Born to Laugh at Tornadoes

Born to Laugh at Tornadoes
Studio album by Was (Not Was)
Released	September 1983
Recorded	November 1982-June 1983; Sound Suite Recording Studios, Detroit
Length	35:31
Label	ZE Records, Geffen
Producer	Jack Tann, David Was, Don Was
Was (Not Was) chronology

Born To Laugh at Tornadoes is a 1983 album by the art-funk band Was (Not Was). Rolling Stone declared it "conceptually, the best album of the year" shortly after its release.[2] Despite the glowing reviews, Tornadoes made little commercial impact in a year dominated by Michael Jackson's Thriller and Prince's 1999. (It did manage to become the band's first release to make it onto Billboard's album chart, peaking at #134 in a nine-week stay in the fall of 1983.)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	B+[1]
Rolling Stone	link

This album boasted an impressive array of guest vocalists, ranging from hard rocker Mitch Ryder (on "Bow Wow Wow Wow"), former Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne ("Shake Your Head"), rock band The Knack's lead vocalist Doug Fieger (on "Betrayal" and "Smile"), Marshall Crenshaw ("The Party Broke Up") and torch song vocalist/songwriter Mel Tormé (lead vocal on the closing song "Zaz Turned Blue").

The album also displayed a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from pop love ballads ("Betrayal") to rock ("Bow Wow Wow Wow"), psychedelic synthesized mod music ("Man Vs. The Empire Brain Building") and even easy listening cocktail jazz ("Zaz Turned Blue", a ballad about a man who nearly chokes to death in a park).

Also noteworthy is a credit to Robert Kinkel as Assistant Engineer; Kinkel went on to be co-creator of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The front cover illustration, "After Compton's", was credited to Dan Chapman and Jeri McManus was the art director.

Track listing

All tracks are written by David Was and Don Was; except where indicated.

Side one
No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)"	Sweet Pea Atkinson	3:07
2.	"Bow Wow Wow Wow" (Thomas Brzezina)	Mitch Ryder	3:10
3.	"Betrayal"	Doug Fieger	3:06
4.	"Shake Your Head (Let's Go to Bed)" (David Was, Don Was, Jarvis Stroud)	Carol Hall, Madonna, Ozzy Osbourne	3:55
5.	"Man vs. the Empire Brain Building"	Ada Griffin, Carol Hall, Chris Blackwell, Felix & Jarvis, The Was Bros.	4:02

Side two
No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
6.	"(Return to The Valley of) Out Come the Freaks"	Harry Bowens	4:22
7.	"Professor Night" (David Was, Don Was, Felix Morris)	Harry Bowens	4:10
8.	"The Party Broke Up"	David Was	2:14
9.	"Smile"	Doug Fieger	3:15
10.	"Zaz Turned Blue"	Mel Tormé	4:19

Personnel

Marshall Crenshaw – organ, guitar, vocals
Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
Mitch Ryder – vocals
Vinnie Vincent – guitar
Joseph LoDuca – guitar
Mel Tormé – piano, vocals
Carol Hall – vocals
Sweet Pea Atkinson – vocals
Wayne Kramer – guitar
Marin Alsop – violin
Chris Blackwell – vocals
Sir Harry Bowens – vocals
Jervonny Collier – bass
Michael Edwards – vocals
Doug Fieger – vocals
Kathy Kosins – vocals
Yogi Horton – drums
Michael "Smitt E. Smitty" Smith – Simmons drums
Bob Kulick – guitar
Jay Leonhart – bass
David McMurray – soprano & tenor saxophone
Bruce Nazarian – guitar
Luis Resto – organ, synthesizer, vocorder
Paul Riser – horn & string arrangement on "Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)"
John Robie – synthesizer
John Sinclair – background vocals
David Was – keyboards, saxophone, vocals
Don Was – synthesizer, bass, vocals
Randy Jacobs – bass, guitar, background vocals
Lawrence Fratangelo – percussion
Debbie Caponetta - production co-ordination
Michael Zilkha - Executive Producer
David Thoener and The Detroit Wasmopolitan Mixing Squad (Duane Bradley, Ken Collier and Don Was) - mixing

References

Christgau, Robert (January 24, 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
"Born to Laugh at Tornadoes". Rolling Stone. 1983-10-13. Retrieved 2008-05-29.

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[Christgau-1] Christgau, Robert (January 24, 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 29, 2013.

[2] "Born to Laugh at Tornadoes". Rolling Stone. 1983-10-13. Retrieved 2008-05-29.

Was (Not Was)
David Was Don Was "Sweet Pea" Atkinson Harry Bowens
Studio albums	Was (Not Was) Born to Laugh at Tornadoes What Up, Dog? Are You Okay? Boo!
Singles	"Out Come the Freaks" "Where Did Your Heart Go?" "(Return to the Valley of) Out Come the Freaks" "Spy in the House of Love" "Walk the Dinosaur" "Out Come the Freaks (Again)" "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" "Listen Like Thieves" "Shake Your Head"