Cap'n Jazz - Analphabetapolothology

The excellent two-disc set Analphabetapolothology collects the entirety of the Cap'n Jazz oeuvre, assembling all of the singles and compilation tracks as well as unreleased eight-track demos and live material from their final show in their native Chicago. Jade Tree. 1998. Album Description

Important, if overwrought

3 1/2

Impressive compilation of some of the most spirited garage lo-low-fi, representing adolescent neo-punk zeal in equal unhinged and tightly wound measures, surely will preach to the low-key choir, containing hoarsely off key vocals (representing perhaps a poor-man's early ATDI) coupled with often remarkable, though overly splintered instrumental angst. October 16, 2008

Really good EP

Really like this band and the way they use a string section.All the songs are really good with Dying Is Fine the best of all look foward to next album.I heard the drummer died in a swimming accident it will be interisting to see if they change their sound he wrote a lot the music on this album. August 16, 2008

The anthems of my adolescence

For some people it was Led Zeppelin, or Saves the Day, but for me it was caP'n Jazz. When I heard Analphabetapolothology for the first time, everything made sense to me. It didn't make sense to most of my friends at the time, and I know a lot of people who like the other Kinsella projects but not caP'n Jazz. But for me, this album is pretty much the soundtrack to my teenage years. I have never grown tired of it, and I consider it to be among a handful of albums that helped me develop my taste in music. February 12, 2008

The anthems of my adolescence

For some people it was Led Zeppelin, or Saves the Day, but for me it was caP'n Jazz. When I heard Analphabetapolothology for the first time, everything made sense to me. It didn't make sense to most of my friends at the time, and I know a lot of people who like the other Kinsella projects but not caP'n Jazz. But for me, this album is pretty much the soundtrack to my teenage years. I have never grown tired of it, and I consider it to be among a handful of albums that helped me develop my taste in music. February 12, 2008

A Missing Link

When people these days seek to put music into categories, they normally lump Cap'n Jazz in with the horrible 'emo' bands like Fall Out Boy and Hawthorne Heights. But, seriously, what do they have in common? If you look at it, there's, um, well, pretty much just screaming. And screaming was popular WAY before 2005, with the Hardcore Punk movement in the '70s and '80s. So, what are the good Cap'ns, then?

And, I bet, if Cap'n Jazz was still totally together today, they'd have been throwing piss bottles at MCR, instead of being on the stage with them.

But enough of my personal musical preferences. This review is about this album. And what an album it is. It's amazing that, over only two 49 minute long discs, 98 minutes of music could have shaped and moulded the indie rock of today from the punk of yesterday. It's amazing that, on just two discs, we hold in our hands the missing link in the evolution of music from 80s punk to 90s indie. You can hear bits and pieces of other bands' sound, and, unlike so many albums today, they didn't steal that. They influenced it.

This double-disc compilation contains material from the final Cap'n show, some unreleased and released demos, and the full album "Shmap'n Shmazz". The song writing is phenomenal, with thoughtful lyrics colliding against wailing guitars and pounding, accurate drums. At first. But then, you start getting the Bluegrassish, and suddenly the band opens up. The guitars start fiddling, and a piano cuts in. Soon there's horns and electronics and everything, but still Tim Kinsella's trademark sing-yelp-scream-sing.

I have heard the newer bands that resulted from this, such as Owls, Joan of Arc, and the Promise Ring, but, somehow, with all their cleaner production and melodies, they never quite reached the scrappy beauty found in these twin cds.

Long live the Cap'n! May emo suffer an early death, hopefully at the hands of some actual record company, like Jade Tree or Matador. December 30, 2006

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