Yet hiden behind the humor is some outstanding music. I don't understand what problems people find here - Tenacious D has no problem moving from 80's metal to rock opera to love ballad, all in a single 3 minute song. Their technique is rock-solid, and their writing is amazing. One song even had a snip of Bach on the classical guitar! Jack Black's vocals are crystal clear with an amazing range, almost like Jewel in that JB can twist his voice into sounding like 3-4 different people, and KB can absolutely wail on the guitar, and play any style you can think of.

Most of the songs were produced for Tenacious D's HBO specials, and if you haven't seen them, some jokes won't make as much sense. For example, the song "Lee" refers to an obsessed fan who hangs out way too often and knows more about the band than they know themselves. So, they decide to turn the tables on Lee, and start obsessing about HIM, haha. "Skinny-dipping in a sea of Lee/I proposed on bended knee" is the line that I always lose it on, and the video definitely shows some wackier stuff, liking invading Lee's house at 3am to discuss socks. Check it out.


Stylish and radiant rock music   March 5, 2003
M. Heidenreich (Wisconsin)
70 out of 85 found this review helpful

Even before this CD came out, I was a big fan of Jack Black as an actor. But when I heard about this comical rock album coming out, I was a bit reluctant about buying it. But I mustered up the courage to pay for it and was pleasantly surprised with the CD. In fact, it's one of the best CDs I own. JB and KG (Kyle Gass) are brilliant rock geniuses that sing songs of love, heroes, politics, and none other than; Satan. And although the two main guys are Black and Gass, other popular musicians do appear (i.e. Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Phish's Page McConnell, Dust Brothers, and Steve McDonald). Here, for anyone who doesn't believe, is a short overview of the 21 tracks (14 songs, 7 skits).

1. Kielbasa - starts off the CD with the line 'dude we gotta fxckin write something here'; letting us know they're singing without a care in the world. The song is hilarious, and very catchy.

2. One Note Song - it's not really a song; it's more of a skit, as JB devises a plan for a song containing only one note (with a bendy).

3. Tribute - aka "the Greatest Song in the World". Here's an excellent tale of JB and KG on a hitchhiking trip in which they run into a demon who asks them to play a song for him. It was a single, and with good reason.

4. Wonderboy - this song kind of sounds like a comic book story. Two characters are introduced: Wonderboy and Young Nastyman, two enemies who later form the band Tenacious D. It was the first single, although not the best.

5. Hard Fxcking - here's a skit about hard fxcking. Pretty funny intro to...

6. Fxck Her Gently - this is a 21st century love song that talks about what women really want during sex. It's very good, and as JB says: 'fellas, listen closely'.

7. Explosivo - this one is a short song with some catchy lyrics and music. I don't really know what it's about; maybe girlfriends or a demon-Satan creature, I don't know. It's good, though.

8. Dio - a rhyme about Ronnie James Dio, in which the D lets us know they'll be taking over for Dio. No questions asked.

9. Inward Singing - JB again comes up with a brilliant plan for rock and roll in this hilarious skit. I believe "Inward Singing" has more swears than any other track. It's very witty, and leads us into...

10. Kyle Quit The Band - 'but now we're back together'. This is one of my favorite songs on the CD, and it tells us how Tenacious D plans to spend the money they'll be earning from becoming famous.

11. The Road - the start has a country-feel to it as Jack Black talks of the hardships being on the road brings him. It's one of the weak points of the album, though.

12. Cxck Pushups - funny, but too unbelievable to believe.

13. Lee - not about too much, it's mostly just words that rhyme with 'lee'.

14. Friendship Test - this skit is funny, as JB tells Kyle he loves him; only for him to realize it was a test. It's not that great, maybe worth an F+.

15. Friendship - 'as long as there's a record deal we'll always be friends', proving time and time again how real the love in Tenacious D really is.

16. Karate Schnitzel - Jack Black doing karate in a skit; hilarious.

17. Karate - this is probably the shortest song on the CD, but also the best. You'll find yourself singing along to the beautiful melodic harmony in this song over and over again.

18. Rock Your Socks - this song starts with a Dave Grohl shout of '1 2 3 4 5 6-6-6!' What more do you need to know? It's awesome.

19. Drive-Thru - this is the best skit on the CD, where JB and KG go through a fast-food drive-thru and order anything from a 4-piece 6-nugget meal to a jr. western bacon-chee.

20. Double Team - here's the best love song I've ever heard. Not really, but this song is so hilarious and pleasant-sounding you will certainly sing along. For some reason, though, they finish it off with a 'hail Satan' chant. Go figure.

21. City Hall - ahh, the epic ending. This is a 6 -minute ode to a new world ruled by two kings: Jack Black and Kyle Gass, who rewrite the rules of man, transportation, and politics with ground-breaking decrees.

Hiddens. "Malibu Nights" (as it's dubbed by JB) evens the score at 1 to 1, going back to the "One Note Song" skit. It's really a hidden gem.

