Laughing Stock is the fifth and final album by the English band Talk Talk. It was released on November 19, 1991 on Verve and Polydor, Widely recognized as a leading post-rock record, Laughing Stock marked the pinnacle of the band's transformation from their previous new wave pop rock music into first wave post-rock. The album continues the musical style and "humanitarian" quasi-Christian themes of Spirit of Eden, emphasizing rougher textures and moodier atmospheres while still drawing from sophisti-pop. This style would go on to significantly influence post-rock acts, especially Bark Psychosis and their album Hex. Originally Mark Hollis' self-titled album, Mark Hollis, was scheduled to be released as the proper final Talk Talk album, Mountains of the Moon. However, it featured so little of the band's original lineup that it was non-negotiable to release it as such, only featuring their later engineer Phill Brown. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.