The Joke's on You
Studio album by
Excel
ReleasedJune 20, 1989
RecordedApril 1988–March 1989
Studio
GenreCrossover thrash
LengthVinyl version: 39:49
CD version: 43:13
2001 re-release: 63:10
LabelCaroline
ProducerRandy Burns
Excel chronology
Split Image
(1987)		 The Joke's on You
(1989)		 Seeking Refuge
(1995)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Hi-Fi News & Record ReviewB:3/A:1[1]

The Joke's on You is the second album by Excel, released in 1989. The song "The Joke's on You" was already released on the previous album, Split Image. This album saw something of a departure from the hardcore punk influences of its predecessor, boasting a more traditional thrash metal sound, akin to that of Anthrax and Bay Area bands like Exodus, Testament, Forbidden or Vio-lence. The album also features doom metal influences, as well as some of the earliest examples of groove metal.

Although The Joke's on You never reached any major charts, it is often considered Excel's best release, and it features their live staples "Fired (You're)", "Tapping into the Emotional Void", "Seeing Insane" and "My Thoughts". "Tapping into the Emotional Void" gained considerable attention years after its release, due to accusations that Metallica had plagiarized the opening riff to that song on their 1991 song "Enter Sandman", which had also resulted in Excel taking legal action.[2][3][4][5]

The Joke's on You is also the last Excel album recorded with two of the "classic" line-up members, Adam Siegel (guitar) and Greg Saenz (drums). Following their departure, Excel's music would take a different direction on their next album, 1995's Seeking Refuge.

Availability

Two different covers of The Joke's on You exist: the original version featured a white cover and the 2001 re-release featured a black cover. Like many Excel albums, the recording is out of print, but this album, along with the band's others, can readily be found for sale on Chinese, Ukrainian, and Russian mp3 websites.

Album Track listing(s)

All songs by Excel, except "Message in a Bottle", originally by The Police.

Original release

Side one

  1. "Drive" (2:27)
  2. "Shadow Winds" (4:17)
  3. "Fired (You're)" (3:16)
  4. "Tapping into the Emotional Void" (4:20)
  5. "Affection Blends with Resentment" (3:56)
  6. "Seeing Insane" (3:18)

Side two

  1. "My Thoughts" (3:19)
  2. "I Never Denied" (5:19)
  3. "Message in a Bottle" (2:51)
  4. "Given Question" (3:53)
  5. "The Stranger" (2:53)

CD version

  1. "Drive" (2:27)
  2. "Shadow Winds" (4:17)
  3. "Fired (You're)" (3:16)
  4. "Tapping into the Emotional Void" (4:20)
  5. "Affection Blends with Resentment" (3:56)
  6. "Seeing Insane" (3:18)
  7. "My Thoughts" (3:19)
  8. "I Never Denied" (5:19)
  9. "Message in a Bottle" (2:51)
  10. "Given Question" (3:53)
  11. "The Stranger" (2:53)
  12. "Blaze Some Hate" (3:24)

Track notes: The last track, "Blaze Some Hate", appears only on the original CD version as a bonus track.

2001 re-issue

  1. "Drive" (2:27)
  2. "Shadow Winds" (4:17)
  3. "Fired (You're)" (3:16)
  4. "Tapping into the Emotional Void" (4:20)
  5. "Affection Blends with Resentment" (3:56)
  6. "Seeing Insane" (3:18)
  7. "My Thoughts" (3:19)
  8. "I Never Denied" (5:19)
  9. "Message in a Bottle" (2:51)
  10. "Given Question" (3:53)
  11. "The Stranger" (2:53)
  12. "Blaze Some Hate" (3:24)
  13. "Cultured" (4:42)
  14. "More Than You'd Ever Know" (3:49)
  15. "Soul Sick" (3:46)
  16. "Withdrawal" (3:58)
  17. "Priorities Astray" (3:42)

Track notes: The last five unreleased tracks are demo tracks of later material. They were originally recorded in 1991 while Excel was planning their follow-up to this album.

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Douthuwite, Karen (September 1989). "Review: Excel — The Joke's on You" (PDF). Hi-Fi News & Record Review (magazine). Vol. 34, no. 9. Croydon: Link House Magazines Ltd. p. 100. ISSN 0142-6230. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021 – via World Radio History.
  2. ↑ "It's No Joke: Metallica Song Spurs New Interest in Excel". 16 December 1991.
  3. ↑ "METALLICA Threatened with Copyright Infringement Lawsuit". 22 November 2003.
  4. ↑ "DAVE MUSTAINE: METALLICA's 'Enter Sandman' Was a Rip-Off". 31 October 2004.
  5. ↑ "Metallica, Rip off Artists…They Stole Their Biggest Hit from EXCEL - CVLT Nation". 8 May 2015.
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