irony

Sometimes, while drafting reviews, I find myself attributing this quality to certain bands or songs yet I have no way of proving that irony is intended in a single band's music.

How do you define irony in music? Do you think it's a relevant term? What bands would you give as an example of the quality - Mr. Bungle? ELP?

I generally only assume that a song is supposed to be humorous if it's obviously meant that way, because silliness is a very subjective thing. A lot of people who don't like prog-rock probably dismiss the entire genre as silly. Irony is also, by its nature, not always easy to detect... isn't irony defined as "something that doesn't mean what it appears to do"? So this whole irony business is something you generally should be a little cautious with and take music seriously.

On the other hand: There are also prog rock bands that use irony very deliberately... Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, anyone? There's also Hawkwind, who have a name that's actually an in-joke related to flatulence and wrote the song Silver Machine that appears to describe a space/time-ship but actually describes a bicycle.

Jimmy Hnedrix and his Star Spangled Banner springs to mind. Frank Zappa used some irony (We are only in it for the money), The Who sell Out uses irony I think.

Whatever irony is, it's not what Alanis Morissette thinks it is. 

um, *bump*. ;P

Stormy Six's "Macchina Maccheronicca" album has a short track where the whole band sing a short song in chorus, mostly just repeating the name "Enzo" and the audience are in stitches. I can't tell whether it's irony or pure exuberant slapstick as music but it's certainly a precious moment...

Tool uses irony in some of their songs.
Sometimes it's subtle, sometimes it's not.
Some examples: "Hush" "Hooker with a Penis" "Rosetta Stoned"




Edited by king of Siam - April 15 2008 at 21:24

Van der Graaf Generator are a very ironic band, with a lot of self-irony too; just think of the lyrics of "Abandon Ship!" from "Presence". that irony is musical too in that song; just listen to the tottering rhythm

absolutely Zappa

tuxon wrote: Jimmy Hnedrix and his Star Spangled Banner springs to mind. Frank Zappa used some irony (We are only in it for the money), The Who sell Out uses irony I think.   so yes I think it's a musical atribute, can't come up with many excamples though.

Rocktopus wrote: Something I've often thought about RPI is that it seems to have total a total lack of ironic distance. Atleast in general. And I'm very happy about that. The Residents is very much about irony in both lyrics, concept and musically. Twisting and parodiyng all genres. Up to ca. 85, you never know if or when they are being serious.

Yes; just think of "Eskimo", which is nothing but a big hoax.