'' was actor
William Shatner 's debut album, released in
1968 (see
1968 In Music ), while the original ''
Star Trek '' series, which he was starring on, was still on the air.
The album is best remembered for showcasing Shatner's now-famous vocal style—
Spoken Word with a number of
Drama tic pauses and flourishes. Shatner started playing up this aspect of his career in the
1990s as he enjoyed a resurgence of popularity, this time as a
Pop-culture Icon . The actor/singer appeared in a number of commercials for
Priceline.com , where the unique musical style displayed in ''The Transformed Man'' was showcased for humorous effect.
Appearing with Shatner in some of those commercials was pop music's
Ben Folds . The two formed a professional relationship that would ultimately lead to the release of Shatner's second album, ''
Has Been '', in 2004.
Today, most of the "songs" in the album have been featured as comedy bits, either on compilation albums meant to showcase bad celebrity singing (the
Rhino Records "
Golden Throats " series) or by radio
Disc Jockeys looking for laughs.
# "
King Henry The Fifth /Elegy for the Brave" (
Frank Devenport ,
Don Ralke ) – 6:16
# "Theme from
Cyrano /
Mr. Tambourine Man " (
Bob Dylan ) – 6:49
# "
Hamlet /
It Was A Very Good Year " (
Ervin Drake , Don Ralke) – 7:45
# "
Romeo And Juliet /How Insensitive (Insensatez)" (
Vincius DeMoraes ,
Norman Gimbel ,
Antonio Carlos Jobim , Don Ralke) – 6:46
# "Spleen/
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds " (Frank Devenport,
Lennon ,
McCartney ) – 5:54
# "The Transformed Man" (Frank Devenport, Don Ralke) – 3:38
- Charles Bud Dant - Executive Producer
- Frank Devenport - English Translation (Poems)
- Erick Labson - Mastering
- Ryan Null - Photo Research (Reissue)
- Mike Ragogna - Reissue Producer
- William Shatner - Liner Notes
The Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins
