What is your favorite song on Made To Be Broken?

Post by **Homesick** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:30 pm

This week's album: Made To Be Broken.

I first came into contact with this album through the live version of Never Really Been on Insomniac's Dream, then through Tied To the Tracks on the Black Gold compilation, after which I finally understood the references to "What are you doing here in my nightmare?" that I had heard from time to time.

If you ask me, Made To Be Broken represents a profound change in style from Say What You Will. I must say I really enjoy the "guys' night out", college rock feel to this album. I don't know if the entire band provided backup vocals, but it sure sounds like it on several of the tracks. However, instead of conveying the impression of a bunch of drunken twenty-somethings just playing some music at random, Made To Be Broken really does sound like a group of friends who have gotten together to record a great album. (That doesn't mean both don't apply, though.

)

My favorite song would have to be Long Way Home. The wind instrument that starts the song off (whatever it is) just sounds so atmospheric and still comedic at the same time. I love how they fade in the vocals in the chorus, and overall I really enjoy the lighthearted and carefree mood that the song gives off.

sheryl · Post by **sheryl** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:06 pm

Never Really Been. There has never been a moment that I haven't loved the guitar in that song.

Miss Fitt 2 · Post by **Miss Fitt 2** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:09 pm

This will probably always be my favorite Soul Asylum album, even though I listen to Horse more. This album just blew me away when it came out. How they went from Say What You Will... to this record mystifies me because it is an order of magnitude better. And whereas Say What You Will was pretty much generic punk, they found a sound all their own on this one. (Of course that sound ended up totally changing -- still good in a different way -- but this sound will always be quintessential SA to me.)

This album has one of those other-worldly songs that I think is just in a category all its own, which is Never Really Been. I think that the line "I've learned to accept and not to expect/ the respect and neglect that I get/and I try not to forget about what hasn't happened yet/and on this, I place my last bet" is one of the greatest lyrics ever. So I voted for that, but I almost wish the poll asked what is your favorite song other than Never Really Been. In that case, I'd go for Ain't That Tough, which I think is one of their best and most underrated songs.

And of course, Whoa! is absolutley irresistible. A pure adrenalin rush and a perfect example of the raw energy and sense of fun that made them the best live band on the planet.

Post by **Homesick** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:15 pm

Miss Fitt 2 wrote:I almost wish the poll asked what is your favorite song other than Never Really Been.

Indeed. Just like with Stranger in the Say What You Will poll, I totally expect Never Really Been to win this one. So far, that seems to be the case, but then again, there's still room for surprise.

philipgar · Post by **philipgar** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:31 pm

There isn't much question in this one. I'd have to say Never Really Been by a mile. Don't get me wrong, the rest of this album is fantastic (and a huge leap away from SWYW), but Never Really Been is one of, if not their best song ever. I absolutely love it. Such a fun song to hear them play. I think my second favorite would be Ship of Fools, but that's a much tougher choice.

One of the greatest things about NRB is that it really is one of the first alt-country songs. While SA never got into that genre, the song easily could have fit into that genre (albeit as almost a stretch to make it in). Think back of 1986, the alt-country movement was just starting. The Jayhawks had just formed, Uncle Tupelo had yet to formed, etc. Then this incredible song comes out that really just fits in with all of that stuff. Not sure if it had any impact on the scene, but it just seems like interesting timing. Especially as many of the bands that later formed alt country grew up on the 80s mpls scene (mats, SA, husker).

Phil

Judgmental Patient · Post by **Judgmental Patient** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 1:43 am

Ain't That Tough is in my 10 favorite songs all time by any artists (Somebody to Shove and Without a Trace are as well), but almost any song on this (in my opinion, SA's very best) album would be worthy. This is the only album I listen to without skipping a single song.

