Number 18: Tenacious D by Tenacious D
The greatest and best band in the world
Release: September 25th, 2001
Genre: Comedy, Rock
Favorite Tracks: Double Team, Rock Your Socks, City Hall
Where I heard it:
There is no greater cult-like fanbase than followers of the almighty D. While Jack Black has made himself a household name in the 21st century, he and his musical partner Kyle Gass were humbly beginning their venture as a new band called Tenacious D at the turn of the millennium. It's funny to reminisce upon the D as an underground phenomena when I was first introduced as a young teen in 2009 by one of my friends' dads. My 8th Grade class had a travel club that journeyed to San Francisco towards the end of the year, and I shared a hotel room with a couple friends along with one of their dads, Travis. Travis is one of the most cultured and down-to-Earth people I have ever met at any age. His son reflected a ton of that charisma, which led to a memorable and long-lasting friendship that persists to this day. Back when we were just thirteen, we were still discovering a lot about the world and what it had in store for us. As teenage boys do, we would spend our downtime discussing raunchy and inappropriate subjects that elicited a rise out of our immature sense of humor. During this trip, my friend brought up some paraphrased quotes from a song his dad Travis had showed him once while driving around town, and suggested we ask him to show it to us. I remember Travis gulping regretfully upon this request, reluctantly choosing to show us the song under the condition that we wouldn't run off telling everybody that we listened to it. After swearing secrecy, we were treated to the Drive-Thru skit in all its glory. I couldn't contain my uproarious laughter from the comedic chemistry that Jack Black and Kyle Gass demonstrated; I'd never heard spoken word used for humorous effect like this in an album that also boasted full-length, traditionally composed songs. It wasn't long after our pilgrimage to San Francisco that I would seek out Tenacious D to share the chuckles with other friends of mine, in direct defiance of the promise I made to Travis. Sorry about that, man. If it's of any consolation, Tenacious D remains as one of my favorite musical duos ever because of your recommendation. I think that's worth something in the end.
"I just figured out what I'm gonna do with the rest of my days:
I'm gonna get me an oversized guitar,
Gain forty pounds and be the next D!"
Well I got sour news for you, Jack
It ain't that easy
~ Rock Your Socks
What to expect:
Mixing the medium of comedy and music together harmoniously has proven to be a challenge historically, but this obstacle has been overcome by several notable artists through the ages. Lighthearted lyricism grew popularity with acts like Frank Zappa and Randy Newman, but the truest blend of comedy and songwriting appeared in the 70s with the arrival of "Weird Al" Yankovic's brand of parody. For decades, Yankovic's model set the standard for comedy music, inspiring countless musicians along the way to add their voice among the conversation. Tenacious D are far from the first to pioneer the genre, but they provide perhaps the finest example of successfully integrating competent riffs with humor that consistently lands the punchline. It can be a struggle for artists within this genre to escape the label of 'comedy' and establish themselves as more than just a novelty. By its very nature, music with comical themes is generally taken less seriously compared to more radio-friendly hits. Tenacious D gains a ton of credibility from the outstanding talent of its members, valuing the quality of their performance just as much as the clever jokes they slip in. JB and KG's tandem of acoustic and electric guitar create bright, spritely riffs that gather a full head of steam into theatrical climaxes that conclude with powerful chords and remarkable gusto. Jack Black's bombastic vocal style emphasizes these moments of intensity, occasionally accompanied by the soft and sweet harmonies of Kyle Gass in the background. Although not an official member of the D, the boys also employ the services of one Dave Grohl to record drums, adding further musical legitimacy to the album. However, Tenacious D wouldn't be the lovable and endearing group they've become without the eccentric personalities of Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Their close relationship as friends and bandmates comes across potently in their collaborative songwriting efforts, which often features lewd and crass material that barely manages to still have good taste. Songs like Fuck Her Gently and Double Team brazenly aim for explicit shock value, but there do exist tracks with a more whimsical tone like Tribute and Dio. Fortunately, the transition between these subjects is well-prefaced, as a handful of tracks include dialogue from Jack and Kyle in a podcast-type format. Although these short interludes are technically scripted, the chemistry of JB and KG portrays these skits in such an impromptu manner, making for some out-of-pocket remarks during Inward Singing and Drive-Thru that feel genuine and leave you in stitches. These sections offer contextual setups that enhance the tongue-in-cheek humor from these caricaturized individuals, perfectly rounding out the Tenacious D experience.
We was hitchhiking down a long and lonesome road
All of a sudden, there shined a shiny demon
In the middle of the road
And he said,
"Play the best song in the world,
Or I'll eat your soul!"
Well, me and Kyle
We looked at each other
And we each said,
"OK."
~ Tribute
Why it's my favorite:
Tenacious D holds a special pertinence in developing the friendships dear to me in my adulthood. It became apparent when two of my best friends and I moved in together in mid 2016 that all of us had a passionate love for the D. During its peak, it was as if we exclusively communicated through a series of Tenacious D lyrics. There's a mound of quotable lines from the catalog of Tenacious D, but something about that debut album was just lightning in a bottle. It's pretty clear that it wasn't just my friend group, either; Tenacious D have since become pop culture icons, coinciding with the rise of Jack Black's career in Hollywood. Tribute alone is a song that will perk up anybody in earshot, similar in effect to songs like Bohemian Rhapsody and Livin' On A Prayer. I remember once during a marching band rehearsal in high school, our guitar player started the riff to Tribute as a joke, but ended up with a chorus of kids belting out the entire song. Be it luck or otherwise, there's massive pride in becoming a musical staple, and Tenacious D have run with that success. There have been attempts to recapture the magic of that first album, but fail to achieve that effect. That isn't to disparage the work of Tenacious D; it merely elevates the status of Tenacious D's incredible body of work. Plus, it's just the album I'm most sentimental towards for the impact it had on my life. I've fostered priceless memories with cherished people because of these songs. There isn't a layer of critical analysis I can apply that meaningfully accounts for my personal bias. The traits that make Tenacious D a worthwhile listen are negligible when I take into consideration the laughing fits I've participated in with others. My adoration for Tenacious D derives from a place of nostalgia that transports me back into the room with those I love most. The soundtrack may be different from person to person, but that feeling remains the same. I hope everybody gets to experience that at least once in their lifetime.
No comments:
Post a Comment