tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post7698615297981992460..comments2024-03-27T12:50:36.135-04:00Comments on Everybody's Dummy: William Shatner: The Transformed Man and Has Beenwardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-31103385657924691692024-02-29T14:46:44.749-05:002024-02-29T14:46:44.749-05:00If you want to see Bill Shatner rap, watch the mov...If you want to see Bill Shatner rap, watch the movie "Free Enterprise". It's also a good movie, really. trfesokhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12631886869696528704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-6327909805759011852013-03-19T17:50:47.663-04:002013-03-19T17:50:47.663-04:00Thanks for the comment, and the info. I've hea...Thanks for the comment, and the info. I've heard "In Love" way more than I've heard Fear Of Pop, which mystified me the week it came out. I will likely not be reviewing it for the blog, mostly because I don't own it and don't plan to.<br /><br />As for my rating scale, it's 1 to 5 -- you can apply multiplication to the rating if it helps.<br /><br />I appreciate the time and attention! I've got plenty more reviews in the pipeline, so I hope you'll check back. wardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-57405141700206625362013-03-18T10:47:16.135-04:002013-03-18T10:47:16.135-04:00This is the In Love song I mention. The first Shat...This is the In Love song I mention. The first Shatner/Fold collaboration<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2DGv5pmkkw<br /><br />Here is a live version of the song (not as good as the studio as I don't believe the female backing vocals work) for curiousity sakes<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BJ9VouFBK0Trunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11385477644783391350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-35015988233440389862013-03-18T07:41:46.064-04:002013-03-18T07:41:46.064-04:00I just want to comment that you seem to have a dis...I just want to comment that you seem to have a discography gap in your Ben Folds and William Shatner review<br /><br />There's this Fear Of Pop album which by the way is just a Ben Folds solo album under a pseudonym as it is completely different style. Essentially Ben Folds written a groove based mostly instrumental album<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_Pop:_Volume_1<br /><br />However the most noticeable song on the album is a song called In Love which is a duet between William Shatner and Ben Folds and this was the first song they done together. Apparently Ben Folds loved Transformed Man when he was a kid and he actually written a song for William Shatner as a teenager even before he ever made it as an artist. So this song was a result of him fulfilling his "dream" of getting Shatner to sing his song. Although apparently Ben Folds re-written the lyrics as he thought they were stupid as he written those lyrics when he was a teenager over a decade ago. <br /><br />Anyway In love is a pretty funny song about Shatner being an arsehole seducer who pretends to be a sensitive new age guy to get in bed with woman. I think this is William Shatner best song as it funny and also Ben Folds sings a great backing vocal melodies over the song. <br /><br />THey enjoyed the collaboration so much that this eventually led to William Shatner Has Been<br /><br />Anyway I feel that you probably need to review that album as it's an important link and background before this album<br /><br />Anyway good review although I actually quite like Has Been. he is the only spoken word/rapper artist I can tolerate. I sometimes troll a bit and say that Shatner is the greatest rapper. I think what makes this album work and solve my skepticism towards spoken word music in general is that they manage to solve the issue that plague that genre of music (according to my personal taste). Lack of interesting music and overly focus on lyrics and lack of melodies.<br /><br />For one thing, Shatner is completely adequate as he recognised he is not a singer and he doesn't play any instruments. So he gets people who can play music and sing (this is in contrast of other spoken word people who simply just program a basic beat and talk on top of that). Ben Fold is a good composer and manage to create interesting music. <br /><br />In regards to melodies. Well they solve this by either a) backing vocals to sing to support Shatner speech or b) have a proper singer singing the chorus or c) have an instrument such as a piano playing a melody in a chorus (this hasn't happen yet)<br /><br />So yeah, a spoken word album that's actually listenable. Contrast this to his recent album Seeking Major Tom which was a disaster in my mind because he simply did covers of popular songs but replacing vocals with Shatner Speech. Shatner really needs someone to compose or arrange song taking in consideration that this is a spoken word song instead of a straight cover or the result is just something that can only be appreciated for the kitsch. <br /><br />In any case I like every song in Has Been and I don't think the 2nd half is weak at all but I still would only give it a 3/5 as well (is that the equivalent of a 10/15 or a hexadecimal 8, I have no idea how normal scales work anymore)<br />Trunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11385477644783391350noreply@blogger.com