Tribute (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Tribute


Artist = Tenacious D
from Album = Tenacious D
Released = July 16, 2002
Format = CD
Recorded = The Boat in Silver Lake, Los Angeles
Genre = Comedy Rock,Hard Rock
Length = 4:07
Label = Epic Records
[ Writer = ]
Producer = The Dust Brothers
Certification = Platinum (ARIA)
Chart position =
[ Reviews = ] *
Last single =
This single = Tribute
(2002)
Next single = Wonderboy
(2002)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Tenacious D
Type = studio
this_track = "Tribute"
track_no = 3
prev_track = "One Note Song"
prev_no = 2
next_track = "Wonderboy"
next_no = 4Audiosample
Background=#E6E8FA
Upper caption = Audio sample
Audio file = Tribute (Tenacious D song sample).ogg

"Tribute", or unofficially, "The Greatest Song in the World"cite news | first=Neil | last=Strauss | coauthors= | title= Foraging for Music in the Digital Jungle | date=2001-08-20 | publisher= | url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9505E6D7113EF933A1575BC0A9679C8B63 | work =The New York Times | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-23 | language = ] is the first single of Tenacious D's self-titled debut album. It was released July 16, 2002.

"Tribute" was the most requested video on Kerrang! TV in 2002. The song is a tribute to what Gass and Black jokingly refer to as the "greatest song in the world," [cite news | first=Steve | last=Baltin | coauthors= | title=Phair, Grohl Sing for Dems | date=2004-07-07 | publisher= | url =http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6222965/phair_grohl_sing_for_dems | work =Rolling Stone | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-23 | language = ] which Tenacious D themselves came up with, but have since forgotten.cite news | first=Mary | last=Williams | coauthors= | title=Tenacious D ‘rocks’ the Wiltern | date=2001-08-26 | publisher= | url =http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/archives/id/16721/ | work =dailybruin.ucla.edu | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-23 | language = ]

History

Tribute was the first song Black and Gass played live as Tenacious D.cite news | first=Lindsey | last=Kaiser | coauthors= | title='Pick'ing out their Hollywood destiny | date=2006-11-21 | publisher= | url =http://media.www.dailytargum.com/media/storage/paper168/news/2005/03/22/InsideBeat/Hbowesome-899368.shtml | work =dailytrojan.com | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-23 | language = ] The song, like many other songs that were recorded on "Tenacious D", was originally played on the TV series.cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= Scott Thurlow, James Caverly | title=HBOwesome | date=2003-05-22 | publisher= | url =http://media.www.dailytargum.com/media/storage/paper168/news/2005/03/22/InsideBeat/Hbowesome-899368.shtml | work =dailytargum.com | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-23 | language = ] During earlier performances of this song Kyle Gass played the opening to "Stairway to Heaven". [cite news | first=Aaron | last=Scott | coauthors= | title=Tenacious D | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=187 | work =Slant Magazine | pages = | accessdate = 2008-07-04 | language = ] The two songs are both in A minor and have very similar chord progressions, and critics have said the songs sound alike. [cite news | first=Eric | last=Anderson | coauthors= | title=The 'D' drops | date=2001-10-04 | publisher= | url =http://media.www.fairfieldmirror.com/media/storage/paper148/news/2001/10/04/Ae/The-d.Drops-110953.shtml | work =fairfieldmirror.com | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-23 | language = ]

ynopsis

The song chronicles the band members' encounter with a demon who demands the duo play "the best song in the world" or have their souls devoured. Having nothing to lose from trying, they "play the first thing that came to [their] heads" and it "Just so happened to be / The best song in the world."

In an interview the band claimed that the inspiration from the song came after Jack Black played Metallica's "One" for Kyle Gass, describing it as "the best song in the world", [cite news | author=Emily Watson and Lauren Thompson | title=The D contemplates rock-off for soul and the perfect groupie | work=The Daily Texan | url=http://www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2006/11/22/LifeArts/The-D.Contemplates.RockOff.For.Soul.And.The.Perfect.Groupie-2506639.shtml?norewrite200701010817&sourcedomain=www.dailytexanonline.com | date=2006-11-22 | accessdate=2007-01-01] [cite news | author=JimmyO | title=INT: Tenacious D! | work=JoBlo.com | url=http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=13638 | date=2006-11-22 | accessdate=2007-01-01] leading to a failed attempt to themselves write an even better song, and a discussion of the meaninglessness of labeling any song that way. "Tribute" was written to make the claim that the greatest song in the world had, in fact, been briefly theirs but they had forgotten it, as a paean to the impossibility of reaching musical perfection.

