Nothin' but Trouble

Nothin' but Trouble is the final studio album by the John Sykes-led Blue Murder, on which they polished thick riffs and melody thoroughly. Released on Geffen in August 1993. Tony Franklin and Carmine Appice left mid-recording, and Marco Mendoza (bass) and Tommy O'Steen (drums) came in; keyboardist Nik Green also became a full member. It was made at Sykes's home studio in Los Angeles, self-produced, with Mike Fraser mixing. Rather than being caught only by the obvious highlights, following the sonic center of gravity, the placement of the choruses and the flow between songs reveals the album's face as a whole. The opener “We All Fall Down” became the single and reached No. 35 on US Album Rock Tracks. The second track “Itchycoo Park” is a Small Faces cover, and Kelly Keeling sings lead on “I'm on Fire.” The range is wide, through to the late “She Knows.” The record reached No. 6 in Japan but charted nowhere else, and the band headed for its end. An important album for filling in the shape of the whole discography.