Troublegum

Troublegum is the second major label album by the band Therapy?.[2] It was released on 7 February 1994 via A&M Records.

Troublegum
Studio album by Therapy?
Released	7 February 1994
Recorded	January 1993 at Black Barn Studios, Surrey, England (track 2); March 1993 at Livingstone Studios, London, England (track 11); mid-1993 at Chipping Norton Recording Studios, Oxford, England; Rak Studios and Church Studios, London, England (tracks 1, 3−10, 12−14)
Genre	Alternative metal[1]
Length	45:37 (UK) 47:58 (JPN) 67:04 (US)
Label	A&M
Producer	Chris Sheldon
Therapy? chronology
Hats Off to the Insane (1993) Troublegum (1994) Infernal Love (1995)

Background

The album was recorded in 1993 at Chipping Norton Recording Studios in Oxfordshire, as well as RAK Studios and Church Studios, both in London.[3] It has a melodically dark, metal-like sound. The album contains a cover of Isolation by Joy Division, which also became a single. The Therapy? version also incorporates many musical elements from Atrocity Exhibition. Troublegum is generally considered to be Therapy? at their musical and commercial peak and has since sold over one million copies worldwide. The album reached number 5 in the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold in the UK in September 1994, was also nominated as album of the year by the Mercury Prize of 1994.[4][5]

Releases

The album was released on 12" vinyl, CD and Cassette. In the UK, the album was released on limited edition green 12" vinyl. There was also a green Cassette and the original CD copies had a green tray. A remastered CD version of the album by Harvey Birrell was included in The Gemil Box, released on 18 November 2013. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its original release, a three-disc Deluxe Edition version of Troublegum was released by Universal on 31 March 2014.[6]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B[7]
Los Angeles Times	[8]
NME	8/10[9]

The album was rated the top album of 1994 in the 1,000th issue of Kerrang! in 2004. The album was number 31 in Kerrang!'s 100 best British rock albums of all time.[10] The album was shortlisted for the 1994 Mercury Music Prize.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Knives"	Cairns	1:55
2.	"Screamager"	Cairns, McKeegan, Ewing	2:36
3.	"Hellbelly"	Cairns	3:21
4.	"Stop It You're Killing Me"	Cairns	3:50
5.	"Nowhere"	Cairns	2:26
6.	"Die Laughing"	Cairns, McKeegan, Ewing	2:48
7.	"Unbeliever"	Cairns	3:28
8.	"Trigger Inside"	Cairns	3:56
9.	"Lunacy Booth"	Cairns	3:55
10.	"Isolation" (Joy Division cover)	Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris	3:10
11.	"Turn"	Cairns, McKeegan, Ewing	3:50
12.	"Femtex"	Cairns	3:14
13.	"Unrequited"	Cairns	3:03
14.	"Brainsaw" (Features hidden track "You Are My Sunshine" (Jimmie Davis, Charles Mitchell))	Cairns	3:58 (US: 25:23)
15.	"Pantopon Rose" (Japanese release only; the U.S. version of "You Are My Sunshine" follows this as its own 22:22 track)	Cairns, McKeegan	2:19
Total length:			45:37/67:04/70:17 (UK/US/Japan)

Deluxe Edition Disc 2

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Pantopon Rose" (Nowhere single)	2:17
2.	"Breaking the Law" (Nowhere single)	3:27
3.	"CC Rider" (Nowhere single)	2:30
4.	"Nowhere (Sabres of Paradise Mix)" (Nowhere single)	7:46
5.	"Nowhere (Therapeutic Distortion Mix)" (Nowhere single)	5:50
6.	"Lunacy Booth (String Version)" (Isolation single)	4:58
7.	"Isolation (Consolidated Mix)" (Isolation single)	4:32
8.	"Isolation (Consolidated Synth Mix)" (Stories single)	4:41
9.	"Stop It You're Killing Me (Live at the Town & Country, Leeds 1994)" (Die Laughing single)	3:40
10.	"Trigger Inside (Live at the Town & Country, Leeds 1994)" (Die Laughing single)	4:05
11.	"Evil Elvis (The Lost Demo)" (Die Laughing single)	2:24
12.	"Die Laughing (David Holmes Mix 1)" (Die Laughing 12" single)	6:00
13.	"Die Laughing (David Holmes Mix 2)" (Die Laughing 12" single)	6:00
14.	"Nice 'N' Sleazy" (Trigger Inside single)	2:51
15.	"Reuters" (Trigger Inside single)	4:06
16.	"Tatty Seaside Town" (Trigger Inside single)	2:35
Total length:		68:00

