Let Your Dim Light Shine

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Let Your Dim Light Shine
Studio album by Soul Asylum
Released	June 6, 1995
Recorded	1994 - 1995
Genre	Alternative
Length	49:59
Label	Columbia Records
Producer	Butch Vig & Soul Asylum
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (B+) link Rolling Stone link
Soul Asylum chronology
Grave Dancers Union (1992) Let Your Dim Light Shine (1995) Candy from a Stranger (1998)

Let Your Dim Light Shine is an album from 1995 from the band Soul Asylum. Critically, it suffered in comparison to its predecessor, Grave Dancers Union, the band's breakout release. It includes the hit "Misery," which was parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic as "Syndicated Inc." on his album Bad Hair Day.

This was the first Soul Asylum album to list Sterling Campbell as the band's official drummer. He was listed as providing "percussion" on the previous album, even though he played on at least half of the tracks, including the big hit, "Runaway Train." [1]

The album's title is derived from a line in the song "Promises Broken." Actress Trini Alvarado provided backing vocals on three songs.

Dim Light was the least favorite album of the band, as Columbia, their label at the time, constantly interfered with their creative process.

The music video for "Just Like Anyone" starred actress Claire Danes.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by David Pirner unless noted otherwise.

1. "Misery" – 4:24
2. "Shut Down" – 2:51
3. "To My Own Devices" – 2:59
4. "Hopes Up" – 3:45
5. "Promises Broken" (Murphy, Perlman) – 3:14
6. "Bittersweetheart" – 3:34
7. "String of Pearls" – 4:56
8. "Crawl" (Jordan, Pirner) – 4:00
9. "Caged Rat" – 3:03
10. "Eyes of a Child" – 3:35
11. "Just Like Anyone" – 2:47
12. "Tell Me When" (Pirner, Samuels) – 3:42
13. "Nothing to Write Home About" – 3:14
14. "I Did My Best" – 3:46

For the Japanese release of Let Your Dim Light Shine, an additional track was added to the album. It was a cover of the Descendents song "Hope".

[edit] Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1995	The Billboard 200	6

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1995	"Misery"	The Billboard Hot 100	10
1995	"Misery"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	2
1995	"Misery"	Modern Rock Tracks	1
1995	"Just Like Anyone"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	11
1995	"Just Like Anyone"	Modern Rock Tracks	19
1996	"Promises Broken"	The Billboard Hot 100	63
1996	"Promises Broken"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	29
1996	"Promises Broken"	Adult Contemporary	29

v • d • e Soul Asylum Dave Pirner – Dan Murphy – Tommy Stinson – George McKelvey – Michael Bland – Karl Mueller Former members Pat Morley – Grant Young – Sterling Campbell – Ian Mussington Albums Say What You Will, Clarence...Karl Sold the Truck (1984) – Made To Be Broken (1986) – Time's Incinerator (1986) – While You Were Out (1986) – Hang Time (1988) – Clam Dip & Other Delights (1989) – And the Horse They Rode in On (1990) – Grave Dancers Union (1992) – Let Your Dim Light Shine (1995) – Candy from a Stranger (1998) – The Silver Lining (2006) Compilations Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum (2000) – Closer to the Stars: Best of the Twin/Tone Years (2006) Welcome To The Minority – The A&M Years 1988-1991 (2007) Live and other projects After the Flood: Live from the Grand Forks Prom, June 28, 1997 (2004) Related articles Black Gold – Runaway Train – Misery – Faces & Names (2002) – Golden Smog