Tenacious D The Pick of Destiny
|
List Price: Our Price: $3.51 You Save: $5.48 (61%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.20 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Tenacious D The Pick of Destiny
Free Music Review: Grandson very happy.
Hit: 5 Stars
I purchased this for my grandson, for Christmas. He was very pleased.Free Music Review: Better than the movie - give it a chance and you'll love it!
Hit: 4 Stars
It has been several years that Tenacious D fans have been waiting for a new album from The D, and as a fan, this album satisfied my hunger for new content but failed to deliver as a worthy successor to their self-titled debut CD. The main reason for this is that the album plays much more like a soundtrack (which it is advertised as) rather than a full-blown album. That being said, this has to be one of my favorite movie soundtracks of all time and still captures the unique sound (and humor) that I love about Jack and Kyle.
From the moment the first track "Kickapoo" begins and you hear the signature D-like acoustic riff, you know your in for a treat as Jack playfully weaves a story about a young JB, rebelling against his father by embracing Rock in a way that only he can ("Twas I who f---ed the dragon!"). Keep in mind that I first heard this CD before even watching the movie, and the first minute of acoustic guitar combined with Jack Black's aggressive, completely ridiculous lyrics brought such a huge smile to my face that instantly felt the wait for this song alone was worth it. Vintage Tenacious D. Meatloaf and Dio also contribute to make the opening so strong that it really is difficult for the rest of the album to maintain the momentum this track brings from beginning to end.
"Classico" is the first of several tracks on the album that pays homage to tunes from the band's past work (same Bach piece Kyle played in "Rock Your Socks Off" from the first album) while adding a new spin to it. Many reviewers have complained that some of the songs on this CD are too short to enjoy but this is a great example of one that is just long enough to appreciate - once again, brilliant combination of KG's masterful guitar-playing and JB's over-the-top lyrics ("When you rule, you f---in school, all of the fools, out of their jewels).
Unlike, "Classico", "Baby" is one song I really wish was longer than it turns out to be on the album. It's a soulful tune that provides just enough harmony and guitar that it might have earned some playtime on the radio if it were fleshed out into a full song, especially when you consider there are no swear words involved. It's of my favorite songs to sing along to, even if it only lasts barely over a minute.
Although "Destiny" only serves as a transition track with a couple lines from the movie, what's nice about the small snippet is that Jack sings the same short vocal riff that preceded each of the HBO specials, the same one that would play as they entered the open-mike night bar - another treat for hardcore D fans. This is nicely followed by "History", another song that longtime D fans would undoubtedly recognize from the HBO specials and other appearances. This version is slightly extended, with added lines like, "We've run with wolves, we've climbed K2, even stopped a moving train", and it's nice to finally have a real version to play.
"The Government Totally Sucks" has drawn some comparisons to "City Hall" from the first album, but I find it to be lacking in their trademark tongue-in-cheek humor, as the music seems a little lazy and repetitive and the lyrics are definitely short on inspiration. It's no wonder this track was cut from the movie.
"Master Exploder" is, just like "Classico", just enough Tenacious D brilliance and ridiculousness to warrant repeated playbacks even though it is a short piece. With lines like "I did not mean to blow your mind, but that sh--happens to me all the time!", this track is a perfect example of why Tenacious D fans can't get enough of them - if you understand the sarcasm behind their seemingly over-the-top arrogance, you can't help but enjoy them for what they pretend (believe?) to be: the greatest band on earth.
"Papegenu" may seem a little strange if you haven't seen the movie, but once you see the scene you'll understand the meaning behind the weird use of a recorder and lots of dialogue between JB and Sasquatch (hint: mushrooms are involved). Again, longtime D fans should notice the second half of the song is similar to the one played with Sasquatch in another of the HBO specials.
More songs follow along with the movie, with "Dude I Totally Miss You" describing the duos time apart. Like "Baby", it's another soulful song but adds a bit of man-crush humor that is a traditional theme in D songs. "Break-In City" and "Car Chase City" are less Tenacious D, more generic rock and roll. Although Jack still works his unique styling into the songs, the music doesn't seem typical of something him and KG would perform in a club.
This all leads into a climactic battle with the Devil in "Beelzeboss", and MAN what a climax it is! JB and Kyle challenge the Devil to a rock-off, and the back-and-forth music and lyrics between the foes turns out to be an awesome rock opera that takes laugh-out-loud humor, hard metal, slow acoustic, and head-banging solos to create by far the best track on the album. Played with a passionate snarl by Dave Grohl (always a contributor to D songs but never quite like this!), the Devil proves to be a worthy adversary to Jack and Kyle, vocally and stylistically. This song provides an idea of what really happened in "Tribute" from their first album. I cannot get enough of this song and would recommend the album for this track alone.
