Killing Joke - Wilful Days - Compilation - CD (1995), U.K.

Stress, freezing temperatures (both indoors and out) and lack of motivation have prevented me from posting here the past few days. Yet here I am back again to share a great band which I'm sure people have heard of or haven't (take your pick). Who's this band I'm referring to? Killing Joke! Killing Joke!? Isn't that the Batman graphic novel!? NO!! Killing Joke was a relatively unknown band in the U.S. (except within the heavy metal community), yet quite popular in the rest of the world (obviously).
Killing Joke formed in 1978-79 in Notting Hill, London and were quite notorious for displaying controversial political imagery on their records and during live performances. Their song Eighties was briefly featured in the John Hughes' teen comedy classic Weird Science, starring the beautiful Kelly LeBrock (at the time) and the opening guitar riff intro was ripped off by those awful Seattle grungers, Nirvana.
The band was fronted by Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman (vocals and keyboards - who is also a believer of the coming "apocalypse"), Kevin "Geordie" Walker (guitar), "Big" Paul Ferguson (drums) and Martin "Youth" Glover (bass - later to be replaced by the late Paul Raven).
The material I'll be presenting is from a compilation CD released in 1995 by Caroline Records. It features KJ's music dating back to '79 with Are You Receiving, to the mid 80's with a slightly different version of their atmospheric hit song Love Like Blood and lastly to the late 80's with the lame sounding extended version of America. When I first got this CD, I was mislead into thinking it was their "best of" but instead got a collection of songs that sound like they'd belong in their "worst of". Don't get me wrong! There are some gems in this compilation such as the aforementioned Love Like Blood, yet I feel this release was just an attempt by Caroline Records to cash in on the new found KJ popularity after the critically acclaimed album Pandemonium (1994). Okay enough of my rambling, let's get on with the music shall we?

Details:

Killing Joke - Wilful Days - Compilation - CD (1995), U.K.

1. Are You Receiving
2. Follow The Leaders (Dub)
3. Sun Goes Down
4. Dominator (Extended)
5. Me Or You
6. Wilful Days
7. Eighties (Serious Dance Mix)
8. A New Day
9. Love Like Blood (Gestalt Mix)
10. The Maddening Crowd
11. Ecstacy (The Extended Mix)
12. America (Extended)
13. Change (Re-Evolution Mix)

Review

More Information:
Official Myspace
Official Website
Band History