View source for Troublegum

{{Short description|1994 studio album by Therapy?}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Troublegum
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[Therapy?]]
| cover        = TherapyTroubleGum.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = 7 February 1994
| recorded     = early to mid-1993
| venue        = 
| studio       = Black Barn ([[Surrey]]); Livingstone, [[RAK Studios|RAK]], and [[The Church Studios|The Church]] (London); [[Chipping Norton Recording Studios|Chipping Norton]] (Oxford)
| genre        ={{flatlist|
* [[Alternative metal]]<ref name="AllMusic"/><ref name="Soundboard" >{{Cite web |date=2023-04-27 |title=ALBUM REVIEW: Therapy? - 'Hard Cold Fire' |url=https://thesoundboardreviews.com/2023/04/27/album-review-therapy-hard-cold-fire/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=The Soundboard}}</ref>
* [[alternative rock]]<ref name="Soundboard" />
* [[punk metal]]<ref name="Troublegum25">{{cite web |last1=Acharya |first1=Kiran |title=''Troublegum'' At 25: An Oral History Of The Therapy? Classic |url=https://www.kerrang.com/troublegum-at-25-an-oral-history-of-the-therapy-classic |website=[[Kerrang!]] |access-date=July 15, 2022 |date=February 7, 2019}}</ref>
}}
| length       = 45:37 (UK)<br />70:17 (JPN)<br />67:04 (US)
| label        = [[A&M Records|A&M]]
| producer     = [[Chris Sheldon]]
| prev_title   = [[Hats Off to the Insane]]
| prev_year    = 1993
| next_title   = [[Infernal Love]]
| next_year    = 1995
| misc         = {{singles
| name         = Troublegum
| type         = studio
| single1      = [[Nowhere (song)|Nowhere]]
| single1date  = 17 January 1994
| single2      = [[Trigger Inside]]
| single2date  = 28 February 1994
| single3      = [[Die Laughing (song)|Die Laughing]]
| single3date  = 30 May 1994
| single4      = [[Isolation (Joy Division song)|Isolation]]
| single4date  = September 1994 {{small|(Germany)}}
| single5      = Femtex
| single5date  = 1994 {{small|(US)}}
}}
}}

'''''Troublegum''''' is the fourth studio album by the Northern Irish rock band [[Therapy?]], released on 7 February 1994 by [[A&M Records]]. The album features a more [[Punk rock|punk-oriented]] style after the success of "[[Screamager]]", and is compared to [[Stiff Little Fingers]] and [[the Undertones]] after the band's previous [[noise rock]]-influenced works.<ref name="Stardom">{{cite web |last1=Everley |first1=Dave |title=Therapy?: How ''Troublegum'' catapulted three unlikely Irish lads to stardom |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/therapy-how-troublegum-catapulted-three-unlikely-irish-lads-to-stardom |website=[[LouderSound]] |date=7 November 2019 |access-date=July 15, 2022}}</ref> It was promoted with several singles, most of which received promo videos. ''Troublegum'' is the band's most successful album, selling over one million copies worldwide; ''[[Kerrang!]]'' rated it as the best album of 1994.

==Background and recording==
On 8 March 1993,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=6 March 1993 |title=New Releases: Singles |magazine=[[Music Week]] |page=17}}</ref> Therapy? released their first extended play, the ''[[Shortsharpshock E.P.]]'' It contains the track "[[Screamager]]", which was also released as a single the same day. "Screamager" diverged from the band's [[noise rock]] style to [[pop-punk]],<ref name="Stardom" /> and was initially considered a "one-off". However, its success convinced them to record an album entirely in this vein.<ref name="Stardom" /> Frontman [[Andy Cairns]] cited [[Ulster]] punk bands such as [[Stiff Little Fingers]], [[the Undertones]] and [[Rudi (band)|Rudi]] as influences.<ref name="Screamager">{{cite web |last1=Yates |first1=Henry |date=November 23, 2016 |title=The Story Behind The Song: Screamager By Therapy? |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-screamager-therapy |access-date=3 August 2025 |website=[[LouderSound]]}}</ref>

''Troublegum'' was recorded in 1993 at [[Chipping Norton Recording Studios]] in [[Oxfordshire]], as well as [[RAK Studios]] and Church Studios, both in London.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk/about-us/ | title=Band Biography (1993) by Andy Cairns | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101644/http://www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk/about-us/ | archivedate=4 March 2016}}</ref> It's more melodic while retaining a [[Heavy metal music|metal]] sound. The album contains a cover of "[[Isolation (Joy Division song)|Isolation]]" by [[Joy Division]], which also became a single. The cover also incorporates elements from "[[Atrocity Exhibition (song)|Atrocity Exhibition]]"; both tracks are from Joy Division's album ''[[Closer (Joy Division album)|Closer]]''.

