irony
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Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=47860
Printed Date: February 09 2025 at 22:50
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Topic: irony
Posted By: laplace
Subject: irony
Date Posted: April 13 2008 at 13:58
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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? ------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Replies:
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 13 2008 at 14:02
| Irony Maiden and Irony Butterfly springs to mind. *better response later* |
Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: April 13 2008 at 14:25
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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. |
Posted By: _JC_
Date Posted: April 13 2008 at 15:34
| When I think of irony, or witty humor in general when talking about music, Devin Townsend immediately springs to mind. |
Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: April 13 2008 at 16:15
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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.
------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: April 13 2008 at 17:47
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King Crimson's existence after ITWOP is ironic. A lot of Phish's music has humor and irony. Definitely Zappa Return to Forever, sometimes. i cant really think of a lot of examples right now  ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm 
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Posted By: zappaholic
Date Posted: April 13 2008 at 19:48
Whatever irony is, it's not what Alanis Morissette thinks it is. 
------------- "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." -- H.L. Mencken |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: April 13 2008 at 23:38
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^^^^ hahahahaha Retro prog is pretty ironic ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: April 14 2008 at 18:11
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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... ------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: April 15 2008 at 18:25
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My poor thread. :(
Power-prog metal must have chased away all the irony from our entire genre. ------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: KoS
Date Posted: April 15 2008 at 21:22
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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" |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: April 16 2008 at 05:51
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Then there's that Alanis Morisette song Ironic where all the examples in the lyrics have nothing to do with irony, which I guess is the irony of the song.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: April 16 2008 at 06:41
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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
-------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: 1800iareyay
Date Posted: April 16 2008 at 14:41
God I hate that song with a fiery passion. I choose to believe it is some elaborate meta-joke because I love Alanis, but it symbolizes the majority of the populace's ignorance of irony. I gotta go with my boy Devin Townsend, both for his solo stuff and Strapping Young Lad. It's a little hard to glean from the stream-of-consciousness, often non-sequitur writing, but his stuff is chock full of irony and self-deprecation. And Zappa is the obvious answer. |
Slartibartfast wrote:Posted By: CCVP
Date Posted: April 17 2008 at 11:32
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absolutely Zappa
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Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: April 17 2008 at 11:57
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I don't think that irony is used often in music ... other forms of humor seem to be more common. Have a look at these lists: http://ratingfreak.com/_dbe,tags,ironic.xhtml - http://ratingfreak.com/_dbe,tags,ironic.xhtml http://ratingfreak.com/_dbe,tags,sarcastic.xhtml - http://ratingfreak.com/_dbe,tags,sarcastic.xhtml http://ratingfreak.com/_dbe,tags,cynical.xhtml - http://ratingfreak.com/_dbe,tags,cynical.xhtml You're all very welcome to help expand these lists!  ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa/aotm-2025-1/vote" rel="nofollow - 2025 Monthly Release Poll Listened to: 
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Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: April 17 2008 at 12:14
With The Who "The Who Sell Out", it would be ironic if they were naming the album in jest, yet overtime eventually did sell out.
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Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: April 17 2008 at 13:25
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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. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: April 17 2008 at 13:35
Yes; just think of "Eskimo", which is nothing but a big hoax. -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: Gentlegiantprog
Date Posted: April 17 2008 at 14:56
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I imagine 'The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles,' is ironic... otherwise its just not for me
------------- Let the maps of war be drawn ! 
http://kingcrimsonprog.wordpress.com/ |
Posted By: sean
Date Posted: April 17 2008 at 15:09
come on, what's not ironic about rain on your wedding day, or a thousand spoons when all you need is a fork?  |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: April 17 2008 at 15:23
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Your handclap emoticon beside the title is irony at its best, Laplace: (  forum_posts.asp?TID=47860 - irony) ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |