The Transformed Man by William Shatner

The Transformed Man is actor William Shatner's debut album. It was originally released in 1968 by Decca Records (Cat. #DL 75043), while Shatner was still starring in the original Star Trek series, and began his musical career. The album's cover nicknamed Shatner "Captain Kirk of Star Trek" most likely to boost sales and appeal to fans of the show. The concept of the album was to juxtapose famous pieces of poetry with their modern counterparts, pop lyrics. The album is best remembered for showcasing Shatner's now-famous vocal style—spoken word with dramatic pauses and flourishes. In the decades since its release, most of the album's tracks have been used satirically, either on compilation albums meant to showcase bad celebrity singing (the Rhino Records "Golden Throats" series) or by radio disc jockeys looking for laughs. On the other hand, many praise the album in the genre of spoken-word music.