Deluxe Edition Disc 3

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Trigger Inside (Psycho Amigo Instrumental)" (Trigger Inside 12" single)	5:08
2.	"Trigger Inside (Psycho Amigo Mix)" (Trigger Inside 12" single)	5:08
3.	"Knives (Kiddie Version)" (Knives US promo single)	1:56
4.	"Auto Surgery" (ShortSharpShock EP)	2:19
5.	"Totally Random Man" (ShortSharpShock EP)	2:21
6.	"Accelerator (New Version)" (ShortSharpShock EP)	2:16
7.	"Speedball" (Face the Strange EP)	2:31
8.	"Bloody Blue" (Face the Strange EP)	1:12
9.	"Neck Freak (New Version)" (Face the Strange EP)	4:57
10.	"Opal Mantra" (Opal Mantra EP)	2:27
11.	"Opal Mantra (Live at the Forum, London 1993)" (Opal Mantra 7" EP)	2:22
12.	"Innocent X (Live at Columbus Uni, New York 1993)" (Opal Mantra EP)	3:36
13.	"Potato Junkie (Live at CBGB's, New York 1993)" (Opal Mantra EP)	3:46
14.	"Nausea (Live at CBGB's, New York 1993)" (Opal Mantra EP)	3:29
15.	"Totally Random Man (Demo Version)" (previously unreleased)	2:36
16.	"Turn (Demo Version)" (previously unreleased)	3:15
17.	"Knives (Demo Version)" (previously unreleased)	2:03
18.	"Unbeliever (Demo Version)" (previously unreleased)	3:54
Total length:		55:00

Personnel

• Andy Cairns - vocals/guitar
• Fyfe Ewing - drums/backing vocals
• Michael McKeegan - bass/backing vocals
• Page Hamilton - lead guitar on "Unbeliever"
• Lesley Rankine - additional vocals on "Lunacy Booth"
• Martin McCarrick - cello on "Unrequited"
• Eileen Rose - additional vocals on "Femtex"
• Chris Sheldon - producer, engineer
• Darren Allison - engineer
• Nigel Rolfe - photography
• Stuart Smyth - photography
• Valerie Phillips - photography
• Jeremy Pearce - design
• Simon Carrington - design

Singles

• "Screamager" - 11 March 1993, on the Shortsharpshock EP with "Auto Surgery", "Totally Random Man" and a re-recorded version of "Accelerator" from Nurse. This single reached number 9 in the UK Singles Chart, number 2 in the Irish Singles Chart[11] and number 16 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.
• "Turn" - 31 May 1993, on the Face the Strange EP with "Speedball", "Bloody Blue" and a re-recorded version of "Neck Freak" from Nurse. This single reached number 18 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 5 in the Irish Singles Chart.
• "Nowhere" - 17 January 1994, with "Pantopon Rose", "Breaking the Law" (Judas Priest), and "C. C. Rider" (Elvis Presley). A second CD was released on 24 January 1994, with two remixes of the title track, provided by the Sabres of Paradise. The single reached number 18 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 6 in the Irish Singles Chart.
• "Trigger Inside" - 28 February 1994, with "Nice 'n' Sleazy" (The Stranglers), "Reuters" (Wire), and "Tatty Seaside Town" (The Membranes). A remix 12" was released with two remixes of the title track, plus the two Sabres of Paradise remixes previously released on the single "Nowhere". This single reached number 22 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 16 in the Irish Singles Chart.
• "Die Laughing" - 30 May 1994, with "Stop It You're Killing Me" (live), "Trigger Inside" (live) and "Evil Elvis" (The Lost Demo). A remix 12" was released with two remixes of the title track, provided by David Holmes. This single reached number 29 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 16 in the Irish Singles Chart.
• "Isolation" (Joy Division) - 1994, with "Lunacy Booth" (string version) and "Isolation" (Consolidated mix). This single was a German only release.
• "Femtex" - 1994, with "Pantopon Rose". This was a coloured 7" released only in the US and limited to 500 copies.
• "Knives" - 1994, with "Knives" (kiddie version), "Pantopon Rose" and "Nowhere". This single was a US only promo release.

Promo videos

• "Screamager": Directed by Jon Klein
• "Turn": Directed by Julie Hermelin
• "Nowhere": Directed by Nico Beyer
• "Trigger Inside": Directed by ?
• "Die Laughing": Directed by Matt Mahurin
• "Isolation": Directed by Michelle Spillane (version 1)
• "Isolation": Directed by ? (version 2)

References

1. Kellman, Andy. "Troublegum – Therapy?". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
2. "Troublegum". Therapy?. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
3. "Band Biography (1993) by Andy Cairns". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
4. "Albums from the Year 1994". The World's Music Charts. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
5. "UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts". everyHit.com. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
6. "Troublegum & Infernal Love Deluxe Editions".
7. Sinclair, Tom (11 February 1994). "Troublegum". Entertainment Weekly. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
8. Turman, Katherine (17 April 1994). "Therapy? 'Troublegum,' A&M". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
9. "Therapy?: Troublegum". NME. 5 February 1994. p. 39.
10. "The 100 Best British Rock Albums Ever!". Kerrang!. London, England: Wasted Talent Ltd. February 19, 2005. p. 20.
11. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". The Irish Charts. Retrieved 24 December 2008.