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Gene Simmons

nonsqtr

nonsqtr

The emperor has no clothes!
Aug 29, 2003
3,994
25
Burbank CA USA
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#1
I used to laugh at Gene, what with the high heels and tongue extension and all. But lately I've been having to learn some early Kiss bass lines. I'm quickly gaining some respect for Gene and what he does in the context of that band. He does pretty basic stuff, but he makes it sound good. Not bad, not bad at all.
 
#3
when I first came around I did a post on him ,and was met with much contempt,It seems alot of his live stuff was played by a "ghost "player(an unseen player filling on on the songs he had to sing and play).
I did break down some of his lines to the songs I liked and found them to be very basic,now I'm not saying bad ,just very basic,which sometimes is good.
But he's not much of an "standout" bassist by most meanings of the word but his music was VERY influential at the least,he's not going to invent any new fads but he will write some good lines which fit into good catchy songs
"THEY CALL ME Dr. LOVE" :bassist:
 
#4
Wow, a ghost player? That's interesting. Singing and playing bass at the same time can be pretty difficult, especially if the bass line is more than just one note. I can't do it most of the time, just background type vocals that don't require much mental effort.
 
#10
I think Gene fits right in with the music they are playing but I don't think of him much as a bass player. They had an article in bass player magazine and Gene himself said he isn't a bass player, he is an entertainer. So I guess he fine in KISS, but soley as a bass player, I don't think he is much of one at all.
 
#12
Hail Gene, in all his kinky-haired, chauvinistic, Playmate-banging, make-up wearing, long-tongued glory.

'Detroit Rock City' is bad azzz. 'Calling Dr. Love' is bad azz. 'Rock'n'Roll All Night', despite having been rendered a used-and-abused song, is still bad azzzzz. Spitting blood and breathing fire are both triple-bad azz, for a combined score of once, twice, three times a Bad Azzzzzzz.

Sure he's a lousy bass player. Who cares? It's not really abotu the individual players in Kiss (which is good since they're all kinda suck musicians, technically -- at least the original lineup). You are either into the Kiss thing, or you're not. You either want Ace Frehley's guitar solo to involve neck-mounted pyrotechnics, or you don't. You either "wanted the best and got the best", or you didn't.

(Most of) those songs rock, quite simply, and displayed w/ all that stupid kabuki glam high-heeled pageantry? Come on!!! Like that's not pure unadulterated entertainment?!?

Kiss rocks, yet Kiss sucks, yet Kiss rocks. It's a zen koan.

And the tongue is all-natural, friends. It's the boots that are extensions....
 
#13
Don't think he's as good a player as he is a marketer.

The guy actually has a PhD in something...so he's a relatively smart chauvanistic piggie.

Gene without makeup: Oy Vei! I'm all verklepmt. Fug-leeee


He was quoted once as sayin "The kick means nothing to me" in re: to bass playing. That says alot.

Ghost players are nothing new. Live or studio. Look at the guy from Bon Jovi. Hugh. Funny thing, he's been with them from the get-go, yet they will not make him a full member of the band.

piddly.
 
#15
I've seen threads get ugly and this was one of them,when someones favorite bassists who they look up to get picked apart whether its about style,tech,ETC.
Then it goes off topic and it gets ugly,everyone does'nt like every bass player or their style,but if WE(me included)give constructive criticism then its a bit more fun.
So sadly he had a "ghost" player,But he did have some good songs with good bass lines,but hardly innovational or trendsetting,but he was a great showman.DID i COVER ALL BASSES(get it?basses?) :bassist:
 
#17
Speaking of Gene:

It's funny how this comes up every so often about Gene because of who he is.
Let's assume, for arguments sake, that he did play the material on KISS' records.

What kind of things have many of his contemporaries, guys like Tom Hamilton, Steve Fosen, Ian Hill, Dusty Hill, etc., etc. done that are so much more impressive than the lines on KISS' records?

Detroit Rock City, 100,000 Years, Rock and Roll All Night, and others have basslines that are semi-complicated, move, and fit the songs very well.

While most of Gene's contemporaries were content to pump straight root eighth notes,
Gene's lines were constantly moving. He almost never resorted to straight eighths.

Even if he was "ghosted", I've seen the man Live several times and he seems to pull the lines off just fine.


PS. RE:Gene with no makeup. Has anyone caught him as the crime boss on the show "Third Watch" recently?
Man, that boy can be scary!:eek:
 
#18
PhatBasstard said:
Speaking of Gene:

It's funny how this comes up every so often about Gene because of who he is.
Let's assume, for arguments sake, that he did play the material on KISS' records.

What kind of things have many of his contemporaries, guys like Tom Hamilton, Steve Fosen, Ian Hill, Dusty Hill, etc., etc. done that are so much more impressive than the lines on KISS' records?

Detroit Rock City, 100,000 Years, Rock and Roll All Night, and others have basslines that are semi-complicated, move, and fit the songs very well.

While most of Gene's contemporaries were content to pump straight root eighth notes,
Gene's lines were constantly moving. He almost never resorted to straight eighths.

Even if he was "ghosted", I've seen the man Live several times and he seems to pull the lines off just fine.


PS. RE:Gene with no makeup. Has anyone caught him as the crime boss on the show "Third Watch" recently?
Man, that boy can be scary!:eek:
Click to expand...

I will proudly go on record and say I love the bass lines in those old Kiss songs. I don't care for the tone at all, but the lines are cool.

What do I know, I think McCartney's a great player...
 
#19
Ghost players are nothing new. Live or studio. Look at the guy from Bon Jovi. Hugh. Funny thing, he's been with them from the get-go, yet they will not make him a full member of the band.
Click to expand...

That's the truth. Hmmm......... now who else in rock history might have used another musician to play his lines? (cough)...Roger Waters...(cough) :hiding:

Anywho, I have to agree that Gene is one unattractive man under all that pancake and eye black. But his acting career is nothing less than stellar. One word: Runaways.
And he is quite the smarty: a fluent speaker of at least 5 languages, a former english teacher, business and marketing genius.

Plus, the first minute or so of "Radioactive" (from the "solo" album -- dig the cover or "Wish Upon a Star"! Gack!) was really handy for scaring the living crap out of my baby bro when we were little.... :eek: :D
 
#20
supermonkey said:
That's the truth. Hmmm......... now who else in rock history might have used another musician to play his lines? (cough)...Roger Waters...(cough) :hiding:
Click to expand...

Really?!

Tina Weymouth taught a studio engineer to play the line for "Genius of Love", because her hand was injured, but Roger Waters? I'm using my "BS" flag on this one. I need proof.
 

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