In "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny", it is implied that the climax of the movie, a rock-off challenge between Satan and Tenacious D told through the song "Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown)", is indeed the incident chronicled in "Tribute", and that the portion of "Beelzeboss" performed by Tenacious D is the song receiving tribute. After defeating Satan, JB and Kyle recall the incident once more, describing it as, "the greatest song in the world." Unfortunately, they are unable to remember how it went. Also in the song Beelzeboss, they mention that they know the demon's weakness, referred to as their "rocket sauce", which is what they use in their HBO television series to defeat the demon.

Music Video

The music video for Tribute, directed and edited by Liam Lynch, features Jack Black and Kyle Gass, in a cheap shopping mall karaoke booth, rewired to record their tribute to their encounter with a demon and the song they sang for him, which saved their lives.

The video cuts between footage of the pair walking down the "long, lonesome road" and the encounter with the demon played by Dave Grohl. The demon also performs the electric guitar solo in the music video. After the solo, Jack Black jumps out of the booth and starts shouting the lyrics at passers-by and dancing flamboyantly. Passersby include cameos from Lynch and Ben Stiller. A policeman, played by Jason Reed, takes Black and Gass away. At the end an old lady, played by Linda Porter, picks up the now-recorded CD and cackles, her eyes turning red.

Although the video had huge success on UK television - readers of Kerrang! magazine voted for their Top 10 rock videos with Tribute coming fifth [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Nirvana hit tops rock video poll | date=2004-04-09 | publisher= | url =http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2004/04/09/story142078.asp | work =tcm.ie | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-23 | language = ] - the song was never actually released there as a single. "Tribute" was nominated for two Music Video Production Association Awards: "Alternative Video of the Year" and "Directorial Debut of the Year".cite web|url=http://www.tenaciousd.com/newsarchive.html|title=News Archive|accessdate=January 24|accessyear=2007] In addition, it was a nominee for best video in the 2002 Kerrang! Awards. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=The Kerrang! Awards 2002 | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/kerrangawardsx22x08x02 | work =contactmusic.com | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-23 | language = ]

Critical response

Some critics described the song as being similar to the song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band.cite news | first=Simon | last=Price | coauthors= | title=Iron Maiden, Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle | date=2006-12-24 | publisher= | url =http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/iron-maiden-metro-radio-arena-newcastlebrtenacious-d-hammersmith-apollo-london-429783.html | work =The Independent | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-23 | language = ] [cite news | first=Dave | last=Waldman | coauthors= | title=Tenacious D makes move into music | date=2001-09-27 | publisher= | url =http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2001/09/27/Arts/Tenacious.D.Makes.Move.Into.Music-101949.shtmlusic/reviews/iron-maiden-metro-radio-arena-newcastlebrtenacious-d-hammersmith-apollo-london-429783.html | work =gwhatchet.com | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-23 | language = ]

Cover versions

"Tribute" has been covered by the Dust Bowl Cavaliers, on their 2006 album "Bluegrass Wrecks the Music of Tenacious D: This Is Just a Tribute".

Track listings

;CD single (Epic Records #673519 2)
# "Tribute" – 4:08
# "Cosmic Shame (live)" – 4:28 "Recorded at the Cox Arena in San Diego on November 20, 2001.
# "Friendship" – 2:00
# "Tribute (Video)" – 4:08
# "Wonderboy (Video)" – 4:07

;Australia and New Zealand CD single (Epic Records #672893.2)
# "Tribute" – 4:08
# "Cave Intro" – 0:46
# "Jesus Ranch (demo)" – 2:14
# "Kyle Quit the Band (demo)" – 2:10
# "Explosivo (Mocean Worker's Megamix)" – 5:02

;Promotional CD (Epic Records #56731)
# "Tribute" – 4:08 (Radio Edit)

Chart performance

{| class="wikitable"!Certifier!Award
-
RIANZcite web| url=http://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart.asp?chartNum=1333&chartKind=S |title=Top 50 Singles Chart #1333 |publisher=Recording Industry Association of New Zealand |accessdate=2008-01-03]
align="center"| Gold
-
ARIAcite web| url=http://www.australian-charts.com/search.asp?cat=a&search=Tenacious+D |title=Tenacious D |publisher=australian-charts.com |accessdate=2008-02-14]
align="center"| Platinum

Credits

* Jack Black (vocals/acoustic guitar)
* Kyle Gass (backing vocals/acoustic guitar)
* Page McConnell (keys)
* Dave Grohl (drums)
* Alfredo Ortiz (additional drums)
* The Dust Brothers (production)
* Ken Andrews (mixer)

References