Tenacious D - The Complete Master Works Review

If you're not a Tenacious D fan already, The Complete Master Works might make you an instant convert (or scare you away; it all depends). One thing's for sure: If you thought "the D" were nothing more than a novelty act, this two-disc feast will set you straight, proving that classically trained guitarist Kyle Gass and fast-rising comedy star Jack Black ( School of Rock ) are a bona fide acoustic power duo, scorching the pop-cultural landscape with their satirically scathing lyrics while qualifying as legitimate musicians with awesome chops and just enough insanity to make them dangerous on stage. Disc 1 ("For Fans") is all meat and potatoes, consisting of a brilliant concert (taped at London's Brixton Academy, November 3, 2002) in which Black casts himself as an abrasive provocateur, daring to offend "KG" and the audience alike with barbed taunts and spiteful attitude (all faked, of course, but convincing enough to sucker the gullible). The musicianship is first-rate, and Black's vocals remarkably spry, a deft combination of rapid-fire scatting and heavy-metal worship. The HBO episodes chronicle TD's early years as their popularity was still mostly an L.A.-based phenomenon, and without exception they're wet-your-pants hilarious. Disc 2 is aptly dubbed "For Psycho Fans," offering a potpourri of TD ephemera for true devotees, including three HBO short films that are gross enough (and funny enough) to make any Farrelly Brothers comedy look positively tame by comparison (in other words, this definitely isn't kid's stuff). The TV appearances are somewhat redundant with the concert material, and the "On the Road" video diaries are perfunctory but fun. The best is saved for last: two music videos paired with "making-of" featurettes, including Spike Jonze's fantasy-oriented video for "Wonderboy," and a devilishly adult-oriented video for "FHG" (salacious "D" fans know what that means) from the animators of Ren & Stimpy . If you're offended, don't blame "Kage" and "Jables"--their Tenacious DVD has "Parental Advisory" clearly stamped on its cover, and prudes are well-advised to stay away. --Jeff Shannon