Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum

1	Just Like Anyone 2:47
2	Cartoon 3:53
3	Closer to the Stars Live / previously unreleased 3:52
4	Somebody to Shove 3:15
5	Close 4:34
6	String of Pearls 4:52
7	Tied to the Tracks 2:43
8	Runaway Train 4:27
9	Sometime to Return 3:30
10	Misery 4:26
11	We 3 4:08
12	Without a Trace 3:40
13	I Will Still Be Laughing 3:45
14	Black Gold 3:56
15	Summer of Drugs 4:06
16	Candy from a Stranger 4:16
17	Stranger Live / previously unreleased 4:07
18	Can't Even Tell 3:14
19	Lonely for You Live / previously unreleased 4:09

Barnes & Noble

Over the course of their decade-and-a-half together, this Midwestern juggernaut took fans on a twist-and-turn-filled ride that was sometimes fascinating, sometimes frustrating, but never, under any circumstances, dull. On this career summation, Dave Pirner and company take a warts-and-all look at their time together, from the days of bashing out hyper-driven indie-punk to the more tethered heartland rock of their chart-busting era. It's to the band's credit that the wildly diverse material contained herein hangs together as well as it does. Yes, those who adhere to the loud, fast rules will probably find more appeal in tunes like the raucously melancholy "Cartoon" than in, say, "Runaway Train." But a second listen reveals a similar sense of weariness, as well as an equally clever melodic sensibility, in both incarnations. Pirner's weathered voice -- not to mention his artful Everyman plaints -- resonate through both '80s favorites such as "Sometime to Return" and the wizened "Misery." The collection, which is amplified by insightful liner notes from one-time producer Lenny Kaye, adds three rarities never commercially available on this side of the pond, highlighted by live versions of "Stranger" and "Closer to the Stars." David Sprague

All Music Guide

Unusually, for a best-of by a band that started indie and didn't become stars until hooking up with a major, Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum spans their entire pre-2000 career, starting with a 1985 track from their second LP. Naturally, their output on the major label that issued this compilation, Columbia, is emphasized; there are just four songs from the Twin/Tone era, and nothing at all from their 1984 debut, Say What You Will Clarence...Karl Sold the Truck. So it's mostly Soul Asylum the 1990s stars you hear here. Its appeal to collectors, and simultaneous aggravation to completists who have most of this but need everything, is guaranteed by the inclusion of a few rarities. There are previously unreleased live versions of "Stranger" (from MTV Unplugged) and "Closer to the Stars" and the Candy From a Stranger outtake "Lonely for You." There's also the song that's actually titled "Candy From a Stranger," although, oddly, this didn't make it onto the actual Candy From a Stranger album; before this compilation, it was only released on a commercially unavailable promo CD. And, finally, there's "Summer of Drugs" from the benefit album Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams. In addition, Lenny Kaye, who produced the band's Hang Time LP, contributes liner notes. Richie Unterberger