Has Been

36 years after the infamous The Transformed Man, Shatner makes a followup album!

Shatner, teaming up with producer Ben Folds and several guest musicians, creates an odd mix of serious and silly. Like The Transformed Man, Shatner doesn't sing but sticks with dramatic renditions of the material. The results are surprisingly listenable. On the way, Shatner roasts his online critics , addresses his strained relationship with his children, and recalls his experience of finding his wife drowned in the swimming pool. It's certainly a mixed bag, but more of the material works than on most albums you'll find.
And that's saying a lot, given that this is a WILLIAM SHATNER ALBUM!

The question becomes. . .what is better, the album that's completely wrong or the much better album that lets you in on the joke? Let's face it, half the fun of ill-conceived projects like Plan 9 From Outer Space is knowing that the director was completely serious and thought that his final product was masterful. While this is certainly a much superior and more listenable work than the original, does that necessarily make it better?

. . .or is best to not get philosophical about comparing William Shatner albums?