William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy

[devilchicken]

Their music is described as "Curiously compelling". That's no lie.

Hearing William Shatner sing is not unlike drinking the best, most expensive bottle of wine in the filthiest, smelliest public lavatory.

[Dead-Air]

Shatner's old work was laughable to the point of being enjoyable from presumably the opposite reasons intended, which earned him a spot on Rhino's Golden Throats compilation for his absolutely absurd rendition of "Mr. Tambourine Man". However, his newest album Has Been is actually amazingly good!

He seems to surprisingly get the joke that is his own "singing" career, and is matched up with some top notch production to take us through an aural journey where we seem to be laughing with him rather than at him. Check out "You'll Have Time" for one of the funniest ironic songs about death you are likely to ever hear, and then there's "That's Me Trying" where the irony actually outweighs the humor for a poignant piece about failed parenthood.

I still believe what everyone else in the Star Trek crew had to say about him being a narcissistic asshole, but apparently he's really an artist as well.

[lemec]

Shatner's old work was laughable to the point of being enjoyable from presumably the opposite reasons intended, which earned him a spot on Rhino's Golden Throats compilation for his absolutely absurd rendition of "Mr. Tambourine Man". However, his newest album Has Been is actually amazingly good!

He seems to surprisingly get the joke that is his own "singing" career, and is matched up with some top notch production to take us through an aural journey where we seem to be laughing with him rather than at him. Check out "You'll Have Time" for one of the funniest ironic songs about death you are likely to ever hear, and then there's "That's Me Trying" where the irony actually outweighs the humor for a poignant piece about failed parenthood.

I still believe what everyone else in the Star Trek crew had to say about him being a narcissistic asshole, but apparently he's really an artist as well.

yes, indeed! -and in my opinion, nothing beats his Rocket Man, but I Can't Get Behind That and Common People were the only two songs I heard from Has Been. He is a funny guy. Have you seen that short video,I think from an awards ahow, of Shatner doing Seven? now that was a pure artform.

[Marca]

Shatner was a pretty good actor in his early days, with some interesting credits, including Roger Corman's The Intruder (1961) and Incubus (1965), filmed entirely in Esperanto. His rendition of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is a classic though...

[Pellaz]

What, no mention of Nimoy's.....umm......curiously compelling "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins"? :o

I bought a combo CD with the "very best" of Shatner and Nimoy...needless to say, it's one of the most prized items in my CD collection, although not for the reasons they originally intended, I suspect. :D

[Krimson]

Shatner was a pretty good actor in his early days, with some interesting credits, including Roger Corman's The Intruder (1961) and Incubus (1965), filmed entirely in Esperanto. His rendition of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is a classic though...

Incubus was.... It was not very good. Shatner's Esperanto (I was studying it at the time for some reason I can't remember) not so easy to understand either.

[devilchicken]

What, no mention of Nimoy's.....umm......curiously compelling "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins"? :o

I bought a combo CD with the "very best" of Shatner and Nimoy...needless to say, it's one of the most prized items in my CD collection, although not for the reasons they originally intended, I suspect. :D

My friend crashed his car listening to that CD. He was laughing so much he couldn't keep his eyes on the road...

I think Leonard Nimoy was sorely underrated on that CD - great covers like "If I were a carpenter" and "If I had a hammer".

I wonder if anyone else noticed that Alanis Morrissette song "Ironic" was a total Rip-Off of "how illogical". At least Nimoy seems to have a better grasp of the meaning of the word.

Of course, the least said about Shatner's Shakespeare recital tracks the better ;)

[Governor of Rowe Island]

I'm sure I read a quote by Shatner somwhere, where he said he realised he was no singer. To this end he decided to treat the lyrics as dramatic compositions rather than songs. IMO, when considered in this light 'The Transformed Man' works really well. The Shakespearean quotes etc are juxtaposed with the songs, to create a contrast or, in some cases, an elaboration. I feel this works exceptionally well with 'Romeo And Juliet/How Insensitive,' telling the tale of going from being totally love struck with someone, blind to all else, to taking them totally for granted, blind to their needs.

Anyway, that's how the critic in me perceives it. I also think he can't sing for toffee, and the album is a total hoot. Love it. 'Has Been' is a pretty good album too, partly for the same reasons and partly 'cause some of the tracks are quite good. I agree lemec, I think 'Common People' is the pick of the bunch.

Leonard Nimoy, on the other hand, does think he can sing and hits the right spot for similiar reasons to Bill. He really is funny on his albums. Is there a jauntier pile of shit than 'Bilbo Baggins'?

[Pellaz]

% the greatest little hobbit in the world! %


As opposed to those BIG hobbits, of course.....

[DeepFixer]

Yeah, I bought a copy of Shatner's 'The Transformed Man' CD a while back . . .

I dunno, I look at it like the stuff Mike and Bob Calvert did with Hawkiwnd: it's all Art and Artistic Expression, so I take it as that.

Is there a jauntier pile of shit than 'Bilbo Baggins'?

Have you ever heard 'Illogical?' or maybe it's called 'Totally Illogical.'

He can (sort of) carry a tune. . . kinda . . . well, at least he's a good director

[lemec]

I still want to see Shatner do a complete one-man version of Julius Caesar.





If Patrick Stuart can perform A Christmas Carol by himself, why not? ;)

[voilodian ghagnasdiak]

Yeah...Yeah.. William Shatner and the GORN could be Cassius

[Governor of Rowe Island]

I do have that tune DeepFixer, but I'm afraid I don't remember it. I'll have to have another listen.

[Mikey_C]

Upset a Tolkien fan today!

[Mario]

I still want to see Shatner do a complete one-man version of Julius Caesar.





If Patrick Stuart can perform A Christmas Carol by himself, why not? ;)

Will this do?