Nothin' But Trouble (Blue Murder album)

Last updated

Nothin' But Trouble
Bluemurder-nothinbuttrouble1.jpg
Studio album by
Blue Murder
Released31 August 1993
StudioJohn Sykes' Home Studio
Genre Hard rock
Length55:33
Label Geffen
Producer John Sykes
Blue Murder chronology
Blue Murder
(1989)		Nothin' But Trouble
(1993)		 Screaming Blue Murder: Dedicated to Phil Lynott
(1994)
Singles from Nothin' But Trouble
  1. "We All Fall Down"
    Released: 1993

Nothin' But Trouble is the second and final studio album by hard rock band Blue Murder. Released on 31 August 1993 by Geffen Records, the album was produced by the band's vocalist-guitarist John Sykes.

Contents

After the dissapointing sales of their debut album, Blue Murder entered a prolonged period of inactivity. Eventually bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice left the group, leaving Sykes to put together a new line-up, featuring bassist Marco Mendoza, drummer Tommy O'Steen and keyboardist Nik Green. The album was recorded at Sykes's home studio in Los Angeles.

Nothin' But Trouble failed to chart, something Sykes attributed to Geffen's lack of promotion. In spite of this, the record received mostly positive reviews, although it was less well-received than the group's debut album.

Background

After the disappointing sales of their 1989 debut album, Blue Murder entered a long period of inactivity. According to bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice, Sykes was deeply affected by the record's failure. [1] [2] Progress on a follow-up was slow, partly due to Sykes constructing a new home studio. [3] Franklin and Appice, meanwhile, grew increasingly tired of waiting. [1] [4] Appice eventually left Blue Murder in early 1991 and was briefly replaced former Yngwie Malmsteen drummer by Anders Johansson. [5] [6] Franklin announced his departure in August 1991. [7]

Production

On the album, Sykes was joined by bassist Marco Mendoza and drummer Tommy O'Steen. [3] Keyboardist Nik Green was also promoted to a full-time member, having already performed on the group's debut. [8] Prior to his departure, Franklin had already recorded seven songs for the record, while Appice was brought back briefly as session drummer on nine. [1] [4] Sykes also recruited former Baton Rouge vocalist Kelly Keeling to the band as a second guitarist, but he left a day before shooting the music video for "We All Fall Down". [8] [9] In addition to backing vocals throughout the album, Keeling performs lead vocals on the track "I'm on Fire". [10]

Nothin' But Trouble was self-produced by Sykes at his home studio in Los Angeles. [11] The record was then mixed by Mike Fraser and mastered by George Marino. Additional engineering was provided by Nik Green and Alex Woltman. [10] Producer Mike Stone was also briefly involved in recording process. [5]

Music and lyrics

"We All Fall Down" tackles drug abuse and "losing sight of one's identity" because of it. [12] "Itchycoo Park" was originally released by the Small Faces in 1967. The song was one of Sykes's favourites as a child. [3] "Runaway" was written about "kids who go to Hollywood and end up on the streets". [12]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 7/10 [15]
The Corsair Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Herald News Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Metal Hammer 3/7 [17]
Rock Hard 7.5/10 [18]

Nothin' But Trouble was released on 31 August 1993 by Geffen Records. [19] It failed to chart, something Sykes blamed on the label, whom he felt "didn't do anything" to promote the record. [20] Tony Franklin also opined that by 1993 grunge had become popular in the mainstream, which left groups like Blue Murder "out of vogue". [1] "We All Fall Down" was released as the first and only single, reaching number 35 on the Album Rock Tracks chart. [21] A music video was also produced for the track. [22]

Nothin' But Trouble was generally well received by music critics, but commonly described as a step-down from the band's debut. [18] The Chicago Tribune 's Brenda You described the album as "one of the strongest metal albums of late", while The Corsair 's Rei Nishimoto gave it three-and-a-half stars out of a potential five. [14] [16] Donald DiIorio, writing for the Herald News , commended Sykes for not chasing then-current musical trends, instead sticking to "good, old-fashioned hard rock". [11] Save for two tracks ("We All Fall Down" and "Itchycoo Park"), Metal Hammer 's Jörg Staude gave the album a negative review, describing the lyrics as "embarrasing" and the choruses "run-of-the-mill". [17]

Track listing

All tracks by John Sykes, except "Itchycoo Park" by Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott. [10]

No.TitleLength
1."We All Fall Down"4:47
2."Itchycoo Park" (Small Faces cover)3:46
3."Cry for Love"6:57
4."Runaway"5:58
5."Dance"4:08
6."I'm on Fire"4:45
7."Save My Love"4:48
8."Love Child"5:29
9."Shouldn't Have Let You Go"4:10
10."I Need an Angel"7:02
11."She Knows"3:38
Total length:55:33
Japanese bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."Bye Bye"4:14
Total length:59:47

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [8] [10]

Blue Murder
Additional musicians
Technical
  • John Sykes - production, engineering
  • Mike Fraser - mixing
  • Nik Green - engineering
  • Alex Woltman - engineering
  • George Marino - mastering
Management
Design
  • Wendy Sherman - art direction, design
  • Stuart Watson - photography
  • Diggy - cat direction
  • Robin Sloane - creative direction
  • Sofie Howard - creative services manager
  • Masa Ito - liner notes (Japanese release only)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitesnake</span> British hard rock band

Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own entity, Coverdale is the only constant member throughout their history.

