William Shatner

RE*AC*TOR

Who would have guessed it - new album (produced by Ben Folds) called "Has Been" is actually decent. I'm sure many will have heard his cover of "Common People", which is great - and light hearted. But the rest of the album is a lot darker, introspective - self-deprectiating. Good stuff - somehow reminds me of Tom Waits (even though it sounds nothing like him).

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

....
you've aroused my curiousity


utter bastard

RE*AC*TOR

Mordeth wrote:

utter bastard

I HOPE you are refferring to Shatner.....

Dont be at yourself

Common People was fantastic, haven't heard the rest of the album though. Ben Folds is involved, yes?

RE*AC*TOR

Yeah produces it and co-writes one song (also sings on it with Shatner and...... Aimee Mann).
Its not album of the year, but considering its William Shatner!

eggshapedfred

mr. tambourine man ..... MR TAMBOURINE MAN

andy

sharkman

Its music Jim ....... But not as we know it ......Common People

monument

RE: Common People

I was kind of laughing at this thread early on today (in the sprit of the TV ad Shatner is in at the moment), but I’m listing to it now on Petsounds – it’s surprisingly good.

MrNuked

Tom Waits, Ben Folds in a conversation about William Shatner's music.

Mad

Um...John Mayer, Bob Dylan!

sceptre

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

Who would have guessed it - new album (produced by Ben Folds) called "Has Been" is actually decent.

Indeed it is. I've his last one ("The Transformed Man") sitting around here somewhere - I'm not brave enough to try an actual listen to that yet (yup, it's the one with Mr Tambourine Man and worse)

Shatner seems to be well-able to take the mickey out of himself these days - the jumping on bonnets demo in Showtime, the Saturday Night Live Se7en pisstake (laughed for days at that one), the latest advert where he's moving in with a family - he's hardly doing it all just to earn a crust. Either way, it's funny. "Has Been" isn't funny though, it's actually good.

Im after getting a load of his songs and I have to admit that Im enjoying them. Rocketman is such a brilliant song.

In the new ad hes going "where no man has gone before".

simu

sharkman wrote:

Its music Jim ....... But not as we know it ......Common People

Wow! That was class! He really gets into it!

That albums's going on my "to be obtained" list.

sceptre

Deleted User wrote:

Im after getting a load of his songs and I have to admit that Im enjoying them. Rocketman is such a brilliant song.

Think you're ready for some Leonard Nimoy then? "The Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins" (not just a song, you'll find the video on the web if you look[1], he's the only one in the video without pointy ears) and his version of "If I Had A Hammer" are so terrible they're painful. Nimoy does a good cover version of Johnny Cash's "I Walk The Line" though, which goes some way towards paying back for "Music To Watch Space Girls By" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Earth"

It's why I loved Napster, picking up unbearably crap songs.


[1]edit: Direct working link. Sound is crap but you get the idea. 4.1 megs quicktime file

Jip

Has anyone seen him on 3rd Rock from the Sun, takes the piss out of himself really well on that and he's quite enjoyable to watch.

Seanie M

sceptre wrote:

Indeed it is. I've his last one ("The Transformed Man") sitting around here somewhere - I'm not brave enough to try an actual listen to that yet (yup, it's the one with Mr Tambourine Man and worse)

Shatner seems to be well-able to take the mickey out of himself these days - the jumping on bonnets demo in Showtime, the Saturday Night Live Se7en pisstake (laughed for days at that one), the latest advert where he's moving in with a family - he's hardly doing it all just to earn a crust. Either way, it's funny. "Has Been" isn't funny though, it's actually good.

Anywhere we can obtain these adverts on the web?? Kontraband has one, but not of any that you describe here...

Seanie.

RE*AC*TOR

More i listen to this album the more I like it. Obviously Common People is going to have a decent level of popularity, but I think That's Me Trying - featuring Aimee Mann and Ben Folds if accompanied by a decen tvideo has the potential to be picked up alá Hurt by Johnny Cash - its a really emotive song - quite beautiful really.

