After listening to delayed reaction for 2 weeks str8 and then reading the comparisons to silver lining, i was somehow inspired to re-listen to GDU, which i haven't done in at least 1/2 dozen years. The cd that opened my eyes to soul asylum is still brilliant almost 20 years later, and really doesn't have a weak track on it. What stands out (and always has in my mind) is that runaway train (w/o a doubt the bands biggest hit) is not a stand out track and never was imo (and my opinion has nothing to do w/ the fact that i have heard it a milliion time b/cuz i have heard every song on the album a million times). I'd be intersted to hear others takes on where the track stands in their opinion in relation to other GDU songs. my favorite (1) to least favorite (12) GDU songs follows:

1. Black Gold
2. Without a Trace
3. 99%
4. Somebody to Shove
5. April Fool
6. New World
7. Keep it up
8. Runaway Train
9. The Sun Maid
10. Get on Out
11. Growing into you
12. Homesick

Dim Light, Hang Time, Horse, Reaction, Lining, Candy possibly to follow

I have honestly no idea anymore what I thought of the song back in 1993. I liked it, I guess, and it was my introduction to the band, but I don't think it was my favourite on the album... I barely ever listen to GDU but if I do then I'm sure to skip that one because it's been overplayed so much... I still hear it on the radio at work at least once every two months. You can't escape that song. That being said, most songs on that album have been overplayed by myself and I don't think it's an album that has aged as well as some of their other albums, which doesn't mean that it's not a good album, because it is... some songs just age better than others. For me personally Runaway Train isn't one of those songs... a lot of songs on GDU aren't like that for me. I think GDU might be better than Let Your Dim Light Shine, yet I prefer to listen to LYDLS... I don't know... maybe I just overplayed GDU way too much when I was a kid.

gdu is too emotionally linked to my emotionally tween years (and the over listening of it i did) for me to objectively review it.
i think homesick (your least fav.) might be my favorite along with
without a trace and new world and somebody to shove.

Two decades ago, I thought Without a Trace was the best song on GDU, and I still think that. I would rank them:
1. Without a Trace
2. Keep it Up
3. Black Gold
4. Runaway Train
5. Somebody to Shove
6. Homesick
7. Growing into You
8. The Sun Maid
9. Get on Out
10. New World
11. /12. 99% / April Fool

I still like the album, but put it as their 5th best, slightly above And the Horse they Rode in On, but below the four more recent studio albums (Delayed Reaction, Silver Lining, Candy from a Stranger, Let Your Dim Light Shine, in no particular order).

i love every song on GDU i could never rank those songs.and HOMESICK and NEW WORLD are great songs.but they all are.i know alot of people didnt like TRAIN because it made them stars even if just a little while.who knows if they stay together as a band if GDU isnt such a hit.

EVEN THOE THIS IS BY FAR THEIR GREATEST ALBUM ... ITS THE LEAST I PLAY TODAY IN MY SOUL ASYLUM ROTATION JUST FOR THE FACT I TOO BACK IN MY TEEN YEARS OVER PLAYED THIS OVER AND OVER TILL MY CASSETTE WARPED IT DID....AND WITHOUT A DOUBT WITHOUT A TRACE AND SOMEBODY TO SHOVE BEST SONGS ON THE ALBUM. ... STILL LISTEN TO HANG TIME ONCE A WEEK THAT ALBUM JUST NEVER GETS OLD I SAY

Great post, and interesting thoughts by all...so far. I'm a bit biased too, because I can still recall walking down my dorm hallway one day and a guy down the floor had MTV on. The 'Black Gold' video was on, and I think they were dubbing this as a Buzz Bin band or whatever. That moment sticks with me forever, because it was after that I head to Circuit City and got the disc for $9.99.

So, although I can't rank the songs, Somebody to Shove and Black Gold will always be in the top 6-7 for me. Despite any list, no one that has ever seen SA can deny how ***-kicking STS is live...all 2:however long it is!!

Given the upcoming news that the band is going to play the entire album at the upcoming holiday show, i thought i would give this a "bump".....what is everyone looking forward to hearing the most?

It was 20 years ago today that I bought my cassette tape of Grave Dancers Union. I honored this by listening to the album on my Ipod while playing Tetris. I played a fair amount of Tetris while listening to SA in the 90s, so it was a good Sarah-esque way to commemorate.

To the band and to the friends I've made because of this band, thanks for 20 years of fandom and I look forward to many more!

Sarah

Happy Soul Asylum anniversary Sarah! Glad you have been around all these years!