<i>Coverdale–Page</i> 1993 studio album by David Coverdale and Jimmy Page

Coverdale–Page is a collaborative studio album by English singer David Coverdale and guitarist Jimmy Page. It was released on 15 March 1993 by EMI in Europe, 16 March by Geffen Records in North America and 18 March by Sony Music Entertainment in Japan. The album's production was handled by Coverdale, Page and Mike Fraser. Following the disbandment of Coverdale's band Whitesnake and a failed reunion attempt by Page's band Led Zeppelin, John Kalodner proposed the idea to Page of the musicians working together. After meeting each other, they began writing songs, which were then recorded over the course of 1991 and 1992.

King Kobra is an American heavy metal band founded by drummer Carmine Appice after his tenure with Ozzy Osbourne from 1983 to 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Murder (band)</span> English rock band

Blue Murder were an English rock band led by guitarist-vocalist John Sykes. The group was formed in 1987 following Sykes's dismissal from Whitesnake. The initial line-up was rounded out by bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice. In its nascent stage, vocalist Ray Gillen and drummer Cozy Powell were attached to the project. In 1989, Blue Murder released their self-titled debut album, which cracked the Billboard 200 chart and spawned a minor hit with "Jelly Roll". By the early 1990s, however, Blue Murder's music had fallen out of fashion with the popularity of grunge. Franklin and Appice left the band, while Sykes put together a new line-up and released Nothin' But Trouble in 1993. After a live album the following year, Blue Murder were dropped by their record label and broke-up. Since then there have been numerous attempts to reunite the band to no avail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmine Appice</span> American drummer (born 1946)

Carmine Appice is an American rock drummer. He is best known for his associations with Vanilla Fudge; Cactus; the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice; Rod Stewart; King Kobra; and Blue Murder. He is also Vinny Appice's older brother. Appice was inducted into the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2014. He is also a more than capable (fretless-) bass player, as can be heard on the "Guitar Zeus" albums, for example.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Bogert</span> American musician (1944–2021)

John Voorhis "Tim" Bogert III was an American musician. As a bass guitarist and vocalist he was best known for his powerful vocal ability and his fast runs, fluid agility and ground-breaking sound on his Fender Precision Bass. He was one of the pioneers of using distortion with his bass to help it cut through the mix with the low-powered amps of his time which also imparted a very sharp-edged sound to it. He was a frequent collaborator with drummer Carmine Appice; the duo performed in such bands as Vanilla Fudge, Cactus and the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinny Appice</span> American drummer

Vincent Samson Appice is an American rock and metal drummer best known for his work with the bands Dio, Black Sabbath, and Heaven & Hell. Of Italian descent, he is the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sykes</span> British guitarist

John James Sykes is an English guitarist, best known as a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang. He has also fronted the hard rock group Blue Murder and released several solo albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Firm (rock band)</span> British rock supergroup

The Firm were a British rock supergroup formed in 1984, featuring singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Jimmy Page, drummer Chris Slade, and bassist Tony Franklin. The band released two albums in 1985 and 1986 and eventually saw their greatest chart success with the songs "Radioactive", "All the King's Horses", and "Satisfaction Guaranteed".

<i>Blue Murder</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Blue Murder

Blue Murder is the debut album by English hard rock band Blue Murder, released on 24 April 1989 by Geffen Records. It was produced by Bob Rock. The band was formed by guitarist John Sykes after his dismissal from Whitesnake. He was eventually joined by bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice. The band entered Little Mountain Sound Studios in early 1988 to begin recording their debut album. After several unsuccessful attempts at finding a lead singer, John Sykes took up the role, having already sung the band's first demos. Following the record's release, Blue Murder embarked on tours supporting Bon Jovi and Billy Squier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Murray (British musician)</span> Scottish bassist

Philip Neil Murray is a Scottish musician, best known as the former bassist of Whitesnake, the Brian May Band, Black Sabbath, and Gary Moore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Lynn Turner</span> American singer (born 1951)

Joe Lynn Turner is an American singer known for his work in the hard rock bands Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen and Deep Purple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anders Johansson (drummer)</span> Swedish drummer (born 1962)

Anders Johansson is a Swedish musician, best known as the former drummer of HammerFall and Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force. He currently plays in the power metal band Tungsten. He is the son of jazz pianist Jan Johansson, and brother of Stratovarius and Rainbow keyboardist Jens Johansson.

