"Laughing Stock" is the fifth and final studio album by the English band Talk Talk, released on September 16, 1991. After the departure of bassist Paul Webb, the band was reduced to a duo consisting of singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Hollis and drummer Lee Harris. They left EMI under contentious circumstances and signed with Polydor, which released the album on their newly revitalized jazz-oriented Verve Records label.
The album was recorded at London's Wessex Sound Studios from September 1990 to April 1991, with producer Tim Friese-Greene and engineer Phill Brown. The recording process was characterized by Hollis' perfectionism and the use of improvised instrumentation by a large ensemble of musicians. Phill Brown described the recording as involving "chance, accident, and hours of trying every possible overdub idea."
Upon its release, Laughing Stock received significant critical acclaim and is often cited as a seminal work in the post-rock genre. Pitchfork retrospectively awarded the album a perfect 10 out of 10 score and listed it as the eleventh best album of the 1990s, highlighting its ability to "make its own environment and become more than the sum of its sounds." Stylus Magazine named it the greatest post-rock album in a 2007 list. The band disbanded following the album's release.
The Colour of Spring (1986) marked a significant shift for Talk Talk from their earlier synthpop sound to a more organic and art pop-oriented style. The band, consisting of Mark Hollis, Lee Harris, and Paul Webb, adopted a process of extensive improvisation with various musicians, which was then meticulously edited and arranged by Hollis and producer Tim Friese-Greene. The result was a more layered, instrument-driven sound, and the album became their most successful release, selling over two million copies and leading to a major world tour.
For their follow-up album, Spirit of Eden (1988), Talk Talk pursued an even more unconventional approach. They recorded at Studio 1 at London's Wessex Studios, engaging in lengthy improvisations in near-darkness, which were later edited into the final product by Hollis and Friese-Greene. The resulting album was highly experimental and was initially polarizing, not achieving commercial success at the time but gaining critical acclaim in later years.
The band's relationship with EMI Records became strained over the release of Spirit of Eden. EMI was uncertain about the album's potential and suggested changes, which Hollis refused. This led to a legal battle over the contract, centered around whether EMI had notified the band within the correct timeframe about the contract extension. EMI's eventual decision to release the band from their contract was overturned in court, leading to Talk Talk's departure from the label.
In 1990, bassist Paul Webb left the band, reducing Talk Talk to a duo of Hollis and Harris. Meanwhile, EMI released compilations without the band's consent, including Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk and History Revisited. Hollis's opposition to these releases led to a lawsuit, which Talk Talk won in 1992, resulting in the withdrawal and destruction of the compilations.
Freed from their contract with EMI, Talk Talk signed with Verve Records, a jazz-oriented offshoot of Polydor. The band, along with Friese-Greene and engineer Phill Brown, began work on Laughing Stock in 1990. The album continued their trend of using extensive improvisation and unconventional recording techniques, contributing to its acclaim as a landmark post-rock record. The album's intricate and atmospheric sound further solidified Talk Talk's place in the music world despite their challenging period with EMI and changes within the band.
