Interesting Gene Simmons interview

[A.K.]

Hi everybody,

I know a lot of us TB types hate Gene Simmons. I'll be the first to admit that the man can be very annoying (if you've seen the Tom Selleck movie "Runaway" you know what I mean). That said, I think he's a better bassist than he gets credit for. For example, David Ellefson has said that Gene was one of the biggest reasons that he took up the bass guitar. Me, too.

Anyway, here's an old Bass Player magazine interview with Gene that you may or may not find interesting. I liked it a lot.

Yes, the man plays simple lines. But last I checked, simplicity in a bass player is not a bad thing in itself. I like his groove, consistency, and early songwriting. But I also readily acknowledge his weaknesses.

AK

http://www.bassplayer.com/article/gene-simmons-interview/jan-00/6992

 

[Captain Simian]

I just dug out that issue and re-read it tonight. Nice transcription of the Calling Dr Love bass line in that same ish.

 

[bongomania]

Tangent: I thought he was great in the recent movie "Extract".

 

[Schizoid75]

I think that role in "Extract" isn't too far from his business persona--cutting deals and getting the biggest piece for himself, etc.

Gene is by far my single biggest influence and it's my opinion that those who dismiss his playing haven't actually heard enough of it. Admittedly, he doesn't have big chops, but seems to me that he does everything you could want a bassist to do in a classic rock/hard rock setting.

 

[john_martin_sai]

What do you use now?

"It really doesn't matter. I challenge anyone walking on the face of the planet to listen to a record and say, "Oh, that's a so-and-so amplifier." You can't, and it's often difficult to say, "Oh, that bass? That's a . . . ." Sorry. Any bass will do the job, and any amplifier will do it.


If true,...that makes about 90% of the stuff discussed here simply irrelevant....

 

[Craig_S]

Listen to the Hotter Than Hell and Dressed to Kill albums. There are some great basslines on some of those songs. I'm no big KISS fan, but they were a good rock and roll band, once.

 

[tycobb73]

I really don't know how good of a player Gene is becuase I don't know hat he recorded and what ghost players recorded.

 

[Stingray19]

What do you use now?

"It really doesn't matter. I challenge anyone walking on the face of the planet to listen to a record and say, "Oh, that's a so-and-so amplifier." You can't, and it's often difficult to say, "Oh, that bass? That's a . . . ." Sorry. Any bass will do the job, and any amplifier will do it.


If true,...that makes about 90% of the stuff discussed here simply irrelevant....

I think he he was, in that context, speaking of basses in the studio.

 

[Stingray19]

I really don't know how good of a player Gene is becuase I don't know hat he recorded and what ghost players recorded.

Take a look at their discography before 1983 because Gene played on all of that stuff then from '84-'91, he was involed in a movie career, so bassists came in and played root notes.

I always thought Gene was a pretty good player in the rock genre. May not be 5 trillion notes a second, but listen to songs like Goin Blind, and Detroit Rock City and 100,000 Years just to name a few. Both of those took me a while to learn.

 

[bongomania]

I think he he was, in that context, speaking of basses in the studio.

I don't agree; in a live context more than anything, the bass is just a loud thumping noise (well, for rock music anyway), so 9 times out of 10 you could be playing a 2x4 with a big rubber band for a string, amplified through "any big old amp", and it would sound more or less the same to most people in the audience.

 

[Stingray19]

I don't agree; in a live context more than anything, the bass is just a loud thumping noise (well, for rock music anyway), so 9 times out of 10 you could be playing a 2x4 with a big rubber band for a string, amplified through "any big old amp", and it would sound more or less the same to most people in the audience.

So do you think he was right
in saying that??

 

[tycobb73]

did anyone contradicting himself when he said a bass is a bass but then talks about how great his basses are? Well, according to Gene, it doesn't matter how great Gene's basses are because any bass will serve the purpose. How do I know he still doesn't recored with his BC Rich basses?

 

[NS2A]

Take a look at their discography before 1983 because Gene played on all of that stuff then from '84-'91, he was involed in a movie career, so bassists came in and played root notes.

This is pretty much true. However, a most of the bass work post '83 was done by the other band members (Paul, Eric and Bruce).

 

[bongomania]

So do you think he was right
in saying that??

Well I obsess on the look, feel, and tone of my basses and rig just as much as most TB'ers do, so it's not like I'm going to sit here and say "the bass and amp don't matter at all". But I do think those things usually don't matter to the audience of a rock band. Well, aside from looking cool.

 

[Noseferatu]

This is pretty much true. However, a most of the bass work post '83 was done by the other band members (Paul, Eric and Bruce).

Is your avatar supposed to be Gene with an Axe bass in the 80s??

 

[Noseferatu]

did anyone contradicting himself when he said a bass is a bass but then talks about how great his basses are? Well, according to Gene, it doesn't matter how great Gene's basses are because any bass will serve the purpose. How do I know he still doesn't recored with his BC Rich basses?

This is a video of them recording their new Sonic Boom album, Gene in the studio using a Gibson Ripper......I want that tone AND that Ripper!!

 

[Noseferatu]

Very nice article, by the way!

 

[NS2A]

Is your avatar supposed to be Gene with an Axe bass in the 80s??

Yup.

 

[Noseferatu]

Yup.

Very KOOL!!!

 

[Buslady7803]

Meh he can go suck an egg about his comments of girls playing bass... -.- jerk...