Was (Not Was): Born To Laugh At Tornadoes (Ze/Geffen)

FOR AN ALBUM that boasts such a pointedly diverse array of vocalists — would you believe Mitch Ryder, Mel Tormé, Doug Feiger and Ozzy Osbourne, among others? Born To Laugh At Tornadoes certainly manages not to be a singer's record. The problem isn't a matter of performances, because from the beginning of Sweet Pea Atkinson's angry delivery on 'Knocked Down Made Small' to the final bit of vibrato in Mel Torme's performance of 'Zaz Turned Blue', there isn't a poorly-sung note on Born To Laugh. Rather, what frustrates the listener is the way the Brothers Was take this choral bounty and squander it.