Pick Of Destiny, The [PA] - Tenacious D

Again a smaller review than usual, I couldn't write a lot about each track as some of them are only 22seconds long.

==Who are Tenacious D? ==

Tenacious D are two actors turned singers, they are Jack Black & Kyle Gass. They formed back in 1994, but it wasn't until 1999 that they started to get noticed, it was in 2001 with their first self titled album that made them big, the track Tribute especially.

...
...do brilliantly, however the music is just brilliant and this is the album from this film.

==The Tracks. ==

Here are the track reviews.

==Track 1: Kickapoo (4.16) 9/10==

The first album from this CD by the brilliant Tenacious D is just brilliant. If you are one of those people that doesn't like swear words, then please, please stay away from Tenacious D, especially from reviewing them, ... more

Again a smaller review than usual, I couldn't write a lot about each track as some of them are only 22seconds long.

Who are Tenacious D?

Tenacious D are two actors turned singers, they are Jack Black & Kyle Gass. They formed back in 1994, but it wasn't until 1999 that they started to get noticed, it was in 2001 with their first self titled album that made them big, the track Tribute especially.

In 2006 they decided to make a film, which didn't do brilliantly, however the music is just brilliant and this is the album from this film.

The Tracks.

Here are the track reviews.

Track 1: Kickapoo (4.16) 9/10

The first album from this CD by the brilliant Tenacious D is just brilliant. If you are one of those people that doesn't like swear words, then please, please stay away from Tenacious D, especially from reviewing them, because you get what you expect. Swear words, rude lyrics and everything that Tenacious D is about.

Jack Black is just amazing, it's amazing how strong his voice is, he really sings this track brilliantly, he voice is brilliant and works so well with this track. The track is brilliant, it does sound like a lot of different tracks put together, which is brilliant. There are a lot of other voices on this album, including Ronnie James Dio and Meat Loaf, they work brilliantly within the track.

I think as the album is from the film, it does tell a story so it's very nice to listen to the story behind everything, the different voices from Meat Loaf and Dio and of course Jack Black just works brilliantly off each other, it's a very powerful track and by the looks of things it's one of two songs on the whole album that are more than 3 minutes in length.

Track 2: Classico (0.58)

This sounds very good, this song I had on a bit too loud and lets just say playing something that says 'let's f**k and rock' in front of your nan is not fun. Too short is the only bad thing about this song, and a lot of the track is Jack Black skatting and with it only being 58 seconds in length, it seems like a waste.

Track 3: Baby (1.36)

This track should be so much longer, Black's voice is lovely. It's a very slow song, and the harmony and the guitar just works so well together that I really wouldn't have complained if it was longer than it actually was.

For me this is one of the best songs on the album, it's beautifully sung by Black and everything works brilliantly, even Jack Black pretending to be a baby makes you giggle near the end of the song.

Track 4: Destiny (0.37)

This feels like a waste of space on the album, it's a transition track into the next one, but after Baby it feels like a waste of time listening to it.

Track 5: History (1.42)

This film starts off with Jack talking about the history of tenacious d and then they start singing, it's a fun track to listen to, it's not brilliant but Jack Black and the guitar works brilliant well together and Gass has great harmony together and the whole song is a joy to listen to. Black's voice is just fantastic as always within this track.

Track 6: The Government Totally Sucks (1.34)

This song is so catchy, again if you don't like anything like swearing, don't listen to this track. It's not as bad as some of their other ones, but I would be careful where you play this as the lyrics are a bit rude.

Black's voice in the second verse is fantastic, my mum always says if he wasn't into putting so much comedy into his music he could be one of the best musicians in the music industry. A fantastic song.

Track 7: Master Exploder (2.24)

This starts off with a talking piece, and then a great riff begins which is just awesome, one of the best riffs on the album, Jack Black starts singing, showing off his vocal range. This track when I first heard it made me laugh my ass off with the lyrics 'I do not need, a microphone, my voice is f****g powerful'. Just pure brilliance.

Not the best vocals by Black, but the riffs and just how it goes together makes me laugh my ass off, Black's vocal range is shown a lot through this track, he does a lot of screaming. A fantastic funny track, which is even better in the film, I was in stitches.

Track 8: The Divide (0.22)

Another waste of space track, it lasts for 22 seconds and is more of a transition into the next track.

Track 9: Papagenu (He's my Sassafrass) (2.24)

Oh my god, did I laugh when I saw this in the film. It's not the best track by a long way, it could be counted as quite annoying, it's all a bit babyish but it's still hilarious in the film, but it doesn't work on the CD as well as some of the others do. Considering it's one of the longest tracks on the album, it can get quite a bit annoying, it's definitely a skipper track.

About half way through the track changes, and then Jack Black's voice get's brilliant, it's fantastic, it's well worth checking out this song because of that, his voice is very powerful and he shows what a brilliantly musician and singer he is within this track. Brilliant, it's just a shame about the start.

