17. WHAT UP, DOG? by Was (Not Was)

This record is from 1988 and just made the cut for Rolling Stone’s top 100 albums of the 1980’s (coming in at #99). The backbone of Was (Not Was) are two childhood friends who made a habit of employing multiple musicians for their albums. In this particular album, lead vocals are shared between Sweet Pea Atkinson (who recently died) and Sir Harry Bowens, along with a few others who served as guest vocalists. The tracks are an eclectic mix of pop, soul, funk, dance and even spoken word. The best thing about this album is that each successive track comes as a surprise when compared to the song before it and the song after it - you really have to give it a listen to understand what I’m talking about. Several hits and singles were generated from this record, though none of those are my favorites. I have a particular affection for ‘Anytime Lisa,’ ‘Anything Can Happen’ and ‘Shadow and Jimmy’ (which was co-written by Elvis Costello). Bonus: Without looking it up, see if you can figure out who the singer is on ‘Wedding Vows in Vegas.’