Let Your Dim Light Shine Explained

Let Your Dim Light Shine
Type:	studio
Artist:	Soul Asylum
Cover:	Let your Dim Light Shine.jpg
Released:	June 6, 1995
Recorded:	1994–1995
Genre:	Alternative rock
Length:	49:59
Label:	Columbia
Prev Title:	Grave Dancers Union
Prev Year:	1992
Next Title:	Candy from a Stranger
Next Year:	1998

Let Your Dim Light Shine is the seventh studio album by American rock band Soul Asylum, released June 6, 1995, on Columbia Records. 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 with drummer Sterling Campbell, who had previously provided half of the drums on Grave Dancers Union.

The album's title comes from a lyric of the song "Promises Broken".

Reception

AllMusic gave a mostly critical summary of Let Your Dim Light Shine, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine commenting that the music "isn't quite as impressive" compared to previous efforts, and moreover that this element is easily overlooked because of the "self-importance" of the lyrics.

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" (Dan Murphy, Marc Perlman) – 3:14
6. "Bittersweetheart" – 3:34
7. "String of Pearls" – 4:56
8. "Crawl" (Stephen 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, David 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". Note that "Bittersweetheart" fades out at 3:17, but the guitar feedback remains, therefore "Bittersweetheart" quickly segues into "String of Pearls". The running time of both songs equals about 8 minutes and 30 seconds long.

Personnel

Soul Asylum

• Dave Pirner – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, trumpet, producer
• Dan Murphy – lead guitar, backing vocals, producer
• Karl Mueller – bass guitar, producer
• Sterling Campbell – drums, percussion, vocals, producer

Additional musicians

• Trini Alvarado – backing vocals
• John Devries – backing vocals
• Joey Huffman – organ, piano, mellotron
• Eric Pierson – guitar
• Jane Scarpantoni – cello
  • Dave Schramm – pedal steel guitar Tim Ray – piano, electric piano

Production

• John Siket – engineer
• Michael Stern – engineer (non credited)
• Butch Vig – producer
• Andy Wallace – mixer
• Howie Weinberg – mastering

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1995)! scope="col"

Position
US Billboard 200^[1]	97

Singles

Year! align="left"

Single	Chart	Position
1995	"Misery"	US Billboard Hot 100	20
		US Mainstream Rock Tracks	2
		US Modern Rock Tracks	1
	"Just Like Anyone"	US Mainstream Rock Tracks	11
		US Modern Rock Tracks	19
1996	"Promises Broken"	US Billboard Hot 100	63
		US Mainstream Rock Tracks	29
		US Adult Contemporary	29

Notes and References

1. Web site: Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995. Billboard. April 11, 2021.