Though he is first and foremost an actor, Jack Black‘s rock music chops have become increasingly apparent. Playing alongside Kyle Gass in Tenacious D, Black has defied expectations as a comedic actor by becoming a serious musician. Though their songs are often humorous, the musicianship behind them is no laughing matter. Because of his musical prowess, we trust Black’s opinion on his fellow artists. Find out what group Black once called the “best band in the history of rock” below.
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The Rock Band Jack Black Labeled “The Best in History”
Black has lauded many rock bands over the years. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, the Pixies, and AC/DC, to name a few. But, there is one band he thinks stands above all the rest: Radiohead.
Despite his own music being of the belting variety, Black found something enticing about Radiohead’s intimate discography. He once talked about the band’s diversity and how it uniquely positioned them in rock music.
“If you want concept,” Black once said. “You go OK Computer. But if you wanna rock — if you want straight-up fu**in’ songs — you go The Bends.”
The latter album is one of Black’s favorites. The Bends is the work that put Radiohead at the forefront for the actor-turned-musician. “The first few listens, I was like, ‘I don’t understand…. My brain’s not computing….’ Then it clicked in: ‘Ohhhh, I see! It’s the best band in the history of rock,” he added.
Meeting Thom Yorke
[RELATED: 4 Great Radiohead Deep Cuts That Non-Hardcore Fans Should Know About]
Because of his affinity for the group, Black naturally wanted to meet the frontman, Thom Yorke. But he fell into the age-old trap of meeting his heroes.
Yorke has never been a frontman truly accustomed to his fame. Radiohead as a whole has always preferred the shadows to the limelight. This makes meeting and complimenting Yorke a tall order. Black once spoke about his “soul-crushing” first impression with the frontman.
“Every sentence, it sounded like I was speaking through a bottle of molasses,” Black said. “It was a soul-crusher…He was not into it. All my heroes: not into it when I approach them.”
Despite his flubbed meeting with Yorke, Black has remained a fan of Radiohead. Revisit one of Black’s favorite albums of all time, The Bends, below.
(Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for The Skatepark Project)
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