#166 - Think For Yourself with Kyle Gass (Tenacious D, guitarist/actor)

Ranking The Beatles

After having his mind perm-blown by acid in the spring of 65, George's songwriting changed its' trajectory, both in quality (upwards) and in subject matter. Gone were the boy/girl-romance songs, and in came a more thoughtful, world-weary young man, the same almost dour man we met just 2 years earlier holding the pen for "Don't Bother Me." With Rubber Soul's "Think For Yourself," George seems to be delivering a memo of caution regarding the peril of being stuck in traditional ways of living and thinking. It's unclear who he's talking to though. Is it a romantic partner? A platonic relationship (bandmates?)? The British government? Himself? The track is delivered with an absolutely confounding and kind of unsettling chord progression that leaves the listener feeling unrooted. Is it a major key? A minor key? It doesn't seem to fit the rules of pop song craft. It's so far removed from the simple chords of early Beatle songs, let alone early George songs. And it's all propelled by a fuzzed-out lead bass track, possibly the first recorded fuzz bass ever.

Joining us this week is the one and only Kyle Gass, half of the greatest rock band in history of the world, Tenacious D. Along with his partner Jack Black, one could make the case that he and Kyle are the modern-day Lennon/McCartney of comedy rock. Their 20+ career has seen the release of 4 studio albums, a film, an HBO series, a multi part series on Youtube (2018's Post-Apocolypto), and Grammy. In his spare time in the last year, he's managed to post daily guitar videos on Instagram, start up the podcast "Did We Do It?" with fellow actor Kevin Weisman, and recorded new solo and Tenacious D music. He's got a new solo single, "Vaccinated," with a star-studded video, out now. You can stream the song, watch the video, and get the t-shirts at https://linktr.ee/kylegass. We chat with KG about all sorts of things, from podcast mic tips to hating social media, the Beatles as actors, the appeal of a creative duo vs a band, to getting the vip treatment at Abbey Road. He even drops a few Easter eggs for upcoming Tenacious D plans (we got the ok from their people to leave it in) that's sure to please old school D fans and Beatles fans alike. Be sure to follow Kyle on Instagram at @theactualkylegass.

So what do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Kyle things we're laughably crazy. Let us know what you think! Be sure to join in the conversation on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, on Instagram @rankingthebeatles, and on Twitter @rankingbeatles. Enjoying the show and want to show your support? Check out https://anchor.fm/rankingthebeatles/support!

Songs featured this week include:

• Classico - Tenacious D
• Tribute - Tenacious D
• Time Warp - Tenacious D
• Vaccinated - Kyle Gass
  

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