Los Angeles Times

William Shatner boldly explores another strange new world: holiday music

Who'd have guessed more than 50 years ago when actor William Shatner brought Capt. James T. Kirk so vividly to life and helped turn "Star Trek" into a cultural touchstone that the show's famous "final frontier" might turn out to be ... Christmas music?

We kid you not: The veteran actor, 87, has just released an album of yuletide classics: "Shatner Claus - The Christmas Album," for which he's joined by a galaxy of pop, rock, country and other stars of contemporary music. Proto-punk rocker Iggy Pop, folk-pop queen Judy Collins, country singer-songwriter-guitarist Brad Paisley, Jethro Tull flutist Ian Anderson, prog-rock keyboard wiz Rick Wakeman and ZZ Top guitar hero Billy Gibbons are among the baker's dozen guest collaborators.

"Every song - good or bad - has my interpretation with the desire to bend it a little or fulfill more fully its original desire,"

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