Get ready for some more quizzical, half-sung/half-spoken songs from William Shatner. He's going to drop an apparently prog rock-influenced album titled Ponder the Mystery on October 8.
Moving on from his 2011 covers collection Seeking Major Tom, the Shat's new LP is a full-on concept piece that a press release notes follows "a man in despair through the setting sun, twilight and finally darkness, and in the process, regains his joy of life." The contemplative album was crafted by Shatner and former Yes member Billy Sherwood.
The record is also loaded with guests, including Yes's Rick Wakeman, Doors guitarist Robby Krieger, the late George Duke, Steve Vai, Magic Band vet Zoot Horn Rollo, Edgar Winter, Vince Gill, jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, and Al Di Meola, among others. You can see the tracklisting for the LP down below.
A Q&A with Rolling Stone revealed that Shatner already had an affinity for prog music stemming from the '70s, likening the genre's high-concept pieces and arrangements to the creative world of sci-fi.
"I think that prog rock is the science fiction of music," he said. "Science fiction speculates on what the future might be and look like and how we'll get there, and yet there's always a central theme of humanity, or there should be. Progressive rock has the same concept of exploration into the parts of the music world that hasn't been explored."
Shatner will perform the album live for a trio of shows in California next month, backed by Circa, which features Sherwood and fellow Yes expat and Tony Kaye.
Ponder the Mystery:
1. Red Shift
2. Where It s Gone...I Don t Know
3. Manhunt
4. Ponder The Mystery
5. So Am I
6. Change
7. Sunset
8. Twilight
9. Rhythm Of The Night
10. Imagine Things
11. Do You See?
12. Deep Down
13. I'm Alright, I Think
14. Where Does Time Go?
15. Alive
Tour dates:
10/23 Hermosa, CA - Saint Rocke
10/24 Agoura, CA - The Canyon Club
10/25 San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House
Moving on from his 2011 covers collection Seeking Major Tom, the Shat's new LP is a full-on concept piece that a press release notes follows "a man in despair through the setting sun, twilight and finally darkness, and in the process, regains his joy of life." The contemplative album was crafted by Shatner and former Yes member Billy Sherwood.
The record is also loaded with guests, including Yes's Rick Wakeman, Doors guitarist Robby Krieger, the late George Duke, Steve Vai, Magic Band vet Zoot Horn Rollo, Edgar Winter, Vince Gill, jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, and Al Di Meola, among others. You can see the tracklisting for the LP down below.
A Q&A with Rolling Stone revealed that Shatner already had an affinity for prog music stemming from the '70s, likening the genre's high-concept pieces and arrangements to the creative world of sci-fi.
"I think that prog rock is the science fiction of music," he said. "Science fiction speculates on what the future might be and look like and how we'll get there, and yet there's always a central theme of humanity, or there should be. Progressive rock has the same concept of exploration into the parts of the music world that hasn't been explored."
Shatner will perform the album live for a trio of shows in California next month, backed by Circa, which features Sherwood and fellow Yes expat and Tony Kaye.
Ponder the Mystery:
1. Red Shift
2. Where It s Gone...I Don t Know
3. Manhunt
4. Ponder The Mystery
5. So Am I
6. Change
7. Sunset
8. Twilight
9. Rhythm Of The Night
10. Imagine Things
11. Do You See?
12. Deep Down
13. I'm Alright, I Think
14. Where Does Time Go?
15. Alive
Tour dates:
10/23 Hermosa, CA - Saint Rocke
10/24 Agoura, CA - The Canyon Club
10/25 San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House
