The Album Club: "Has-Been" by William Shatner
 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...er-HasBeen.jpg
Well, we've survived into round five, believe it or not, and here's a different way to kick it off. It's music, Jim, but not as we know it. Set the controls for the heart of the weird, prepare to go beyond the final frontier, and insert your own Star Trek metaphor.

Rate, review, discuss, debate and vote here.

I'll probably be reviewing this one later than usual. We have the viewings and service tomorrow and we have to do some legal stuff, but I'll get to it. Am looking forward to reviewing this one :)

I can't even imagine what a full Shatner album is going to be like. I'm excited, but for all the wrong reasons. I'll be horribly disappointed if the album isn't a trainwreck.

lol

It is.

tracklist:
Common People 4:38 (Pulp)
It Hasn't Happened Yet 3:46
You'll Have Time 5:15
That's Me Trying 3:45
What Have You Done 1:43
Together 5:36
Familiar Love 3:57
Ideal Woman 2:22
Has Been 2:16
I Can't Get Behind That 3:00
Real 3:08

The album have some heavy hitters working with "Captain Kirk." The album was produced and arranged by Ben Folds from Ben Folds Five. William Shatner doesn't sing but he talks lyrics of the song. This is very reminiscent of Anne Clark. That's that Anne Clark the British poet who started her music career in the 80s, not St. Vincent who is also another Anne (with an "e") Clark.

The opening track is a Pulp cover song, Common People, and while it may be considered as a novelty to some, I think it's pretty well done. The second song It Hasn't Happened Yet is a quieter pace, it's between Adult Contemporary and Bossa Nova. You'll Have Time the backing band goes to church on this number. That's Me Trying is a Cats in the Cradle (Harry Chapin) for daughters. Bens Fold along with Aimee Mann (Til Tuesday) sings the chorus on this number.

(probably edit in more of the review - time permitting)

Certainly, that’s not a selling point.

I am not selling the album, I'm listening to it. Besides Ben can be a decent songwriter imo.
Ben Folds Five - Brick

Look, you all need to hear this in the original Klingon. Otherwise there's no point. :laughing:

:pssst: Before you go and make another joke like that again ask yourself:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....4,203,200_.jpg

Shatner knows full well what he's doing here and embraces it because he don't give no ****s. Unassailable.

William Shatner- Has Been (2004)


Best Tracks: Common People, That’s Me Trying, Has Been

Weakest Tracks: What Have You Done, Together

I think I have to compare this to his Transformed Man which you’ll be hearing about in my top twenty-five project relatively soon. Needless to say, this album is a bit better, mainly because Shatner has learned not to take himself so seriously. He does have a lot of support from producer Ben Folds to Joe Jackson of all people. Common People is, of course, his stab at parody, but the other tracks, mostly written by Shatner or Folds, are a surprisingly good combination of poetry and solid musical arrangements. It certainly isn’t going to be listed among the greatest albums ever, but it is surprisingly earnest. Shatner is clearly having fun here and it shows on the album.

Now if only Spock could have helped out :laughing:





7/10 (the Word has spoken :D)

This isn't my favorite album by William Shatner but it doesn't matter much because any album of music released by William Shatner is pretty much guaranteed to put a smile on my face and this one is no exception.
Favorite songs from the album...

You'll Have Time (Folds, Shatner)
That's Me Trying (Folds, Nick Hornby) with Aimee Mann on vocals
What Have You Done (Spoken Word) (Shatner)
Has Been (Folds, Shatner)
I Can't Get Behind That (Folds, Henry Rollins, Shatner) with Adrian Belew on guitar

Worth a listen for "I Can't Get Behind That" alone.

7.5/10

And as a side note, I suddenly feel the urge to watch this documentary after listening to the album...

William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet

^

The Shatman should reconsider his stance on fat asses though.

This album might be cute or curious or whatever but it’s too campy-kitschy for me to seriously evaluate. The spoken word is uninteresting and annoying. I voted dislike but to be honest I’m not inclined to give this record a fair shake. I’d rather just piss on it: right or wrong. Congratulations to Mr. Shatner for finding the outer limits of my comfort zone. You’ve gone where no man has gone before.

