First thought is this CD must be a joke, right? Pairing Shatner's trite lyrics, his delivery more like a dot.com pitch than spoken word/poetry, with arrangements and melodies from Ben Folds.

But surely it can't be when Henry Rollins, Adrian Belew, and Joe Jackson are among the guests, and Nick Hornby and Brad Paisley are contributing songwriters.

So it's meant to be taken seriously. And isn't ironic. Just excruciatingly bad, with its only redeeming value being that at under 40 minutes, the pain doesn't last long.

Opening to Shatner's rather droll recitation of the lyrics to "Common People" over the thrash of guitars, the disc initially has promise. But no. When Joe Jackson takes over the vocal duties and the song gains potency, Shatner sounds silly by comparison. And it goes downhill from there.

Occasionally, Folds' arrangements might be moderately appealing taken alone. His jazz-inflected accompaniment to "It Hasn't Happened Yet," for example. But add Shatner's irritatingly self-pitying lyrics and, well, it has happened, and it wasn't good. "That's Me Trying," featuring Aimee Mann along with Folds, has a great tune. But Shatner delivers the lyrics as if he were reading names from the phone book.

On the title track, Shatner's lyric takes aim at those who might call him a has-been, retorting that his critics have never achieved anything. A feisty and pointed message, you might think. Except that Folds sets the track to a spaghetti-western-style arrangement. The result is almost surreal.

"Has Been?" You only wish it never was.

- RICHARD PATON

The first impression in listening to this new voice of roots reggae is that it's all solid, same-old sounds from the Caribbean. Yet, while the basic rhythms are familiar and the lyrics tackle the usual socially conscious issues of the genre, there is a fresh, vital underpinning here. The smooth, loping grooves of reggae keep it all together, yet the music somehow seems more a platter to serve Nasio's messages, rather than as the main course. Nevertheless, it's still delightful.

- KEN ROSENBAUM

Composer Shearmur (The Wings of the Dove, Charlie's Angels) draws upon the styles of Hollywood's golden-age composers for a big, bold, and brassy original score. With its high-energy orchestration and frenetic pace, the score has the intensity and adventurous overtones of, say, Raiders of the Lost Ark, beset by just a few dreamy moments. It's a classical composition, but it doesn't sit still and be quiet. It marches triumphantly from one song to the next until stepping back for the finale with a delicate and respectful rendition of "Over the Rainbow" by jazz singer Jane Monheit.

- TOM HENRY

This charitable effort to raise money for pre-school education is a delightful batch of children's songs given gentle treatment by a variety of artists, in the process providing revealing insight into the musicians and the tunes. Who would imagine Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson doing a sweet version of "Gentle Breeze"? Or Maroon 5 taking the Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory tune "Pure Imagination" and turning it into a spacey soft pop gem? This is the perfect early Christmas present for anyone who wants to expose their kids to the pleasure of great music.

- ROD LOCKWOOD

First Published October 24, 2004, 11:52 a.m.