Does Humor Belong in Music?
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- KVRist
- 154 posts since 22 Jul, 2012 from Magrathea
.
I voted 'Yes' because humor in music is of all times ...
Even the classical composers like Mozart used innuendo (not the Queen song ) in their works.
And then of course there's the music of Spike Jones!
There are several songs that make me smile when i hear them or see the video:
- Monty Python: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Lumberjack Song
- Bobby McFerrin - Dont Worry, Be Happy
- Paul Simon - You can call me Al
- Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatry
- ??? - Star Trekking (a joke piece about Star Trek with all kinds of one-liners from ST, very funny!)
- Pharrell Williams - Happy!
I voted 'Yes' because humor in music is of all times ...
Even the classical composers like Mozart used innuendo (not the Queen song ) in their works.
And then of course there's the music of Spike Jones!
There are several songs that make me smile when i hear them or see the video:
- Monty Python: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Lumberjack Song
- Bobby McFerrin - Dont Worry, Be Happy
- Paul Simon - You can call me Al
- Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatry
- ??? - Star Trekking (a joke piece about Star Trek with all kinds of one-liners from ST, very funny!)
- Pharrell Williams - Happy!
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- KVRAF
- 3625 posts since 25 Mar, 2006 from The city by the bay
Beyond the image of Mozart people tend to have from having seen the movie Amadeus, IMO there is lots of humor in the actual music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWPiNt8J3I4
There are no doubt versions of that aria with subtitles for those who might not get the gist of it as is, but to me Terfel is just so able to convey humor with such seemingly little effort.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWPiNt8J3I4
There are no doubt versions of that aria with subtitles for those who might not get the gist of it as is, but to me Terfel is just so able to convey humor with such seemingly little effort.
- KVRAF
- 14973 posts since 13 Nov, 2012
It seems in the last several years, many new artist wave sprung up whose lyrics are un-intentionally laughable.
Since humor is already in music, why not intentionally allow it in music?
Intended:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAbZzdalZh4
UN-intended:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaeNelsAOGo
Since humor is already in music, why not intentionally allow it in music?
Intended:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAbZzdalZh4
UN-intended:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaeNelsAOGo
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- KVRian
- 658 posts since 24 Oct, 2005
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- KVRian
- 658 posts since 24 Oct, 2005
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Winstontaneous Winstontaneous https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=98336
- KVRAF
- 2351 posts since 15 Feb, 2006 from Berkeley, CA
Keith Moon's drumming with the Who was hilarious, I especially love the fills in "Amazing Journey" starting around 0:46:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9U-7GdvuEc
Les Claypool's quick solo at 3:07 on the studio version of Primus' "Tommy the Cat" is one of the silliest things ever:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4OhIU-PmB8
Claude Debussy kicked off his 12 Piano Etudes by poking fun at the stiff, pedantic etudes that came before, and then proceeded to create some of the most expressive works in the piano literature:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FymZsN_NiB4
I know the title of the thread is a question asked by Frank Zappa.
IMO so many of the Zappa lyrics people think are funny, are just cruel exploitations of one-dimensional cliches. Ooh, let's get a laugh at the expense of hippies, rednecks, teenage prostitutes and divorced truck drivers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9U-7GdvuEc
Les Claypool's quick solo at 3:07 on the studio version of Primus' "Tommy the Cat" is one of the silliest things ever:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4OhIU-PmB8
Claude Debussy kicked off his 12 Piano Etudes by poking fun at the stiff, pedantic etudes that came before, and then proceeded to create some of the most expressive works in the piano literature:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FymZsN_NiB4
I know the title of the thread is a question asked by Frank Zappa.
IMO so many of the Zappa lyrics people think are funny, are just cruel exploitations of one-dimensional cliches. Ooh, let's get a laugh at the expense of hippies, rednecks, teenage prostitutes and divorced truck drivers.
