Laughing Stock Talk Talk

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CD

  • Release Date: 11/19/1991
  • Sales Rank: 37,378
  • Label: POLYDOR / UMGD
  • UPC: 042284771726

Listener Rating: (2 ratings)

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  • Overview
  • Tracks
  • Editorial Reviews
  • Customer Reviews
  • Details & Credits
Track List
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Laughing Stock

1LISTENMyrrhman 5:33
2LISTENAscension Day 6:00
3LISTENAfter the Flood 9:39
4LISTENTaphead 7:30
5LISTENNew Grass 9:40
6LISTENRuneii 4:58

About this Artist

Editorial Reviews

Virtually ignored upon its initial release, Laughing Stock continues to grow in stature and influence by leaps and bounds. Picking up where Spirit of Eden left off, the album operates outside of the accepted sphere of rock to create music which is both delicate and intense; recorded with a large classical ensemble, it defies easy categorization, conforming to very few structural precedents -- while the gently hypnotic "Myrrhman" flirts with ambient textures, the percussive "Ascension Day" drifts toward jazz before the two sensibilities converge to create something entirely new and different on "New Grass." The epic "After the Flood," on the other hand, is an atmospheric whirlpool laced with jackhammer guitar feedback and Mark Hollis' remarkably plaintive vocals; it flows into "Taphead," perhaps the most evocative, spacious, and understated piece on the record. A work of staggering complexity and immense beauty, Laughing Stock remains an under-recognized masterpiece, and its echoes can be heard throughout much of the finest experimental music issued in its wake. Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

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  • Ratings: 2Reviews: 1

Laughing Stockby Anonymous

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July 26, 2008: I'm delighted and a bit surprised to be the first to write a review for this record. It's obviously been overlooked: maybe it is too smart for its own good, or maybe slightly misplaced historically since 1991 seems like a washer between the base and the bolt. Like most, I assume, first listening to Talk Talk was simultaneously challenging and safe--the conceptual records &amp amp quot this one included&amp amp quot are not your traditial nineties fare, but they've been discussed and praised enough that you don't necessarily feel out on a limb listening to them. The music here is spacious. Too, Laughing Stock brings with it that wonderful nineties ethos of an overeducated youth in a world not quite ready for them, yet it also feels optimistic and somehow immediate. It's transcendent presence now is probably part conscious, deliberate craft, and a bit of nostalgia on the part of the reviewer. Either way, the album is highly evocative and thoughtful. If you'd like to hear the nineties beyond what you already know and love--Pixies, Pavement, etc.--listen to this record.