I realize that for some people I’m treading on sacred ground here, but for the life of me I can’t figure out the appeal of these guys.
I’ve heard a lot of “Tenacious D are gods” talk both here and elsewhere, so I went off and downloaded a few songs. As near as I can tell their thing is to have Kyle Gass play some mean guitar while Jack Black free-styles songs about sex (mostly).
What am I missing? I went to their website, which I will admit is pretty cool, but what makes them the object of so much devotion? What is the “If this guy could hear this one song he would be hooked” song? Are they a band that must be seen live to be fully appreciate?
I’m not trying to bash these guys, I just want to understand.
I think if the humor doesn’t strike you right away, it never will. I got hooked because of an mp3 featuring one of their many “breakups”. It contained a lot of creative swearing and rage that was both hilarious and a little cathartic, since at the time I was working a job that I absolutely hated.
Their whole deal is that they claim they are the best band in the world, and they satirize some of the most hallowed conventions of rock. While satirizing rock, they really do rock. It’s extremely talented guitar playing coupled with ferocious vocal performance, and lyrics that are absolutely priceless, when you listen to them.
I recommend you read this review in The Onion’s A.V. Club. It really sums up their greatness quite well.
Also, I must brag that I saw them live earlier this month, and they rocked even more in person.
I don’t get it either! My friend swears by it. NPI! (no pun intended). No he really loves it. And sometimes when we drive around he’ll put it in and laugh his friggin’ head off, and there’s Acco in the passenger seat smiling out of obligation.
Well, I’d say most of it has to do with drugs. That and it can be really clever, I love Wonder Boys or whatever it’s called. Mostly stoners think it’s funny, but it also rules when Jack goes off on nothing. I dunno, I like it, but it isn’t godly stuff.
jarbaby’s gone and quoted the mp3 I mentioned above.
Jack: “Let’s kick it. I’ll say ‘kick it’, and you’ll just kick it with a tasty groove. OK? 1, 2, 3, kick it. Kick it! God damn it, God, Kyle! Could you one time kick it, what the fuck?!”
Kyle: “Jack, don’t put it all on me. I’ve been sittin’ here, waitin.”
Makes me giggle every time I think of it. And I’m no stoner.
I’ll second the statement that you’ve got to see the HBO show. I don’t think I’d enjoy them nearly as much, or maybe at all, if I had not seen that. It puts a lot of the songs in a context (vague though it may be) that will just rock your socks off.
Oh, and Lucki, assuming you’re talking about the movie Wonder Boys, I loved that too. I am definitely not a stoner. (brief, one sentence hijack)
I think *Lucki is talking about the song “Wonderboy”, in which Jack gives the (fantasy) history of how Tenacious D came to be. Rigga goo goo, rigga goo goo goo.
ah, gotcha… I didn’t know that was the title of the song. I was trying to figure out how that movie related to the topic of conversation. Now I feel stupid.
Open Mike: learn to play guitar in front of a real audience
Wow, this explains a lot. Not having HBO (which means of course that I am clueless with regards to any Sopranos or Sex in the City threads), I’d never seen them on Mr. Show.
I guess I need to download a few more songs or even take the plunge and buy a CD, 'cause from what I gather, they sound like the type of group I should love.
Sorry to resurrect this thread, possibly unnecessarily, but I just got the Tenacious D cd yesterday. So far I’ve listened to it 5 times. I’m listening to again right it now.
I felt the need to offer an opinion.
Yes they satirize, but the music seems so natural, that for me the satirization is secondary. I can just hear their natural talent no matter what they play. I appreciate that in my music.
But, Christ, they’re friggin funny too. And, I’m sorry, but Jack Black has the best voice I’ve heard in years. That sumbitch can belt them out!
The whole thing just mocks every rock pretension that there is and at the same time, rocks out!
IMO, if you were a big fan of one or more of the following bands and live to regret it you probably dig Tenacious D:
Styx
Kansas
Zeppelin
Journey
REO Speedwagon
Foreigner
Boston
Triumph
ELP
ELO
Supertramp
Queen
Sabbath
Grand Funk
Deep Purple
Yes
Loverboy
Heart
Cheap Trick
Blue Oyster Cult
Kiss
…and any other arena rock act of the 70’s or 80’s that came to “Rock (Enter Your Town Here)!!!”
I had seen them on a few award shows and such, without thinking much of them. But watching them do “Tribute” on Letterman pretty much made me go out and buy the cd.
When I recommend it to people, I describe it as “Imagine if somebody with Meatloaf’s voice and body structure was singing lead for Spinal Tap, and half the songs were about sex.”
I just saw a couple of their HBO episodes on tape for the first time the other day. To me their appeal was largly based on their kitchy sense of humor and their surprisingly strong musical abilities.
What sold me was when they were doing a bit about Sasquatch, showing a ridiculously fake sasquatch-ian figure running around while they were singing. In the middle of the song they sing “He couldn’t be a guy in a gorilla suit, no fucking way…”
In context its really funny. I also love the stuff they have the guy read to the crowd before they go on stage. “Stay and watch Tenacious D if you don’t mind cream in your jeans.”
