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Most folks who know a thing or two about Ben Folds have heard that he’s been holed up in a studio someplace, working feverishly to finish the new album. Not his album… William Shatner’s album! That’s right, kids. You’ll have to wait until 2005 for the next chapter in the “Fred Jones” saga. =) In the meantime, however, we can enjoy the first fruit of the Shat/Folds project. Ridiculously enough, it’s a cover of “Common People” by Pulp! An excellent choice of material, as Shatner’s “talk-singing” styles are not too far removed from the “talky bits” in Jarvis Cocker’s oeuvre. Which brings me to my point. It’s awesome to hear the Cap’n belt out “Common People” but wouldn’t it have been so much better to hear him take on “I Spy?” I mean, just imagine it:

You see you should take me seriously, very seriously indeed. ‘Cos I’ve been sleeping with your wife for the past 16 weeks, smoking your cigarettes, drinking your brandy, messing up the bed that you chose together. And in all that time I just wanted you to come home unexpectedly one afternoon, and catch us at it in the front room. You see I spy for a living and I specialise in revenge, on taking the things I know will cause you pain. I can’t help it, I was dragged up. My favourite parks are car parks, grass is something you smoke, birds are something you shag. Take your “Year in Provence” and shove it up your ass.

Anyway, I guess I shouldn’t complain, any Pulp/Shat (I just love making those conjunctions!) is better than none. And I’m sure the rest of the album, featuring Ben Folds’ original compositions, will be awesome as well!

A humorous note for the Pulp fans here. In searching for a site with lyrics to “I Spy” I came across a pretty hilarious transcription, as follows: “Imagining a blue plaque above the place I first ever felt a girl’s breasts, the whole ‘nana. You’ve got to wait for the best.” Really? Cause I was pretty sure he was saying, “But hold on, you’ve got to…” =)