Was (Not Was)

Was (Not Was)

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 6, 2004)
• Original Release Date: February 23, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ze Records France
• ASIN: B000189XAO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #186,644 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
2004 reissue of the R&B/dance act's 1981 album features 16 tracks including 8 bonus tracks, 'Wheel Me Out' (Long Version), 'Hello Operator' (Short Version), 'Out Come The Freaks (Again)', 'Tell Me That I'm Dreaming' (12 Inch Remix), 'Out Come The Freaks' (12 Inch Remix), '(Return To The Valley Of) Out Come The Freaks' (Semi/Historic 1983 Version), 'Christmas Time In Motor City', & 'Out Come The Freaks (Dub)' (Dub Version). Digipak. Ze Records.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Innovative musical hybrid, July 27, 2004

By	Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This CD re-release of their 1981 album has been substantially enhanced by the addition of many previously unreleased tracks. It opens with their masterpiece Wheel Me Out, an eerie and evocative piece with addictive beats and strange interpolations by vocalist Liz Weiss.

The hit title track is a funky rap, Where Did You Heart Go? a mellow soulful ballad with great sax and Tell Me That I'm Dreaming a complex piece with many samples and unusual vocal arrangements.

Oh Mr Friction has a jerky rhythm, meandering saxophones and rap-style vocals, whilst Carry Me Back To Old Morocco has an innovative instrumental mix and fun lyrics, reminiscent of their James Brown song. It's An Attack with its delicious sax patterns is closer to a rock song but with a jazzy edge, whilst The Sky's Ablaze is a spoken poem with minimal instrumentation.

The additional tracks provide a wider perspective on the virtuosity of this unique band whose music remains hard to categorize. My favorites are Christmas Time In Motor City and the dub version of the title track.

The list of vocalists and instrumentalists on this innovative album is quite phenomenal. Was (Not Was) certainly contributed to making the early 1980s a very interesting period in popular music.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Way Out There On The Individuality Factor!, September 13, 2005

By	Andre S. Grindle "Andre' Grindle" (Brewer Maine) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Just about as long as I have been a music fan the name of Was (Not Was) has been ringing in my head.Heavy exposure to the late 80's hit "Walk The Dinasaur" (which I like) and some of Don Was productions for other artists were my only real exposure to this band.When I realized it was time to end that cycle I decided to start from the beginning.Which I will tell anyone is a very good choice from the sound of things.
'Was (Not Was',orginally released in 1981 is wihout a doubt one of the most most inventive,subersive and original albums of the decade.The Was brothers are never afraid to take chances and borrow from funk,early hip-hop,pop,hard rock,avante gard jazz and spoken word poetry freely and without hesitation.Was (Not Was) was not (and isn't) comparable to anyone but if they were I would say THIS particular album sounds like Material and the Talking Heads in collaboration with Jack Kerouac or something.
"Out Come The Freaks" and the closing "Go...Now!" are the closest things to.....I guess conventional funk on this album,both heavily influenced by George Clinton in alot of ways.
It's pretty much free game from there with the catchy,bouncy
"Carry Me Back To Morrocco" and "It's An Attack" being in a class of their own.On "The Sky's Ablaze" the beat poetry influence comes into play with it's odd and stark spoken lyric.
What comes off here from the beginning is that Was (Not Was) is a musical outfit whose influence is nearly impossible to pin down and is often more in spirit.Most modern rock bands with a little funk claim them as a major influence somewhere but Was (Not Was) have a musical knack that's as hard to imitate as it is to cite as an influence.There albums like this are best heard and enjoyed for their own sake,not for whom it influenced.