William Shatner’s a cultural touchstone for extravagant, over-the-top mediocrity. His acting career, his commercial spots, and especially his “music”. Anyone who’s heard his version of “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” shudders a little just thinking about it. So when Has Been came out a few years ago, I approached it with awe and nervousness. But it’s actually pretty good! Shatner has his tongue firmly in cheek for most of the songs, which helps the listener get into the spirit of the album. And with guest stars like Adrian Bellew, Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann, Henry Rollins, and producer Ben Folds, the music’s pretty good. The album does comedy and tragedy equally well; one piece is so heartbreaking I sometimes can’t listen to it. It’s got a beat and you can dance to it. It’s fun in an ironically non-ironic way. It’s Shatner, and it’s glorious.

Notable Tracks: Common People; Together; I Can’t Get Behind That