***

As you can imagine, Tenacious D is not for everyone. They are not your average rock & roll band, and their lyrics might be beyond you if lack a sense of humor. But if you do have a sense of humor and you'd enjoy a new twist on rock, Tenacious D is for you. All the songs/skits are good, if not excellent. Jack Black has really taken his career to a new level; and he's taken us fans along with him. Don't overlook the D because they lack real-life lyrical value or because they may be sexist bastards (not really). Their music is very catchy and you will find yourself singing along to it; I guarantee it.


Long live the D!   January 19, 2002
Michela (MA)
13 out of 14 found this review helpful

This CD is utterly hilarious. Though they do not include some of the acts on their HBO show and live show, (I can't believe they didn't have Jesus Ranch!) this CD shows you not only how to become the next D, (It's tough going, picking T-shirts, gaining fourty pounds, and waking up at the crack of noon every single day) it also tells you how non-stop rocking is possible! I now use their method, Inward Singing, often, but people laugh. I have no idea why... I guess it's because I'm following the masters of rock. City Hall, the last song of the CD is an epic tale of the Two Kings JB and KG in their rule and decrees. Overall, Tenacious D's debut is one of the greatest comedy albums of the moment.


Hysterically funny lyrics topped off with great music   August 30, 2002
Blake Kleiner (Troy, Michigan United States)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

I bought Tenacious D on the basis of one track that I listened to off my friend Mike's CD. It made me laugh myself sick and wake up my parents. A few months later, my faithful service as a customer to the BMG Music Service allowed me the chance to order it for free. So I did. I popped it in, and heard one lyric before I was laughing so hard I couldn't hear the rest of the song. I knew that I'd got my money's worth... well, you know what I mean... I did pay for shipping and handling, after all.... Bah... backed into a corner....

Well, needless to say, if you check my record, I don't review much music on this site. I mostly stick to movies and occasionally books. I could probably count on one hand all the albums I've reviewed, most recently James Newton Howard's score to "Signs," which goes back to movies ultimately. I never stray too far from my chosen profession. But I decided to make the exception for Tenacious D. This is one of my absolute favorite albums. A collection of songs, satire, and humorous musings put together simply for the purpose of good old fashioned entertainment that makes you laugh. And if you understand who Lee is, and Dio is, you laugh even harder; you're in on the joke. But make no mistake about it: This music isn't for everyone. It's rude, crude, vulgar, profane, and totally hilarious. The satire is there for us to find, but you kinda have to look around a bit for it. It's sly, except for the last track, "City Hall." But to simply call it satire masked in rude obscenities is to completely miss the intelligence of the album, which uses its satire very wisely and uses very well done music to communicate the humor in the lyrics even better. Anyone can write lyrics that are good, but without the music to accompany it, they suffer in the translation (i.e., the music of John Mayer. His two best songs had music co-written with a partner. Go figure...). Tenacious D has the entire package, the wide scope of instrumentation on "Wonderboy" being the best example. It's probably the best overall song on the album. But if you're looking for the most fun, listen to "Tribute" or "Rock Your Socks," as well as the hilarious "F**k Her Gently" with its preceeding dialogue. The skits are just as funny as the music on the album, but Tenacious D is really all about the music, not just the "Inward Singing." Not only do they make great music, but they also pay homage to great music. There's a lot more going on in this album than weird groin exercises and drive thru orders.

Bottom line: This is an album that puts out all the stops to entertain its audience. The more reserved ones among us will sigh at the profanity (it comes in great abundance) and mock the seemingly immature humor. The rest of us will look beyond the facade Tenacious D seems to put forth and recognize that Jack Black and Kyle Gass knew what they were doing when they made this album, and whether we like it or not, they're here to stay. And I for one, am glad.


This album is simply too funny   March 6, 2002
Erica Anderson (Minneapolis, MN)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

The self-titled album by the comedic duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass is simply too hilarious. The lyrics are raunchy and by no means should be heard by impressionable youths. I was dying of laughter as I listened to the entire album. In between songs were dialogue by Jack and Kyle which are just unbelievably funny. One of my particular favorite moments of the cd is when Jack pulled the "Friendship Test" on Kyle on track #14 by saying he loves Kyle and seeing what Kyle's reaction is. That is one of the few cleaner moments of the cd. Another favorite is "Kyle Quit the Band". Kyle unleashes a barrage of obscenities which just killed me. I love "Wonderboy". The song reminds me of something that Ronnie James Dio would have sung back in his heyday with Dio. "Drive Thru" is simply too funny when Jack wants only four chicken McNuggets as opposed to six because he is watching his weight. My particular favorite moment in the track is when he orders a large soda, filled with half diet coke and the other half regular coke. Jack lists all these ridiculous tracks while Kyle orders only two items. Normally I don't go for comedy albums but "Tenacious D" proved to be one big laugh riot.