Soul Asylum - Grave Dancers Union - 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (2022 Remaster) (1992/2022)

Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Soul Asylum’s legendary Grave Dancers Union, with the release of an expanded edition of the band’s 2x Platinum breakthrough album available in high-res digital Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 RA. The expanded 30th anniversary of Grave Dancers Union will also be available as a limited edition 2 LP 12-inch vinyl pressing later this year.

Originally released by Columbia Records on October 6, 1992, Grave Dancers Union, Soul Asylum’s sixth studio album, rocketed the Minneapolis alt-rock foursome from underground hero status to widespread mainstream recognition driven, in part, by the breakout success of “Runaway Train.” Released as a single in June 1993, “Runaway Train” became a musical touchstone and universal anthem for a generation of lost and alienated young people. The song hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and took home the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1994. The RIAA certified “Runaway Train” as a 2x Platinum single on July 21, 2022.

Grave Dancers Union spent a year-and-a-half on the Billboard charts, establishing the group as one of the most successful bands to emerge from the American alternative rock scene in the early 1990s. The album’s stunning breakout and visibility helped Soul Asylum gradually evolve from a scrappy underground punk band playing local clubs like First Avenue/7th Street Entry to a mainstream musical force with an MTV and radio presence, two Rolling Stone magazine covers (August 5, 1993 and June 29, 1995) and a performance at the White House in 1993 during the Bill Clinton presidential inauguration festivities.

Presenting studio versions of 12 original songs written by Soul Asylum frontman/lead singer/rhythm guitarist Dave Pirner, Grave Dancers Union spotlights the band’s core four members — Pirner, Dan Murphy (lead guitar, backing vocals), Karl Mueller (bass) and Grant Young (drums) — creating their album for the ages with additional musicians including Sterling Campbell on percussion, the legendary Booker T. Jones on Hammond organ, Kraig Johnson and Gary Louris (The Jayhawks) on backing vocals, the Meridian String Quartet (conducted by arranger Sonny Kompanck), and the album’s producer /horn arranger Michael Beinhorn on celeste and glockenspiel. The original 12 track album will be re-delivered to digital service providers in newly remastered 24/192 high resolution quality from the original source tapes by Bob Ludwig and Gateway Mastering.

The expanded 30th anniversary edition includes the original newly remastered album in its entirety, along with rare GDU-era bonus tracks (listed below) sourced from various compilation albums, soundtracks and single b-sides. Some of these side projects included Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams (which evolved into the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund) and No Alternative, the alt-rock compilation album in the Red Hot Organization‘s AIDS Benefit Series. In addition to the band’s original compositions, the bonus tracks showcase Soul Asylum skillfully covering Marvin Gaye (“Sexual Healing”), Smokey Robinson (“The Tracks of My Tears”), Victoria Williams (“Summer of Drugs”) and William Bell (“Everybody Loves a Winner”). The Expanded Edition was overseen by Legacy’s 2x Grammy nominated compilation producer – and long-time Soul Asylum fan – Timothy J. Smith.

Vinyl Me, Please (VMP) is offering an exclusive limited to 2,000 numbered and foil stamped copies for December 9th. The exclusive and expanded 2 LP set presents the iconic alt-rock landmark pressed on green and black vinyl – featuring the above-mentioned bonus tracks including rare b-sides, non-album cuts and live performances from the GDU era collected in one place for the first time.

Music On Vinyl will offer a limited edition 5K remastered pressing of Grave Dancers Union on marble colored vinyl, available October 7th.

Newly remastered music videos of Soul Asylum’s classic heavy rotation GDU singles, as well as live performances of “Runaway Train” and “Black Gold,” originally aired in 1993 on the BBC’s “Later with Jools,” will be officially available on YouTube beginning in October.

Soul Asylum currently have fall tour dates scheduled including The Event Center at Rivers Casino Des Plaines, Des Plaines, Illinois on October 29th, and the Carrollton Texas Festival on November 5th, followed by a series of UK dates with Everclear.

Tracklist
01. Somebody to Shove (2022 Remaster)
02. Black Gold (2022 Remaster)
03. Runaway Train (2022 Remaster)
04. Keep It Up (2022 Remaster)
05. Homesick (2022 Remaster)
06. Get On Out (2022 Remaster)
07. New World (2022 Remaster)
08. April Fool (2022 Remaster)
09. Without a Trace (2022 Remaster)
10. Growing Into You (2022 Remaster)
11. 99% (2022 Remaster)
12. The Sun Maid (2022 Remaster)
13. Somebody to Shove (2022 Remaster) (Live at Majestic Theatre, Ventura, CA - April 1993)
14. Black Gold (2022 Remaster) (Live at Deep Ellum, Dallas, TX - December 1992)
15. Can't Even Tell (2022 Remaster)
16. Square Root (2022 Remaster)
17. Runaway Train (2022 Remaster) (Live at Majestic Theatre, Ventura, CA - April 1993)
18. Sexual Healing (2022 Remaster)
19. Without a Trace (2022 Remaster) (Live at Majestic Theatre, Ventura, CA - April 1993)
20. Summer of Drugs (2022 Remaster)
21. By the Way (2022 Remaster)
22. The Break (2022 Remaster)
23. Everybody Loves A Winner (2022 Remaster)
24. Never Really Been (2022 Remaster) (Live at Liberty Lunch, Austin, TX - December 1992)
25. The Tracks of My Tears (2022 Remaster) (Live at 7th St Entry, Minneapolis, MN - November 1992)