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Paul McCartney vs Gene Simmons
- Thread starter Vinnyboonbots
- Start date
In every interview when he's asked, Gene credits Macca and the Beatles as huge influences. He's even referred to Kiss as the Hard Rock version of the Beatles (from the aspect of having 4 individual members each as recognizable as the other along with what are very good harmony vocals for the genre). I have an interview where he and Paul Stanley do an impromtu acapela version of "I'll Be Back", which is crazy good.
I count them both as very strong influences and each shows through my playing in different ways. Gene is regarded as being an arrogant ass...but I've heard McCartney make a lot of references about himself that come across as arrogant...to paraphrase Jaco: "It ain't bragging if you can back it up".
Bottom line: They both were instrumental in breaking significant ground in music and pop culture!
I count them both as very strong influences and each shows through my playing in different ways. Gene is regarded as being an arrogant ass...but I've heard McCartney make a lot of references about himself that come across as arrogant...to paraphrase Jaco: "It ain't bragging if you can back it up".
Bottom line: They both were instrumental in breaking significant ground in music and pop culture!
^This. I don't know who's the better behind-the-scenes businessman, but Gene is perhaps the greatest self-promoter of all time. Okay, maybe #2 - after Madonna!
Well there's a Kiss tribute cover album called Kiss My Ass, with this amazing track on : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCJJ0r-Dh8Q
That's more or less all I know about Kiss, but I owe it to that cover by Dinosaur Jr. I just posted, what a beautiful tune. I'd say it beat everything McCartney (not Beatles/Lennon though) ever wrote, but then again I havn't heard Dinosaur Jr. cover any of his songs.
No doubt McCartney is the better bass player though.
Alan Ace Cooper said:My 3 cents - You can tell Gene was completely inspired by Paul Mc. The bass line for "Rock and Roll All Night", is clearly a McCartney inspired line. The same would go for "Nothing To Lose". Can Gene give it up on his own? Surely - The bass line to "Detroit Rock City" on the Alive II album is a crushing piece of bass work.
McCartney is easily the better bassist - Then again, who know what Gene can actually play out of his Dragon Warrior suit and stacked heels? Paul Stanley was the better songwriter in the band. That shows in their 80s solo works. All of that being written, there are few other bass players that I wanted to SEE growing up.
I agree with this. I would like to add if George Martin was not steering the ship The Beatles would have been like any other three chord scat coverband band from the 60 And a big part of their success was they dare to be different with their mop style haircuts when everybody else is wearing either crew cuts are slick back hair styles. that is what I made them the most popular in united states back in the early days
But the money that was paid for that most likely is greater than any publishing money Gene receives.
Ric5
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I think the statement, "if George Martin was not steering the ship The Beatles would have been like any other three chord scat coverband band from the 60," is a completely ridiculous statement.
Not even a tiny smidgen of truth to it.
McCartney estimated net worth -- around one billion.
Simmons estimated net worth -- around 300 million.
No matter what you may think about the amount of input each had in his business dealings, it is all speculation, because you simply don't know.
Simmons does deserve credit (if you can call it that) for being a better self-promoter and making more out of what he had to work with, but the end results--financially and artistically--are not even in the same ballpark.
Simmons estimated net worth -- around 300 million.
No matter what you may think about the amount of input each had in his business dealings, it is all speculation, because you simply don't know.
Simmons does deserve credit (if you can call it that) for being a better self-promoter and making more out of what he had to work with, but the end results--financially and artistically--are not even in the same ballpark.
I never thought he was very influential too but after posting/reading on this forum, listening to some of McCartney's work (I'm not really a Beatles fan), & reading/watching various interviews/documentaries on other bands, McCartney (himself not just The Beatles) seems to be a huge influence on many professional bassists, nevermind hobby bassists.
Nev375 said:
Most members on TB are from the USA, so Wooten, Jaco, Clark are of course a big influence.
But regarding rock/ pop music, Wooten, Claypool Jaco and co are not close to somebody as McCartrney.
Anyway, being a virtuoso bass player such as Jaco, his music or playing do not talk at all to me, but listening to some of the things that McCartney, Geddy, Squire comes with, and singing in addition, then I say wow, I wish I had this talent.
Any way, I find McCartney as a source of inspiration. Gene Simons, don't know, I do not listen to Kiss unless they are on the radio. I'll guess Kiss are a good live act.
Stick_Player
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You haven't done all of your homework. However, you are right about the 'influential band' part.
McCartney came before your list of influential players. Dig a little deeper into the history.
+ a whole bunch. I think George Martin is a great producer who made fine contributions to the sounds of the Beatles' albums. But let's get real here. What act after the Beatles did George Martin "steer" to a remotely similar level? No one.
