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

Laugh? I Nearly Bought One! is the first major compilation album by English post-punk band Killing Joke, released in September 1992 by Caroline Records in the U.S. and in October by Virgin Records in the U.K. and Europe.

Content

Every studio album up to the time of release is represented, except Fire Dances and Outside the Gate. Three non-album tracks are also included, along with the original Chris Kimsey mix of "Wintergardens" from Brighter than a Thousand Suns, which was previously unreleased at the time.

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
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
MusicHound Rock
Select

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 but still important history". Trouser Press called the album "commendable", but "a few obscure tracks take the place of more essential choices".

Track listing

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 12–17
• Paul Ferguson – drums, vocals on tracks 1–16
• Martin Atkins – drums, vocals on track 17
• Mike Coles - cover design

References

1. "Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!". Discogs. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
2. George-Warren, Holly; Romanowski, Patricia; Pareles, Jon, eds. (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Revised and updated for the 21st century ed.). New York: Fireside. p. 524. ISBN 0-7432-0120-5 – via the Internet Archive. Killing Joke was banned from performing a Glasgow, Scotland, gig after a 1980 concert poster depicted Pope Pius XII appearing to bless two columns of Nazi brownshirts.
3. Larkin, Colin (27 May 2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958 – via Google Books.
4. MacKenzie, Iain; Francis, Fred; Giappone, Krista Bonello Rutter (13 March 2018). Comedy and Critical Thought: Laughter as Resistance. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781786604088 – via Google Books.
5. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Laugh? I Nearly Bought One! – Killing Joke | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
6. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
7. Holtje, Steve (1999). "Killing Joke". In Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (loan required). Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 629–630. ISBN 978-1-57859-061-2 – via the Internet Archive.
8. Scott, Danny (October 1992). "Killing Joke: Laugh? I Nearly Bought One". Select. p. 90.
9. Grant, Steven; Sheridan, David; Fasolino, Greg; Robbins, Ira. "TrouserPress.com :: Killing Joke". Trouser Press. Retrieved 26 February 2015.

• 1992 compilation albums
• Killing Joke albums
• Albums produced by Chris Kimsey
• Albums produced by Conny Plank