BTW, if it ever comes up, I would place GDU higher on a list of greatest albums of all time. Because part of greatness is commercial success, and GDU is only a hair below this one, and it went platinum and produced a Grammy.

lucy · Post by **lucy** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 1:53 pm

I agree with Miss Fitt's comments completely. I LOVE this album in it's entirety and this was the first Soul Asylum album that I bought when it came out, so to me, this is what Soul Asylum sounds like. Their new stuff is still great and I love all of their albums, but to me, this where it's all rooted. When I listen to Silver Lining, I still make comparisons. Slowly Rising has a little bit of Made to be Broken in it etc. I voted for Made to Be Broken because I used to love seeing Dave and Karl doing their little choreographed guitar moves when they played it live and I would love to see them play it again, although without Karl it wouldn't really be the same. Never Really Been is also one of my all time favorite songs and like Stranger stands out on it's own. Can't Go Back, Ain't That Tough and Don't it Make Your Troubles Seem Small, Whoa - they're all great!!! I still think of Long Way Home as the b-side to the Tied to the Tracks single though.

Miss Fitt 2 · Post by **Miss Fitt 2** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:17 pm

philipgar wrote:One of the greatest things about NRB is that it really is one of the first alt-country songs. While SA never got into that genre, the song easily could have fit into that genre (albeit as almost a stretch to make it in).

Absolutely. They really were pioneers even though they dropped the country inflections with Hang Time. I remember when I first heard Hang Time, I wondered where the country sound went, and then I realized they had left it out of all the other songs and crammed it all into Twiddly Dee.

The combination of punk and country was one of the things that most struck me with Made to Be Broken, and yet I hated country at the time, so i sort of marvelled at the fact that I loved the album so much. I remember thinking I loved the album in spite of myself. But it was such a powerful combination. It's not just Never Really Been; those touches are in Made to Be Broken, Growing Pain, and others. BTW, I forgot to list Growing Pain as another of my absolute favorite songs. I love, love, love that song.

TheJudge wrote:Ain't That Tough is in my 10 favorite songs all time by any artists (Somebody to Shove and Without a Trace are as well), but almost any song on this (in my opinion, SA's very best) album would be worthy. This is the only album I listen to without skipping a single song.

I'm so glad there are other fans of Ain't That Tough. It really is an extraordinary song. I think they should resurrect it and incorporate it into their set.

mystic_spiral_3 · Post by **mystic_spiral_3** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 11:30 pm

I'll show some love for Can't Go Back. I like the line "15 years later caught in Time's Incinerator. Yesterday's worries are today's." Though I'd say that line means more to me now than when I bought the cassette at age 16. There are many fun times in the past that I'd like to go back to...but I can't.

I found this tape on a summer vacation in 1994. At the time, it was the oldest SA tape I'd owned and I was a relatively new fan, so the raw sound was a little shocking to me. I think I only had GDU, Horse, Hang Time, and Clam Dip by then. I remember thinking that MTBB didn't sound "good" like the newer ones (meaning it sounded rougher), but I still liked it and I could see the progression to the later tapes that I owned. As for the MTBB songs, I'd heard Never Really Been before, so it wasn't new to me. The first new to me song that grabbed me was Can't Go Back. I _like_ Never Really Been and consider it a classic, but I also like showing some love to the lesser known tunes. That said, I also remember liking Ain't that Tough early on, and I agree with those who said it's underrated.

Sometime to Return · Post by **Sometime to Return** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:30 am

This is a "casette" that I pretty much wore out; played it constantly until the fall of 1999 when I came home from work one day to find my dog helped himself to about 30 of my cd's and casettes. I had casette tape everywhere.

Anway; great album, never skipped a song. Tied to the Tracks, Ship of Fools, Can't go back, Whoa and Never Really Been are all great tracks. I think every Soul Asylum concert should include Never Really Been.

But; I am with Homesick on this one. My absolute favorite song on this album Long Way Home; always has been and always will be. I; also, love the horn at the beginning but Grant's drumming is what I really love about this song.