Customer Reviews

Silver Lining

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After an extended absence, Soul Asylum is back to blow away the surface of the cloud in which they've been hiding, revealing that silver lining. Regrettably, bassist Karl Mueller makes his last ever appearance on this album, having passed on in June 2005. RIP Karl, and thanks for the memories.

Two of their earlier songs are on my all-time favorite list - and of course you know that I'm talking about Runaway Train and Misery - and while there's no one song of that mega-hit caliber on this album, the sum of the parts makes for a great album nevertheless.

The first single and lead off track "Stand Up and Be Strong" is only one of the instantly addictive tracks on the album, and after you listen to the rest of the album you'll agree that this is a strong comeback from this Minnesota alt-rock band.

Listen for the opening bars of "Lately", the retro sound of "Crazy Mixed Up World", the choruses of "All is Well" and "Bus Named Desire", then tone it down with "Watcha Need", "Success is Not So Sweet" and "Good For You". If you still haven't had enough, try the eight minute long rock track "Slowly Rising", and keep an ear out for the hidden '70s style "protest" track.

Regardless of the title, this album is worth its weight in gold, and then some.

Rated 4.5 stars


Amanda Richards, July 15, 2006

I'll make this short and sweet -- It's a good return to form to a band that was a pop-punk bar band that made it big. Meaty hooks and some pretty good songwriting make this worth picking up and revisting a band that deserves a national audience. A nice anti-war pop ditty in "Lately" comes right after a alt-rock radio friendly "Stand Up and Be Strong." "Standing Water" may have been written before Katrina, but it resonates more in its wake.

Finally a new CD!!! I think there are some pretty good songs in "The Silver Lining". I just love: All is Well; Bus Named Desire; Standing Water; Crazy Mixed Up World; Lately; Great Exagerator. The hiden song "Fearless Leader" is very good!

I finally have new music I like! And better, new music by an old favorite that doesn't disappoint the hell out of me!
I won't lie, I approached this one cautiously. Even though I've never stopped playing any of the multitude of Soul Asylum discs I already own, and even though I've been wishing (I thought in vain) for years for something new from them, I was almost sure I was going to hate it. I've hated every single new cd from an old band that's come down the pike lately, and I thought it was a sure thing this one would be no exception and I almost didn't buy it. But it was Soul Asylum, and I do love them, and so I dove in. SO GLAD I DID!
Granted that while there are a couple of songs I think are dumb, namely Stand Up and Be Strong (it keeps striking me as almost unbearably kiddish and kind of fake in its optimism) and "Good For You" which just makes me think he was hungry ("brings me peace" for some reason comes out both times as "peas" and coupled with the orange juice lyric well...yeah.) for the most part I can't complain about this at all. It's new, it's them, it's so good to hear them again, and Pirner sounds better than he ever has.
This is their best since Grave Dancers.

Rock in modern day really isn't anything new, it's more of the same loud rap/metal/dark sound it has always been in the last 10 years. While soul asylum was idle for 8 years, not much was expected of them when the Silver Lining came out. In fact, I'm sure this album won't sell very well amongst new fans.

Recorded in their hometown of Minneapolis and released after the death of bassist Karl Mueller, the band really attributes this album to him, but are very satisfied that it did get released.

Dave's vocals are still spot on, and sound more refreshed than ever. The album is nothing like the twin tone or A&M days. Or for the fact that "Runaway Train" is almost 15 years old, the band has surely moved on from their notoriety.

Somewhat more rockish, and less experimental than their last record Candy from a Stranger, Silver Lining keys up for some nice and rememorable tracks from a great band.

All songs in general are easy to listen to, and you don't have to pain with any fillers as each are uniquely different.

"Stand Up and Be Strong" and "Lately" are in the lines of a pop/alternative rock style. Each with a nice breath of fresh air. Each have a semi-fast tempo, but a very nice start to the album for each could be singles.

"Crazy Mixed Up World" is a slower more chorus minded song. Bust still is decent enough. Somewhat more poppy than the other songs.

"All is Well" is a great rock song, where "Bus Named Desire", and "Whatcha Need" are somewhat of a Matchbox 20 type sound.

"Standing Water" has a relaxing aura to it, while "Success is Not So Sweet" and "The Great Exaggerator" are more great soul asylum ballads with traces from something on the lines of "We 3." NSS has more guitars, and SINSS is a slower ballad.

"Oxygen" is a uniquely dark song and sounds nothing like any soul asylum in the past, however is one of my favorite songs on this album. It just shows how much the band has evolved into music writing ablilities.

"Good For You" is a fast uptempo rocker in your face, with "Slowly Rising" shows up as crazy fast rocker with a hidden track of a story-telling epic to finish off the album.

Don't expect anything like Grave Dancer's Union or Let Your Dim Light Shine, or even Candy from a Stranger on this ablum. Silver Lining is a completely different Soul Asylum, but they still remain to rock. If you are a fan of Dave's voice, then go ahead and get the album. If you only like the 80's stuff, or only like the 90's stuff, then this album may not appeal to you as it is in a new era of Soul Asylum.

Instead of writing a "book" like the last person, I will just say that I love the CD and this album means alot to the guys of Soul Asylum. They recorded it with there ever so talented bassist Karl before he passed away. If you do not like this album, you know nothing about Soul Asylum. One can ramble on and nit pick every song, but give me a break...Relax and enjoy the music. I recently saw them live and as always they are a great live band. I loved their new material and couldn't wait to get the album. I highly recommend it to all "real" Soul Asylum fans and all those music lovers who actually have a clue!!(and a life!!)

Unlike other reviewers here, I won't find a clever way to work references to clouds into this review of "The Silver Lining."

I will say that Soul Asylum's newest is neither as bad as its detractors claim, nor as good as its supporters profess. It's somewhere in the middle, with a handful of solid tunes, a few near misses, and some unabashed filler.

David Pirner's strengths as a composer, aided and abetted by the band's technical skill, generally compensate for his weaknesses and excesses as a lyricist. Earnest playing and delivery triumph over a tangle of cliche on the opening track, and elsewhere over numerous references to children and babies.

A faux-hippie protest song hidden at the end starts strongly, but fades rapidly with some goofy references to Nixon and "whatever presidents do." And it's hard not to snicker when Pirner rhymes "percolator" with "exaggerator" on "The Great Exaggerator."

Highlights include the opening cut, "Lately," "Success Is Not So Sweet" and "Slowly Rising."

The album has received little airplay that I'm aware of, which is a shame. It's an interesting blend of rock and adult contemporary, which is probably all the ammunition the band's critics need to start screaming "sell out" again. But the formula works, and despite some weaknesses, "The Silver Lining" has been getting a workout in my CD player.

I believe this is a great come back album. The album is excellent from beginning to end. Murphy's guitar work and Pirner's vocals come off perfectly. Mueller and Stinson on Bass and Bland on drums put the finishing touches on this masterfully created album. I love: Lately, oxygen, success and watcha need the single stand up and be strong is very catchy. radio world wake up and play this.

Soul Asylum is back with its ninth studio album and "The Silver Lining" is a very good record, by any standards. "Hang Time" or "SA And the Horse they Rode in on" was almost 20 years ago and is not fair comparing this CD to those.

The CD is great. you can feel the punk rock vibes in some of the songs. Pirner's rich and full voice is clear and expressive. I always love his voice and in this CD is very, very good!!!

What can I say, I was pleasently surprised when I heard this CD. Definately work the buy and I of course I am a Clerks fan so it always makes me happy when their songs are in the movies. Great buy all around; I like it a lot!