Ah, the ultimate musical joke. William Shatner, well known for his 60s Transformed Man LP (containing unequivocally the worst Beatles cover ever), returns to do what he does second-best, creating Has Been with help from his famous conspirators like Joe Jackson, Henry Rollins, Lemon Jelly, and Ben Folds. But the situation seems to be reversed--is Shatner deliberately playing up to his thespian tendencies for laughs?

Part of the appeal of his earlier album was that he was earnest and serious, despite the nonsense poured out. But here, the irony has turned in on itself creating one long paradoxical knot. Here's a 72 year-old actor narrating Pulp's "Common People" a song that defines Britain for anyone currently aged between 25 and 35, complete with a punk-rock middle-eight. It's impossible to discern if he's the joke or the listener is, or both, or neither. Likewise, the poetry by Shatner, backed by Lemon Jelly on "Together"--is this Lemon Jelly's toytown chillout gone too far? Whether it's good, and why depends entirely on the listener--is this the ultimate novelty record or something more credible? As Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel once said "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" --Thom Allott

OK, I'm a huge fan of the man but I would tell if it was just plain kitsch or an eccentric 'trip-out' but it's not. It's a great record actually with some lovely tracks, beautifully arranged with intelligent and self-aware lyrics all delivered with genuine, heartfelt intention. You'd be a fool not to own it. He's a genius.

Bought after hearing the track Common People on You Tube and to be quite honest expecting a dire experience- how wrong could we be.
Refreshing, amusing well arranged and written - a triumph for Shatner and co - very very well done. I wish it every success.
Angela

So Shatner can't sing, so his Star Trek days are long gone. So what? Here we have a mature, self-aware human being who's been through some extraordinary times, but knows who he is, why he can be proud, and how not to take himself too seriously. Shatner doesn't sing, he talks the tracks, but each has something to say and is worth your time. You'll be surprised and rewarded by the effort. And then there's the opening track - a belting 'Common People', produced brilliantly, and with Joe Jackson's soaring vocals to drive it along besides Shatner's unique delivery. Strange but magnificent - I'm surprised how often I return to it as a 'favourite' track.

The music's great (as you'd expect from Ben Folds) and Shat draws you in with his delivery. Poignant lyrics in places. Poetic, surreal meanderings in others, but always listenable. Don't dismiss this as a novelty record - it most certainly ain't, not that Shat takes himself too seriously. As he says 'Live life like you're gonna die - because you are!'

William Shatner's music career has a bad press. His 1968 album The Transformed Man is pretty widely mocked by all and sundry. I've never really heard much of that album aside from the odd excerpt of Lucy in the sky with diamonds, but I'm willing to believe the consensus that it's main merit is merely as an oddity at the pop culture freakshow.

But Has Been the album he made with Ben Folds in 2004 is really good. It's really, really, good. I'm not even saying that in a ironic kitschy way. It's just a great and original piece of work.

Shatner proves himself a talented, intriguing, and self-mocking lyricist. He wrote the words for Fold's music for all but three of the tracks (novelist Nick Hornby providing lyrics for "That's me Trying") and is brutal in his honesty. His takes on his own fame are fascinating ("It hasn't happened yet", "Has been", and "Real") and his emotion at the death of his wife ("What have you done") is palpable.

You don't just get Shatner either. Ben Folds, Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann, Lemon Jelly, Henry Rollins, and Brad Paisley all make guest appearances.

It's just damn good and you should go out and buy it. And if you don't? Well I just can't get behind that.