William Shatner: Has been

At risk of sounding either stunningly un-cool, or wantonly super-hip (in a kitchy retro kind of way), I have to say I’m really digging [William Shatner’s new CD](http://www.shatnerhasbeen.com/) *Has Been*  . It careens wildly from somewhat self-indulgent sillyness (his cover of Pulp’s *Common People*  is an example here) to the confessional and personal *Real*  , where he confesses that he is, after all, just some guy.

Just because you’ve seen me on TV,

Doesn’t mean I’m any more enlightened than you.

There are some great moments in the CD. I especially liked the free-wheeling repartee on I Can’t Get Behind That , where they complain about all the crap that’s wrong with the world in a very funny way. Has Been , the title track, sounds like something out of a spaghetti western. Shatner lashes back at people who call him a has been, “what have you done?”

My cynical side (yes, gentle reader, I have one of those) says that most of this is due to the talented people he’s worked with, especially producer (and “collaborator”) Ben Folds. Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann and Henry Rollins also make an appearances, along with one of my favourite groups, Lemon Jelly.

I’m quite pleasantly surprised by Has Been – but, admittedly, it’s because after The Transformed Man , I’ve got very low expectations for Mr Shatner’s musical releases.