The album finishes off with "POD", which is a fun recap of the movie that doesn't sound very Tenacious D-like but is still enjoyable, and "The Metal", which is a bit harder than the Bluesy sound we're used to hearing but, again, is very enjoyable.
I pre-ordered this album and it came out before the film actually was released, and the best compliment I can give the CD is that the movie did not live up to the soundtrack. I fell in love with a lot of the songs on the album, but I was disappointed that the scenes in the movie that were accompanied by some of the tracks in this album (mainly "Kickapoo" and Beelzeboss") did not live up to the excitement I felt just listening without a visual to go with the lyrics. Don't let the below average movie keep you from purchasing this CD, as I promise you that if you give it a chance, Tenacious D's music will invade your mind just like it did mine so many years ago.
Free Music Review: See the movie FIRST!
Hit: 4 Stars
Tenacious D is the collaboration between Kyle Glass and actor Jack Black. Billing themselves as "The Greatest Band on Earth", their music is filled with lots of humor, such as them singing a tribute to the greatest song in the world, because they forgot how the greatest song went after defeating the Devil with it. They've grown a very loyal audience with their music, even though they've only released one album so far (their self-titled debut in 2001). The Pick of Destiny is their second studio release, and the soundtrack to their movie of the same name.
This album is quite different from their debut album, since the scopes of the albums are quite different. Their first album was just two guys jamming trying to establish themselves, while this album is a soundtrack, and is much bigger and more cinematic. Unfortunately, the album is set up a like a narrative, and (as it happens with a lot of soundtracks) doesn't really work well when it's not accompanied by the movie. A lot of the songs sound as if they were designed strictly for certain points in the movie, and don't carry as much weight if you haven't seen it and aren't aware of what the songs are referring to. Despite that, there are still some very good songs on here, such as a revival of their theme song History, as well as other tracks like Papagenu (He's My Sassafrass) and Kickapoo.
Overall, this album still has a lot of the intensity and energy that has made Tenacious D so popular. But, unfortunately, this album doesn't work as a stand-alone album as well as their debut unless it's accompanied by the movie. It's a good soundtrack, but might disappoint diehard D fans who were hoping for an album closer to their first one. Watch the great movie though, and it'll be the CD you're listening to all Christmas!
Free Music Review: Some GREAT songs and a few pointless ones
Hit: 4 Stars
I loved the movie, and the music contained therein. Logically, I dig the soundtrack too. Although Tenacious D are somewhat of a joke band, they are making some of the best new music out there. They pay tribute to styles of the past and add their own unmistakable, pseudo-pompous attitude do it. The riffs are extremely tasty, in accordance with past D material, and the songwriting is still well above average. Also the lyrics remain quite humorous, although they aren't as clever as those found on their debut, and sometimes lose meaning outside the movie. "Kickapoo" kicks the album off to a good start. This mini epic features both Meat Loaf and Ronnie James Dio. "Classico" is pretty pointless, but features Kyle Gass playing a cool medley of some classical songs, as well as some impressive vocals by Jack Black. "History" is the D's immortal theme song. It has a cool melody, but seems like it ought to be longer. Unfortunately, except for the joke value, the next few songs are not really worth repeat listenings. The whole thing kicks into high gear again with "Beelzeboss," which is their best song to date. At over 5 minutes, it's very long by Tenacious D standards, and contains several distinct sections which chronicle Jack and Kyle's climactic battle with Satan. After that, "Pod," the theme song for the movie, keeps things moving at a good, catchy pace. I like the lyrics for "The Metal," but I just don't like the song all that much. Overall, fans of Tenacious D will want to have this one around.Free Music Review: Funny and rocking
Hit: 4 Stars
I love this CD although not many people seem to totally love it. As other people said, its a soundtrack but it's still a CD with original music. "Master Exploder" "The Pick of Destiny" "The Government Totally Sucks" "Kickapoo" and "Classico" are the best on the CD. And if you fail to remember they are pretentious because thats how the movie was written. It was supposed to act like they are rock gods and something special.
Mostly this album is more polished and sounds more like a CD because there is only music and clips from the movie. They also worked harder on the metal aspects. A lot more metal sounding elements and great singing by Jables and Kage sounds much improved on the guitar. I wish it was longer then 30 minutes but take what you can get.
Ill be there at the first showing of The Pick of Destiny! Its going to be amazing and Ill have all the songs already learned! I suggest picking it up because its worth listening.