“Almost like a spiritual feeling”: The two legendary bands on which Jack Black based Tenacious D
Despite the overwhelmingly comedic reputation of Jack Black, his whims and charms have always stemmed from a place of sheer talent. Even in the early days, when his comedic streak was more glaring than it is now, Black endeared people with his animated personality and somewhat contortionist voice, appealing to those with a heightened desire for simple escapism.
While simplistic is a tarnished word in the context of art, everything about Black’s appeal was just that in a positively heartwarming way that made his characters and stories stand out more than most other comedic actors. What made this even more enticing was Black’s interest in music, which also extended to his own abilities as a singer and performer—something that many felt less inclined to embrace as a serious venture.
Even when Black charged forward with Tenacious D alongside Kyle Gass, they weren’t considered a serious addition to the music pool. Granted, the duo had much to do with this, with their exaggerated take on 1980s-inspired hard rock and metal bands obsessed with the concept of Satanism. However, this was also enhanced by the fact that, for the most part, Black wasn’t taken as a serious artist.
Still, that was all part of the fun, and even Black didn’t take umbrage with being seen as an off-kilter, tongue-in-cheek rock band, even if the concept itself was more difficult for mainstream audiences to understand. He was enjoying himself, foremost, and gaining more fans in the musical space was a mere bonus. That said, the many avenues of inspiration Black looked to when forming the duo were anything less than respectable.
For starters, they built their image around the many ’80s bands that used occultish iconography as part of their image. For Tenacious D, this was a natural way to build their satirical world and blend it with Black and Gass’ fixation on the hard rock sounds that emerged from the movement. As with many contemporary rock bands that use Satanist imagery, Tenacious D used it within their theatrics, exaggerating the darkness of it all for comedic purposes without losing sight of the sonic appeal.
To do this effectively and draw people in, channelling the greats was key. According to Black, two legendary bands formed the basis of their vision, helping him and his audience achieve a heightened state of enjoyment that can only be achieved through good music alone: “I like to include my brothers from The Who and Led Zeppelin,” he told NPR.
Exploring their underlying appeal and how he factored that into Tenacious D, he added, “If they can take me on a journey through the clouds: I don’t have any real spirituality in my life; I’m kind of an atheist. But when music can take me to the highest heights, it’s almost like a spiritual feeling. It fills that void for me.”
In a way, that was what inspired Black with Tenacious D more than the appeal of simplifying hard rock’s signature themes and parodying its excess. Instead of relying too hard on the theatricality, Black sought to employ the many facets that made bands like The Who and Led Zeppelin great and take audiences on an emotional and passionate journey. There was, of course, an element of what Black described as “showing off”, but ultimately, that’s what gave them their edge.
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