
Studio album by Soul Asylum
Released	October 6, 1992
Recorded	The Powerstation and River Sound, New York City Pachyderm Discs, Cannon Falls, Minnesota Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, May 1992
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	44:42
Label	Columbia
Producer	Michael Beinhorn
Soul Asylum chronology
And the Horse They Rode In On (1990) Grave Dancers Union (1992) Let Your Dim Light Shine (1995)
Singles from Grave Dancers Union
"Somebody to Shove" Released: May 5, 1992 "Black Gold" Released: January 1993 "Runaway Train" Released: June 1, 1993

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	A[2]
Kerrang!	[3]
Q	[4]
Robert Christgau	[5]
Rolling Stone	[4][6]

Grave Dancers Union is the sixth studio album by the American alternative rock band Soul Asylum, released in 1992. The album spent 76 weeks on the Billboard music charts and was certified triple-platinum in 1993, establishing Soul Asylum as one of the most successful rock groups of the first half of the 1990s.

Overview

During recording of Grave Dancers Union, producer Michael Beinhorn grew dissatisfied with drummer Grant Young's performance and brought in Sterling Campbell. It was the beginning of the end of Young's tenure in the band. He and Campbell would each wind up playing on about half the record.^[7] Campbell was eventually named the band's official drummer.

The "Runaway Train" single, released in June 1993, reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for best rock song in 1994. Though the album had sold moderately well to that point, the breakout success of that single was a major factor in the album's eventual multi-platinum sales figures.

The cover illustration is by Czech erotic art photographer Jan Saudek.

The album's title comes from the line "I tried to dance at a funeral, New Orleans style, I joined the Grave Dancers Union, I had to file", from the song "Without a Trace."

Track listing

All songs written by Dave Pirner.

1. "Somebody to Shove" – 3:15
2. "Black Gold" – 3:57
3. "Runaway Train" – 4:26
4. "Keep It Up" – 3:48
5. "Homesick" – 3:34
6. "Get on Out" – 3:30
7. "New World" – 4:04
8. "April Fool" – 3:45
9. "Without a Trace" – 3:33
10. "Growing into You" – 3:13
11. "99%" – 3:59
12. "The Sun Maid" – 3:51

2008 edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
13.	"Somebody To Shove (Live Acoustic)"
14.	"Stranger (Live)"
15.	"Without A Trace (Live Electric)"
16.	"Black Gold (Live Electric)"
17.	"Never Really Been (Live Electric)"
18.	"Runaway Train (Live Electric)"

Singles

1. "Somebody to Shove"
2. "New World"
3. "Black Gold"
4. "Runaway Train"
5. "Without a Trace"

Personnel

Band members

• Dave Pirner – guitar, arranger, vocals, horn arrangements
• Dan Murphy – guitar, vocals
• Karl Mueller – bass
• Grant Young – drums

Additional musicians

• Sterling Campbell – drums & percussion
• Booker T. Jones III – organ, Hammond organ
• Kraig Johnson, Gary Louris – background vocals
• Meridian String Quartet – strings
• Sonny Kompanek – arranger, conductor

Production and staff

• Michael Beinhorn – arranger, celeste, glockenspiel, producer, horn arrangements
• Chris Shaw - engineer
• Eric Anderson, Bruce Ross – additional engineering
• David Michael Dill, Dan Gellert, Bill Smith – assistant engineers
• Andy Wallace – mixing
• David Leonard – mixing of "The Sun Maid"
• Steve Sisco – mixing assistant
• Wally Traugott – mastering
• Francesca Restrepo – art direction, design
• Jan Saudek – photography

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1992	Billboard Heatseekers[8]	1
1992	The Billboard 200[8]	11

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1992	"Somebody to Shove"	Modern Rock Tracks[9]	1
1993	"Black Gold"	Mainstream Rock Tracks[9]	4
1993	"Black Gold"	Modern Rock Tracks[9]	6
1993	"Runaway Train"	Adult Contemporary[9]	15
1993	"Runaway Train"	Mainstream Rock Tracks[9]	3
1993	"Runaway Train"	Modern Rock Tracks[9]	13
1993	"Runaway Train"	The Billboard Hot 100[9]	5
1993	"Runaway Train"	Top 40 Mainstream[9]	2
1993	"Somebody to Shove"	Mainstream Rock Tracks[9]	9
1993	"Without a Trace"	Mainstream Rock Tracks[9]	6
1993	"Without a Trace"	Modern Rock Tracks[9]	27

Awards

Grammy Awards

Year	Winner	Category
1993	"Runaway Train"	Best Rock Song[10]

References

1. Sullivan, Denise. "Soul Asylum Grave Dancer's Union review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
2. Robbins, Ira (23 October 1992). "Grave Dancers Union Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
3. Zell, Ray (24 October 1992). "Soul Asylum 'Grave Dancers Union'". Kerrang! 415. London, UK: EMAP.
4. "Soul Asylum - Grave Dancers Union CD Album". CDUniverse.com. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
5. Christgau, Robert. "CG: Soul Asylum". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
6. "Album Reviews: Soul Asylum - Grave Dancers Union (Unfinished Review)". Rolling Stone. 31 July 1997. Archived from the original on 2007-10-02. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
7. Klobuchar, Tim. "Former Drummer Finds Asylum Away From Rock". Young's Resort. University of Minnesota. Archived from the original on November 25, 2002. Retrieved 2011-11-13. The beginning of the end for Young's Soul Asylum career actually started during the recording sessions for Grave Dancers Union.
8. "Grave Dancer's Union Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
9. "Grave Dancer's Union Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
10. "Grave Dancer's Union Billboard Grammy Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-11-13.