The song with Henry Rollins is fúcking hilarious though, great album... its creeping up on Morrissey for album of the year for me.

monkeyfudge

He's in a film called Free Enterprise as well. It's sort of a Romantic-Comedy about science fiction fanatics. But Shatner is in it playing himself and he's trying to make a musical version of Julius Caesar with him playing all the parts.

Towards the end he does a sort of rap song based on the play.

cilamc

"Common People" in places sounds like someone's dad telling them off for coming in late.

Do you want to fail like common people, hmmn? Think on, lad! (clip round the ear)

sceptre

Seanie M wrote:

Anywhere we can obtain these adverts on the web?? Kontraband has one, but not of any that you describe here...

Try here (I haven't downloaded anything from here but it looks like a good place to start - the Se7en pastiche is up near the top (it's from the MTV movie awards rather than SNL by the way, I got that wrong). There are better copies (nice mpegs) on the likes of emule.

sprinkles

I never thought I would be writing this but I have William Shatners new album and it IS good! Pheeew.... now I need a rest......

Think you're ready for some Leonard Nimoy then? "The Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins" (not just a song, you'll find the video on the web if you look[1], he's the only one in the video without pointy ears) and his version of "If I Had A Hammer" are so terrible they're painful. Nimoy does a good cover version of Johnny Cash's "I Walk The Line" though, which goes some way towards paying back for "Music To Watch Space Girls By" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Earth"

I suffered through it. It really allows you to appreciate William Shatner that bit more.

monument

cilamc wrote:

"Common People" in places sounds like someone's dad telling them off for coming in late.

Do you want to fail like common people, hmmn? Think on, lad! (clip round the ear)

A rich girl in want of a rebellion?...


Pulp - Common People

She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge,
she studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College,
that's where I,
caught her eye.
She told me that her Dad was loaded,
I said "In that case I'll have a rum and coca-cola."
She said "Fine."
and in thirty seconds time she said,

"I want to live like common people,
I want to do whatever common people do,
I want to sleep with common people,
I want to sleep with common people,
like you."

Well what else could I do -
I said "I'll see what I can do."
I took her to a supermarket,
I don't know why but I had to start it somewhere,
so it started there.
I said pretend you've got no money,
she just laughed and said,
"Oh you're so funny."
I said "yeah?
Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here.
Are you sure you want to live like common people,
you want to see whatever common people see,
you want to sleep with common people,
you want to sleep with common people,
like me."
But she didn't understand,
she just smiled and held my hand.
Rent a flat above a shop,
cut your hair and get a job.
Smoke some fags and play some pool,
pretend you never went to school.
But still you'll never get it right,
cos when you're laid in bed at night,
watching roaches climb the wall,
if you call your Dad he could stop it all.

You'll never live like common people,
you'll never do what common people do,
you'll never fail like common people,
you'll never watch your life slide out of view,
and dance and drink and screw,
because there's nothing else to do.

Sing along with the common people,
sing along and it might just get you through,
laugh along with the common people,
laugh along even though they're laughing at you,
and the stupid things that you do.
Because you think that poor is cool.

I want to live with common people,
I want to live with common people etc...

comet

Well Tom Dunne is playing Common People off the air, why oh why? I have to disagree with most people here. Common People is a classic song whether you happened to be a fan of Pulp or not (I was). The only thing that makes Shatners version bearable at all is the singing of Joe Jackson. Shatner can't sing, maybe he doesn't claim to be able to, I just think its pathetic, just someone with too much money getting studio time. Anyone could fill in for him. Hopefully Tom Dunne will grow tired of it soon and I can go back to enjoying Pet Sounds without the fear of hearing that drone. Jarvis must be spinning in his BritPop grave, beam me up Scotty.........

Crucifix

I'm in love with Common People. Is it worth getting the album then?

Haruspex

Shatner's performance on Jay Leno of Common People with Joe Jackson and Ben Folds is now available (Windows Media) here. Enjoy!

Quicktime Version