William Shatner
Has Been (3.5 stars)
This is not the sort of album you plunk in your stereo to get the party moving. It's not the kind you put on to set a romantic mood. Frankly, it's hard to conjure up the ideal situation that would demand you to listen to Bill Shatner's latest auditory offering. That's a shame, because Has Been is a great experience. Shatner teams up with Ben Folds, Joe Jackson, Henry Rollins, Brad Paisley and others on 11 tracks that range from infectious pop to touching poetry. Through it all is Shatner's humor.
The first track, "Common People," is a strong remake of the Pulp's breakout hit. Thanks to Folds' revisioning and Jackson's help on vocals, Shatner captures the full anger and disgust that Jarvis Cocker had only hinted at back in '95.
The remainder are Shatner's poetry, a throwback to beat poets: deeply personal free verse covering his various all-too-common fears, admonishments to seize the day, and a heartrending recitation of his discovery of his wife dead in their swimming pool.
Best of all is his duet with Rollins on "I Can't Get Behind That," a 3-minute-long convulsion in which they take turns raging about what they hate, the gem being Shatner saying, "I can't get behind so-called singers that can't carry a tune, get paid for talking, how easy is that? (pause) Well maybe I can get behind that."
R.E.M.
Around the Sun (2.5 stars)
Ever since losing drummer Bill Berry in 1997, R.E.M. have been adrift. The remaining members—singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills—have made two bland, unfocused post-Berry albums, and the band's new Around the Sun continues in that tradition, finding the trio writing mostly uninspired, mid-tempo tunes that mute both the passion and intellect of much of their previous work.
Around the Sun starts well, with catchy lead single "Leaving New York," but it stalls early, and most of the 13 tracks sound the same. Although it's billed as R.E.M.'s socially conscious record, Around the Sun's political commentary is oblique at best, even on "Final Straw," a song originally recorded and released online right after the start of the Iraq war. The band showed some signs of life on the two new tracks from last year's best-of set, but even an appearance from rapper Q-Tip (perhaps meant to recall KRS-One's guest spot on the 1991 track "Radio Song") can't bring excitement to this album.
At their worst, R.E.M. are still competent musicians, and Around the Sun is a pleasant-enough listen. But for a band that could once lay claim to being the most vibrant and important American rock act, it's nothing but a sad reminder of a glorious past.