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William Shatner "Has Been"
A new review, quite an enjoyable album. Thoughts, comments, suggestions appreciated.
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William Shatner
Has Been
2004
William Shatner, infamous for his role of Captain Kirk on the original Star Trek series, has tried his hand at music in the past. Covering such hits as "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Rocket Man," Shatner was heavily criticized for his choppy vocal style and lack of musical prowess. His infamous.. speaking.. style.. was exaggerated and became a household joke. In his 2004 album, Has Been, he turns his back on his musical mishaps, but embraces his speaking style in such a way that it becomes a style, rather than a gimmick.
Has Been opens with a fast paced, upbeat cover of Pulp's "Common People." Shatner's spoken, unmelodic vocal style lends itself remarkably well to the piece, showing that he is, primarily, a story-teller and not a vocalist. Shatner puts emotion and feeling into each of the tracks, providing a listening experience that can prove to not also be humorous, but also heartwarming. The title track proves to be an interesting rant -- "Lifetime guarantee? Whose lifetime? Not mine. I haven't that much time left. Let's make it yours. Everybody's got a longer life than me!" he rages. The piece "It Hasn't Happened Yet" is a reflective analysis of both his life as a star and his life as a normal man.
Though many Star Trek alumni have gone on to produce music -- Leonard "Spock" Nimoy, Nichelle "Uhura" Nichols, Brent "Data" Spiner -- William Shatner's latest proves to be not only interesting among the usual celebrity suspects, but it is an intelligent, enjoyable album. Produced by Ben Folds, famous for his solo work as well as in Ben Folds Five, Has Been proves that Shatner is capable of much more than portraying a 23rd century starship captain.
Matthew Montgomery
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