RIGHT TO THE CHIN

CD Review: William Shatner - Has Been

(From left to right: Henry Rollins, Adrian Belew, Ben Folds and William Shatner.)

from next week's Pulse:

William Shatner
Has Been
(Shout! Factory)
Rating: 4 out of 5

The first thing that’s evident upon listening to Has Been is that this album is nothing like Shatner’s previous recorded work, 1968’s The Transformed Man. That cornball kitchy cult favorite is wholly comprised of Shatner’s overly dramatic (and unintentionally hilarious) readings (yep, he can’t sing) of Shakespeare and pop hits like “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.”

Has Been is completely different. Featuring guest appearances from Henry Rollins, Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann, Lemon Jelly and Adrian Belew, the album is produced and arranged by Ben Folds, and showcases Shatner reading his own stunning and emotional material, covering everything from things that drive him nuts (“I Can’t Get Behind That”), to trying to reconnect with his estranged children (“That’s Me Trying”), and finding his wife dead in their pool (“What Have You Done”).

“Real,” a duet with country star Brad Paisley, is the most brutally honest song on an album filled with brutally honest songs.

“I’d love to help the world and all its problems / But I’m an entertainer and that’s all / So the next time there’s an asteroid or a natural disaster / I’m flattered that you thought of me / But I’m not the one to call.”

In an era where celebrity is too often associated with intelligence, it would be nice if there was more honestly like this in Hollywood.

This is a great disc.