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Has Been

William Shatner Format: Audio CD

385 ratings

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William Shatner Has Been

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

From pop-culture icon William Shatner comes Has Been, an album unlike anything you've ever heard before. Produced and arranged by Ben Folds and featuring numerous notable guest appearances, Has Been is the result of the collision of two great creative forces - a surprisingly pop-driven, lyrically potent collection of songs to enlighten and entertain. Included in the set of originals is William Shatner's version of the Pulp hit, "Common People."

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After his rendition of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" on the infamous Golden Throats album (though it first appeared on the Transformed Man LP), one could argue that the world needed a new William Shatner album about as much as it needed a big-screen remake of TJ Hooker. But Shatner's back all the same with an intriguing, introspective collection of mostly spoken-word tracks that are all the more compelling when it becomes clear that Has Been is, in fact, no joke. Ben Folds played on and produced the record, creating rich, melodic, and varied pop musical backgrounds to Shatner's world-weary, boozy-suave yet thoroughly impassioned delivery. Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann, Henry Rollins, Brad Paisley, and Adrian Belew also stop by to lend their divergent talents. Highlights include the Rollins/Shatner rant "I Can't Get Behind That" and the Folds/Mann/Shatner collaboration "That's Me Trying", which tells the painful story of an attempted family reconciliation. Shatner mixes a healthy amount of self-awareness with a just a dollop of self-mockery and then combines it all with plenty of raw vulnerability to create an effect that is surprisingly touching, highly entertaining, and unlike any music you've ever heard. --John Moe

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William Shatner was recently caught on tape by paparazzi responding to reports that some people hadnt yet heard his new album. See him read Amazon.com customer reviews of Has Been as he makes his case: high bandwidth, low bandwidth.

Product details

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.62 x 4.92 x 0.33 inches; 3.84 Ounces
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Shout! Factory
Item model number ‏ : ‎ 2190926
Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2004
Run time ‏ : ‎ 39 minutes
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ January 31, 2007
Label ‏ : ‎ Shout! Factory
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0002RUPH4
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Best Sellers Rank: #42,430 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #1,668 in Broadway & Vocalists (CDs & Vinyl)
- #3,388 in Vocal Pop (CDs & Vinyl)
- #20,926 in Rock (CDs & Vinyl)

Customer Reviews:
385 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		74%
4 star		17%
3 star		5%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Galena

One of the best spoken word albums of all time

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2021

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Has Been will be remembered as one of the greatest spoken word albums of all time. It has it all, including Henry Rollins and the fact that Shatner doesn't give a flying f*** what you think. (See, e.g., his Twitter feed.) Clear your mind and listen. I still listen to it, 15 years later. Shatner is a living treasure of Americana, and this piece has withstood the test of time.

2 people found this helpful

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HoneyKettle224

Honest and real.

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2017

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For the weirdness this album brings there really is something special behind the whole project. The whole album is produced by Ben Folds (of ben folds five) and is "there" from a musical standpoint. When combined with Shatner's spoked word deliver there is a special magic that happens on this record. I was taken aback by how poignant and touching some of the songs are particularly the title song "has been" which deals with Shatner's feelings on being washed up in a sense.

Really honest and great music. It may not be for you, but I applaud that this album was ever even produced in the first place.

10 people found this helpful

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artNjazz53

Strange, sardonic, brilliant humor and sarcasm

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2021

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Just what I hoped it would be! I think William Shatner is genius in this recording. I wanted strange and unique - he did not disappoint me. I like it more, the more I listen to it. Just perfect for those late nights when you want something weird to listen to... right up there with Ken Nordine - only more tongue-in-cheek. LOVE his spoken word recordings!

One person found this helpful

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Wookie

William Shatner Can't Sing and I'm Okay With That

Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2021

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Hell, William Shatner knows he can't sing. I bought this CD because of "I Can't Get Behind That". It is a duet with Henry Rawlins, who talks about making this track on one of his spoken word albums. The actual song is pretty fun. I also tho, really really like "Common People". Shatner may not be able to carry a tune, but he does have rhythm and timing. I don't think it could be done any better by someone who can sing, it would just be different. The rest of the album I can't remember, but those two tracks are worth 5 stars for me.

Helpful

"I want to sleep with common people... like you."

