WAS (NOT WAS)

Pick of the Litter 1980-2010

[Micro Werks]

Don Was (née Fagenson) and David Was (née Weiss) established themselves as critical darlings in the 1980s by marrying clever and often absurdist lyrics to danceable music—a combination that unexpectedly thrust them into the mainstream in 1988 with the irresistible hits “Walk the Dinosaur” and “Spy in the House of Love.” Don Was’ emergence as an in-demand producer helped to keep the duo silent from 1990 until last year’s Boo!, which was accompanied by a welcome return to live performance. Now Pick of the Litter offers a compact assessment of the duo’s recorded legacy in full, ranging from their debut single (1980’s “Wheel Me Out”) to the present. All of the essential Was (Not Was) tracks are here (except the lustrous 1988 single “Anything Can Happen”) as well as a sampling of the duo’s many fractured collaborations with off-the-wall guest vocalists like Mel Torme and Ozzy Osbourne. –CN