TENACIOUS D/TENACIOUS D
Biting, sometimes base satire and humor populates this 21-cut comedy-rock debut from actor-musician Jack Black and his band, Tenacious D. Sort of like a trashier, more casual and less musicalBeck, vocalist-guitarist Black and guitarist-vocalist Kyle Gass, with help fromFoo FighterDave Grohl,Redd Kross's Steve McDonald, and Page McConnell ofPhish, deliver oddball musings that will appeal mostly to fans of the talented Black, whose earned a following thanks to memorable, frenetic turns in the filmsHi FidelityandJesus' Son. The songs and "bits" include the wonderfully, intentionally melodramatic "Wonderboy," Black ordering "four Chicken McNuggets" on "Drive Thru," and the funny ode to vocalistRonnie James Dio, where Black observes, "Dio has rocked for a very long time / Now it's time for him to pass the torch." With often intentionally droll and dumb humor smartly executed like a latter-day version ofBob & Doug McKenziewith a dash ofSpinal Tap, this more-comedy-than-rock debut is likely to achieve cult status.--Katherine Turman