Someone here recommended this album a few years back, and like just about everyone else, my reaction was “What? Shatner can sing?” Of course he can't, but what he lacks in vocal talent he makes up for with humour, experienced eyes looking back wryly at his past, and even a peek into a personal tragedy. The music is provided mostly by Ben Folds, who also co-writes most of the album with him, and it has to be said, Shatner's delivery on some of the songs - “That's Me Trying”, “It Hasn't Happened Yet”, and the hilariously raucous “I Can't Get Behind That”, on which he partners with Henry Rollins – is nothing short of magical. I personally love his version of “Common People” more than the original, but of course there are dud tracks. I don't like “Together” or “Ideal Woman”, where the Captain seems to be just relaxing in his easy chair, looking at all his awards and saying “Look at what I got! Ain't you jealous?” But as I say, there are personal insights, and “What Have You Done”, which chronicles in painful detail the suicide of his wife, is chilling and moving.

It's not a perfect album – far from it – and it still deserves a lot of the derision it has attracted. But hell, it isn't half as bad as I had expected, and anyway, when it comes right down to it, the Shatman is just having fun here. He knows he's never going to be a musical star, nor I think does he wish to be. After all, he's gone Where No Man Has Gone Before, so who is he to be covetous of the success of others? But if he can poke a little gentle fun at both the music industry and himself (as Amy Grant once pointed out, when you point your finger cos your plan fell through, you got four more fingers pointing back at you) then more power to him.

Now, just where the hell is that damn override button?

9/10
If not exactly unassailable, certainly very enterprising! ;)

Shatner doing his usual Shatner thing, though with Ben Folds on board you can at least guarantee a good production job. As a musical experience its a little lacking, but as far as being a treatise of Shatner's personality across the pop-rock spectrum (and a few well placed covers) I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. 6.5 out of 10

That being said, that last album where Shatner collaborated with Billy Sherwood from Yes is a lot funnier and more entertaining spectacle overall, simply because its so damn weird. Plus he somehow managed to get Steve Vai and Rick Wakeman onto an album together. Now THAT'S an unassailable classic. :p:

I just read it was ruled an accidental drowning.

Yeah well in his autobiography he either says or hints at the possibility that it was a suicide. I know I was reading it for Karen late one night in the hospital and can't quite remember which, but it was definitely, according to him, down to her drug addiction.

That was one of my favorite tracks on the album. I figured it was about a drowning but I'd forgotten that one of his previous wives had drowned in a swimming pool back in 1999.
It seemed a bit out of place on the album and I was wondering why he included it. It didn't dawn on me until a couple of days ago, after something jogged my memory, that it was about his wife.

I don't have as much to say about this one as I thought I would.

Basically, it's a bunch of songs that, musically speaking, work on the level of mere genre-templates. It's all very professionally handled, but also completely faceless and uninteresting. Add to that the pointless, dramatically awkward rambling of Mr. Shatner and you have a pretty ****ing lame album.

It sucks. That's about it.

Voted "disliked".

lol

WE AGREE ON SOMETHING!!!

It sucks but Darth Vader doesn't care. Punk af

Truly a historical moment.

I'll drink to that.

https://i.imgur.com/NokSej3.gif

Occult and Mic agree on something? Well that explains the latest weather.

https://i.imgflip.com/1mero0.jpg

^Don't worry, it likely won't ever happen again!

You can start ironing your shorts.

You both suck and you don't like fun.
I'm going to vote Hated it on both your next albums just on general principles. :p:
#Shatman4Lyfe
#FinalFrontierHasBeenReached
#AheadFunFactorFiveMisterSulu
:)

That's right. No fun allowed. This week's pick is miserable and you will sit down and listen to the whole turgid, depressing thing and you're not allowed to enjoy it. We can't have people like Shatner running around, disturbing the monastic propriety of the album club.

He should have picked The Transformed Man. Now that was classic camp :laughing:

I'll add this to the rules in the OP.