Today the world mourns the death of Leonard Nimoy, an actor who immortalized his status with his portrayal of Spock, the most well-known character in the Star Trek universe, known for his questioning of human behavior, signature "V" hand gesture (the Vulcan salute) and the now famous line "live long and prosper." Despite once writing a book titled I Am Not Spock to get away from the character, Nimoy eventually embraced his iconic status (releasing a second autobiography titled I Am Spock), even appearing as versions of himself in the most recent Star Trek films.
Unfortunately, his status as Spock made it difficult for him to star in other major motion pictures aside from voice acting (although he did support in another sci-fi classic, Invasion of The Body Snatchers, during 1978). If you thought his filmgraphy outside of Star Trek ands related guest appearances on programs such as The Big Bang Theory was obscure, you may be surprised to know that Nimoy had five solo albums under his belt as a musical act. They, for better or for worse, haven't gotten quite the "acclaim" as his cohort William Shatner's musical efforts, but they're still worth a listen to the most die-hard of Team Spock members.
Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space (1967)
One reason Nimoy may have found it difficult to escape from the Spock persona was that either he himself (or the Paramount Company) refused to let him get away from it. Just a year into Star Trek's run as a television program, hype for the show was already generating demand for spinoff materials such as music albums, and the duty fell upon Nimoy and Spock (Music From Outer Space was released by Dot Records, a holding of Paramount). The album was less original music than rehashes of the classic Star Trek theme and spoken word narrations of sic-fi tales, punctuated with typical "space" sound effects. When William Shatner debuted as a musical act during 1968, he at least got to take his real-life persona with him (although we suppose it wasn't all that different from Kirk's).
Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy (1968)
Shatner got his solo album (albeit on Decca) so perhaps Dot Records saw the light and decided to ease up on how hard it was riding the Spock persona. Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy at least admitted that there was an actual human being behind the Vulcan persona (yes, we know Spock is technically 50-50...but he definitely comes across more of one than the other in the classic show). The first side of the LP picks up right where Music From Outer Space left off, with Spock narrating the adventures of the Enterprise, albeit in a toned down manner that critics suggest was meant to reflect the character wrestling with both halves of his genetic identity. The second half allowed Nimoy himself to star, singing his own personal favorites. Side B would also reveal the actor himself to be somewhat of a nerd: "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" would become his most well known tune.
The Way I Feel (1968)
It didn't take too long for Nimoy to bolt when he got a taste of freedom during the B-side to Two Sides. He almost immediately released another album later during 1968, titled The Way I Feel, which featured nothing but Nimoy himself singing. Unfortunately, we admit that it's tough to escape from knowing the actor explicitly for his most famous role. Listen to folk classics such as Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" and Pete Seeger's "If I Had A Hammer" and not imagining a pointy-eared man singing it. If you managed to get by that test, try out his rendition of "I'd Love Making Love To You." His interpretations are much less comical than Shatner's covers, but alas only one of them was known for playing the less-than-excitable science officer onboard the Enterprise.
The Touch of Leonard Nimoy (1969)
Nimoy's fourth album picks up very near to where the last dropped off, featuring folk and covers such as Randy Newman's "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" and "I Just Can't Help Believing" by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The release was especially notable however for hosting the first two songs that Nimoy himself put forward: "Maiden Wine" and "Piece of Hope." The former of the two played a key role in one of the more well-known episodes of Star Trek, where the crew of the Enterprise encounters a race of telekinetic aliens. Part of the punishment inflicted on the crew for disobeying commands involves Kirk and Spock singing and dancing to "Maiden Wine"...although more probably remember the episode for its controversial interracial kiss between Kirk and Uhura (another result of "telekinesis").
The New World of Leonard Nimoy (1970)
Nimoy's career as a recording musician was short and by mid-1970 he had released his fifth and ultimately final album, The New World of Leonard Nimoy. Despite the suggestive title and the more psychedelic album art, not too much was new about this attempt, except that composers Charles Grean and George Tipton didn't take part. This time however, Nimoy opted for a more countrified sound, featuring covers from Johnny Cash ("I Walk The Line") and Mel Tills ("Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town").
It may have been his last album but certainly wasn't his last recording. Probably our favorite Nimoy recording, and one we highly recommend to fans of the series Cosmos, is "Observations with Leonard Nimoy," a 21-minute (21:12 to be exact, for all you Rush fans) spoken word track discussing the mysteries of space through history, recorded with the instrumental guide of the Los Angeles Symphony in The Glen.
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