He was one of two for me... I'd give the honor to the other one... the one that was HIS main influence... Paul McCartney.
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Opinion on Gene Simmons
- Thread starter twdavis13
- Start date
He was one of two for me... I'd give the honor to the other one... the one that was HIS main influence... Paul McCartney.
Yeah, yeah... flawed analogy. Gene has the shark on a leash. Wherever Gene goes, the shark goes with him. He raised the shark from a... whatever baby sharks are called. He might have even fathered the shark. I'm tired, and old. Did I mention tired?
Personally, I think Gene Simmons playing AND stage antics served Kiss very well. IMO, regardless of how simple or difficult his bass lines were, that is what made him a great bassist.
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)
I grew up listening to Kiss. Years after getting my first Kiss album (1978), I started playing bass (1984). I quickly realized that Kiss songs were a hell of lot more interesting on the bass than Van Halen or AC DC. His parts fit the songs and were at times interesting (Cold Gin, Detroit Rock City). I don't get why there seems to be a lot of resentment towards him. Maybe the success?
I wouldn't say it's resentment. I'd say it's recognition that Gene is a businessman first, a showman second, and a bass player third.
You are right... at times they were interesting (DRC) and at other times they were... well.... Lick It Up. That said, I was a member of the KISS Army growing up, and I still enjoy busting loose with a KISS tune every now and then.
+1 Couldn't agree more! I'm pretty tired of these threads, but love him or hate him, he wrote some great songs, played some great bass lines, and tried to sing...LOL. I still love the bass line to "Goin' Blind" among others. He was a big influence on me when I was young, as was the whole band.
I was never a huge KISS fan. But I guess millions would disagree with me since Gene is probably going to die a billionare.
Gene Simmons is Gene Simmons and I doubt most people on this forum could fill his shoes if they came into replace him in Kiss. Gene is a great showman and is the purfect Bass player for the band Kiss. Do I think he is a great Bass player,no I don't but the guy can play and hold it down like a Bass player should. About the toupee,who cares. The guy is a rock star,how many of us can say that ? BTW, I don't care for the band but would never put somebody down for diggingthem. Steve
I never understood the appeal of KISS at all. On the other hand, I have no reason to bash them. They obviously did something to get a lot of people to like them.
Gene is why I started playing bass in 1975. Then I started discovering musicians and realized he is just a great entertainer, no musician. He wrote some great songs and inspired all kinds of musicians but his playing never went much beyond the beginner stage. Saw an 80's solo on youtube, it was awful. Like most here say, his playing fits what the band does, and that's entertain.
TheWalrus said it best - ‘Gene Simmons is the P.T. Barnum of rock.’
P.T. Barnum was a master of deception and a great showman who knew how to give the people what they want. Gene does the same thing by turning words and images into music that capture attention and make money in the process. Barnum was known as the ‘Shakespeare of advertising’, he also coined the phrase – ‘You can fool most of the people most of the time.’
I recently listened to one of Gene’s audio books – and a very brief summary of the beginning - he was poor as a child and driven to earn money from an early age. He discovered you can make money and get girls being in a band, so that’s what he did. And very successfully I might add.
Most famous musicians that you have ever heard of realize early on that they are not really in the music business; they are in the fashion business. Any music can become popular with enough money behind it, because after a while, social proof kicks in – ‘It must be good because everyone’s playing it’ – the masses being what they are believe in the hype and a star is born. Business men and marketers have it down to a science, it has never been because the person was a genius of their profession, if you do happen to be good at what you do, it’s a bonus.
Boy bands/girl bands are a good example, the marketing is built into the product from day one; it is not an accident that these individuals rise to the top of their chosen professions. Think about programs like American Idol, there is a beginning, middle and an end to the process, a system is in place before any money is spent.
I have discovered that there are two types of musician:
1. The authentic musician who pursues music because he/she loves the craft… authentic meaning anything that is not devised or structured to make a profit or anything that exists for its own sake, that assumes its own shape.
2. The marketer who sees music as the vehicle of his/her opportunity, the garden where everything is strategically planted and arranged for effect.
One of these musicians talks in rhythm and harmony, the other talks in numbers. They are two completely different languages and produce very different results, but if you can put the two together without whoring yourself, you are golden.
