This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.
College was a special time in my life – and music was there all along providing the soundtrack. I was a freshman in the fall of 1991, so you can imagine, grunge and all its varied forms was integral to these years. Soul Asylum is not a typical grunge band. In fact, many of their songs sound nothing like grunge. They had a big acoustic era, and they were even recording albums nearly 10 years before grunge exploded on the scene. Still, somehow the Grave Dancers Union album feels very much in line with era-defining releases like the Singles soundtrack, which was full of grunge jams.
“Black Gold” was pretty big on Boston’s alt rock radio station WFNX. “Runaway Train” and “Somebody To Shove” were bigger hits, but “Black Gold” is the most nostalgic of the three tracks for me. Quiet-loud-quiet dynamics evoke thoughts of Nirvana and Pixies. The heavier grunge-like guitar parts are fine, but it’s the iconic treble note cascades coming out of the chorus that get me every single time. Listening to the song again, I feel like I’m back in my freshman dorm all over again.
“Won't you fill up the tank, let's go for a ride.”