Gene Simmons: "Rock is Finally Dead"

[MichaelMyers]

Agree/Disagree?

"Rock is finally dead," Simmons declared in an interview with Esquire. "The death of rock was not a natural death. Rock did not die of old age. It was murdered," he added.

But rock's killer wasn't the blurring of musical genres or lack of craftsmanship. Instead, Simmons blames file sharing and the fact that no one values music "enough to pay you for it" for murdering rock n' roll.

"You're better off not even learning how to play guitar or write songs, and just singing in the shower and auditioning for The X Factor. And I'm not slamming The X Factor, or pop singers. But where's the next Bob Dylan? Where's the next Beatles? Where are the songwriters? Where are the creators? Many of them now have to work behind the scenes, to prop up pop acts and write their stuff for them."

......

Simmons then points the finger at who he suspects is guilty for killing rock: "My sense is that file sharing started in predominantly white, middle- and upper-middle-class young people who were native-born, who felt they were entitled to have something for free, because that's what they were used to. If you believe in capitalism — and I'm a firm believer in free-market capitalism — then that other model is chaos. It destroys the structure."

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...-dead-20140907

:danger:

[horcrux2007]

yes

[Angra]

Totally.

He should blame the internet.

[Damn Heathen]

I agree, but I can't say it didn't deserve a good throat slashing. Actually, I thought it died around the time MTV pronounced Limp Bizkit kings of the world, which was also the time MTV stopped playing music videos. Go figure.

[Kandarian Demon]

The problem with that claim is, why would that kill rock specifically and not other genres? Even many of the more underground "spinoff" genres that have their roots in rock is alive and well.

Isn't the real problem that rock musicians in particular only do their stuff if there's millions to be made from it? Gene himself being the perfect example. Which, as a side effect, makes rock musicians seem fake. "I do it for the art, man!.... as long as I can afford my mansion, my limo and my private jet plane".

There is also SO much snobbery in rock these days, which is very off-putting, and probably especially to young newcomers. It has almost become the new Classical. It's certainly not for "rebels" or "individualists" anymore...

Other than that, I am actually not very supportive of piracy at all, and yes, I think it harms EVERYTHING to do with entertainment - but not rock in particular.

[neverending]

No. You know who is dead? Gene Simmons.

[anglewitch]

I don't know if rock is dead just yet that dancing moron Mick Jagger is still alive. He has not yet past on to the next life. When is that freak going to take a hint that no one listens to that sh++ anymore?

Excuse my French.

[JasonLuck]

and hip hop.

Ofcos there is still decent muscians/bands around but the ones that dominate the radio or mainstream usually suck.

[Jake.Ashworth]

The mainstream changes with the wants of the public, I think what he is saying is essentially, the public have given up on real rock. There was a beautiful time when rock was thriving and good rock was all over the radio. Now you have to find or be introduced to good rock. I also don't think he is talking about metal and all of its sub genres. There is still a lot of good metal out there but it has never been nor will it ever be "mainstream".

[anglewitch]

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