<i>Restless Heart</i> (Whitesnake album) 1997 studio album by David Coverdale & Whitesnake

Restless Heart is the ninth studio album by English hard rock band Whitesnake, released by EMI on 26 March 1997 in Japan and 26 May in Europe. It was produced by the band's vocalist David Coverdale and originally conceived as a solo album. However, EMI pressured him into releasing the record under the moniker "David Coverdale & Whitesnake". Musically Restless Heart features a more subdued sound compared to Whitesnake's previous two albums. It is also the only full-length Whitesnake studio album to feature guitarist Adrian Vandenberg throughout, despite having been a member of the group since 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beck, Bogert & Appice</span> Hard rock supergroup

Beck, Bogert & Appice was a rock supergroup and power trio formed by English guitarist Jeff Beck, evolving from the Jeff Beck Group. It included bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, Americans who had played together in Vanilla Fudge and Cactus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cactus (American band)</span> American rock band

Cactus is an American rock band formed in 1969. It is currently comprising Jimmy Kunes as lead singer, guitarist Paul Warren, drummer Carmine Appice, bassist Jimmy Caputo and Randy Pratt on harmonica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Franklin (musician)</span> Musical artist

Anthony James Franklin is an English rock musician, best known for his work on the fretless bass guitar with Roy Harper, The Firm, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, John Sykes' Blue Murder, David Gilmour, Kate Bush, Whitesnake, Lou Gramm, Gary Hoey and most recently with Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Mendoza</span> American bassist

Marco Mendoza is an American bass guitarist who has worked in diverse genres. He became a professional rock musician in 1989 and debuted on Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward's solo album Along the Way. He has performed on a number of notable releases throughout his career, including Live... in the Still of the Night by Whitesnake, One Night Only by Thin Lizzy and Live in Concert at Lollapalooza by Journey.

<i>Screaming Blue Murder: Dedicated to Phil Lynott</i> 1994 live album by Blue Murder

Screaming Blue Murder: Dedicated to Phil Lynott is a live album released by the English hard rock band, Blue Murder. It is the band's third and final release, and was initially issued only in Japan. It has since been re-released internationally via iTunes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alessandro Del Vecchio</span> Italian musician and producer

Alessandro Del Vecchio is an Italian multi-instrumentalist, singer, record producer and songwriter. He is a current member of hard and heavy bands Edge of Forever, Hardline, Jørn Lande and Vanden Plas.

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Blue Murder Bassist Talks John Sykes, the Breakup & Whitesnake". full in bloom. 4 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021– via YouTube.
  2. ↑ Appice & Gittins 2016, p. 195.
  3. 1 2 3 Douglas, Nick (1993). "Blue Murder". Metal Hammer . Vol. 10, no. 9. Berlin, Germany: ZAG Zeitschriften-Verlag. pp. 128–129.
  4. 1 2 "Carmine Appice Talks Blue Murder Breakup, 1989 Album, Nothin' But Trouble, John Sykes, Budgets". full in bloom. 2 May 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021– via YouTube.
  5. 1 2 Johansson 2016.
  6. ↑ "News". Metal Hammer . Vol. 8, no. 4. Berlin, Germany: Jürgen Wigginghaus. 1991. p. 9.
  7. ↑ "Franklin Blue over Murder-ous split". Kerrang! . No. 353. London, England: United Newspapers. 10 August 1991. p. 6.
  8. 1 2 3 Ito, Masanori (1993). Nothin' But Trouble (booklet). Blue Murder. Geffen Records. pp. 2–6. MVCG-125.
  9. ↑ Koolen, Martin. "Kelly Keeling Interview". RockUnited.com. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Nothin' But Trouble (booklet). Blue Murder. Geffen Records. 1993. GED24419.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. 1 2 3 DiIorio, Donald (10 June 1994). "Blue Murder psyches out on 'Nothin' But Trouble'". Herald News . Woodland Park, New Jersey, United States. p. 15. Retrieved 26 November 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 Miller, Michael (15 April 1994). "Wizards club built for rock 'n' roll". The State . Columbia, South Carolina. Retrieved 17 June 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Blue Murder - Nothin' But Trouble". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  14. 1 2 You, Brenda (10 March 1994). "Blue Murder Nothing But Trouble (Geffen)". Chicago Tribune . Chicago, Illinois, United States. p. 63. Retrieved 26 November 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Popoff 2007, pp. 56 –&#32, 57.
  16. 1 2 Nishimoto, Rei (23 March 1994). "Blue Murder/Nothin' But Trouble". The Corsair . Santa Monica, California. Retrieved 12 August 2021– via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  17. 1 2 Staude, Jörg (1993). "Blue Murder - Nothin But Trouble (MCA/BMG Ariola)". Metal Hammer . Vol. 10, no. 9. Berlin, Germany: ZAG Zeitschriften-Verlag. p. 54.
  18. 1 2 "Blue Murder - Nothin' But Trouble". Rock Hard. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  19. ↑ "Sykes: Er Lebt". Metal Hammer . Vol. 10, no. 7. Berlin, Germany: ZAG Zeitschriften-Verlag. 1993. p. 7.
  20. ↑ "June 1999 Interview with Tony Nobles of Vintage Guitar Magazine". 27 March 2008. Archived from the original on 27 March 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  21. ↑ "Mainstream Rock Songs - Week of April 16, 1994". Billboard. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  22. ↑ "Blue Murder - We All Fall Down". BlueMurderVEVO. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2024– via YouTube.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.