Tenacious D

Tenacious D, the self-described “greatest band in history,” is basically the talented acoustic comedy duo of actor Jack Black (Jesus’ Son, Saving Silverman) and Kyle Gass, who began their rise to dominance, you might say, playing small comedy clubs in LA (they also had an HBO comedy series and have appeared on Saturday Night Live).

Produced by the Dust Brothers and bolstered by guest musicians Dave Grohl, Page from Phish, Warren from the Vandals, Steve from Redd Kross, this album is full of hilarious lyrics and acoustic/electric music that actually rocks in its own cheesy way (Black can sing a certain, poor-man’s-Zep rock style). And the spoken-word comedy bits between songs display Black’s manic comedy genius (you have to hear “inward singing” when he unleashes a Tourette’s-level lashing of profanity on his quiet partner).

Accompanied by strings and sad acoustic strumming, “Fuck Her Gently” is one of the funniest/stupidest love ballads ever recorded, as Black sings in the intro, “but fellas, you don’t have to fuck her hard/ in fact sometimes that’s not right to do.”

The D are two bald fat guys who vehemently believe they are rock gods in the Dungeons and Dragons sense, stopping songs in the middle and asking the audience to "drop trou and pinch off a Cleveland steamer on my chest." This is parental-advisory Flo & Eddie for the A.D.D. set—and it’s pretty stupid.