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2011

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Oh, William Shatner, you smoove old dawg! How many hats does Bill Shatner wear? Actor. Author. Priceline pitchman. Singer. No, not singer. Say, rather, a raconteur, a sensei of the spoken word. And prop him up with a head-bopping musical track and you've got something. I wasn't sure what to expect with this CD, but I've listened to it all the way thru for about a dozen times now, and I guess the verdict is that I enjoy the hell out of HAS BEEN. This album, shockingly, oozes sincerity.

I dig the rock & roll drive-bys and jazz lounge riffs and even that whiff of country music when Brad Paisley comes in. Yes, HAS BEEN trespasses on the kitschy, but that's part of the fun. You get drawn in. There are songs here which will get your toe tapping. Several will make you smile. And some are surprisingly affecting and emotional. How do you reconcile artistic merit with a novelty act? What you do is you get Ben Folds to steer the ship, to produce and to arrange the tracks. You also coax bonafide musicians like Aimee Mann, Joe Johnson, and Brad Paisley to work on the album, to provide vocals. So that right there automatically garners you a measure of respect. Then you tell Shatner to quit channeling "Mr. Tambourine Man."

I got love for Bill Shatner, so maybe I'm biased, and, okay, you can extract the "maybe" bit. He has one of the most distinctive voices in the biz and he knows how to make it work for him, even when he's being hammy. His playfulness and self-aware irony are on full display in several numbers. The title track exhibits elements of the Rawhide theme and, I think, Herb Alpert's "The Lonely Bull," and there's very much this tongue-in-cheek Spaghetti Western feel to it. It features Shatner getting his digs in at his retractors. Bill and Joe Johnson hike up the bravado as they gloriously cover Pulp's "Common People." In "I Can't Get Behind That," Bill engages Henry Rollins in an epic rant about things that cheeses them both royally. "Familiar Love," an ode to the comforts drawn from a longterm relationship, channels Bill's randy side, the song's catchiness riding on the honey-smooth hook ("My lady belongs here, and so do I...").

Regret is a theme which crops up more than once, as are wistfulness and melancholy and all other emotions sifting thru you as you float thru those twilight years. "That's Me Trying" - penned by Nick Hornby - certainly touches on all of that, as well as the doleful, sort of haunting "It Hasn't Happened yet." "That's Me Trying," with Ben Folds and Aimee Mann singing backup vocals, is redolent with regret. It tells of a deadbeat dad's long neglect of his daughter (now in her forties), and this is his way of reaching out, extending an olive branch, suggesting Cold Mountain as a book they could read separately so that they could have something to talk about should they have a reunion. This song has staying power with me. "It Hasn't Happened Yet" is a subdued Bill Shatner addressing his fears and shortcomings and failures. Country singer Brad Paisley wrote "Real" specifically for Bill Shatner. Listening to the lyrics - which explore the unreal expectations we place on actors who play bigger-than-life roles - one can't help but feel that this song resonates deeply with Shatner.

And then there's "Together" - Bill's collaboration with Lemon Jelly - which just sounds wicked good. In counting the ways in which William Shatner stays relevant, HAS BEEN is, like, number eighty nine. But check it out, anyway. You may find yourself baffled as to why you're listening to the entire CD again for the umpteenth time. It's just that some (if not most) of the tracks are captivating in their catchiness and their sheer oddity. Heck, now, I may even purchase a Priceline ticket.

15 people found this helpful

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Thomas E. Moore

He Wants You To Like Him But Won't Stop If You Don't

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2010

Verified Purchase

The folks who gave this one star shouldn't indict the whole Amazon reviewing system: This album isn't for everyone, and no one should buy it just based on the reviews. That's why there are sound clips and, on other sites, the entire album can be listened to. I think a lot of the pleasure being expressed at this album stems in part from the low expectations people have for William Shatner's spoken word recordings. To say that this album exceeds expectations would be an understatement - it blows them away. That's not to say there aren't any schmaltzy and cringe-inducing moments on this album. It wouldn't be a Shatner album without them... that's embedded in the guy's personality, and the winning thing about it - or the reason a lot of fans are willing to overlook it - is because Shatner himself doesn't care because he's comfortable in his skin. He says "this is me, take it or leave it, but I'm moving on and doing my thing no matter what you think.. now here, how do you like this?" and out of the total body of his work a lot of people find things to like, whether it's Star Trek or Boston Legal. He has been a fixture in the lives of Baby Boomers and we have a tendency toward fondness for these fixtures. Or maybe he isn't so comfortable, any more than any of us, and that's the genesis for one of the best cuts on this album, "It Hasn't Happened Yet," a wistful minor-key exploration of human hopes, dreams, insecurities, and regrets that really cuts to the bone of human existence.

