Wisdom on Prince from Gene Simmons

[Jazz Ad]

I don't see why an apology was needed. There is nothing insulting or wrong in what he said.

 

[GregC]

Oops. My bad. He apologized.

...regardless of the fact that the guy stated that he didn't want to sell it because it meant a lot to him.

Uhh... Do a little research.

Capt. Kirk seems to be a really cool dude, if you ask me.

I think the incident/story says a lot about the character of the 2 people involved. You figure the rest out. And paint it however you desire.

I'm actually much more a fan of Kirk and the Roots than Prince--I have every album and saw them live just 10 days ago. (One of the best live bands on the planet, IMO.) I was mad when I first heard about this, and I did know that that guitar means a lot to him. Like Dr. Cheese, I of course recognize that Prince shouldn't have done that. (Maybe a handler was supposed to catch it, as I presume has happened with his other guitar tosses.) But he did as much as he could after the fact. So I'm able to let it go.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I can't say I disagree.

I understand drug addiction quite well. While it's a difficult thing to deal with for certain, it does still involve a certain amount of choice. If it didn't, there wouldn't be millions upon millions of people who have recovered.

And I'll add... People get all up in arms (pun intended) when guns take a life or two, but still nobody's coming down (or very few) on pharmaceutical companies. Any chance they might have had something to do with this? Or Michael Jackson, or Whitney Houston, or the endless list of others...

Hear here!

Well said my friend. The Pharmaceuticals are in the same line as the highest costing life expenses-- gas, medical care, airlines, anything financial Wall Street. The b@stards running these large corporations have gone from "in the closet" humble heisters to basking in their glory of stealing from us common folk-- and living their obscene lifestyles.

One of my few happy moments in life is how the oil industry is crashing. Now if only the airlines would start giving back those savings to the passengers.

Wife and I started switching to healthy herbal supplements and have been able to eliminate two co-pay medicines, and they were cleared by the doctors to stop using them.

I'll bet no one said NO to Prince, due to his stature, plus how much did his "medicine" and doctor visits cost? None of us lived with Prince or knew him closely, so we are not to judge. Rarely do people come out with wonderful things to say about artists who die early in life.

Sad.

Death knows no notoriety or fortune.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Prince was not all good. Gene Simmons is not all bad. Prince is guilty of mixing the bass poorly on most of his recordings. Why do people feel the need to deify someone just because they died?

I think Prince put the bass exactly where wanted it in the mix. The result was funky, and it grooved fiercely. More to the point, since he played it himself, he was not burying some poor, nameless bassist.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

You're right. He's intelligent, hugely successful, he calls his own shots and people love him!!

I will add that Gene Simmons was the reason that thousands of kids picked up a bass or a guitar. I don't think he had 1% of Prince's chops, but he was a huge influence on the development of music. Both Prince and Simmons had similar notions about how hip hop was responsible for moving kids away from learning to play instruments too.

 

[Sixgunn]

If the CLOWN even had some bass chops I wouldn't piss on him. He's a boob whose only claim to fame is makeup.

Wow, You guys! Do you think Gene cares AT ALL if he has chops?? He masterminded an enormously successful product and brand that will never be forgotten. That's a pretty serious claim to fame. What's yours?

 

[Salicete]

You would have done better to state it this way in the first place. As for the whole "words shouldn't hurt you" thing, I think that is a drastically oversold claim, and it's almost always used by a certain segment of society. Oh well, Gene issued an apology.

LOL, ok, you win.

 

[mindwell]

I know!! He should have had you around to consult with, when he was up and coming. Imagine how much better he'd have done!!!

My being a pissant doesn't preclude me from judging someone's behavior to be idiotic. Even someone--Gene Simmons, or for that matter, Donald Trump--who became famous and powerful without my help.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Wow, You guys! Do you think Gene cares AT ALL if he has chops?? He masterminded an enormously successful product and brand that will never be forgotten. That's a pretty serious claim to fame. What's yours?

I am pretty sure he would not mind having great chops. It was not a priority for him, but every musician admires skill.

 

[Hopkins]

Not trolling here but talk about "clown clothes?!!!!!!!!!!! Aren't Gene and Prince from the same school of fashion?

Gene has a bass like a bloody ax and Prince has a guitar like a couple of sex symbols.

Prince could play his sex symbol way better than Gene can play his axe lol

 

[Sixgunn]

My being a pissant doesn't preclude me from judging someone's behavior to be idiotic. Even someone--Gene Simmons, or for that matter, Donald Trump--who became famous and powerful without my help.

Except you said he's an idiot. Not his behavior.

 

[Kragnorak]

Wow, You guys! Do you think Gene cares AT ALL if he has chops?? He masterminded an enormously successful product and brand that will never be forgotten. That's a pretty serious claim to fame. What's yours?

You just solved a mystery for me as to why he spoke out. Gene admired Prince enormously and was offended that with all his riches he did not invest in a KISS Koffin.

 

[Plutonium244]

Does anyone not think that John Bonham's drinking killed him? Or Jim Morrisson?

I think Prince was great. I think it sucks he had a drug problem. It seems that it contributed to his early death. Gene essentially thinks the same thing minus a healthy dose of empathy. Who is surprised at that?

It's the "pathetic" moniker Simmons chose to put on Prince (the "minus a healthy dose of empathy" part to which you correctly allude) that qualifies Simmons the Clown as a Class A Smug Asshat, not his (still unqualified) medical/psychological opinions.

 

[Will S.]

Opposite for me. KISS is the reason I started playing guitar. Prince did nothing for me. And I can't seem to let go of the Jimmy Fallon guitar incident everyone else seems to have forgotten.

I've been thinking about that lately, It was truly disgusting and everyone seems to have forgotten about it.

 

[Gully Foyle]

Over 99% of people prescribed opiods do not become addicted.

Internal pain, inability to cope, lack of personal support, these fuel addiction. The drugs are just the vehicle, like gambling, or alcohol.

 

[madmanmerc]

Hey look, Gene is desperately trying to be relevant.....

He figures that since he is not even a real musician he has to

I am pretty sure he would not mind having great chops. It was not a priority for him, but every musician admires skill.

I wouldnt even call gene a musician. More of a promoter or salesman

 

[Dr. Cheese]

He figures that since he is not even a real musician he has to

I wouldnt even call gene a musician. More of a promoter or salesman

He's a musician, plenty of folks my age know his songs by heart.

 

[Sixgunn]

Prince could play his sex symbol way better than Gene can play his axe lol

Lol!! Well, it's been said that Gene can really play HIS sex symbol

 

[Bassmaticmatt]

Gene is the Trump of the music biz.

I thought it was Ted Nugent.

 

[Hopkins]

Lol!! Well, it's been said that Gene can really play HIS sex symbol