0ooo - Tenacious D - Tenacious D - ooo0

Q: Well hello there Kenneth.. another music review!! Now, tell me, who the hell are "Tenacious D"

A: Tenacious D are a band, consisting of two members - Jack Black and Kyle Gass. The two first met in 1985, when Jack was 16 and Kyle was 24, both members of a drama group called "The Actors Gang". Although Jack apparently didnt like Kyle much at first, they settled there differences and Kyle taught Jack how to play the guitar. During their time in the Actors Gang, the two starred in several shows including Tim Robbins' Carnage. Soon afterwards, the partners in crime began playing together in Kyle's apartment in Los Angeles.

"At first they went by the name of 'The Axe Lords',
but in the end, they decided to go with 'Tenacious D', which was actually a basketball phrase of Marve Alberts'" - Extract from the history page of www.tenaciousjoes.com

Jack Black is famous for being in many films, including voiceovers in famous animated films, these are his most famous films:

King Kong (2005) (not yet released)
Shark Tale (2004) (voice) .... Lenny
The School of Rock (2003) .... Dewey Finn
Tenacious D: The Complete Masterworks (2003) (V) .... JB
Ice Age (2002) (voice) .... Zeke
Orange County (2002) .... Lance Brumder
Shallow Hal (2001) .... Hal Larson
High Fidelity (2000) .... Barry
Cradle Will Rock (1999) .... Sid
"Tenacious D" (1999) TV Series .... JB
Enemy of the State (1998) .... Fiedler
The Jackal (1997) .... Ian Lamont
Mars Attacks! (1996) .... Billy Glenn Norris
The Cable Guy (1996) .... Rick

- Source: www.imdb.com

Jacks Partner in crime, Kyle Gass, has also featured in a few films:

Cake Boy (2005) (V) .... Nathan
Elf (2003) .... Eugene
Tenacious D: The Complete Masterworks (2003) (V) .... KG
The New Guy (2002) .... Mr. Luberoff
Shallow Hal (2001) .... Artie
Almost Famous (2000) (uncredited) .... Quince Allen (only in director's cut)
Cradle Will Rock (1999) .... Larry
"Tenacious D" (1999) TV Series .... KG
The Cable Guy (1996) .... Couch potato
Bio-Dome (1996) .... Tenacious D
Brain Dead (1990) .... Anaesthetist

- souce: www.imbd.com

The style of music Tenacious D play can only really be classed as "comedy rock". A totally unique band, with a unique style of music that is generally liked by all.

Q: Wow.. So when did you notice the album and buy it? and what is the artwork like?

A: Well i liked Tenacious D from the moment i heard their hit single "Tribute" on Kerrang! (the video featuring Dave Ghrol of Foo Fighters and Nirvana fame). I borrowed a copy of the album (i mean a COPY, it was fake) from my friend, but i later purchased my own from HMV at a price of £10. The artwork consists of a strange demon like character stood over a grinning KG and JB, both of them with there guitars and appear to be naked. The cover is in black and white, and bears the totally necessary "Parental Advisory" icon at the bottom right.

Q: Sounds good.. Now, tell me all about the tracks and what you think of them!!

A: Okay, well after putting the disc in my walkman, my finger pressing the round button bearing the word "play" and hearing a beep as my anxiety to hear the album reached a climax.. the first song began to play:

1. Kielbasa

A spoken introduction from KG, saying "dude we gotta write something.." A great song, a great start to the album, with a rising amount of instruments - strummed acoustic to begin with, before drums and a synthesised electric come in, bringing a funk edge. All i can extract from this weird song is it is a song about a girl he is trying to impress.

Marks: 8/10
Star Lyrics: "My kielbasa sausage has just got to perform"

2. One note song

This starts with a conversation between the duo about robots - comedy skits are a large part of the album. Then JB tells KG to keep playing one note for a new song, bending the note once in a while, hense the title of the song.

Marks: 7.5/10
Star Lyrics: "Next song! NEXT SONG!! NEXT!!!!"

3. Tribute (to the greatest song in the world)

The song that enticed me to acquire their album. It has a storyline, being: Jack and Kyle are hiking together, where there "shined a shiny demon" and he said "play the best song in the world" or hell eat their souls. So they played a song and it was the best song in the world, and basically this is a Tribute to it (hense the title) Being a guitar player myself, i can tell you that it is some great playing on this track, with a great 2 part scat [scat - to come out with a load of crap that sounds good! See scat man john, a pro scatter in the 80's who died a few years ago]. This song has been massivley played over all the mainstream music channels, along with the next track:

Marks: 9/10
Star Lyrics: "Be you angels? and we said "NAY! WE ARE BUT MEN!"

