# Grave Dancers Union

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Calgary Herald | B |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide | |
| Entertainment Weekly | A |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | |
| Q | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 6/10 |
Grave Dancers Union is the sixth studio album by American alternative rock band Soul Asylum and was released in 1992. The album features the single "Runaway Train", which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the biggest hit of the Soul Asylum's career. The album is certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of two million copies in the United States.

## Overview

During recording of Grave Dancers Union, producer Michael Beinhorn grew dissatisfied with drummer Grant Young's performance and brought in Sterling Campbell. He and Campbell would each wind up playing on half the record. Due to the band's reluctance to admit that a session musician was involved in the album's recording, Campbell was credited as "percussionist." Young would continue as the band's drummer for touring duties after the album was released, until he was dismissed and officially replaced by Campbell prior to the recording of their next album, Let Your Dim Light Shine.
The single "Runaway Train", released in June 1993, reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for best rock song in 1994. Though the album had sold moderately well to that point, the breakout success of that single was a major factor in the album's eventual multi-platinum sales figures.
The album cover features a photograph by Czech photographer Jan Saudek titled "Fate Descends Towards the River Leading Two Innocent Children", which was taken in 1970.
The album's title comes from the line "I tried to dance at a funeral, New Orleans style, I joined the Grave Dancers Union, I had to file", from the song "Without a Trace".

## Track listing

All tracks are written by Dave Pirner

## Personnel

Soul Asylum
* Dave Pirner – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Dan Murphy – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Karl Mueller – bass
* Grant Young – drums
Additional musicians
* Sterling Campbell – percussion
* Booker T. Jones III – Hammond organ
* Kraig Johnson, Gary Louris – backing vocals
* Meridian String Quartet – strings
* Sonny Kompanek – arranger, conductor
Production
* Michael Beinhorn – arranger, celeste, glockenspiel, producer, horn arrangements
* Chris Shaw - engineer
* Eric Anderson, Bruce Ross – additional engineering
* David Michael Dill, Dan Gellert, Bill Smith – assistant engineers
* Andy Wallace – mixing
* David Leonard – mixing of "The Sun Maid"
* Steve Sisco – mixing assistant
* Wally Traugott – mastering
* Francesca Restrepo – art direction, design
* Jan Saudek – photography

## Charts
### Singles

Chart performance for singles from Grave Dancers Union :
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
| 1992 | "Somebody to Shove" | Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1993 | "Black Gold" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 4 |
| 1993 | "Black Gold" | Modern Rock Tracks | 6 |
| 1993 | "Runaway Train" | Adult Contemporary | 15 |
| 1993 | "Runaway Train" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 |
| 1993 | "Runaway Train" | Modern Rock Tracks | 13 |
| 1993 | "Runaway Train" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| 1993 | "Runaway Train" | Top 40 Mainstream | 2 |
| 1993 | "Somebody to Shove" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 9 |
| 1993 | "Without a Trace" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 6 |
| 1993 | "Without a Trace" | Modern Rock Tracks | 27 |

## Certifications

Certifications for Grave Dancers Union :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Austria (IFPI Austria) | Gold | 25,000$^*$ |
| Canada (Music Canada) | 2× Platinum | 200,000$^^$ |
| Germany (BVMI) | Gold | 250,000$^^$ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) | Gold | 25,000$^^$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 100,000$^^$ |
| United States (RIAA) | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000$^^$ |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||