Killing Joke - For Beginners (2004)

Apocalyptic alterno-rockers Killing Joke could stand an introductory compilation with a novice-friendly name since the title Laugh? I Nearly Bought One! doesn't cry out "a great Killing Joke primer." Laugh? And For Beginners should really swap names since the track selection here skips plenty of important numbers and doesn't give any clue how pop-tacular the grinding band could get. Without "Eighties," "Wardance," "Love Like Blood," or "Requiem," For Beginners is anything but. Even the great "The Fall of Because" is included in a less satisfying live version and the band's weak '86 -- ' 88 period, which is overrepresented with five tracks. Take off a couple redundant tracks and this would be a perfect CD2 for Laugh?. The songs here are good, B-list Killing Joke and the cover is great, but calling it For Beginners is misleading and just plain screwy.