William Shatner - That's Me Trying

First of all, I'm not high, I swear. When some one passes me the dutch, I tend to pass the dutch - literally. But I'm pretty much in love with William Shatner's new album Has Been. I know the blogoshere was all buzzing when the Pulp cover Common People was leaked. But I'll be honest and diminish even more of my musical credibility by admitting I don't even remember that song the first time around, so it really didn't do much for me. However, I picked up the album due to seeing Henry Rollins do a bit about his contribution to a song during one of his spoken word shows called I Can't Get Behind That. I didn't have many expectations, I just wanted to hear the Rollins and Shatner screaming at each other. But something weird happened while listening to the album from start to finish. Remember on Star Trek when tears welled up in Spock's eyes and he could not understand the logic of that happening. That sorta, maybe, kinda happened to me. I was touched. Kind of like understanding how your grandfather must feel for the first time. He's sexual and loving, scared and vulnerable, funny and sensitive. The most touching song has to be this one that Ben Folds and High Fidelity author Nick Hornby co-wrote about a man reaching out to his estranged daughter. The icing on the cake was the added vocals by the queen of maudlin Aimee Mann.

It's funny how so many people are surprised by this collaboration, maybe they missed Folds' first solo record Fear of Pop that Shatner sang on. I even remember seeing Folds in the background playing bongos in Shatner's Priceline.com commercials. You have to pick up this album, go home and drop it in your stereo and listen to it under a blanket in a dark room, then light up a - well, you know, whatever it is you like to light up, and take it all in like a biography, it's an interesting ride.

BONUS TRACK: Together, Real