After a decade spent largely in the shadows of another Minneapolis band, The Replacements, Soul Asylum surpassed that lionized band in commercial success in 1992, when Grave Dancers Union and its sentimental single, “Runaway Train,” made them one of the biggest bands in alternative rock. The band struggled to balance the rawness of their early material with their newfound super-star expectations by the end of the decade had squandered much of their critical goodwill, but they returned strong in 2005 with The Silver Lining. That record was born of tragedy, with the band working with bassist Karl Mueller one last time before his 2006 death from throat cancer. In a move no Minneapolis music fan could miss the symbolism of, former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson stepped in to fill Mueller’s shoes.
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