4. Wonderboy

Another shiner of the album, this has a fantasy ring in it, with Wonderboy (JB) and Young Nasty Man (KG) rising to defeat mucky muck man, and to slay a hydra.

Its a great tune, played on the D chord, (A lot of Tenacious D songs are, i am assuming this is to fit with their name?) One of my favourite songs on the album because i am a huge fantasy fan!!

Marks: 10/10
Star Lyrics: "High above the mucky muck, castle made of clouds, there sits Wonderboy, sitting oh so proudly!"

5. Hard F*ck!ng

The next comedy skit on the album, this is a conversation about how females dont like hard f*ck!ng, which serves as an introduction to the next track on the album:

Marks: 6.5/10
Star Lyrics: "The hard f*ck!ing is really a common complaint"

6. F*ck Her Gently

This is somewhat an anthem between me and a few people - me and my wonderful girlfriend love this song and find it highly amusing, and me and my best mate Daniel first heard it during one boys night in on Kerrang! and the highly amusing cartoon video. Its a solution to the problem mentioned in the previous track, about f*cking her gently! Very funny.

Marks: 9/10
Star Lyrics "Whats your favourite dish? Im not gonna cook it but ill order it from ZANZIBAR!!"

7. Explosivo

A great acoustic intro, with some weird lyrics from JB, easily takes the award of most rock track on the album with a very fast beat and fast lyrics from Jack Black, however bizarre and twisted.

Marks: 8/10
Star Lyrics: "Weve come to you away! Weve come to blow your nose, weve come to f*ckin blow, you know it! YOU KNOW IT!"

8. Dio

I love this track i think its great, even though i dont know of the Ronnie James Dio that this song is based on, i still just love the song, the lyrics and the guitar playing on it.

Marks: 9/10
Star Lyrics: "Your too old to rock! No more rockin for you!" - just the tone of contempt that Jack sings this with always makes me laugh.

9. Inward Singing

Another comedy skit, the first time i heard this i was rolling on the floor laughing, no exaggerations. Jack has an invention - the greatest invention since yodelling, in fact. It makes non stop rocking possible, and involves singing inwards, so time is not wasted breathing in!!! This results in an argument between the two and Jack fires Kyle but Kyle says "That wont be necessary, im quitting" Which takes us to the next track in this somewhat of a story-album..

Marks: 9/10
Star Lyrics: "You f*ckin dick! always nay saying! everything i.. CREATE!! You create something, like inward singing, you f*cking c*ck-ass, go sit in your tower.. f*ckin nap"

10. Kyle Quit the Band

They cant stay apart for long, and this song, as the half way mark in the album nears, tells the story at first of how they have got back together, but then goes on to tell how they are going to have a big bash!! The guitaring is quite good, although not the best on the album.

Marks: 7/10
Star Lyrics: "Everyone is invited to the bash!!"

11. The Road

This is a skip-song for me, not really one of my favourites, i like it when its more solitary accoustic strumming and attention is paid to the lyrics, so i cant reaally comment on this track, its just too "busy" for me.

Marks: 3/10
Star lyrics: "The road is f*ckin hard, the road is f*ckin tough"

12. Cock Pushups

Yet another short comedy skit by the duo. Basically, this is a conversation where Kyle asks if the release of the album will make the duo more popular to the ladies, and Jack says yes, and details how hes been preparing in advance by doing cock pushups

Pictures of Tenacious D [PA] - Tenacious D

Tenacious D

- where you lay on your front and let your.. genitalia.. lift you off of the ground. Funny, but only for the first few listens.

Marks: 6/10
Star Lyrics: "How many do you need to do? Well i guess one is all you can do

13. Lee

I love this song! Its fast and has beat, and i love the rhyming lyrics sung by Jack, one of my favourites on the album, unfortunatley it is over a little too quickly (They mustve ran out of words that rhymed with Lee!)

Marks: 9/10
Star Lyrics: "I had a friend named Lee, Its Me, Lee and KG we're the 3, flying free, Tenacious Lee!"

