Ben Folds is a Genius
Among my Christmas gifts this year was the CD "Has Been" by William Shatner. If you are a reader of this blog you must get yourself a copy immediately. It may not appeal to everyone, but it will appeal to my friends and people are at all on the same wavelength as me.
Don't let memories of Shatner performing "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" detract you. He's no better of a performer on this CD, but there are now collaborators and music that enhance Shatner's talents rather than draw attention to the cheese factor.
For example, the song "You'll Have Time" which is about the fact that we are all going to die someday. It features a gospel choir singing background. In one part of the song Bill lists off several people who are now dead. Really, hearing a gospel choir sing Joey Ramone is reason enough to by this CD.
"Trying" features Ben Folds and Aimee Mann on backup vocals. If there were ever two voices meant to harmonize it is Ben Folds and Aimee Mann. If anyone out there has any direct connection to either of these two you need to tell them that they need to go record an album together because that would totally kick ass. And if Aimee Mann is the one you know, then you need to pass that information along to me, because she is one of Sweetie's favorites.
And I could go on more about how much this CD kicks ass, but then you'd be sitting here reading this rather than going out and just buying the CD already. So we'll just leave it at this... there is a song which Ben Folds co-wrote and produced which is a "duet" featuring William Shatner and Henry Rollins. Really, you've got to hear it to believe it.
Don't let memories of Shatner performing "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" detract you. He's no better of a performer on this CD, but there are now collaborators and music that enhance Shatner's talents rather than draw attention to the cheese factor.
For example, the song "You'll Have Time" which is about the fact that we are all going to die someday. It features a gospel choir singing background. In one part of the song Bill lists off several people who are now dead. Really, hearing a gospel choir sing Joey Ramone is reason enough to by this CD.
"Trying" features Ben Folds and Aimee Mann on backup vocals. If there were ever two voices meant to harmonize it is Ben Folds and Aimee Mann. If anyone out there has any direct connection to either of these two you need to tell them that they need to go record an album together because that would totally kick ass. And if Aimee Mann is the one you know, then you need to pass that information along to me, because she is one of Sweetie's favorites.
And I could go on more about how much this CD kicks ass, but then you'd be sitting here reading this rather than going out and just buying the CD already. So we'll just leave it at this... there is a song which Ben Folds co-wrote and produced which is a "duet" featuring William Shatner and Henry Rollins. Really, you've got to hear it to believe it.
posted by Swankette at 10:23 PM
1 Comments:
Told you this was a great album. Glad you're enjoying it.
I believe Shatner also gets a writing credit for the lyrics on most of these songs. There's a lot more subtlety in songs like "That's Me Trying" and "Ideal Woman" than I would have expected.
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