Woodwork squeaks...

...and out come Ozzy Osborne, Mel Tormé, Doug Fieger (The Knack), Mitch Ryder, Marshall Crenshaw and Wayne Kramer. But what do they all have in common?

Well, they all appear on Was (Not Was)'s sophomore [Puhlease - Ed] album "Born to Laugh at Tornados". Released in 1983 on the ZE label - notable for its attempts to straddle dance pop and the avant-garde - it didn't quite break the band into the big time and they had to wait four years for major record success with the hit single "Walk the Dinosaur". However, it's my favourite album in their meagre five album output. 

 

Sweetpea Atkinson - Dave Was - Don Was - Sir Harry Bowen

Formed in Detroit in 1979 by the Was Brothers - David Weiss and Don Fagenson, who weren't brothers - Was (Not Was) performed a seemingly irreconcilable mixture of pop, rock, disco, beat poetry and jazz using a core band which was comprised of crack local musicians. As well as the people mentioned above, guests on other albums included Leonard Cohen, Syd Straw, Kris Kristofferson, Booker T Jones, Iggy Pop, John Patitucci, Marcus Miller, Al Kooper and The Roches. The sheer diversity of  the aforementioned contributors more than hints at the eclectic nature of the band's music.

So, "Born to Laugh at Tornados"...

 

The album kicks off very strongly with a poppy rock & soul track - "Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)". It features regular band vocalist Sweetpea Atkinson and a great guitar solo by (I think) ex-Kiss shredder Vinnie Vincent. It's a tale of child abuse and its effects in later life. A Was Bros original, it's indicative of the quirky and often dark places they tended to visit with their lyrics.

Mitch Ryder takes the vocals next on a song which sounds like an R'n'R standard, but is actually a Tom Brzezina original. All I know about him is that he's from Michigan, so probably a pal of Don & Dave Was. It's an ideal song for Ryder and evokes his Detroit Wheels era perfectly - think "Devil With a Blue Dress On"!

"Betrayal" features a Doug Fieger vocal against a more obviously electronic backing, although guitars and a sax keep the vibe quite organic. Again, the lyrics are downbeat with the protagonist asking if their betrayer has any qualms about what they've done. Not one of the strongest track on the album, it has to be said.

Ozzy's up next with "Shake Your Head" - but only in the chorus. The verse lyrics are very much David Was, who seems to be responsible for the more surreal and beat elements of the band's compositions. A little more electronic this time with a sequenced Moog bass although, once more, the guitars keep it "real".

 

 "I walk the line with Johnny Cash"

More of a poem than a song at times "Man Vs. The Empire Brain Building" - has all manner of lyrical and musical references: Miles, Johnny Cash, African township music, funk, electronica and beat poetry. What's it all about? Fucked if I know.

The band's other lead vocalist Sir Harry Bowen is featured on the next track - "(Return to the Valley of) Out Come the Freaks". This is the second in what became a trilogy of versions of the same song and they all share the subject of extremely unpleasant people and very bad situations. Sung in a sort of "Drifters" style, it lilts along as it describes exhibitionism, a disowned daughter, male inadequacy and loneliness. The contrast between Bowen's gentle delivery and the grim subject matter is marked and extremely effective.  

So who's this "Professor Night" Bowen's singing about next? He seems to be someone who thinks he has a certain way with women but always ends up going home alone after a night out clubbing. It's quite a light and bouncy arrangement that is, once again, at odds with the subject matter. Good poppy stuff with a dark heart.

One of David Was' nods to beat poetry next with "The Party Broke Up". It's hard to say what the two "verses" are really about. Personally, I think it describes a really boring party that Was went to, but that he embroiders with bizarre events to make it sound more interesting than it was. There's a manic guitar solo in between the verses - could it be Wayne Kramer?

Doug Fieger gets a second shot at lead vocals on "Smile". For an out and out pop number, there's a lot of paranoia here, with the constant exhortations to smile when you think "they" are watching you. When you're sure they're not, you can stop smiling. Lots of twangy guitar from Marshall Crenshaw. Once again, upbeat music is pitched against lyrical angst.

 

The Velvet Fog

The album ends with what might be the most unusual track on offer here. It's Mel Tormé singing to the piano of Mike Renzi, with a subtly mixed string section in the latter part of the song. "Zaz Turned Blue" tells the story of teenage horseplay which went wrong, the subsequent brain damage, a tour of duty as a Marine and then coming home to an aimless existence that could have been so different. It's a remarkable track and Tormé sings it beautifully. I guess its subject matter has prevented it from becoming a standard, but Tormé liked it so much that he made it part of his live set for the rest of his career. It's a stunning performance.

The band continued to make good albums, but when the hits came the music got a bit less quirky and more dance oriented, not to mention more "electronic" as the 1980s progressed. Both of the Was Bros went on to become successful producers, but a brief tour in 2004 and a comeback album in 2008 were the last hoorahs for the band. Sweetpea Atkinson went on to join the superb Boneshakers - Was (Not Was)'s regular guitarist Randy Jacobs' new venture. (The Boneshakers are so good that they'll have a post of their own soon.)

Writing in Detroit's 'Metro Times', Brian J. Bowe described Was (Not Was) as "an endearing mess....a sausage factory of funk, rock, jazz and electronic dance music, all providing a boogie-down backdrop for a radical (and witty) political message of unbridled personal freedom and skepticism of authority."

Yup, that was Was (Not Was) that was!