14. Friendship Test

Jack rings Kyle at the "2 kings" hotel to tell Kyle he loves him.. turns out it was a test, that Kyle only just passed with an F+. Another skit, funny, but again only for the first few listens, this one slightly confuses me.

Marks: 6/10
Star Lyrics: "But you only just passed!! F+!! Click!"

15. Friendship

A song about friendship, easy to play on guitar its mostly basic power chords. Lyrics are ace, odd, but totally awesome. One of my faves on the album, i listen to this at least 3-4 times before moving on..

Marks: 9.5/10
Star Lyrics: "Oh shit theres a bear, can you hand me that shotgun buddy, also that chair"

16. Karate Schnitzel

A hilarrious skit about how Jack is hungry, and someones eaten his schnitzel.. he wakes up kyle and kyle claims that if its in the fridge its fair game to be eaten! This is preparation for the next track..

Marks: 8.5/10
Star Lyrics: "Fair game?? Well maybe this is fair game... Oww!!...Yeah thats right its a karate chop!"

17. Karate

This is sooooo funny, its about how Jack can and will kick your ass with the powers of Karate!. This is another fine specimen of Tenacious D's strangeness and bizarre-factor. A good one, but not fantastic.

Marks: 7/10
Star Lyrics: "You broke the rules, now i pull out all your pubic haair"

18. Rock Your Socks

Another one of the greatest tracks on the album that really showcases Tenacious D's talent to.. Rock your socks!! A great guitar solo and the best bit in the track has got to be where they talk about how they are "classically trained to rock your socks off" and they play a song by Bach. Awesome.

Marks: 9.5/10
Star Lyrics: "That is bach and it rocks its a rock by bach that he learned in a school called the school of hard knocks"

19. Drive-Thru

The final of the skits as the album begins to draw to an end, i laughed so hard at this when i first heard it and i still do. Its about how they drive to a drive thru for a meal and the drive thru attendant gets totally abused by Jack, as he orders about 20 things off of the menu!!!

Marks: 9.5/10
Star Lyrics: "I ONLY WANT 4 CHICKEN MCNUGGETS, GET THE 6 CHICKEN NUGGETS AND PUT 2 OF THEM UP YOUR ASS"

20. Double Team

This is the BEST song on the album, it just rocks!! Its about sex (as a lot of the songs on this album are) But its just so hillarious, again it has great acoustic playing by Kyle Gass, i love this song, especially the part where the acoustic ends and the electric starts, and the lyrics go along with it, its reasonable until the electric starts then it just gets really.. innapropriate.

Marks: 10/10
Star Lyrics: "Take off your blouse, and your underpants, *electric guitar starts* THEN TAKE A LOOK, CAUSE HERE IS WHERE ME AND KG COME NAKED OUT OF THE SIDE HATCH"

21. City Hall

This is such a funny song, its quite long, its about "the bastards of city hall" and basically takes the michael out of would-be political songs. ! When they decide that the whole of the city must be rebuilt and new laws instituted, JB says "No, not me and KG, we don't have the cognitive capacity to lead...alright, we'll do it!"

Marks: 10/10
Star Lyrics: "Then after the smoke is clear and the rubble has been swept away, me and KG will peep out our heads.. weve been watching the riots on a monitor 20 floors below sea level.. in a bunker"

Q: Well that took a while!!! So i guess thats it eh?

A: Yeah i suppose.. its a great album, i am a huge fan of comedy and music anyone else who is the same should really buy this album its good value for money and i could listen to it over and over again and im sure you will be able to.

Q: Awesome.. Any other interesting facts youd like to tell us?

A: Yeah here are a few little did you knows:

1. Tenacious D and Dave Ghrol are good friends. Dave Ghrol features in Tenacious D's Tribute video, and the duo feature in Foo Fighters (dave ghrols band) "Learn to Fly" band.
2. The Lee in the song Lee is the D's official number one fan - also a member of the actors gang. He toured with the D on their last tour.
3. The D either stands for "Duo" or the fact that most of their songs begin with the D chord on guitar.
4. They are currently filming their own film, directed by Liam Lynch, called "Tenacious D"
5. The film will have loads of new D Tracks, which will likeley be formed into a soundtrack, doubling up as a second album.

Thank you for reading this review by helpa4eva on:
Tenacious D - Tenacious D (Music)