Search - William Shatner :: Transformed Man

Plastic performance era.

Marc Anderson | 08/08/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Taken objectively, this performance speaks of the pure superficial realm created in the

post war era. Persona, cancels reason.

At least Shatner stands up to reveal the miasma of filth, save it can no longer be

obscured. Anyone who dares listen to this album will be Transformed.

Be brave, the contrails of vomit must be cleaned by patient souls.

Bill, a debt is owed to you.

"

Not for everyone, but it'll touch that little "artiste" with

steve_oakland | Davis, CA | 08/21/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, it's funny the first time you hear "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Mr. Tambourine Man" because you know those songs and Shatner's take on the songs is pretty far out there... It sounds a bit like bad community theater. Plus, everyone has told you this album is "funny," so that's how you'll approach it for the first listen. For those reasons, this is only 2 stars. If you are a bit intellectual and artistically inclined and can get beyond first impressions, however, "The Transformed Man" is worth a listen, especially the price. Bump it up to 4 stars in that case, and keep reading my review.



A lot of the tracks remind me of an adult version the equally melodramatic children's audiobooks (on LP) that I had as a kid; but in this case, it is Shatner reading Shakespeare instead of a overwrought storybook of "G.I. Joe" or the biography of Ben Franklin. In that sense, I actually enjoyed Shatner's take on performing some of the pieces.



What is more interesting is the contrast between the paired pieces of theater, poetry, and song lyrics that Shatner has chosen. In "Hamlet/It Was a Very Good Year," Hamlet's debate over suicide (AKA "To be or not to be...") monologue transitions to the thought of life well spent. Romeo's infatuation with Juliet transitions into a tale of lust that has run its course in "Romeo and Juliet/How Insensitive." Thoughts of independence and freedom transform into a maniacal co-dependence for happiness in "Theme from Cyrano/Mr. Tambourine Man." And so forth... At least that's my take on what Shatner is doing here.



This is a guilty pleasure best enjoyed alone. Put this on your MP3 player, go lay out on a grassy field under some clouds, and spend 40 minutes visualizing the stories retold through Shatner's soliloquies. You'll feel a bit smarter for it, understand a bit of what Shatner was trying to achieve, and you might even get a smile on your face. Just don't tell anyone.

"