Blog updates

For those that don’t know, I’m a huge fan of Tenacious D. From their first album, I’ve loved the combination of Kyle’s incredible guitar playing, Jack’s incredible voice and the duo’s great in your face, often toilet humour based, comedy.

After loving their debut album I bought their Masterworks DVD, which introduced me to their HBO series that I knew nothing about… awesome. This was during my Uni days and I remember laughing hysterically with a couple of the guys when watching the episodes and the pair’s extra skits “Hey JB, what are you and KG doin’ out here in the desert” being a line that I still regularly use when I catch up with those guys.

Then, after waiting in hope, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny arrived, and I think I might be one of the only people I know who actually liked the film – yes it’s juvenile, yes the humour is off the wall, often toilet-humour based – but that’s what the original episodes had all been about too. It wasn’t everything I’d hoped, and while there were a couple of gems on the soundtrack (Kickapoo, Car Chase City, Storm the Gates) there were also one or two real flops for me (ahem… Papagenu)

The critics tore both the film and the album apart, and if I wasn’t a fan already, it probably wouldn’t have turned me to the D cause.

Thankfully, rather than shy away from their critiscm, Jack and Kyle have faced up to it with their opening title track from their new album “Rize of the Fenix”. For me, this album more than makes up for the couple of let downs from the last album, and then some. “Senorita” is an incredible track, as is “39” which has had me in hysterics more than once. Meanwhile the video’s that have been released for “To Be The Best” and “Roadie” are Jack and Kyle back on solid form (see below for the “To Be The Best” vid)

The whole album just works, each song leads on well from the last with the usual comedic lyrics and interludes that you expect from Tenacious D.

For me, it’s a welcome return from the D! Long live the D!