What is "laughing stock"

n. (context idiomatic English) An object of ridicule, someone who is publicly ridiculed; a butt of sport.

Laughing Stock is the fifth and final studio album by British art rock band Talk Talk. Following on from their previous release Spirit of Eden (1988), and the departure of bassist Paul Webb, which reduced the band to the duo of Mark Hollis and Lee Harris, Talk Talk acrimoniously left EMI and signed to the jazz-based Verve Records, and recorded Laughing Stock at Wessex Sound Studios, London, with producer Tim Friese-Greene and engineer Phill Brown from September 1990–April 1991.

Like its predecessor, Spirit of Eden, the album featured improvised instrumentation from a large ensemble of musicians, including as many as seven violists on occasion, and the lyrical themes are often religious. The recording sessions have attained near-mythical status among underground music fans; Tape Op magazine ran an extensive article detailing the demanding recording sessions, marked by Mark Hollis' perfectionist tendencies, and his use of candles and incense to set the mood. Engineer Phill Brown stated that the album, like its predecessor, was "recorded by chance, accident, and hours of trying every possible overdub idea." However, compared to prior Talk Talk albums, he goes on to note that "Laughing Stock is a different beast. I am very proud of the album, it's probably one of my best projects.... but I find it dark and claustrophobic."

The album was released in September 1991. Although not a commercial success, and initially receiving some mixed reviews, the album has gone on to receive retrospective acclaim, and is seen as a forerunner to the post-rock genre and has influenced numerous indie, folk and experimental artists. Several critics have ranked the album among the greatest of the 1990s and of all time. Pitchfork Media named it the 11th best album of the 1990s, saying it "makes its own environment and becomes more than the sum of its sounds." The band split up following its release, effectively making Laughing Stock their last official release.

Laughing stock or Laughingstock may refer to:

• Laughing Stock (album), an album by Talk Talk
• "Laughing Stock" (song), a song by Grandaddy
• "Laughingstock", a song by American Music Club from California
• "Laughing Stock", a song by Love, a non-album B-side from Forever Changes
• "Laughingstock", a song by Sick of It All
• "Laughingstock", a song by The Walkabouts
• "Laughingstock", a song by [:SITD:]