Any album that begins with the line, “I love you baby but all I can think about is, Kielbasa sausage, your butt cheeks is warm,” has to be good. Thankfully, Tenacious D’s self-titled debut album does not disappoint.
Tenacious D has been around for a few years but finally seem to be getting their break now, with a major record label deal. Made up of actor Jack Black and his “brother” Kyle Gass, the band gets its name from the mouth of who else but basketball commentator Marv Albert (who used to say: “The Celtics are playing tenacious d,” as in defense). The self-proclaimed “greatest band on Earth” sings songs about kielbasa, karate and body parts and bodily functions that can’t be printed in this paper.
Those who like cursing, will enjoy this album. This album has very low-brow humor, but Black and Gass pull it off through solid delivery. On “Inward Singing,” Black makes up a form of singing in which one breathes in and sings at the same time. When Gass doesn’t take to it, Black unleashes an attack in his usual hysterical fashion that includes more swears than the movie Goodfellas.
If one finds Jack Black funny, this album will be enjoyable. He begins “Tribute” by saying, “This is the greatest and best song in the world.” On “Rock Your Socks,” he states, “It doesn’t matter if it’s good, it only matters if it rocks.” It’s this type of humor that takes the listener away from bands that actually believe that last line, that makes this album a pleasure to listen to.
Most of the tracks on the album are under two minutes, and sometimes these shorter songs never take off. Black and Gass are best on tunes like “One Note Song,” which is of course made up of just one note, save for a few bends of a string on the guitar. After writing this epic piece, Black exclaims, “Next song!” It is at times like this that one feels honored to be a part of this musical masterpiece.
Unfortunately some of the funniest material cannot be mentioned because of the graphic nature of the words. However it can be said that one of the tracks focuses on Black doing pushups with a part of his body that is not usually used to do pushups.
Tenacious D is a unique listen. For anyone who wants a break from normal rock or anything deep in any way, this is the album to purchase. There isn’t much underneath the swears and shallow subjects of kielbasa and karate, but that doesn’t matter because Tenacious D is an enjoyable, guilty pleasure.
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