September, 1983
Was (Not Was)
Born to Laugh at Tornadoes
2.5 out of 5
Was (Not Was)
Born to Laugh at Tornadoes
2.5 out of 5
Highlights:
Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)
Bow Wow Wow Wow
Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)
Bow Wow Wow Wow
Why do I think of Ween, The Residents and Primus when this album kicks off? It doesn’t sound like any of them but it sort of does and then it’s a New Wave meets Chubby Checker rave up. Is this the Was brothers production audition album? Like, “Hey, everyone. We can do anything. Check us.”
Btw, it often works. Most of the time it’s like the Gulcher Records compilation album that went around in the decade. A bunch of “bands”, sort of connected, loosely, but really just an excuse for one group of musicians to get their shit out there.
And Shake Your head (Let’s Go To Bed) features Ozzy Osbourne, sounding nothing like you’ve heard him before. (Madonna auditioned for the song but wasn’t give the op to sing it until later and she turns up on remixes. I can’t tell if it’s her or Kim Basinger…seriously…on the version I heard. Oh, the 80s.) (Return to the Valley of) Out Come the Freaks is such an interpolation of “Come and Get Your Love” that I would be surprised if Redbone didn’t sue. “Smile” featuring Doug Feiger could almost fit on a Knack album…if it didn’t sound so wimpy and synth-laden. And those programmed drums are the worst, guys.
And…umm…Mel Torme is on this thing. This weird weird thing. On a song about a guy choking and turning blue.
Weird.
Btw, it often works. Most of the time it’s like the Gulcher Records compilation album that went around in the decade. A bunch of “bands”, sort of connected, loosely, but really just an excuse for one group of musicians to get their shit out there.
And Shake Your head (Let’s Go To Bed) features Ozzy Osbourne, sounding nothing like you’ve heard him before. (Madonna auditioned for the song but wasn’t give the op to sing it until later and she turns up on remixes. I can’t tell if it’s her or Kim Basinger…seriously…on the version I heard. Oh, the 80s.) (Return to the Valley of) Out Come the Freaks is such an interpolation of “Come and Get Your Love” that I would be surprised if Redbone didn’t sue. “Smile” featuring Doug Feiger could almost fit on a Knack album…if it didn’t sound so wimpy and synth-laden. And those programmed drums are the worst, guys.
And…umm…Mel Torme is on this thing. This weird weird thing. On a song about a guy choking and turning blue.
Weird.
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