The man, the myth, has graced the musical stage with famous spoken word performances that have since become legendary. Offered the opportunity to record a full-length album by Ben Folds, the two collaborated to create an album worthy of the gods themselves - Has Been.
Should a William Shatner album be reviewed at the same level as an album recorded by a group who does so for their bread and butter? Or should the Has Been singer be counted in the "novelty" pile as just another celebrity trying to get their feet wet in the music biz? Stars do it all the time; these days every actor or singer thinks they have enough talent to cross over into the other industry. At some point singing and acting became interchangeable. But at least William Shatner has previous experience in singing - assuming you count his stellar renditions of songs such as "Rocket Man." I do. And so, I count his mostly spoken-word album Has Been as a contender for critical musical consideration.
I did originally approach Shatner's Has Been out of humorous curiosity. But after listening to the album in its entirety, I have to admit - Ben Folds and Shatner put together a fun album that's really fun to listen to.
The opening song, "Common People" hooked me; with William Shatner's traditional dry-humor, spoken word delivery, brilliant instrumentation and yes, even a full-blown choir. "Common People" William Shatner emphasizes with the common folk who find revulsion in the naiveté of the rich. Moving on, Shatner epitomizes the lounge singer façade with "It Hasn't Happened Yet". With eerie female vocals taking up the background and multiple vocal tracks competing for your attention, the song borders on cheesiness though walking the line well enough to keep the song out of the kitsch zone. "You'll Have Time" hears Shatner preaching his sermon about death's inevitability. The song's actually pretty damned funny - it sets the album up as a near perfect gift for the 40 - 50 year old going through their mid-life crisis. When Shatner begins listing off dead celebrities....I always crack up.
"That's Me Trying" is a hilarious song about William Shatner's reconciliation with his now grown children who lived only 10 miles away without him ever knowing. Ben Folds's vocals are featured prominently in this song and it works well.
"Let's keep things neutral / Stick to topics that won't bug us / How about this, let's choose a book and we'll read it before we meet / Then we can sit down at a restaurant, take a look at the menu and talk about it while we eat........./ You wanna try Cold Mountain? / Or is that too long?"
Shatner's lyrics and delivery match the awkward reunion setup so well.
The title track "Has Been" evokes just as many laughs. With a very rawhide sound - you'll find it hard to stop laughing. Positively amazing. I can't stress enough how funny it is. Shatner voices his crotchety old man dislike for modern fads in "I Can't Get Behind That". Shatner is hilarious.
Finally - the song "Real" addresses a very important issue that many people need to deal with: actors don't actually possess the same traits as the characters they portray onscreen.
"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."
If you want a good laugh and even some noteworthy tunes to enjoy William Shatner is an unlikely though perfectly good source for that which you crave. Has Been deserves to be heard by anyone who has ever heard the name William Shatner. Behold the hilarity.
"Has Been" is on sale October 5, 2005 from Shout! Factory.
