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Did Gene Simmons influence your decision to play bass?

Did Kiss/Gene Simmons influence you to play bass?

  • Yes, Gene had some influence.

    Votes: 63 26.3%

  • No, (add your own comments)

    Votes: 177 73.8%
  • Total voters
    240
  • Poll closed .
#121
ggunn said:
That's a good point, actually. If you say that you don't like a band (and personally, I never cared for KISS - their act or their music), that's OK; DSFDF, no accounting for taste, etc. But if you say a band is juvenile, unimaginative, or just plain sucks, implying objectivity, then it's not just a criticism of the band, it's a slap in the face to folks who happen to enjoy their music. Can't we all just get along? :p
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Not liking KISS isn't exactly the same as saying a person doesn't like fans of KISS. I know KISS fans who are great bassists, some of them probably better than Gene Simmons. Just because I think KISS is a really boring band with predictable songs doesn't mean I am not respecting their fans.
 
#122
Rocker949 said:
Not liking KISS isn't exactly the same as saying a person doesn't like fans of KISS. I know KISS fans who are great bassists, some of them probably better than Gene Simmons. Just because I think KISS is a really boring band with predictable songs doesn't mean I am not respecting their fans.
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AC/DC is just as/if not more boring and predictable than KISS.........


:hiding:
 
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#127
My younger brother brought home Kiss Alive when it came out, and it definitely motivated me to play bass. I was 13 when I started. After a while, I moved on to Leon Wilkeson, then Berry Oakley, then Jaco.

Gene's straightforward lines were easy to learn before moving on. Paul McCartney first got my attention for bass, but Gene made me think I should give it a shot.
 
#128
I too was about 13 when I started to play bass, Kiss was the the hottest thing going, and I basically learned to play by copying all the songs from Kiss Alive. But I see it as more of a "gateway drug". From there I quickly moved on to Geezer, Geddy, Squire, Stanley, Jaco... the list goes on. It may have been the just the way the stars lined up that Gene was putting it out there when I was a young teen, but I still have to acknowledge that he was indeed the first bassist I copied. And I have to acknowlege that I enjoyed seeing Kiss on tour last year and bringing my kids with me. They know how to put on a show and have been doing it longer than most. There is no denying it.
 
#129
I started playing bass in 1974, and didn't conciously hear a KISS tune until 1978. To this day the only KISS tunes I even recognize are "Strutter", "Rock And Roll All Night", and "Tears Are Falling"

I have the utmost respect for Gene because he pursued his dream of being a rock star with unflagging diligence, and he makes no bones about what it is he's doing. But he had absolutely zero influence on me as a musician.
 
#134
Noseferatu said:
Yes, both his playing and HIM. He's truly an underrated bass player. Generally, the ones who bash him seem to be:

1. Just plain ignorant
2. Never listened to any Gene basslines, goes with number 1
3. Not very confident within themself
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ggunn said:
That's a good point, actually. If you say that you don't like a band (and personally, I never cared for KISS - their act or their music), that's OK; DSFDF, no accounting for taste, etc. But if you say a band is juvenile, unimaginative, or just plain sucks, implying objectivity, then it's not just a criticism of the band, it's a slap in the face to folks who happen to enjoy their music. Can't we all just get along? :p
Click to expand...
Noseferatu said:
I've never understood this either. Basically, by saying a band sucks, you're saying the opinions of others don't matter.
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Oh, the irony...
 
#135
GregC said:
Oh, the irony...
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I never said AC/DC sucked, I said that if you're going to call KISS boring and elementary then you might as well do the same with AC/DC considering they are similar to KISS. However, I happen to love AC/DC.


The only bands that suck are the bands who are poppy and corporate and do what they do for the pure sake of making money, which, while may be mildly true about KISS, is not entirely true.


I found an interesting Gene Simmons interview from about a month ago where he says that he doesn't do KISS for the money, but he does it for the challenge, or the feeling of accomplishment after he's done.
 
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#138
Simple answer across the board.

If you were a kid and liked the band, yes. If you thought them to be silly and amateurish, no.

Hell, if you liked the Archies and that started you playing an instrument, that's an influence.
 

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