From CTV.ca:
Shatner says he 'was on dangerous ground' with 'Major Tom'
TORONTO — William Shatner has boldly ventured into a new space-themed project: a spoken-word, cover-tune album that the former "Star Trek" captain felt was a risk when he recorded it.
"It's such a departure and it's such a reinterpretation of some classics that I knew that I was on dangerous ground," Shatner, 80, said during a recent telephone interview to promote "Seeking Major Tom."
"For the longest time I didn't know whether it was going to be accepted or not. It seems to be taking (off)."
Out this week as a two-disc CD version as well as a three-disc vinyl edition, "Seeking Major Tom" features Shatner's trademark speak-sing interpretations of classic rock favourites and other space-themed songs.
The first tune, "Major Tom (Coming Home)," begins with a blast: the sound of spacecraft lift-off followed by pulsating '80s synth sounds and Shatner's deadpan-to-dramatic delivery of the lyrics.
Other songs include "Rocket Man," "She Blinded Me With Science," "Walking On The Moon," "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Iron Man."
There's also an original tune, "Struggle," by Shatner and producer Adam Hamilton.
Guest artists include Brad Paisley, Zakk Wylde, Sheryl Crow, Ritchie Blackmore, Lyle Lovett, Steve Miller and Peter Frampton. Also featured are members of the Strokes, the Kinks and Alice in Chains....MORE
...Let's start with "Bohemian Rhapsody" and if we can do "Bohemian Rhapsody," we can certainly do the rest of the album,"' said Shatner.
Et voila:"So we struggled through 'Bohemian Rhapsody' for quite a while and got what we wanted and we realized that we could work together and do something that was very interesting."...
Previously:
March 2008:
Lyrical Genius:
CDO Remake of Bohemian Rhapsody
Hold all Tickets. We had thought "The Day the Nasdaq Died" the pastiche* of the decade...Is this the real price?
Is this just fantasy?
Financial landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
And look at your buys and see.
I’m now a poor boy
High-yielding casualty
Because I bought it high, watched it blow
Rating high, value low
Any way the Fed goes
Doesn’t really matter to me, to me...MORE
*..."Bohemian Rhapsody", by Queen is unusual as it is a pastiche in both senses of the word, as there are many distinct styles imitated in the song, all 'hodge-podged' together to create one piece of music....GOT THAT? WE HAVE A PASTICHE OF A DOUBLE PASTICHE!!!
(Wikipedia)
Genius.
And more recently (Sept. 2011):
Genius: "Athenian Rhapsody (updated)"
Pastiche time baby!*
From FT Alphaville:
Alan Beattie, FT International Economy Editor and FT Alphaville’s new A&R man, has sent us a rock opera by two parodists whom wish to remain anonymous.
We’ve done all we can to confirm one of them isn’t Ben Elton but we can’t give you our full reassurance.
Our sincerest apologies to Mercury, May, Taylor and Deacon.
__________________
To the tune of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody
Athenian Rhapsody (The Ballad of Papandreou)
Is this our real debt?
Is this just fantasy?
Won in a landslide
Now I’m facing austerity...
