Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!

Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!
Compilation album by Killing Joke
Released	18 September 1992
Recorded	1979–1990
Genre	Post-punk, new wave
Length	79:19
Label	Caroline
Producer	Killing Joke, Chris Kimsey, Martin Rex, Conny Plank
Killing Joke compilation album chronology
Laugh? I Nearly Bought One! (1992) Wilful Days (1995)

Laugh? I Nearly Bought One! is a compilation album by English rock band Killing Joke, released in 1992 by record label Caroline.

Content

The album contained tracks from every album Killing Joke had released to that point except Fire Dances and Outside the Gate. It also featured a previously unreleased mix of "Wintergardens" and several non-album tracks.

The album's cover image of a priest blessing Nazi soldiers was previously used by the band for a concert poster in the early 1980s. Because of its theme, it caused quite a stir and the band were banned from playing a concert in Glasgow, Scotland. Contrary to popular belief, the priest in the picture was not Pope Pius XII, but German Nazi abbot Alban Schachleiter.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Ned Raggett of AllMusic wrote, "not the best compilation that could have been assembled [...] Laugh? is still a reasonable overview of the first decade of Killing Joke and its checkered [sic] but still important history".^[1] Trouser Press called the album "commendable", but "a few obscure tracks take the place of more essential choices".^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Turn to Red" (from Turn to Red)	Jaz Coleman, Kevin "Geordie" Walker, Martin "Youth" Glover, Paul Ferguson	4:01
2.	"Pssyche (Live)" (from Ha!)	Coleman, Walker, Glover, Ferguson	4:44
3.	"Requiem" (from Killing Joke)	Coleman, Walker, Glover, Ferguson	3:43
4.	"Wardance" (from Killing Joke)	Coleman, Walker, Glover, Ferguson	3:45
5.	"Follow the Leaders" (from What's THIS For...!)	Coleman, Walker, Glover, Ferguson	4:54
6.	"Unspeakable" (from What's THIS For...!)	Coleman, Walker, Glover, Ferguson	5:18
7.	"Butcher" (from What's THIS For...!)	Coleman, Walker, Glover, Ferguson	6:10
8.	"Exit" (from What's THIS For...!)	Coleman, Walker, Glover, Ferguson	3:39
9.	"The Hum" (from Revelations)	Coleman, Walker, Glover, Ferguson	4:56
10.	"Empire Song" (from Revelations)	Coleman, Walker, Glover, Ferguson	3:17
11.	"Chop-Chop" (from Revelations)	Coleman, Walker, Glover, Ferguson	4:17
12.	"Sun Goes Down" (from Birds of a Feather EP)	Coleman, Walker, Paul Raven, Ferguson	4:17
13.	"Eighties" (from Night Time)	Coleman, Walker, Raven, Ferguson	3:49
14.	"Darkness Before Dawn" (from Night Time)	Coleman, Walker, Raven, Ferguson	5:18
15.	"Love Like Blood" (from Night Time)	Coleman, Walker, Raven, Ferguson	4:23
16.	"Wintergardens (New Mix)" (original version from Brighter than a Thousand Suns)	Coleman, Walker, Raven, Ferguson	4:47
17.	"Age of Greed" (from Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions)	Coleman, Walker, Martin Atkins	7:26

Personnel

• Jaz Coleman – vocals, synthesizer
• Kevin "Geordie" Walker – guitar
• Martin "Youth" Glover – bass guitar on tracks 1 and 3–11
• Paul Raven – bass guitar on tracks 2 and 13–17
• Paul Ferguson – drums, vocals on tracks 1–16
• Martin Atkins – drums, vocals on track 17

References

1. Raggett, Ned. "Laugh? I Nearly Bought One! – Killing Joke | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
2. Grant, Steven; Sheridan, David; Fasolino, Greg; Robbins, Ira. "TrouserPress.com :: Killing Joke". Trouser Press. Retrieved 26 February 2015.