P.T. Barnum was a master of deception and a great showman who knew how to give the people what they want. Gene does the same thing by turning words and images into music that capture attention and make money in the process. Barnum was known as the ‘Shakespeare of advertising’, he also coined the phrase – ‘You can fool most of the people most of the time.’
I recently listened to one of Gene’s audio books – and a very brief summary of the beginning - he was poor as a child and driven to earn money from an early age. He discovered you can make money and get girls being in a band, so that’s what he did. And very successfully I might add.
Most famous musicians that you have ever heard of realize early on that they are not really in the music business; they are in the fashion business. Any music can become popular with enough money behind it, because after a while, social proof kicks in – ‘It must be good because everyone’s playing it’ – the masses being what they are believe in the hype and a star is born. Business men and marketers have it down to a science, it has never been because the person was a genius of their profession, if you do happen to be good at what you do, it’s a bonus.
Boy bands/girl bands are a good example, the marketing is built into the product from day one; it is not an accident that these individuals rise to the top of their chosen professions. Think about programs like American Idol, there is a beginning, middle and an end to the process, a system is in place before any money is spent.
I have discovered that there are two types of musician:
1. The authentic musician who pursues music because he/she loves the craft… authentic meaning anything that is not devised or structured to make a profit or anything that exists for its own sake, that assumes its own shape.
2. The marketer who sees music as the vehicle of his/her opportunity, the garden where everything is strategically planted and arranged for effect.
One of these musicians talks in rhythm and harmony, the other talks in numbers. They are two completely different languages and produce very different results, but if you can put the two together without whoring yourself, you are golden.
He got the Girls and the Cash.... How can U argue that !.... Seems the man knows how to play the Bass and not let it play him !
Yeah, well good luck on that. If you can get anywhere without whoring yourself out, that makes you nonexistent.
I don't see what's so bad about considering the entertainment aspect of music, and why so many musicians see dedication to the music and entertaining as mutually exclusive. OK, Gene will never get mistaken for Billy Sheehan, but who cares? He plays music that he likes and does it a lot better than he's given credit. See if you could come up with basslines as clever as "Ladies Room" or "100,000 Years." There's a reason why producers like Bob Ezrin and Eddie Kramer wanted to work with KISS...yeah, the money was good, but those guys had plenty of money and didn't need to work with what was considered a joke band.
It's all silliness. Go rail against Hannah Montana's horribly limited man's voice or the Jonas Brothers' lack of any personality that doesn't come from a script. Don't rail against a band that has lasted 35 years at the top. They don't care, anyway. Well neither does Hannah Montana right now...but she will
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Gene simmons is a circus performer ... an actor ... Kiss puts on a blood spitting fire breathing show in full costume ... the music is completely secondary to the show ...
If KISS tried to make it on the music alone they probably would have failed.
Gene is not in any right an impressive bass player.
If KISS tried to make it on the music alone they probably would have failed.
Gene is not in any right an impressive bass player.
Second that! I think he is a horrible bass player (compared to the fact that he is a very known bass player), but he knows how to make money. He gives the audience what they want and expect, but I would rather see a good bass player than a good showman ...
I had respect for him being in a band. I have respect for anyone who makes money with music.
Although as a person I absolutely hate him. He's a horrible person and that overpowers his success.
Although as a person I absolutely hate him. He's a horrible person and that overpowers his success.
Nothing negative huh? Well, he runs ok for a fat man... (Ty Cobb said this when asked what he thought of Babe Ruth).
Back in the Kiss glory days, I am sure a lot of bass players where inspired to emulate Gene Simmons. I would consider Gene more of a showman that could play some good Rock-n-Roll bass riffs.
Also, I believe that bass playing techniques and musicianship as changed dramatically over the past several years. Bass playing like Victor Wooten was not around back in the 70's.
Anyway, I just became a member and I hope to be able to contribute to discussions on these forums.
Thus, I give Gene a "thumbs-up".
P.S. I will admit to being a member of the Kiss Army
Also, I believe that bass playing techniques and musicianship as changed dramatically over the past several years. Bass playing like Victor Wooten was not around back in the 70's.
Anyway, I just became a member and I hope to be able to contribute to discussions on these forums.
Thus, I give Gene a "thumbs-up".
P.S. I will admit to being a member of the Kiss Army
