Customer Reviews

Made to Be Broken

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The fact that a lot of fans who jumped on the Soul Asylum wagon with "Runaway Train" bash this album really irks me. People buy this album expecting stupid, artles pop ballads a la Matchbox 20, and don't find it... GO FIGURE! Soul Asylum was one of the biggest indie bands of the '80s (if you don't know what indie means, then you probably won't like this), and perhaps the best. This is not their strongest outing in my opinion, Hang Time is probably their finest work, yet this is an excellent album. Dan Murphy's songs are superb, and Pirner comes through very well on songs like "Tied To The Tracks," the title track, "Never Really Been," and "Ship Of Fools." I would suggest you ignore what Mr. Critic has to say at the top of this page as anyone who says Husker Du's work was mediocre should pretty much be discredited as an indie critic. If you loved Let Your Dim Light Shine, this is probably not the album for you. This is probably not even the place to start if you want to get into some college rock stuff (Hang Time) because some pop radio listeners find the rougher production of this album to be irritating. If you like indie rock, and are a fan of SA up to Grave Dancer's Union, check this one out, you certainly won't be dissapointed.

The disconnect between Soul Asylum's early fans and the later MTV-oriented fans is clear. MTBB captures the essence of Soul Asylum when they were a rowdy, sloppy, and hugely inspired band from the incredible Minneapolis scene of the mid-80's. This was well before they played at the Clinton inaguration and Pirner started showing up in People next to Winona Ryder.

Every song on this album is a gem, especially the title track and Never Really Been. MTBB ranks up there with anything from Husker Du, the Meat Puppets, or the Minutemen when one tries to list the most important albums of the period.

Unfortunately for early fans, SA after Hang Time are like the Rolling Stones after Some Girls: increasing popularity and decreasing inspiration. Even though I no longer pay attention to SA, I'll still always appreciate what they accomplished on MTBB.

I just remember an article in Spin where they talked about a show during the Grave Dancers union tour when a fan made a screaming request for "tied to the tracks." All Dan said (as they instead began another of the weak poppy songs of their later period) was "that stuff is hard."

I was in a band in the mid to late 80's and I could barely focus on playing anything other than songs from MTBB and Hang time. These were unique albums in a way that the derivative post grave dancers' stuff cold never be.

And live they were even better!

R Williams from SF, CA has got it perfect...the decline of SA wasn't overnight and there were moments in each of the later albums (I tried for a long time to let them grow on me but couldn't get past the sugary sweet bit).

This one is from a time when they mattered!

This whole album captures the blazing spirit of youthful energy Soul Asylum radiated like crazy during the mid-80's. Husker Du was the spearhead of a movement to inject overwhelming, unpretentious soul and emotion into melodic pop. It's bands like Husker Du and early Soul Asylum that made bands like Nirvana possible, both musically in terms of outright influence and economically in terms of creating a fan base for the marketing people to capitalize on.

Mould and Pirner may have been the original screaming but melodic pop punk frontmen, precursors to Cobaine. This album captures that totally, with sometimes mindblowing songwriting such as in "Tied to the Tracks" and "You Can't Go Back".

I am very surprised to see all to see these bad reviews. THIS CD IS AWESOME. Punky and country Punky.... This CD rocks I wonder if people like the heavier side of SOUL ASYLUM.

It's a treat when you discover a band has more albums before their major label record deals. After constant rotations to my cd player w/ all 3 of their Columbia albums, I searched amazon.com to see if there would maybe be a new album coming out. At the time, I came across a plethora of albums from their twin tone and a&m days. My first noncolumbia album was Made to Be Broken which I found used at a record store. I now own every album and will soon get Silver Lining this year!

MTBB starts w/ the only track on their greatest hits album "Tied to the Tracks." In my opinion it isn't the best on this album, but still has a great uptempo beat to it w/ that classic Dave scream.

"Ship of Fools" could be a ballad if slowed down, but I don't think the boys were quite ready for that, so instead they create an equally great tune w/ the message of the album I think "brokeness." I think the meaning is that the ship of fools is all the girls guys try to pursue that turn out to be just another mistake.

While "Can't Go Back," is a song about not going back through time, so you eventually will just waste time. It's just a great lesson about how time effects ones life w/ past experiences played by a great tune.

I think "Another World, Another Day" is basically the introduction to the rest of the album as it leads in hypnotic 2 minute festival of rock.

The title track has a quarky country upbeat aura to it which displays an almost rebellious side to Dave w/ the lyrics. "The rules were made to broken" chorus might attribute to that theory.

A good storytelling song that Dave perfects is in "Never Really Been." More or less telling us that what the future might be, if there was ambition.

"Whoa" is really just a nice scream fest saying well...um whoaaa

I'd say the closest song to the new sound later to follow soul asylum is "New Feelings" it sort of leaves that punk/raw feel, and just is a plain out rock song. Kinda short though.

I'm not sure what "Growing Pain" is really saying. Perhaps Dave is angry about something and needs to let out his frustration.

My favorite tune is "Long Way Home." Although rather a short list of lyrics, they are very meaningful. You get so far with something and realize it wasn't worth the time in the first place to do it, so then you have to go back home and start somewhere new.

Another 2 minute punk fest lies in "Lone Rider." More lyrics than "Whoa," and not as extreme, but rocks out.

The longest song, yes folks at 3min and 34 seconds is "Ain't That Tough" which has a great guitar beat, and good lyrics as well. Not as edgy or rough.

I'd put "Don't It (MYTSS)" before "Aint' That Tough" for the last song, but honestly this might seem out of place for this album, but nonetheless it still isn't bad.

Most devout fans should pick up this album, and most fans of the Columbia days should not, unless you do want to explore their roots such as I. What makes MTBB so great is that there is isn't just punk or just rock or just ballads. In fact there is a little bit of everything. There isn't exactly a "Runaway Train" type song on here seeing how most are under 3minutes and the album just being over 30 minutes or so. What's good is that you can put it on repeat and never get too extremely bored b/c each song is uniquely different. If you can get by some of Dave's screaming and catch all the lyrics some are simply mindblowing yet simple. A great album for 1986.

I see no negative reviews left here (they must have been removed), and that is exactly as it should be. If you weren't lucky enough to see Soul Asylum before the post-Hang Time descent, you can still get a flavor for the fun, clever, energetic and thoughtful composition packed into every song if you listen to this album.
Later fans may have trouble with older SA albums such as this, but this and While You Were Out capture a special time in Minneapolis and indie music that "college music"-oriented fans would no doubt appreciate. These are must-haves for any broad-range music collection.
Also, as a very enthusiastic fan of older SA, I find some redeeming aspects to ...And the Horse they Rode in On (some songs vaguely reminiscent of the 2 albums mentioned here) and even a few songs on Grave Dancer's Union, but after that, forget it. It was a slow, but steady descent, but MTBB is raw, fun, young, and inspiring.

This is the third best of their records, behind "... Horse" and "hang time." Pirner's genius shines through on a couple of tracks, and the overall feel is one of incipient greatness.

If only someone who understand drums could've produced this one ...

I love Soul Asylem, but comparing this one to Let Your Dim Light Shine, And the Horse They Rode in On, and especially Grave Dancer's Union, Made to be Broken falls way short. The first three songs are the only ones worth listening to.