Laughing Stock (album)

Laughing Stock
Studio album by Talk Talk
Released	16 September 1991
Recorded	September 1990–April 1991, Wessex Studios, London
Genre	Art rock, post-rock, experimental rock, jazz fusion
Length	43:29
Label	Verve, Polydor
Producer	Tim Friese-Greene
Talk Talk chronology
Spirit of Eden (1988) Laughing Stock (1991)

Laughing Stock is the fifth and final studio album by Talk Talk. Released in 1991, it was the only album the band released on the jazz-based Verve Records, after acrimoniously leaving EMI.

Like its predecessor, Spirit of Eden, the album featured improvised instrumentation from a large ensemble of musicians, including as many as seven violists on occasion, and the lyrical themes are often religious. The recording sessions have attained near-mythical status among underground music fans;^{[citation needed]} Tape Op magazine ran an extensive article detailing the demanding recording sessions, marked by Mark Hollis' perfectionist tendencies, and his use of candles and incense to set the mood. Engineer Phill Brown stated that the album, like its predecessor, was "recorded by chance, accident, and hours of trying every possible overdub idea." However, compared to prior Talk Talk albums, he goes on to note that "Laughing Stock is a different beast. I am very proud of the album, it's probably one of my best projects.... but I find it dark and claustrophobic."

Original bass guitarist Paul Webb had left the band prior to recording, reducing Talk Talk to the duo of Lee Harris and Mark Hollis.

Artwork

The cover art is by James Marsh, responsible for most of Talk Talk's artwork. Though similar to the cover of the band's previous album, the birds on Laughing Stock's spherical tree form the shapes of the Earth's continents.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com
Allmusic
NME	(5/10)
Pitchfork Media	(10/10)
Sputnikmusic
Treble	(Highly Positive)

Reviews of the album were generally good; many tended to emphasize the fact that it spanned several genres, with some noting a stylistic kinship with Miles Davis's In a Silent Way album.

Pitchfork Media listed Laughing Stock as 11th best album of the 1990s, describing the album as "a record that makes its own environment and becomes more than the sum of its sounds."

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Tim Friese-Greene and Mark Hollis. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Myrrhman"	5:33
2.	"Ascension Day"	6:00
3.	"After the Flood"	9:39
4.	"Taphead"	7:39
5.	"New Grass"	9:40
6.	"Runeii"	4:58

There is a brief, untitled instrumental fragment preceding "Taphead" at the beginning of side 2 on the LP/cassette version. This is present on the US CD, but the UK omits it with "After The Flood" crossfading into "Taphead".

2011 Vinyl Reissue

On October 11th, 2011, Ba Da Bing Records released Laughing Stock on vinyl. This marks the first time that the album has been issued on vinyl in the US. Some copies of the reissue have been alleged to contain a defect in the audio quality, with noticeable background noise, particularly during the quiet moments of the recording.

Personnel

• Mark Hollis - vocals, guitar, piano, organ
• Lee Harris - drums

Additional personnel

• Tim Friese-Greene - organ, piano, harmonium
• Mark Feltham - harmonica
• Martin Ditcham - percussion
• Levine Andrade, Stephen Tees, George Robertson, Gavyn Wright, Jack Glickman, Wilf Gibson, Garfield Jackson - viola
• Simon Edwards, Ernest Mothle - acoustic bass
• Roger Smith, Paul Kegg - cello
• Henry Lowther - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Dave White - contra bass clarinet

Production

• Tim Friese-Greene - producer
• Phill Brown - engineer
• James Marsh - cover illustration