==Releases==
The album was released on 12-inch vinyl, CD and cassette. In the UK, the album was released on limited edition green 12-inch vinyl. There was also a green cassette, and the original CD copies had a green tray. A remastered CD version of the album was included in ''[[The Gemil Box]]'', released in 2013. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its original release, a three-disc deluxe edition version of ''Troublegum'' was released by [[Universal Music Group|Universal]] on 31 March 2014.<ref>{{ cite web | url=http://www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk/category/news/ | title= Troublegum & Infernal Love Deluxe Editions}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/troublegum-mw0000108857|title=Troublegum – Therapy?|website=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[RhythmOne]]|accessdate=10 November 2018|last=Kellman|first=Andy}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Drowned in Sound]]''
| rev2score = 7/10<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lightning |first1=Alex |title=Album Review: Therapy? - Troublegum |url=https://drownedinsound.com/releases/4749/reviews/1501-therapy-troublegum |publisher=[[Drowned in Sound]] |access-date=22 October 2025 |language=en |date=3 July 2001}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev3score = B<ref name="EW">{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1994/02/11/troublegum/|title=Troublegum|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|publisher=[[Meredith Corporation]]|date=11 February 1994|accessdate=10 November 2018|last=Sinclair|first=Tom}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref name="LATimes">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-17-ca-46874-story.html|title=Therapy? 'Troublegum,' A&M|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=17 April 1994|accessdate=13 June 2020|last=Turman|first=Katherine}}</ref>
| rev5 = [[laut.de]]
| rev5score={{rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kubanke |first1=Ulf |title=Ein brennender, rastloser Tanz voller Wut und Frustration. |url=https://laut.de/Therapy/Alben/Troublegum-37882 |publisher=[[laut.de]] |access-date=22 October 2025 |language=de}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Louder Sound]]''
| rev6score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Damian |title=Therapy?'s Troublegum, 30 years on |url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/therapy-troublegum-30th-anniversary-edition |publisher=[[Louder Sound]] |access-date=22 October 2025 |date=27 September 2024}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[NME]]''
| rev7score = 8/10<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Therapy?: Troublegum|magazine=[[NME]]|date=5 February 1994|page=39}}</ref>
}}
''Troublegum'' is considered to be Therapy? at their critical 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.

It was also nominated as album of the year by the [[Mercury Prize]] of 1994.<ref>{{cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Albums from the Year 1994 |url=http://tsort.info/music/ay1994.htm |access-date=15 December 2016 |website=The World's Music Charts |publisher= |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts |url=http://www.everyhit.com/ |access-date=24 December 2008 |website=everyHit.com |publisher= |quote=}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=19 February 2005 |title=The 100 Best British Rock Albums Ever!|magazine=[[Kerrang!]] |location=London, England |publisher=Wasted Talent Ltd |page=20}}</ref> The album was shortlisted for the 1994 [[Mercury Prize|Mercury Music Prize]].

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| headline      = ''Troublegum'' track listing
| total_length  = 45:37
| title1        = Knives
| writer1       = Cairns
| length1       = 1:55
| title2        = [[Screamager]]
| writer2       = Cairns, McKeegan, Ewing
| length2       = 2:36
| title3        = Hellbelly
| writer3       = Cairns
| length3       = 3:21
| title4        = Stop It You're Killing Me
| writer4       = Cairns
| length4       = 3:50
| title5        = [[Nowhere (song)|Nowhere]]
| writer5       = Cairns
| length5       = 2:26
| title6        = [[Die Laughing (song)|Die Laughing]]
| writer6       = Cairns, McKeegan, Ewing
| length6       = 2:48
| title7        = Unbeliever
| writer7       = Cairns
| length7       = 3:28
| title8        = [[Trigger Inside]]
| writer8       = Cairns
| length8       = 3:56
| title9        = Lunacy Booth
| writer9       = Cairns
| length9       = 3:55
| title10       = [[Isolation (Joy Division song)|Isolation]]
| note10        = [[Joy Division]] cover
| writer10      = [[Ian Curtis]], [[Bernard Sumner]], [[Peter Hook]], [[Stephen Morris (musician)|Stephen Morris]]
| length10      = 3:10
| title11       = [[Turn (Therapy? song)|Turn]]
| writer11      = Cairns, McKeegan, Ewing
| length11      = 3:49
| title12       = Femtex
| writer12      = Cairns
| length12      = 3:14
| title13       = Unrequited
| writer13      = Cairns
| length13      = 3:03
| title14       = Brainsaw
| writer14      = Cairns, [[Jimmie Davis]], [[Charles Mitchell (songwriter)|Charles Mitchell]]
| note14        = with hidden track "[[You Are My Sunshine]]"
| length14      = 3:58
}}

