Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 69
 It was a very good year... October 31, 2009
David A. James (Fairbanks, AK USA)
God probably would have advised Bill not to take the brown acid.
However, Bill took the brown acid.
Fortunately for the rest of us, he then promptly waltzed straight into a recording studio.
And thus a masterpiece was born.
 Not for everyone, but it'll touch that little "artiste" within you August 21, 2009
steve_oakland (Davis, CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
 Plastic performance era. August 8, 2009
Marc Anderson
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
Buy this just to throw it away... May 2, 2009
Jay Moscato (Bel Air, Md. USA)
Let me put this as succinctly as possible. This release is a load of "shat".
 Three things you must consider... April 3, 2009
C. B. Smith (Mainz, Germany)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
First, it's William Shatner. Second, it was recorded in 1967 when things were different. Third, the adjectives "good" and "bad" are relative and not absolute. If you appreciate and enjoy Shatner's works for what they are and for what he is, you will love this. If you are not a fan of Shatner, you'll think this is the most god-awful thing you've ever heard. It's been a long time since 1967 and most people who download music today won't understand the point of this album. The peace, love and self awareness hippie stuff doesn't resonate much today. And most importantly, this album proves that some things can be so bad they're good. Truly, 1967 was a very good year.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 69
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