Track 10: Dude (I Totally Miss You) (2.53)

I love this song, I had it as my msn name for a while. Black is singing about Kyle Gass saying he misses his friend. A lovely song about a broken friendship, this is about as heartfelt as you're going to get out of these two.

For me Black's voice is fantastic within this track, it is surprising that this voice comes out of someone like Black who doesn't look like this voice should come from him, but it just works. A fantastic song, with some brilliant vocals and lyrics and harmonies when Gass joins in somewhere through the middle, but it is Black's vocals that make this song brilliant. The riffs are fantastic and just work. A great track.

Track 11: Break in City (Storm The Gate) (1.22)

This is the boys singing about breaking in somewhere, a good track, but it means nothing if you haven't seen the film, it's one of the weakest tracks on the album as his vocals aren't brilliant, the riffs are great but it's quite complicated if you haven't seen the film. It's funny to listen to the lyrics though if you have seen the film.

Track 12: Car Chase City (2.42)

Some greats riffs start of this track, Black's voice is not the best but it's a very paced track that fits brilliantly in the film, but it doesn't work brilliantly on it's own, a good song, but not brilliant, not really worth checking out.

Track 13: Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown) (5.35)

Some great riffs start of this track and the drum beat is brilliant, for me it's Dave Grohl that makes this track brilliant as well as Black whose vocals are brilliant. Grohl who you will know from Nirvana and Foo Fighters sounds very different, he plays a demon in the film and his voice sounds very metaly in this role.

This is some of Black's best vocals, he really sings it brilliantly well, he is singing about a rock off, the song is a battle between the demon (Grohl) and Black & Gass doing a rock off against each other, if the demon wins Gass will become Grohl's slave and if they win he goes back to hell. A brilliant little rock off, with some fantastic riffs and drums from Grohl and the boys as always are fantastic.

The riffs are so powerful, and they work so well especially when Grohl is singing, a fantastic song which works brilliantly on it's own and on the film. It's brilliant if you check out the lyrics as well, they are just fantastic and some funny piece of music. The lyrics are quite explicit so I warn you again to not listen to this song if you don't like that.

Track 14: POD (2.32)

This is the title song of album and is the one that most of you would have heard, it pretty much gives you the story of the film with Black's brilliant vocals and Gass's brilliant guitar skills.

This track is brilliant, the lyrics tell you a lot about the film. The lyrics are just brilliant, very funny as you expect from Tenacious D, a fantastic song and it fits perfectly in the film and at the end of the album. Just a fantastic track and one to check out.

Track 15: The Metal (2.46)

The final track of the album starts off with an awesome riff but for me the song doesn't do anything after the previous two tracks which are just awesome. Some great vocals from Black, but I think it should have ended with POD.

My Opinion

Not as good as the previous album which is one of the funniest albums you'll probably ever come across but the boys have grown a lot since then and some of the songs on the album are just fantastic, sometimes some of the songs shouldn't be on the album at all as it seems like a waste of space when they are 22seconds long, but songs like Baby you want a lot more of.

For me, Tenacious D are of the best bands around, just look at the people they have got to star in their film and to sing alongside them. Dave Grohl reappears as the Demon and he really shows off his talents within the track Beelzeboss which gets me in stitches. The track is well worth checking out. The rock off is the highlight of the film and the album, the riffs are so powerful and it just fits perfectly. Amazing.

For me the album is one of the best in my collection, you have no idea how angry I get when I read reviews from people saying, this album is disgusting as they are teaching kids bad words, I'm sorry but don't listen to the album then, if you don't like swearing of offensive things, stay the hell away from Tenacious D.

The Vocals

Jack Black pretty much sings all the songs within the album, he is sometimes accompanied by other singers but it's his voice that you hear a lot of the time. Like I said before in the review, my mum always says he'd be a great 'proper' musician if he didn't do the comedy within his songs, but I for one wouldn't buy his albums if they didn't have proper songs like Kickapoo and Belzeboss which just rock.

Black's voice is fantastic, I am always shocked that this fantastic and powerful voice comes out of a bloke like Black who doesn't look like a typical musician.

He is joined by a lot of other singers on the album from Meat Loaf, Dio and of course the amazing Dave Grohl, who makes Beelzeboss which is my favourite track on the album, amazing.

The Music

The album comes behind their first album on songs, however on instrumentals and the riffs are just out of this world, the way they use soft guitar pieces when needed and then the guitar riffs are brought out when needed, they are seriously out of this world and the are really some powerful and talented musicians within this album.

I think this is what makes the album so fantastic they really do know what they are doing with the instruments within this whole album. Just amazing.

Explicit Lyrics

Okay for the last time, the album does have a lot of swear words in the tracks but that is Tenacious D, so beware.

Should You Buy The Album?

Yes, but you do have to be careful where you play it. The evils you get when playing this album on your car stereo through the middle of the town is just amazing, I can understand but just be careful where you are playing it.

The album rocks however, the film didn't do brilliant and I understand why, however I think this album almost makes up for it, the best bits about the film are the music involved and here you get all the best pieces of music onto one album.

(C) 2009 Kirsty 

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