Why, William Shatner? Why? Why? Ben Folds worked so hard to lend your ‘prose-poems’ real, mainstream relevance! And how do you repay his good faith? By rerecording “Rocket Man”! Ugh!
Last week, I speculated that William Shatner’s new record, Seeking Major Tom, is sure to suck. Slated for release this very month, it’s a space-themed, high-concept cover album. (Can I wait to hear Shatner’s version of “She Blinded Me with Science”? Admittedly, no. Will it nonetheless be awful? Yes.)
Somehow, across space and time, Mr. Shatner heard my naysaying and responded, as any serious artiste ought. From Tuesday’s episode of Nightline:
I don’t sing the way Freddie Mercury sings “Bohemian Rhapsody,” but I’m an actor, and I love the spoken word. I love the musicality of the word and I love the rhythm of the word and so, in a way, speaking can become musical—iambic pentameter.
There’s a record that you might laugh at, but I don’t mean you to laugh at. But it’s on the edge. In fact, it’s so on the edge that some people will laugh at it, mock it.
Indeed, Mr. Shatner: some people will mock your cutting-edge record. Watch this.
The full Nightline video—which is totally delightful and yes yes I must be some sort of big jerk and I’ll probably buy Seeking Major Tom on iTunes out of sheer remorse—below:
