When it comes to talking about his new album, William Shatner is like a kid on Christmas morning.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 scared, IB次元官网网址檓 frightened, by how good I think the album is,B次元官网网址� says the 87-year-old TV icon.

Shatner made the comments last August when he was in Toronto guest starring on the Jason Priestley/Cindy Sampson detective drama B次元官网网址淧rivate Eyes.B次元官网网址� He reprises a role he previously played on the Global series as a rival private investigator. The episode will air next year.

The new Christmas CD, B次元官网网址淪hatner Claus,B次元官网网址� features mainly holiday standards such as B次元官网网址淛ingle Bells,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淟ittle Drummer BoyB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淲hite Christmas.B次元官网网址� Earlier this year, he released a country album B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淲hy Not Me?B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� a collaboration with AlabamaB次元官网网址檚 Jeff Cook.

Two albums in one year? Not bad for a guy who admits he canB次元官网网址檛 really sing.

What the Montreal native does is interpret song lyrics as if they were poetry, wringing out meaning while surrounded by talented musicians and singers who carry the melodies. In the case of B次元官网网址淲hat About Me?B次元官网网址� it is a blend of ShatnerB次元官网网址檚 urgent, spoken-word style, infused with CookB次元官网网址檚 country twang.

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.ItB次元官网网址檚 an experiment in music that began in 1968. ThatB次元官网网址檚 when Shatner, then rocketing to fame as the captain of the starship Enterprise on the original B次元官网网址淪tar Trek,B次元官网网址� recorded B次元官网网址淭he Transformed Man.B次元官网网址� To reviewers at the time, his halting, high-volume take on Bob DylanB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淢r. Tambourine ManB次元官网网址� and The BeatlesB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淟ucy in the Sky with DiamondsB次元官网网址� sounded like bad trips.

Shatner wasnB次元官网网址檛 the only B次元官网网址淪tar TrekB次元官网网址� actor to release what would later be considered a camp classic. His cast mates Leonard Nimoy (who took a wild whack at B次元官网网址淚f I Had a HammerB次元官网网址�) and Nichelle Nichols also recorded albums.

It was 36 years before Shatner tried again. His collaboration with producer Ben Folds on 2004B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淗as Been,B次元官网网址� however, was warmly received by many critics. That was four albums ago, as the actor continues to boldly go on a musical mission that has lasted 50 years and counting.

If anything, ShatnerB次元官网网址檚 voice sounds better with age, or, as one reviewer put it, B次元官网网址渁s soothing as a warm cup of eggnog.B次元官网网址� On the new album, Shatner says heB次元官网网址檚 tried to B次元官网网址渂end the Christmas music a little bit, give it a little slant that an actor might give it.B次元官网网址�

That includes teaming with Iggy Pop on a not-so B次元官网网址淪ilent Night,B次元官网网址� amplified on a robust punk rock reprise of the same tune with actor/singer/commentator Henry Rollins.

Giving punk rock spins to Christmas classics might not be on everyoneB次元官网网址檚 Christmas list. Some might prefer listening to Judy Collins take over on vocals on B次元官网网址淲hite Christmas.B次元官网网址� Shatner also gets festive with ZZ TopB次元官网网址檚 Billy Gibbons on B次元官网网址淩udolph The Red-Nosed ReindeerB次元官网网址� and does jingle jam sessions with keyboardist Rick Wakeman (from Yes), guitarist Todd Rundgren, flutist Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) and singer Brad Paisley on a countrified B次元官网网址淏lue Christmas.B次元官网网址�

The all-star collaborators are as eclectic and unique as snowflakes. B次元官网网址淲e get into rock and roll,B次元官网网址� says Shatner, B次元官网网址渁nd I have these great artists, working with me, great musicians working on each song.B次元官网网址�

The actor is most proud of one song that came about through a random charity connection. Shatner, who breeds and shows American Saddlebreds and Quarter horses on his Kentucky ranch, met a former marine at The Hollywood Charity Horse Show.

B次元官网网址淭his guy wrote incredibly beautiful poetry,B次元官网网址� says Shatner, B次元官网网址渂ut they were all about how ugly battle is and how fearful it is.B次元官网网址�

Shatner asked the soldier if he could write something for a Christmas album. He did, and Shatner took the poem to his producers at Cleopatra Records. He said to the orchestrator, B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a military thing here, and then, he has sadness and thereB次元官网网址檚 a battleB次元官网网址�B次元官网网址� The result is the albumB次元官网网址檚 sole original track, B次元官网网址淥ne for You, One for Me.B次元官网网址�

And that is how, says Shatner, B次元官网网址渢here is embedded in this Christmas album, an epic poem.B次元官网网址�

Throw a captainB次元官网网址檚 log on the fire and listen.

Bill Brioux, The Canadian Press

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