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- KVRAF
- 5139 posts since 27 Jun, 2004
Just listen to Elvis Presley - (You're the) Devil in Disguise. It makes me smile every time, if not laugh. Of course, there has been excellent folk and classical music hundreds as well as thousands of years ago, with humor either in lyrics, notes, sounds (tuba, anyone?), rhythms, style, all of those, or in how the notes, sounds, style or rhythms that aren't humoristic by themselves connect with lyrics that aren't humoristic by themselves, or with each other. Much of it is very "relistenable". Whether you do it well or not, is another question. Whether people like it or not, is another question. But whether it's "appropriate" or not ("belongs in"), is an overgeneralizing question when you apply it to music in general instead of specific musical works.
"Music is spiritual. The music business is not." - Claudio Monteverdi
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- KVRAF
- 3625 posts since 25 Mar, 2006 from The city by the bay
- KVRAF
- 25053 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
What you're missing is the empathy. Take 'Teenage Prostitute', you don't get that it's the society this is a symptom of he's after? Do you think people snigger at this song?Winstontaneous wrote:Frank Zappa.
IMO so many of the Zappa lyrics people think are funny, are just cruel exploitations of one-dimensional cliches. Ooh, let's get a laugh at the expense of hippies, rednecks, teenage prostitutes and divorced truck drivers.
They give him thirty days in San Ber'dino
Well there's forty-four men
Stashed away in Tank C
An' there's only one shower
But it don't apply to Bobby
You may think they're
Dumb an' lonely
But you're wrong
'cause their love is strong
Stacked-up hair
An' a cheap little ring
They don't care
'cause it don't mean a thing
Looka there...
They don't care
Bestest way that
They can feel-o
Out on the highway
Rollin' a wheel-o
He's her tootsie
She's for real-o
Trailer park heaven
It's a real good deal-o
Frank did ten days in Tank C where there was only one shower.
In San Ber'dino.
______________________________________________________
Republicans is great if you're a multi-millionaire
Democrats is fair if all you own is what you wear
Neither of them's really right 'cause neither of them care
'BOUT THAT HOT PLATE HEAVEN
'cause they ain't been there
Here ya go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtZ6hjiJmTU
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- KVRAF
- 8414 posts since 4 Jul, 2012 from Alesia
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- KVRian
- 658 posts since 24 Oct, 2005
they're flowing so well together! sweet. best buddies in music. more of that, tv? please?
regarding zappa: i rarely listen to lyrics attentively, neither with him, but i soak up any interview of his i can find.
and i have to agree on the empathy. it's hidden behind a wall of sharp sarcasm sometimes bordering on cynicism. you build up these walls when your idealism is crushed over and over.
but man, the empathy is there if you listen. lots of it. i can't really imagine it's not in the lyrics as well.
i think people's tendency to not take stuff seriously when it's mixed with a bit of gaga are part of why zappa tried to find other venues for making his opinion heard.
we kinda lost the way of the jester, a figure every bit as important as the bard. jester business is serious business, and hard business, cause you gotta deal with people considering you just a one-dimensional fool.
regarding zappa: i rarely listen to lyrics attentively, neither with him, but i soak up any interview of his i can find.
and i have to agree on the empathy. it's hidden behind a wall of sharp sarcasm sometimes bordering on cynicism. you build up these walls when your idealism is crushed over and over.
but man, the empathy is there if you listen. lots of it. i can't really imagine it's not in the lyrics as well.
i think people's tendency to not take stuff seriously when it's mixed with a bit of gaga are part of why zappa tried to find other venues for making his opinion heard.
we kinda lost the way of the jester, a figure every bit as important as the bard. jester business is serious business, and hard business, cause you gotta deal with people considering you just a one-dimensional fool.
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 25852 posts since 20 Jan, 2008 from a star near where you are
Zappa resurfaces as a miner in North Dakota ?
That guy really does look like him
That guy really does look like him
- KVRAF
- 14973 posts since 13 Nov, 2012
No, thats the Mayor of Prague.Numanoid wrote:Zappa resurfaces as a miner in North Dakota ?
That guy really does look like him