William Fucking Shatner has a new record out. It’s called Seeking Major Tom. William Fucking Shatner has a new record out and it’s space themed. This man is 80 years old. (Seriously. He was born in 1931).

Seeking Major Tom has a rather large list of musical talent. Including, but not limited to, Peter Frampton, Alan Parsons, Bootsy Collins, Lyle Lovett, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, Dave Davies (the Kinks), Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Nick Valensi (The Strokes), Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne guitarist & Black Label Society), and Mike Inez (Alice in Chains).

It’s been 41 years since his first spoken-word release. The Transformed Man included standout tracks “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”  Then who can forget his 1978 tour-de-force interpretation of “Rocket Man.” If you’re like me and don’t think one Bill Shatner is enough then the video for “Rocket Man” is for you.

Yet, it was the Ben Folds produced 2004 album Has Been that took Bill’s spoken-word music to the next level. His cover of Pulp’s “Common People” is the standout track on this album and we can only hope there is one of this quality on Seeking Major Tom. Has Been was a personal album to Bill as the song “What Have You Done” is about his anguish upon discovering his wife’s body at the bottom of his pool. I don’t believe Seeking Major Tom touches on such personal issues. However it does have a “Bohemian Rhapsody” cover.

If you missed it last week Becca Gleason featured The Swill Merchants on Nerdist.com. Now only a week later we may have found the perfect song for their Geek Track of the Week. If there ever was a perfect song and the perfect artist for that site it might be William Shatner. (Or maybe the math-rock Talking Heads but were they ever in space?)

Of all the tracks on this album I chose David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” This song features Ritchie Blackmore lending some guest guitar and Alan parsons tickling some guest keyboards. Welcome back Bill. We’ve missed you.

Of all the typing I did lets just leave it to Bill.