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October 22, 2004

William Shatner Records New Album

I can't decide if this guy has a really terrific sense of humor or is just flat-out insane. Hopefully we've got another Rocket Man on our hands:

The one-time James T. Kirk of "Star Trek" fame has released an 11-song collection this month, a follow-up to his 1968 spoken-word debut that garnered such critical infamy it became a camp classic.
So it must be asked: Is this a trick or a treat?

"It's a treat for me," Shatner, 73, said by telephone from Los Angeles, where he was taping an episode of "Boston Legal," his latest TV show. "I hope nobody turns a trick on it."

The new album -- slyly titled "Has Been" -- once again puts Shatner's choppy, emphasis-added words to music. But this time he's penned his own lyrics and tempered the cheese quotient with a few musical friends. Ben Folds, who produced and arranged the new album and co-wrote many of the songs, wrangled guest appearances by Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann, Henry Rollins and Brad Paisley.

Still smirking?

...

As is often the case with Shatner's projects, the CD seems to forever flit between self and self-parody.
...

And in "You'll Have Time," he bluntly counsels "Live life like you're gonna die / Because you're gonna / I hate to be the bearer of bad news / But you're gonna die."

Ahem. I sense gold.

Thanks to RDB.

posted by Ace at 05:13 PM

Comments

If you have not seen him on Boston Legal you should. He is brilliant.

Posted by: Jennifer on October 22, 2004 05:16 PM

"Mister Tambourine Maaaan!!!"

Posted by: zetetic on October 22, 2004 05:16 PM

Easy, guys... Bill Shatner puts his pants on just like the rest of you - one leg at a time. Except, once his pants are on... he makes gold records.

Posted by: Dear Johns on October 22, 2004 05:43 PM

Review here: William Shatner: Has Been

You can already buy it from the iTunes store :-) Sounds amusing, not sure the novelty of it would be worth $9.99.

Posted by: The Batman on October 22, 2004 06:48 PM

Ace:

Why haven't you done anything yet with those pictures of Teresa Heinz Kerry holding an armful o' beer bottles on Drudge right now?

Mrs. Heinz-Schnappsy-McDrunkerton is probably just getting them for her bear-like, beer lovin' hubby. Sad.

Posted by: See-Dubya on October 22, 2004 06:48 PM

Have u heard his cover of Pulp's Common People?

Harsh.

Posted by: jeff on October 22, 2004 08:56 PM

Maybe I'm out of touch but who's Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann, Henry Rollins and Brad Paisley?

Posted by: Enas Yorl on October 22, 2004 09:25 PM

Joe Jackson: 80's, big songs: "Is she really going out with him", "stepping out", "breaking us in two"

Aimee Mann: 80's, 90's, 00's: lead singer for Til Tuesday whose big hit was "voices carry", currently a solo artist, currently famous for solo work and soundtracks: Soundtrack for "Magnolia" and single "Save Me"

Henry Rollins: 80's, 90's, 00's: lead singer: Black Flag and Rollins Band.

Brad Paisely: 90's, 00's: Country Music, hit song "Me Neither"

Posted by: The Batman on October 22, 2004 10:10 PM

Batman -

Wasn't Enas just implying that they are all has beens?

Listen in: www.shatnerhasbeen.com

Posted by: Rich Baldwin on October 22, 2004 10:35 PM

Don't hold out on us! Which of the guest artists played cowbell?

Posted by: Paul Zrimsek on October 22, 2004 11:28 PM

Rich:

I suppose. Don't think so, though - Aimee Mann is Arguably more famous now than she was then...

Posted by: The Batman on October 22, 2004 11:49 PM

Eh, sorry Rich - I had no idea who these people were. I still don't, really. I guess for me they are "never was-ians".

Posted by: Enas Yorl on October 22, 2004 11:58 PM

Joe Jackson hit .408 as a rookie in 1911, .375 with a Home Run and 6 RBI in the 1919 World Series he supposedly threw and had a lifetime batting average of .356, third in Major League history.

I do not believe Aimee Mann, Henry Rollins or Brad Paisley ever played in a World Series. I do believe, however, that even Shoeless Joe looks down on how badly the Yankees choked this year.

Posted by: Dear Johns on October 23, 2004 01:29 AM

Shatner just finished "singing" Pulp's "Common People" on the Tonight Show. It actually seemed more like he was shouting the song, though.

Posted by: Sean M. on October 23, 2004 03:42 AM

Ace, I wrote five books with Bill Shatner, and know him well. He's both a very smart, funny guy, and slightly nuts. He also knows exactly what he's doing with these albums.

His office looks pretty much like what you'd expect to find your local real estate salesman working out of, except for the Trek stuff, the movie posters, the book covers, and the gold records hanging on the walls.

He points at the records, chuckles, and says, "They laugh at me. And I laugh all the way to the bank."

Yep.

Posted by: Bill Quick on October 23, 2004 02:08 PM