The Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum cover was designed by Smay Vision, photographed by Daniel Corrigan, Danny Clinch, Dave Pirner, Jason Stang, Mark Seliger and Valerie Phillips, and art-directed by Howard Fritzson.

Design: Smay Vision
Photography: Daniel Corrigan, Danny Clinch, Dave Pirner, Jason Stang, Mark Seliger, Valerie Phillips
Art direction: Howard Fritzson

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Tracklist

19 tracks · 74 min

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About

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.

In brief

When was Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum released?: Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum was released in 2000.
How many tracks are on Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum?: Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum has 19 tracks, with a runtime of 74 minutes.
What genre is Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum?: Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum is catalogued under Rock, Alternative Rock, Classic Rock.
What BPM is Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum?: Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum runs at a median tempo of 117 BPM across its tracks, most often in G major, measured from audio analysis.
What albums are similar to Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum?: Listeners of Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum also rate Automatic for the People by R.E.M., Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins, New Miserable Experience by Gin Blossoms.

Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum at a glance

Label: Columbia Records
Produced by: Lenny Kaye

Facts from Wikidata (CC0).