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As appropriate a title as it has this disc still might has well been called "Has Ben" as in Ben Folds the architect, arranger, player and producer who brought back the man who was Captain Kirk, the man who over-acted his way into our hearts for decades, and most importantly for our purposes here - the man who made one ill conceived album in the '60's. Transformed (1968) ironically has acheived cult status with its unintentionally hilarious recitations of Beatles and Dylan songs mixed with Shakespeare monologues. One of its many fans was Ben Folds - no stranger to irony and a kind of heroic quirkiness so he gave Shatner a call and the result is this odd but intensely lisenable disc.

Starting off with a bang - a fierce cover of Pulp's "Common People" has Shatner sharply speaking the lyrics over a revved-up guitar line and a spirited guest vocal from Joe Jackson - (yep I bet you'd never thought we'd ever experience a Joe Jackson/WIlliam Shatner duet, huh?) Aimee Mann and Henry Rollins also appear and Nick Hornby even co-writes a track. I mean, how cool is that? The kitsch factor is there for sure but there is convincing emotion in the tracks that Shatner co-wrote with Folds. "It Hasn't Happened Yet" and the affecting "What Have You Done" which is about his recently deceased wife. Whoa! A song 'bout his dead wife doesn't bring this down to a whole 'nuther level of cult cheese? No - not at all. Don't ask me how but Shatner and Folds really pulled it off here. A smart sincere album that's funny in the right places. Sure its destined to be catergorized as a 'novelty record' but if thats the case then it is surely the forebarer of a 'new frontier' of novelty records.

Go boldly Bill.

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