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Gene Simmons is a better bassist...

#41
I'm actually wearing my end of the road tour shirt from last year today! I think they are awesome! I personally don't think he's playing on some of their recordings, nevertheless I do really like the music as a whole, though at certain points in their career I do think the music became secondary. Everything about that band is rooted in pure spectacle from the music, get up, Live show, personal lives. I took my brother last year to the show and it was his first concert ever and the just his reaction to seeing KISS in the flesh with the fireballs and light show make me even fonder of that band! From listening to the music to seeing it live is surreal, especially if you don't have anything to compare it to like my Brother did
 
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#42
First, a lot of the players in that era were highly underrated including Simmons. Musically Simmons did his job really well. If you listen to anything live you get an idea just how "money" he was. So judge him by his peers. Rock solid, check. Iron-fisted grasp of the whole song he's playing, check. Totally able to step it up to fill space, check. I'm thinking of a long list of hard rock bassists who were not as good as Simmons. Question to ask yourself is (based on musicality and performance of the task) would Gene Simmons be an asset to any of the arena rock bands from the '70's and '80's? I think yes.

Last, to do it in heels!!! Am I right?

A fun way to think about it, if KISS weren't good players (really good players) there's no way they could pull off the stage show they delivered night after night.
 
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#43
I'm actually wearing my end of the road tour shirt from 2019 today! I think they are awesome! I personally don't think he's playing on some of their recordings, nevertheless I do really like the music as a whole, though at certain points in their career I do think the music became secondary. Everything about that band is rooted in pure spectacle from the music, get up, Live show, personal lives. I took my brother last year to the show and it was his first concert ever and the just his reaction to seeing KISS in the flesh with the fireballs and light show make me even fonder of that band! From listening to the music to seeing it live is surreal
 
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#44
Aceman said:
Than I thought.

I have been playing a lot of KISS tunes lately - Pre-80's stuff.

As much as I think these are simple songs (And they are) I find a lot of his lines challenging. There is a lot going on there I never really knew/appreciated. I knew he was a fan of McCartney's stylings.

Like I said - a lot more going on there than I knew. Some stuff is a bit of a workout!
Click to expand...

Say what you want about his skill level, but the guy sure made a lot of money playing.
 
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#46
I was really into KISS in the 70's as a kid. I couldn't get enough of the theatrics & spitting blood/fire that my parents hated. I really dug the music as well. This is everything pre 80's. As I look back, between KISS, Aerosmith & ACDC, I was really just being introduced to the blues. Young me was to stupid to realize that. Gene bass playing & vocals were perfect for the music & band. He may be a douche, or may not, I don't know the guy. Is he a virtuoso? No, he's an average bassist who made it big through hard work & some luck. I'm sure many of us wouldn't mind being in his shoes.:D
 
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#52
Gene is a fairly brilliant businessman, a major woman chaser, a theatrical style entertainer, a song writer, & a rock bassist. His bass playing is not his number one skill, but it worked for the band he was in. If you consider his bass playing was average, keep in mind that his other skills were probably above average and probably what made him & KISS successful. If he didn't sing, write, entertain, or have a 10" tongue, he probably would have been replaced as the bass player, but he did have all those other skills and that one physical attribute.....
 
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#57
A great player, very melodic and solid.

I proudly and unapologetically will say I enjoy his playing and you certainly can hear the McCartney influence.

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#60
Aceman said:
Than I thought.

I have been playing a lot of KISS tunes lately - Pre-80's stuff.

As much as I think these are simple songs (And they are) I find a lot of his lines challenging. There is a lot going on there I never really knew/appreciated. I knew he was a fan of McCartney's stylings.

Like I said - a lot more going on there than I knew. Some stuff is a bit of a workout!
Click to expand...
I've been saying this for a long, long time. Gene's early catalog has some excellent hardrock bass work and his tone is worth noting. Gene's no joke.
 
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