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.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MyrrhmanMark Hollis | Talk Talk | Play | 05:08 | 11 MB | 19 MB |
| 2 | Ascension DayMark Hollis | Talk Talk | Play | 05:59 | 13 MB | 37 MB |
| 3 | After the FloodTim Friese-Greene, Mark Hollis | Talk Talk | Play | 09:27 | 21 MB | 54 MB |
| 4 | TapheadMark Hollis | Talk Talk | Play | 06:51 | 15 MB | 27 MB |
| 5 | New GrassMark Hollis | Talk Talk | Play | 09:29 | 21 MB | 54 MB |
| 6 | RuneiiMark Hollis | Talk Talk | Play | 04:46 | 10 MB | 16 MB |
| 41 mins | 95 MB | |||||
| 41 mins | 209 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Levine Andrade | Viola |
| 2 | Phill Brown | Engineer |
| 3 | Martin Ditcham | Percussion |
| 4 | Simon Edwards | Bass, Bass (Acoustic) |
| 5 | Mark Feltham | Harmonica |
| 6 | Tim Friese-Greene | Composer, Harmonium, Organ, Piano, Producer |
| 7 | Wilfred Gibson | Viola |
| 8 | Jack Glickman | Viola |
| 9 | Lee Harris | Drums |
| 10 | Mark Hollis | Composer, Guitar, Organ, Piano, Vocals |
| 11 | Garfield Jackson | Viola |
| 12 | Paul Kegg | Cello |
| 13 | Henry Lowther | Flugelhorn, Trumpet |
| 14 | James Marsh | Cover Illustration |
| 15 | Ernest Mothle | Bass, Bass (Acoustic) |
| 16 | George Robertson | Viola |
| 17 | Roger Smith | Cello |
| 18 | Talk Talk | Primary Artist |
| 19 | Stephen Tees | Viola |
| 20 | Dave White | Clarinet, Clarinet (Contrabass), Contrabass |
| 21 | Gavyn Wright | Viola |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |