The Transformed Man is an ego trip of intergalactic dimensions, a pompous "concept album" containing Shatner's "dramatic readings" of song lyrics and passages from poems and classic plays, all set to bombastic music.  Cuts are sequenced in pairs, to reflect opposite perspectives on the same subject (and to demonstrate Shatner's dazzling thespian range).  The passage from "Cyrano" illustrating self-reliance is paired with Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", interpreted by Shatner as an anguished plea to his guru not to abandon him (MR. TAMBOURINE MAAAAAAN!!! he bellows, in the identical line reading he used for his famous riposte from Star Trek II: "KHAAAAAAN!!!").  Romeo's declaration of innocent love is tied to "How Insensitive", in which our Space Cowboy feels a twinge of guilt upon dumping his latest lover (knowing Captain Kirk, he'll rebound quickly).  The depressing "Spleen" is followed by the "super elation" of Shatner's infamous evisceration of "Lucy!...IN! The Sky!...WITH DIAMOOOONDS!!!!".  He sounds like Regis Philbin on LSD.  For all of Shatner's self-proclaimed versatility, every cut follows the same pattern: he begins in a groggy, halting delivery, as if he'd just swallowed a whole bottle of Nytol...then gradually works up a head of steam, until at last, he's howling his lines at a volume that could raise an echo on the moon.  While "Tambourine Man" and "Lucy" are unarguably two of the looniest records ever unleashed, the coveted Hubris Award goes to the duo "Hamlet"/"It Was a Very Good Year", in which Shatner pummels both the greatest soliloquy in the English language (Shakespeare's "To....be...Or! Not!...TO BEEE!") and a signature song of the greatest pop singer of the twentieth century, Frank Sinatra.  Even Jack Benny couldn't put this much Ham into Hamlet!  As for Sinatra: Shatner did Ol' Blue Eyes no permanent damage, but he might cause the listener to bust a gut.  It's just a shame he didn't also read Macbeth, since it would provide the perfect review of this album: "A poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage.  A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."