{{Track listing
| headline      = US edition
| total_length  = 67:04
| title14       = Brainsaw
| note14        = with hidden track "You Are My Sunshine"
| writer14      = Cairns, Davis, Mitchell
| length14      = 25:23
}}

{{track listing
| headline      = Japanese release bonus tracks
| title15       = Pantopon Rose
| writer15      = Cairns, McKeegan
| length15      = 2:19
| title16       = You Are My Sunshine
| writer16      = Davis, Mitchell
| length16      = 22:22
| total_length  = 70:17
}}

{{Track listing
| headline = Deluxe edition disc 2
| title1 = Pantopon Rose
| note1 = [[Nowhere (song)|Nowhere]] single
| length1 = 2:17
| title2 = Breaking the Law
| note2 = Nowhere single
| length2 = 3:27
| title3 = CC Rider
| note3 = Nowhere single
| length3 = 2:30
| title4 =Nowhere (Sabres of Paradise Mix)
| note4 = Nowhere single
| length4 = 7:46
| title5 = Nowhere (Therapeutic Distortion Mix)
| note5 = Nowhere single
| length5 = 5:50
| title6 = Lunacy Booth (String Version)
| note6 = Isolation single
| length6 = 4:58
| title7 =Isolation (Consolidated Mix)
| note7 = Isolation single
| length7 = 4:32
| title8 = Isolation (Consolidated Synth Mix)
| note8 = [[Stories (Therapy? song)|Stories]] single
| length8 = 4:41
| title9 = Stop It You're Killing Me (Live at the Town & Country, Leeds 1994)
| note9 = [[Die Laughing (song)|Die Laughing]] single
| length9 = 3:40
| title10 = Trigger Inside (Live at the Town & Country, Leeds 1994)
| note10 = Die Laughing single
| length10 = 4:05
| title11 = Evil Elvis (The Lost Demo)
| note11 = Die Laughing single
| length11 = 2:24
| title12 = Die Laughing (David Holmes Mix 1)
| note12 = Die Laughing 12-inch single
| length12 = 6:00
| title13 = Die Laughing (David Holmes Mix 2)
| note13 = Die Laughing 12-inch single
| length13 = 6:00
| title14 = Nice 'N' Sleazy
| note14 = [[Trigger Inside]] single
| length14 = 2:51
| title15 = Reuters
| note15 = Trigger Inside single
| length15 = 4:06
| title16 = Tatty Seaside Town
| note16 = Trigger Inside single
| length16 = 2:35
| total_length = 68:00
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Deluxe edition disc 3
| title1 = Trigger Inside (Psycho Amigo Instrumental)
| note1 = Trigger Inside 12-inch single
| length1 = 5:08
| title2 = Trigger Inside (Psycho Amigo Mix)
| note2 = Trigger Inside 12-inch single
| length2 = 5:08
| title3 = Knives (Kiddie Version)
| note3 = Knives US promo single
| length3 = 1:56
| title4 = Auto Surgery
| note4 = ShortSharpShock EP
| length4 = 2:19
| title5 = Totally Random Man
| note5 = ShortSharpShock EP
| length5 = 2:21
| title6 = Accelerator (New Version)
| note6 = ShortSharpShock EP
| length6 = 2:16
| title7 = Speedball
| note7 = Face the Strange EP
| length7 = 2:31
| title8 = Bloody Blue
| note8 = Face the Strange EP
| length8 = 1:12
| title9 = Neck Freak (New Version)
| note9 = Face the Strange EP
| length9 = 4:57
| title10 = Opal Mantra
| note10 = Opal Mantra EP
| length10 = 2:27
| title11 = Opal Mantra (Live at the Forum, London 1993)
| note11 = Opal Mantra 7-inch EP
| length11 = 2:22
| title12 = Innocent X (Live at Columbus Uni, New York 1993)
| note12 = Opal Mantra EP
| length12 = 3:36
| title13 = Potato Junkie (Live at CBGB's, New York 1993)
| note13 = Opal Mantra EP
| length13 = 3:46
| title14 = Nausea (Live at CBGB's, New York 1993)
| note14 = Opal Mantra EP
| length14 = 3:29
| title15 = Totally Random Man (Demo Version)
| note15 = previously unreleased
| length15 = 2:36
| title16 = Turn (Demo Version)
| note16 = previously unreleased
| length16 = 3:15
| title17 = Knives (Demo Version)
| note17 = previously unreleased
| length17 = 2:03
| title18 = Unbeliever (Demo Version)
| note18 = previously unreleased
| length18 = 3:54
| total_length = 55:00
}}

'''Notes'''
*The European release does not contain the "[[You Are My Sunshine]]" cover.

