Just read an article today with gene Simmons commenting on the current state of the modern rock industry.
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Any thoughts on this?
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Any thoughts on this?
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Rock and roll is dead?
- Thread starter ghostrider
- Start date
Well, this is going to be fun. Not only is it a Gene Simmons thread, but it's also going to turn into a file sharing argument thread!
Apparently, rock and roll dies every couple of years, yet continues to resurrect itself..
What could Gene possibly know about what is or isn't dead in 2014? Realistically. He is stuck in a time warp and has been for years.
Not saying there's anything wrong with that...but he's almost the last person on earth I'd ask about what is hip today.
If it were 1977 and Gene was saying this, okay then I'd be scared about the death of rock...for like one second...maybe. Still probably not though.
Not saying there's anything wrong with that...but he's almost the last person on earth I'd ask about what is hip today.
If it were 1977 and Gene was saying this, okay then I'd be scared about the death of rock...for like one second...maybe. Still probably not though.
Stick_Player
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I understand what he is saying, but I don't believe he is considering the big picture. He is out of touch with the grassroots element of music. There will always be an underground music scene; one which he probably dismissed years ago but has always thrived. Guitars (bass included) are more heavily marketed than ever. There are more brands to choose from in guitars, basses, amplifiers, effects, and on and on. That market would be drying up if there was not a community of players out there who still get the thrill. Gene Simmons is a wealth of knowledge, but he has been a jaded elitist for decades. Rock lives.
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If rock is dead or dying, its because there are fewer venues for bands to perform and develop a following. The record industry has changed dramatically since the majority of people have gained access to the internet but rock music will still survive.
I re-watched the old movie "A Knight's Tale" recently. I told my wife it was pretty hokey the way they tied classic rock music and dancing into that setting. Lo and behold, the music was awesome and scratched that old itch in my rock and roll soul. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, It ain't dead at my house.
The old business model is dead, rock and roll is quite alive , any city with a vibrant local scene is a treasure trove of great talent . you will see more crowd fund and independent release stuff for the future , I Tunes , Etc are the new business model
No way. As long as there are young kids and electric guitars rock and roll will always be. You grow old and you lose touch. At its heart rock and roll is a young man's game.
like everything from the past, it is over, we moved on. Rock music is still here but not like it used to be... but every time people talk about "rock music is dead" they also take about "being a rock star" you can't just make some music you have to be popular ...
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There's just WAY too many examples of "old" people that are rockin' hard for me to cite. Suffice to say, Rock 'N Roll is ageless and I'll be a metalhead till the day I die \m/
P.S. I'll also never lose touch. I'm 51 and CONSTANTLY looking for and exploring new music
It's like any other commodity. There distribution empires have shifted, so it's down to an oligarchy. There is more of a cottage industry, and the infrastructure for new acts isn't what it was. I've seen fewer big new bands these days, but also the ongoing survival of artists who would have died in olden times. Mike Doughty is still up and rolling, despite not having a big label and a name brand like Soul Coughing. How would that have been possible in the "golden years"?
While rock stars are impressive, it's easier to buy and sell a single artist backed by studio guys than it is to break a band. Fewer negotiations, less group think, simple dynamic.
in my youth, i figured all you could do was be a huge artist or homeless and struggling. now i've got friends a who play all sorts of hired-gun and studio gigs. one of them just worked with Lemmy. others do a bunch of mixing and production work. i just got off the phone with a friend who does cd duplication, and we talked about how the big houses have shut down, but the small/medium artists still want cds because they find nobody goes home and downloads their music, but the audience will take and even buy cds.
steveinohio also hit it. it's a young man's game.
While rock stars are impressive, it's easier to buy and sell a single artist backed by studio guys than it is to break a band. Fewer negotiations, less group think, simple dynamic.
in my youth, i figured all you could do was be a huge artist or homeless and struggling. now i've got friends a who play all sorts of hired-gun and studio gigs. one of them just worked with Lemmy. others do a bunch of mixing and production work. i just got off the phone with a friend who does cd duplication, and we talked about how the big houses have shut down, but the small/medium artists still want cds because they find nobody goes home and downloads their music, but the audience will take and even buy cds.
steveinohio also hit it. it's a young man's game.
As stated before, Mr. Simmons seems to be stuck in the past, unwilling to adapt with the constant changes. He also is a very keen businessman, and knows that a controversial statement like that will get attention...low and behold here we are discussing him and his words.
I whole-heartedly disagree, rock is here to stay. It may not always be Top 10 popularity, but there will always be MILLIONS of people dedicated to the timeless genre of rock and roll, and its many shades. The underground is overflowing with awesome bands, immensely talented and offering pure art that resonates with other people. I doubt Gene has his finger on that pulse.
Is it harder now than when he was starting out? Sure. But at the risk of sounding like a bumper sticker, the only constant is change.
All of the "out of nowhere" bands were innovators rallying not only against the grain, but against the status quo of the old guard's mindset that Gene represents.
He is a dinosaur of the rock industry, and is simply out of touch.
I've always enjoyed KISS, and admired their ability to transcend music with branding and merchandising, but on this issue he is merely looking to ruffle feathers.
I whole-heartedly disagree, rock is here to stay. It may not always be Top 10 popularity, but there will always be MILLIONS of people dedicated to the timeless genre of rock and roll, and its many shades. The underground is overflowing with awesome bands, immensely talented and offering pure art that resonates with other people. I doubt Gene has his finger on that pulse.
Is it harder now than when he was starting out? Sure. But at the risk of sounding like a bumper sticker, the only constant is change.
All of the "out of nowhere" bands were innovators rallying not only against the grain, but against the status quo of the old guard's mindset that Gene represents.
He is a dinosaur of the rock industry, and is simply out of touch.
I've always enjoyed KISS, and admired their ability to transcend music with branding and merchandising, but on this issue he is merely looking to ruffle feathers.
As much as I have an opinion of Gene and downloading mp3's and paying or not paying for them...and as ot of touch as he may be..he is mostly correct.
Most rock stations are now classic rock. The top artists are not rockers, they are American Idol types. Rock may make a temporary surge here and there, and sure there may be underground bands that are garage rock....but a 4 piece rock band..popular..CURRENT...in their 20's..that have a jet plane with their name on it?? The old model is dead and a lot of things went with it.
But Foo Fighters have a new album coming out in November...now are they Rock or Something-Rock or Rock-Something?
Most rock stations are now classic rock. The top artists are not rockers, they are American Idol types. Rock may make a temporary surge here and there, and sure there may be underground bands that are garage rock....but a 4 piece rock band..popular..CURRENT...in their 20's..that have a jet plane with their name on it?? The old model is dead and a lot of things went with it.
But Foo Fighters have a new album coming out in November...now are they Rock or Something-Rock or Rock-Something?
The rock and roll LIFESTYLE of excess may be dead, but rock and roll MUSIC is not.
