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Dee responds to Gene Simmons claim that "Rock 'n' Roll is dead" Moderators: Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [15 messages per page] | |
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marty |
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Nearly A Band Member Posts: 834 Location: Auchenblae, Scotland | Posted on the TS Facebook page: "POINT / COUNTER POINT: "ROCK 'N' ROLL AIN'T DEAD" by Dee Snider Recently, my esteemed colleague, Gene Simmons of Kiss declared that "Rock 'n' Roll is finally dead". Really? While I have nothing but respect for Gene, he couldn't be further off the mark. Yes, the rock 'n' roll "business model" that helped Kiss (and my band for that matter) achieve fame and fortune is most certainly long dead and buried, but rock 'n' roll is alive and well and thriving on social media, in the streets, and in clubs and concert halls all over the world. And the bands playing it are more genuine and heartfelt than ever because they are in it for one reason: the love of rock 'n' roll. Spend some time seeing and listening to these incredible young bands and their rabid fans and you will know that rock 'n' roll couldn't be more alive. Yes, it's not the same as it was for the first 50 years of rock’s existence, but the fire definitely still burns. And it wasn't some 15 year old kid in Saint Paul, Minnesota (to paraphrase Mr. Simmons) who killed the rock 'n' roll goose that laid the platinum egg...it was greedy, big city, record company moguls who made their own velvet noose to hang themselves with. It was they who took advantage of the consumer (and the artist for that matter) and drove them to use an alternative source of music presented to them. For example, take the bill of goods the record industry sold the mainstream public when introducing the CD format. "We have to charge more for it, because it's a new technology and there's a cost to setting up the infrastructure to produce them." The consumer believed them--it made sense--so they paid a $18.98 list price for a product they had been paying $7.99 list for previously. After all "you can't break a CD with a hammer!" (Remember that?) But when the infrastructure was in place and paid for in full, and the cost of producing a CD dropped to less than a dollar, did the record companies roll back the list price in kind? Not on your life. They weren't about to do the right thing and cut their increased revenue stream. Those fat cats were enjoying their ill-gotten gains way too much. So when the general public finally realized they were being had, and the opportunity arose for them to stick it to the man, what did they do? The same thing their Woodstock Nation, baby boomer parents had done when they had their chance...they stuck it and they stuck it good. Does anyone remember Abbey Hoffman's "Steal this Book", the massive selling, early 70’s hippy guide “focused on ways to fight the government, and against corporations in any way possible.” Multiply that by a googolplex. Is it hard to make it rock 'n' roll? You bet. Always was, always will be. Will rockers make as much money as they did "back in the day"? Probably not. But that won’t stop them, and they'll be motivated by a much more genuine love of the art, and great rock will continue to be produced, played and embraced by rock fans. So in conclusion: Record company executives killed the old rock 'n' roll business model…and Rock 'n' Roll Ain't Dead! Dee Snider/ September 10th, 2014" | ||
Amuz3d2Deth |
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Full-On SMF Posts: 96 | You Cant Stop Rock N Roll!!! | ||
i'mthatguy |
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Serious SMF Posts: 39 | Ha! As usual, "Dee knows best." (I see a new show coming to VH1Classic!). The irony is that Gene himself is one of the "greedy, big city record company moguls" who helped bring about the demise of his own industry (although, as Dee points out, it is not so much in demise as it is in flux). As a huge KISS fan myself going back to 1975, I could handle their merchandising and other cash grabs as long as they were producing good albums and good concerts, but they stopped doing both, in my opinion, around 1987 and that's when they started to lose me. I was at both days of the Heavy Montreal Festival this summer along with 75,000 other ticket holders (and Twisted Sister), and I can assure Gene that Rock n Roll is certainly not dead. Fans are hungry for it around the world. I was at a sold out Tom Petty concert at Madison Square Garden last night, and saw Aerosmith and Slash tear it up in Newark last week. Not dead. Vinyl record albums have made a resurgence in the last few years and LP sales grow bigger every month. And what is the largest selling genre in the vinyl market? Rock and roll. But maybe Gene's 2 newest KISS records haven't sold well for one reason: they aren't very good. If Gene spent more time on his song writing and producing a good album, maybe more people would be apt to buy it. TS proved an older band can sell records and be re-energized with their Christmas album. My wife didn't care what a Twisted Sister was until she heard that record and she's a huge fan now. Quality lasts, and quality sells. Gene and KISS are still all right in my book, if at the very least for what they accomplished in the 70s, but Rock n Roll will only die when rock bands like KISS stop being artists and instead turn into the corporate robber barons they once detested. Sorry for the rant. | ||
George |
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Nearly A Band Member Posts: 2072 | Good for Dee The write up is getting lots of positive press | ||
the trooper |
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Serious SMF Posts: 30 Location: Woodbridge,England | I am a KISS fan but sometimes Gene does talk some crap. | ||
Rock10 |
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Extreme SMF Posts: 181 | I remember Dee saying that Iron Maiden is a nostalgia band, and people don't care about their new albums. TS don't put out new albums. | ||
fountainfan |
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Nearly A Band Member Posts: 772 | Every once and awhile a Tourist shows up on the forum.. I guess your it Rock 10. Please go away.......................................A BIG THANKS IF YOU LEAVE. SMFF | ||
Rock10 |
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Extreme SMF Posts: 181 | He said that about Iron Maiden, and TS don't put out new albums. | ||
Armadillo |
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Road Reporter Posts: 1729 Location: Baltimore, MD | fountainfan - 2014-10-02 6:36 AM Every once and awhile a Tourist shows up on the forum.. I guess your it Rock 10. Please go away.......................................A BIG THANKS IF YOU LEAVE. SMFF Now, now FountainFan… maybe one day he'll actually go to a TS show and see the light. | ||
Rock10 |
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Extreme SMF Posts: 181 | Armadillo - 2014-10-02 6:05 PM fountainfan - 2014-10-02 6:36 AM Every once and awhile a Tourist shows up on the forum.. I guess your it Rock 10. Please go away.......................................A BIG THANKS IF YOU LEAVE. SMFF Now, now FountainFan… maybe one day he'll actually go to a TS show and see the light. I have seen them five times. What does that have to do with Dee saying similar things to Gene in the past? | ||
Fast Joey |
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Destroyer Posts: 545 | This is you, right? https://www.facebook.com/mike.vod.5?fref=ts | ||
Armadillo |
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Road Reporter Posts: 1729 Location: Baltimore, MD | No, Joey. It can't be Vod. Vod would be endlessly asking about Poughkeepsie…. | ||
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