The Captain Howdy is the bizarro project of gruff-voiced Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller fame), avant-garde producer Kramer and several guests working together toward an unpredictable but enjoyable goal. On covers of Burt Bacharach's and Hal David's "Always Something There to Remind Me" and Neil Young's "Old Man," Jillette and Kramer allude to the heavy-hearted subtexts found in the two FM radio staples but infuse them with a corny and self-aware style.
To perceive The Captain Howdy as a mere novelty act would be shortsighted. Their original compositions, including the hook-laden "I Just Don't Wanna Try," mine the fields of pop music with purpose.
