A periodic look at stuff I’ve been consuming recently.
Album: Has Been – William Shatner
William Shatner’s music career has a bad press. His 1968 album The Transformed Man is pretty widely mocked by all and sundry. I’ve never really heard much of that album aside from the odd excerpt of Lucy in the sky with diamonds, but I’m willing to believe the consensus that it’s main merit is merely as an oddity at the pop culture freakshow.
But Has Been the album he made with Ben Folds in 2004 is really good. It’s really, really, good. I’m not even saying that in a ironic kitschy way. It’s just a great and original piece of work.
Shatner proves himself a talented, intriguing, and self-mocking lyricist. He wrote the words for Fold’s music for all but three of the tracks (novelist Nick Hornby providing lyrics for “That’s me Trying”) and is brutal in his honesty. His takes on his own fame are fascinating (”It hasn’t happened yet”, “Has been”, and “Real”) and his emotion at the death of his wife (”What have you done”) is palpable.
You don’t just get Shatner either. Ben Folds, Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann, Lemon Jelly, Henry Rollins, and Brad Paisley all make guest appearances.
It’s just damn good and you should go out and buy it. And if you don’t? Well I just can’t get behind that.
I can't get behind that - William Shatner & Henry Rollins [3:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (647)![[Post to Twitter]](http://allthatcomeswithit.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
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on Dec 22nd, 2007 at 1:34 am
on Dec 22nd, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Ben Folds plus Shatner, what’s not to love? And of course, it has THE definitive cover version of “Common People”, which in many ways is better than the original, I feel.
on Dec 22nd, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Shatner is an interesting individual even if you put the whole Star Trek thing aside. I do wish however that he would shut up about how popular he is right now and how it is financial ruin not to put him in the new trek movie.
But yes brilliant CD – have you heard his earlier one with Ben Folds ‘In Love’ – it is equally good.
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Welcome to MyBloglog Sunday at The Pisstakers
on Dec 24th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
i’m with you here, dan! it’s time they release another!
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