Tenacious D
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Tenacious D is a comedy rock band consisting of Kyle Gass and Jack Black. The two are actors as well as musicians. They met in Los Angeles when they were both in a theater troupe called "The Actors Gang." Kyle taught Jack how to play a guitar, and decided that, as Jack sang well, they should form a band.
They started out as stage act then followed a series of short comedy films on HBO. They released their first album, Tenacious D (#38 UK), in 2001. When the pair perform live they do so with just their acoustic guitars. However, for their album, they enlisted the help of Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters and Nirvana, Phish keyboardist Page McConnell, guitarist Warren Fitzgerald and bass player Steve McDonald. Each make guest appearances. The Dust Brothers produced the album.
Their song "Tribute" (#4 Australia) was the most requested video on Kerrang! TV in 2002, despite it not being released as a single. A cross between "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and "Stairway to Heaven", the song is a tribute to the "greatest song in the world," which they have forgotten.
- "This is not the greatest song in the world.
- This is just a tribute.
- Couldn't remember the greatest song in the world.
- This is a tribute."
Jack Black once said at a concert that "Tribute" refers to "Stairway to Heaven." On original versions of the song (as well as on the Tenacious D TV show) you can hear Kyle play the opening to "Stairway to Heaven," and, commonly, during live performances after the song is completed, harmoniously sing "And they're playing the best song in the world," in a manner identical to the ending lyrics of "Stairway to Heaven," where it's sung "And she's buying a stairway to heaven."
The video for "Tribute" also featured Dave Grohl as the demon.
Their song "Wonderboy" (#34 UK, #48 Australia) and its video were also well received, as a parody of and tribute to both the fantasy genre and epic metal. "Wonderboy" was a tale of an unlikely superhero. Some claim the video for the song was a rip-off of The Lord of the Rings movies, but in fact the video was made some time before any of the LOTR movies were released.
Their song "Dio" was a tribute of some sorts to the rock singer Ronnie James Dio. In the song they ask that Dio stop playing music, while still talking about how well he plays. Dio himself liked the song enough that he let the band appear in his next music video "Push".
The third single from the album "Fuck Her Gently" was released in May 2004. The video was done by John Kricfalusi, of Ren and Stimpy fame, and features Jack and Kyle as angels on the shoulders of Satan.
A movie, Pick of Destiny, is currently being made. It will star Tenacious D, Lee from the TV show, and Will Ferrell as Music Shop Dude. It's being directed by Liam Lynch who directed the "Tribute" video.
The band has announced that they won't tour again until after the movie and a new album is released.
In the meantime, they released a DVD with the complete TV series, and a concert registration. The DVD is called The Complete Masterworks.
Guitarist Kyle Gass also plays guitar and sings vocals in the band Trainwreck, under the pseudonym "Klip Calhoun".
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
DVDs
External links
- Official site (http://www.tenaciousd.com)
- Tenacious Joe's (fansite) (http://www.tenaciousjoes.com/)
- All Music Guide entry for Tenacious D (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70404252121352796&sql=Bilud6j8o7180)
- Tenacious D lyrics (http://www.lyricsondemand.com/t/tenaciousdlyrics/)
- Tenacious D guitar and bass tabs (http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/tenacious_d_tabs.htm)