If there is any justice in the bubbling multiverse, there must be an alternate reality where "Common People" is nominated for Grammy Song of the Year. And if the Grammy folks were really cool and edgy (which we all know they aren't) they would slot Ben Folds, Shatner, and Joe Jackson to open the show. (By the way, if you like this album, see Shatner's interview in a recent NYT Magazine.)

5 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Elleppi

4 stars for the extravagant style and for the fantastic cover of Common People.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2015

Verified Purchase

4 stars for the extravagant style and for the fantastic cover of Common People.
I found out about Captain Kirk's second life and talent just through this album. Didn't know he used to make bizarre and theatrical covers of famous pop/rock songs already in the 70s.
This one is a great return and must be given a try even only for the fantastic cover of Common People (performed with Joe Jackson), even better than the original one.
Listening to his performances is impressive because it looks like you're watching him acting on stage. It's rare to have such a presence even without showing one's face and body. And it's also kind of surreal and self ironic, I guess

3 people found this helpful

Victor

Has Been, William Shatner - As the man says, `What Have You Done?'

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2010

Verified Purchase

After the ridicule he suffered for his recordings of `Mr Tambourine Man' and `Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' contained on his previous LP, `The Transformed Man', the idea of William Shatner recording another album seemed as unlikely as Mr. Spock singing a song about Hobbits. Oh, er, hang on...

Opening with a cover of Pulp's `Common People', a song Shatner attacks with some vigour and a sense of humour, this is a very reflective, and I feel, personal album. Apart from the opener all the tracks are penned by Shatner, and find him musing on life, loves and opportunities lost. Shatner narrates rather than sings, but is helped along by a set of talented musicians and a classy gospel style choir. The album is a fairly slow tempo, apart from the raucous opener, but manages to use the humour to avoid wallowing in over sentimentality, and deliver a set of tracks with a real emotional punch. I am still a little undecided as to whether this is a serious attempt from Shatner, or if he is having a laugh at himself in some clever self parody. Whichever, it is a great piece of music and repays repeated listening.

3 people found this helpful

Koncorde

Lucy in the sky with diamonds this aint...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2007

Verified Purchase

It's a long tiem since his (and Nimoys) early musical careers blossomed, stank, and died. So the return of Shatner to the recording studio here sounded bizarre. The original website for the launch gave a really useful insight into the album - and my only complaint with this CD is that it doesn't include the commentary found on the website (discussions between Shatner and Folds+other persons). There are occasional soundbites, but nothing like the rolling monologues you could hear between minute snippets of these tracks. Anyway - the songs are all strong, the performances are all superb and the production values have not been skimped on just because it's not for "popular" release. Indeed you can tell effort has been put into every note on the album, and that a great deal of enjoyment has come from all who joined into the project.

Shatners wording, phrasing and lack of singing talent only go to show that a great showman will beat a great singer every time.

WizardWeb

Has Been, Still Great

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 6, 2004

Verified Purchase

Ok, I enjoy Star Trek but I wouldn't say I'm a Trekkie. However, I am a big fan of Shatner. He has a unique style that you either get or you don't. His first album "The Transformed Man" is a monument to the excesses of fame in the sixties. No one else but Shatner could have gotten away with it and I highly recommend it but I wouldn't listen to it every day.
This new CD made with the help of Ben Folds, is an album by a man who knows his limitations and exploits them. How can a man talk his way through "Common people" by Pulp? For anyone else it would be impossible but Shatner has indeed found a way.
The collaborations are well matched too, the highlight being "I can't get behind that" featuring Henry Rollins, a man not known for his quiet moments. Both he, and Shatner shout their worldy grievances at each other and at one point they question how a man can get paid for talking his way through a music cd.
Knowing but not arrogant, funny but not truly comedy, this cd is more listenable than his first but no less enjoyable as a true William Shatner experience.

One person found this helpful

Robbo

Goes beyond the cliched image a lot of people have of Shatner's music

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2017

Verified Purchase

Fun album. Once you get past the novelty factor of the silly tracks you come to realize this is actually quite a good album going beyond the cliched image a lot of people have of Shatner's music. With plenty of original content and some sad poignant tributes to his dead wife. I have come to genuinely like this album and will happily revisit it on occasion.

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