Trouble No More (Darden Smith album)

1990 studio album by Darden Smith

Trouble No More

Studio album by

Darden Smith

Released| 1990
Studio| Mad Dog, Burbank, California; Arlyn, Austin, Texas; De-Mix, London
Label| Columbia[1]
Producer| Pete Anderson, Martin Lascelles, Darden Smith
Darden Smith chronology
| Darden Smith
(1988)  | Trouble No More
(1990)  | Little Victories
(1993)

|
|

Trouble No More is an album by the American musician Darden Smith, released in 1990.[2][3] It was a commercial disappointment.[4] Smith promoted the album by touring with Marshall Crenshaw.[5]

## Production

[edit]

The album was produced by Pete Anderson, Martin Lascelles, and Smith.[6] The sessions began in Los Angeles, with Anderson; Columbia Records and Smith decided to do more recording in Austin, with Lascelles.[7] Two of the album's songs were cowritten with Boo Hewerdine, with whom Smith had recorded an album that was released one year prior to Trouble No More.[8][9] "Johnny Was a Lucky One" is about a Vietnam veteran.[10] Preston Hubbard, of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, played bass on "Fall Apart at the Seams" and "Frankie & Sue".[11]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music| [12]
Houston Chronicle| [13]
Los Angeles Daily News| [10]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide| [6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [14]
Windsor Star| B+[15]

Spin noted that "Smith's melodies ride a fine line between divinely catchy and John Mellencamp rejects."[16] The Chicago Reader called the album "questioning, calm, and likeable," writing that "he has an intimate, cozy way with a melody–the one on the shimmering '2,000 Years', for example, efficiently overwhelms the song's kinda dumb apocalyptic visions."[17] The Vancouver Sun praised the "lush melodies, sweeping acoustic guitar rhythms and richly topical lyrics."[18]

The Windsor Star thought that "this mainly acoustic set features good melodies, Smith's emotional vocals, and some great arrangements."[15] The Edmonton Journal determined that Trouble No More "goes to waste in a flurry of plagiarism... His 'Ashes to Ashes' sounds so like Mellencamp's 'Jack And Diane' it warrants a court order."[19] The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed "Fall Apart at the Seams" the album's best song, writing that Smith has "from his country roots toward a lean pop sound."[20]

The Encyclopedia of Popular Music stated that Trouble No More was "possibly" Smith's best album.[12]

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Darden Smith; except where noted.

No.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Midnight Train"|  | 3:47
2.| "Frankie & Sue"|  | 3:01
3.| "All the King's Horses"|  | 3:00
4.| "2000 Years"|  | 3:30
5.| "Ashes to Ashes"|  | 3:33
6.| "Fall Apart at the Seams"|  | 3:32
7.| "Trouble No More"|  | 2:54
8.| "Long Way Home"| Smith, Boo Hewerdine| 3:32
9.| "Listen to My Own Voice"|  | 3:47
10.| "Johnny Was a Lucky One"|  | 2:54
11.| "Bottom of a Deep Well"| Smith, Hewerdine| 3:21

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Kot, Greg (March 21, 1991). "Pop meets folk: Unlikely songwriting partnership opened new doors for Darden Smith". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 8.
2. ^ "Darden Smith Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
3. ^ Kachtick, Keith (October 1, 1996). "Quick-Change Artist". Texas Monthly.
4. ^ Spangler, Jerry (December 16, 1990). "2 Albums Are Richly Lyrical, Stunningly Substantial". Deseret News. p. E10.
5. ^ "Crenshaw hits a strong chord with new album". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. July 12, 1991. p. D1.
6. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1037.
7. ^ MacCambridge, Michael (September 20, 1990). "Austin albums among fall releases". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 6.
8. ^ a b "Trouble No More". AllMusic.
9. ^ Maurstad, Tom (October 23, 1990). "Arts Day". The Dallas Morning News. p. 5C.
10. ^ a b Shuster, Fred (November 16, 1990). "Sound Check – Country". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L34.
11. ^ Neufield, Matt (March 11, 1991). "Darden Smith's songs of heartache". The Washington Times. p. E3.
12. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7\. MUZE. p. 550.
13. ^ Racine, Marty (November 11, 1990). "Trouble No More Darden Smith". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 8.
14. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 648–649.
15. ^ a b Shaw, Ted (November 3, 1990). "Trouble No More: Darden Smith". Windsor Star. p. C2.
16. ^ Gordon, Robert (May 1991). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 7, no. 2\. p. 80.
17. ^ Wyman, Bill (March 21, 1991). "Calendar". Chicago Reader.
18. ^ Potter, Greg (July 18, 1991). "Touring with talent". Vancouver Sun. p. F11.
19. ^ Campbell, Rod (January 13, 1991). "Smith a great impostor". Edmonton Journal. p. C4.
20. ^ DeLuca, Dan (March 14, 1991). "Darden Smith at Dobbs". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D5.

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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*[No.]: Number