Tenacious D

Tenacious D

(Epic)

Tenacious D, comprised of Jack Black (whom you probably know as foul-mouthed Barry in High Fidelity and now as Shallow Hal himself) and Kyle Gass, have recently released their self-titled debut album. Part metal, part acoustic, part spoken word and entirely hilarious, Tenacious D defies categorization.

If not for its inconsistency, the debut album would have the makings of a cult classic. The first single is “Wonderboy,” an epic battle-song of the title character and his nemesis, Nasty Man, who join forces at the end to become (surprise!) Tenacious D. The song appeals to the listener not only because of its comic narrative, but also for the fact that it stands alone as a conventional rock song.

The other tracks that distinguish themselves, however, do so as a result of their explicit nature. “Fuck Her Gently,” “Cock Pushups” and “Kielbasa” all have their humorous moments, but they are all on a scattological, college-boy-reveling-in-his-immaturity level. In fact, there is little on this album that would appeal to anyone other than college-age males.

The problem with Tenacious D is that it sags between songs; the skits and spoken tracks are not as funny as some of the musical material, and “Kyle Quit the Band” and “Drive-Thru” are lame and obvious space-fillers.

Still, once the initial prudishness wears off, Tenacious D becomes funnier each time you put it in the CD player.

—Daniel M. S. Raper