Soul Asylum’s debut album, produced by Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü).
Soul Asylum first hit the Minneapolis music scene in early 1981. Core members Dave Pirner, Dan Murphy, and Karl Mueller met at local punk rock shows. Coming up in the shadow of formidable bands like Hüsker Dü and The Replacements, who they were all big fans of, was daunting but, ultimately, it inspired them to make a name for themselves. Soul Asylum stood out immediately because of their work ethic and smart, punky hard rock sound. They made four records for hometown label Twin/Tone Records before moving on to the majors; first A&M, then Columbia, where they scored two platinum albums and won a Best Rock Song Grammy® for “Runaway Train.”
Reissue co-produced by Twin/Tone Records co-founder and Replacements manager, Peter Jesperson and Grammy®-winner, Cheryl Pawelski, this expanded reissue of Soul Asylum’s debut, Say What You Will… Everything Can Happen, collects the original album, plus rare outtakes and demos from the band’s early years, including an unreleased song and many long out of print tracks. The packaging provides an array of never before seen photos, artwork, hand-written lyrics and flyers. It also includes a brilliant historical essay, written by academic Robert Vodicka, that illuminates Soul Asylum’s lasting importance.