==Personnel==
;Therapy?
*[[Andy Cairns]] – vocals, guitar
*[[Fyfe Ewing]] – drums, backing vocals
*[[Michael McKeegan]] – bass, backing vocals
with:
*[[Page Hamilton]] – lead guitar on "Unbeliever"
*[[Lesley Rankine]] – additional vocals on "Lunacy Booth"
*[[Martin McCarrick]] – cello on "Unrequited"
*[[Eileen Rose]] – additional vocals on "Femtex"
;Technical
*[[Chris Sheldon]] – producer, engineer
*[[Darren Allison]] – engineer
*[[Nigel Rolfe]] – photography
*Stuart Smyth – photography
*[[Valerie Phillips]] – photography
*Jeremy Pearce – design
*Simon Carrington – design

==Singles==
{{more citations needed|section|date=October 2020}}

*"Screamager" – 11 March 1993, on the ''[[Shortsharpshock]]'' EP with "Auto Surgery", "Totally Random Man" and a re-recorded version of "Accelerator" from [[Nurse (album)|Nurse]]. This single reached number 9 in the UK Singles Chart, number 2 in the Irish Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |title=The Irish Charts - All there is to know |last= |first= |date= |website=The Irish Charts |publisher= |access-date=24 December 2008 |quote=}}</ref> 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 (album)|Nurse]]. This single reached number 18 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 5 in the Irish Singles Chart.
*"[[Nowhere (song)|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 (band)|Wire]]), and "Tatty Seaside Town" ([[The Membranes]]). A remix 12-inch was released with two remixes of the title track, plus the two [[Sabres of Paradise]] remixes previously released on the single "[[Nowhere (song)|Nowhere]]". This single reached number 22 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 16 in the Irish Singles Chart.
*"[[Die Laughing (song)|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-inch was released with two remixes of the title track, provided by [[David Holmes (musician)|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 (band)|Consolidated]] mix). This single was a German only release.
*"Femtex" – 1994, with "Pantopon Rose". This was a coloured 7-inch 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)

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (1994)
!scope="col"|Peak<br>position
|-
!scope="row"|Austrian Albums ([[Ö3 Austria Top 40|Ö3 Austria]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Therapy%3F&titel=Troublegum&cat=a|title=Therapy? - Troublegum|publisher=Hung Medien|language=de|access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|21
|-
!scope="row"|[[Ultratop 50|Belgian Albums]] ([[Ultratop]] Flanders)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/album/6fa/Therapy-Troublegum|title=Therapy? - Troublegum|publisher=Hung Medien|language=nl|access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|154
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/fr/album/6fa/Therapy-Troublegum|title=Therapy? - Troublegum|publisher=Hung Medien|language=fr|access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|117
|-
!scope="row"|[[Album Top 100|Dutch Albums]] ([[Dutch Charts|Album Top 100]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Therapy%3F&titel=Troublegum&cat=a|title=Therapy? - Troublegum|publisher=Hung Medien|language=nl|access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|19
|-
!scope="row"|German Albums ([[GfK Entertainment charts|Offizielle Top 100]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/album-details-1786|title=Offizielle Deutsche Charts|publisher=offiziellecharts.de|language=de|access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|20
|-
!scope="row"|Ireland Albums ([[Irish Recorded Music Association|IRMA]])<ref>{{cite magazine |date=February 26, 1994 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-02-26.pdf |title=Top 10 Sales in Europe |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |page=16 |access-date=September 22, 2023}}</ref>
|align="center"|5
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand Albums ([[Official New Zealand Music Chart|RMNZ]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Therapy%3F&titel=Troublegum&cat=a|title=Therapy? - Troublegum|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|44
|-
{{album chart|Scotland|29|date=19940227|rowheader=true|access-date=November 22, 2021}}
|-
!scope="row"|Swedish Albums ([[Sverigetopplistan]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Therapy%3F&titel=Troublegum&cat=a|title=Therapy? - Troublegum|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|5
|-
!scope="row"|Swiss Albums ([[Swiss Hitparade|Schweizer Hitparade]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hitparade.ch/album/Therapy/Troublegum-1786|title=Therapy? - Troublegum|publisher=Hung Medien|accessdate=November 4, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|36
|-
!scope="row"|[[UK Albums Chart|UK Albums]] ([[Official Charts Company|OCC]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/28238/therapy/|title=Therapy {{!}} full Official Chart History|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|5
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* [http://www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk/audio/troublegum Official page]
* {{Discogs master|id=35747}}
{{Therapy?}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1994 albums]]
[[Category:Therapy? albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Chris Sheldon]]
[[Category:A&M Records albums]]