Killing Joke Album: “Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!”

"Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!" is a superb compilation of material from Killing Joke's work from 1979 through 1990, with a track listing that I probably could have picked myself. It covers the band's history, but rather than making any attempt at evenness between releases, it picks tracks based on value and importance.

Admittedly, there's substitutions I'd make, but any fan would say this of any compilation-- you've got the essentials on this one and get a good vision of the bands evolution, from its early days as a post-punk genre blending monster singing about the coming armaggedon scenerios ("Wardance", "Unspeakable") to the later, smoother, more disenfranchised with the modern era feel of the later material ("Sun Goes Down", "Eighties"). To top it off, you even get a blazing live version fo "Pssyche" from the long unavailable "Ha!" EP.

As an introduction to the band, this is probably the way to go-- for fans, this is less essential (barring the aformentioned "Pssyche").

No other band so perfectly epitomized the dark, brutal power of rock better than Killing Joke. This anthology traces their career from their beginnings as primal dance rockers to arty, proto-industrial pioneers. Their earliest works-"Wardance", "Empire Song", "Follow the Leaders"-pack a brutal wallop, courtesy of original bassist Youth, who gave the band both grooves and dynamics. After he left, the later tracks-"Love Like Blood", "Eighties"-still have power but are more conventional. Still, conventional by KJ standards is uncompromisingly intense by any others. If there are any flaws with this record, they are of omission-"The Wait" (covered by Metallica on their "Garage" releases) was inexplicably left out, as were any tracks from their worthy 1983 album "Fire Dances". (Omissions from their disastrous 1988 album "Outside the Gate" are, by contrast, wholly warranted-that album had not a single memorable track on it.) Die-hards may also appreciate the 2 rare early tracks that start the album. As impressive a body of work as any band of any time period.

Very good compilation, i like it a lot. However, it is not the best greatest hits compilation that could be made. It is missing songs like "The Wait", "Europe" and "Kings and Queens"

This, is Killing Joke. Sarcastic as the cover photo shows. This album compiles the essential KJ; the eighties KJ, plus "age of greed", as the perfect song to finish the album and start another decade, or another age of greeed in the world. If you like the punk KJ era, this is the perfect way to compile this decade, the eighties.

Heard this once many years ago and loved it. Great introduction to Killing Joke - especially if all you know is "Love Like Blood".