Shatner's 'Has Been' Hits Stores Tomorrow

Has Been, the new album by William Shatner, arrives in stores tomorrow, two days after the debut of his new television series Boston Legal. Though he's riding a wave of new publicity, Shatner happily acknowledges the root of his success on Star Trek: "I never forget that you and I are talking in 2004 because of something I did in 1966," he said.

Shatner's official web site has a round-up of reviews of his new album, produced by Ben Folds and distributed by Shout! Factory. Esquire, for instance, said that Has Been is "so droll and profound that we’re thinking Grammy." Shatner said that the title came from a description he heard of himself in a tabloid, saying that has been might be again.

"Of course, while it's a serious record, it's not without humor, as indicated by the ironic wink of the title," wrote The Los Angeles Times of the album, which can be previewed at William Shatner Has Been. Among the tracks are "That's Me Trying", featuring Aimee Mann; "I Can't Get Behind That", featuring Henry Rollins; and "Common People", featuring Joe Jackson.

Shatner told The New York Post's Michael Giltz that he "can't do anything else but laugh and roll with the punches," though he noted the irony of having an album named Has Been at a moment when his career is going so well. "To have scripts of that quality is so unusual, that I'm luxuriating in it," he said. "They have fresh flowers on the set...they get changed every three days. It's the kind of quality that David Kelley wants."

Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard will host a signing for Has Been tomorrow at 8 p.m. To have Shatner sign your CD, you must purchase it at that store during the day and get a wristband for the event in the evening.

Shatner's web site has more reviews here, while the New York Post article is here.

Discuss this news item at Trek BBS!
 Add TrekToday RSS feed to your news reader or My Yahoo!
Also a CSI: Crime Scene Investigation fan? Then visit CSIFiles.com!