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Gene Simmons [still] Thinks Rock Is Dead
- Thread starter Altitude
- Start date
Rock has changed, but still alive and well. The days of relatively few Super Groups dominating the charts seems over.
If anything is dead it would be the Black Soul music of the 60's & 70's, in favor of auto-tuned, pitched shifted, poorly sung, mysoginistic beats.
**EDIT*** I just read the article (shouldn't have posted before I read, but it was such a poorly worded CLICK-BAIT title of the article. I don't disagree with anythings that he said in the article. Death is a bad term. He is right that the hey day is over and there are likely to be far fewer legends moving forward. I removed my anti-Gene comments.***
If anything is dead it would be the Black Soul music of the 60's & 70's, in favor of auto-tuned, pitched shifted, poorly sung, mysoginistic beats.
**EDIT*** I just read the article (shouldn't have posted before I read, but it was such a poorly worded CLICK-BAIT title of the article. I don't disagree with anythings that he said in the article. Death is a bad term. He is right that the hey day is over and there are likely to be far fewer legends moving forward. I removed my anti-Gene comments.***
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That's funny because I buy "rock" albums all the time and they are current (made in last 12 months). The app Bandcamp is crushing it with rock album sales.
Maybe the real issue is that its not popular or mainstream. There aren't new radio stations that only play some new variation of rock.
Or is it because nobody buys the music YOU grew up with anymore?
Maybe the real issue is that its not popular or mainstream. There aren't new radio stations that only play some new variation of rock.
Or is it because nobody buys the music YOU grew up with anymore?
My cover band learned Dua Lipa’s Don’t Start Now just before COVID hit. (Fun bass line.) Is that rock? it’s obviously dance music. Crowds loved it. There’s a lot of dance-y stuff being recorded now (like Lizzo’s Juiced, another tune we picked up). Patrons who wanna dance get up and do so for that stuff more than for Green River by CCR or Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. Dua Lipa is nowhere near the Aliman Brothers, that’s for sure. But you can sneak a guitar solo into the middle of these tunes and it works.
Rock can't die, exactly; once a musical style, period, etc. exists it can't un-exist. Does Gene also go around saying Baroque is dead?
Tom
Tom
Imagine what Gene's perception of what rock must be, from his side, and I can understand his comments. From my position in the nosebleed seats, I still see some action.
Hell, there was a ton of new music I didn't get or like when I was 13!
13 was a long, long time ago, and I'm less militant about my "taste" than I used to be, but there's still plenty of new music I don't like. Fortunately, there's still a little bit that I do like, just like when I was 13...although the music I gravitate to now is a little bit different than it was then.
Be careful not to stun the Norwegian Blue.
Cool has not changed one iota, baby.
Hang up a few bullfighting posters, spin a little jazz, and the honeys will be swooning
Hang up a few bullfighting posters, spin a little jazz, and the honeys will be swooning
I haven't read the article, but when I hear this, my first thoughts are always that the musician who says that is more in fear of his/her own relevance in music is waning, not the genre itself.
Color me too snarky this morning, so I'm off to listen to We Like It Here.
Color me too snarky this morning, so I'm off to listen to We Like It Here.
I believe that if rock is dead, "I Was Made for Loving You" is what killed it.
Lots of good points made. I disagree with the word "dead", but as others have said, rock is no longer dominant in pop music. I just saw a Grammy's commercial; I don't like any of the artists shown. Just like pop has moved beyond rock, popular music has moved beyond me. I'm Ok with it because the canon of rock music that I like is huge, and there are still new bands coming up that carry on the classic rock tradition, even if they don't dominate pop.
[old rock star takes break from counting his millions to yell at cloud]
I believe it was Max Volume of Naked Lady Wrestlers who said, "Rock music is for rocks."
I believe it was Max Volume of Naked Lady Wrestlers who said, "Rock music is for rocks."
For once I agree with Mr. Simmons. The parasites in the music industry have always put profits ahead of artistry, but now that their monopoly is crumbling they're forced to pump out as much sonic sewage as the market can handle in order to pay their mortgages. Exploiting the vulnerable by promising them stardom is how these vipers stay in business. In the early days it was the blues players who got screwed, then it was teenaged rockers followed by disco divas, poor disillusioned punks, inner city rappers... The list is endless, but they have one thing in common: they're ripe for the picking. Starry eyed hopefuls who sell their souls for the chance to be famous. Serially ripped off and kicked to the curb by suits. (How do you think L.A.'s homeless problem grew exponentially?) If you want to keep up with what the newest trend in the music industry is, just look at who is the easiest group to fleece. Whatever their genre is it'll be the next big thing.
I agree, lets just say I'm a little older than 43 and there's ton of older music out there from the 'golden era' so to speak, and a lot of it I didn't get to back in the day. So I've got plenty of things to revisit or discover. Not to say I don't like some of the newer (at least to me) bands out there like Rival Sons (older) and South of Eden. It's out there, you just have to dig for it. What passes for record companies nowadays certainly aren't going to put it in your face.
