Tenacious D

Tenacious D

Epic Records, 2001

http://tenaciousd.com

REVIEW BY: Jeff Clutterbuck

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/28/2005

There are social occurrences college students must be aware of. Being able to quote Anchorman and Family Guy or knowing most of the Napoleon Dynamite dance are a few of the current ones, and people who don't know these aren't quite hip. Well, until recently, I wasn't hip to Tenacious D.

Yes, the album is four years old, but Jack Black and Kyle Gass are well known among the young crowd, and why not? Two guys in their 30's, fat, balding, and here they are rocking out like there is no tomorrow. They are what every man aspires to be.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Is there a second that goes by on this album where the music/skits aren't tongue in cheek? The whole point is that these guys aren't serious, but they don't care one way or the other. Tenacious D is the epitome of guys playing music just for fun. It can't be summed up any simpler than that.

The ironic thing is, this album stand on its own musical merits. There are huge riffs, catchy hooks and good musicianship overall. Sure, the boys get help from industry players like Dave Grohl and the Dust Brothers, but Black's and Gass' "vision" for the album is unwavering. If they compromised by going all straight on us, I would be tearing this record to shreds. Luckily for us, they don't.

Honestly, every track is worth its weight in gold, but some stand out above the rest. D's tribute to the greatest and best song in the world via "Tribute" takes bits and pieces from Zeppelin and 90's grunge to craft a song that comes pretty close to its subject matter (not really). Who cannot but admire the space rock tale of superheroes Wonder Boy and Nasty Man on the hit "Wonderboy?" On "Rock Your Socks," D manages to make Bach sound as hardcore as the best of them. And if you don't shed a tear over "Fuck Her Gently," you're probably well adjusted and could stand to let loose a bit.

How much you enjoy the skits on the album depends on what kind of humor you've got. For those who enjoy a good fart joke, rejoice! For those who love to hear "fuck" delivered as only Jack Black can, rejoice! For those who have ever had their Schnitzel stolen, this album might bring up some painful memories. All I can say is I've listened to this album for a week, and the skits make me laugh every time.

Forget depressing, "why does the world hate me?" bands like Coldplay. If you want an album that rocks in the truest sense of the word while making you laugh, pick up Tenacious D. You want to be hip, don't you?

Rating: A

User Rating: A-


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© 2005 Jeff Clutterbuck and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Epic Records, and is used for informational purposes only.