Search - Gene Simmons :: Asshole

DreamingTikay F. (DreamingTikay) from PALMDALE, CA
Reviewed on 10/1/2011...

I have never been a fan of Kiss, I although I have enjoyed listening to them a few times.
With an approach to listening to this CD as an artist, and music lover, a Kiss "outsider" who knows very little about Kiss's history, I will add my "shenanigans" for your open perusal, hoping to provoke and cajole a few, into a more open-hearted evaluation of this CD.
What I am going to suggest is that you listen to a few songs as an outsider like myself
might. I think that Gene is examining himself and trying to share some of his personal meme (hypothesis?) with the broad stroke of his world at this time, his middle years as a male in Los Angeles, and all that means.. SO~ Beyond judgement I find a few jewels worth listening to and examining on this new CD. Beautiful, sort of reminds me of my former house-mate, (in Silverlake) rocker-gal Corey Parks (who formerly played bass/sang in the band Nashville Pussy) of Die Hunns, and rocker gear fame. and I do love a good memory, so that was song was pretty good, ya ask me. So, yeah that one sort of won me over. I had to listen to it first to see if he was doing Beautiful, by Christina Aqulerra, which might have been, i dunno...refreshing?
There is something of Lou Reeds sound on the softer 1000 DreaMS, for me anyway, and you JUST can't not love Lou's riffs and heavy emoting so I liked that one too. It is sort of like Gene's been listening to Fleet Foxes of late ? I caught a haunting "alternative rock" flare to the tune and to be honest "Now that You're Gone" seems a bit (John) Lennon-ish and I found, it was thoughtful/colorful to boot.

Sweet & Dirty...what can I say, a conventional rocker ballad about Love, it was fairly
decent, though I prefer something a little more Bad Motor Scooter, or Hot Sweet & Sticky
myself from that genre (Montrose). " Dog"...I liked the song well enough, although I felt for his wife...but also for the man who has been led down a trail of illusions about 'how to be' in the world. It's odd how one can be so filled with compassion for another soul, when only knowing small bits and starts about the fellow and his life's circumstances. Needless to say, while listening, my heart went out to him as well. Just knowing that Gene is perhaps very (overly?) interested in certain (long-lived) experiences beyond his ability (to live-out-loud with, without) being judged by societal mores, or without being judged and sentenced by even his"lady" (Love) and the family, la familia.

That Gene's feeling trapped in that hindered-sexuality position called a steady relationship, (something we humans sometimes go through over time on this planet), I feel compassion for this trapped feeling in nature. Given the knowledge that he is probably sex addicted, poor chap... I hope wrestling his demons onstage in and through through his music will cure what ails him. We all must unleash the beast, in order to give it a good thrashing, no?.

"If I Had a Gun" seems depressive and genuine while subtly (self-depreciating and) hateful as well, it's as if Gene has chosen to open up more fully, and is sharing his heart beyond the norm for him. Although it may be slightly mean-spirited and cynical, he is certainly to be given strokes for the honesty, it is either (1) A real authenticity gem for all who relate, OR a Piece for those who relate, I just hope no dire consequenses spring forth of which he would be broken-hearted to find he had caused or influenced through his music. If authentically written about his psyche (at the moment of said "thrust") it is at least interesting to think about and when one understands emotional flow and flux one knows that emotions are passing ships, day or night)... so the song relates just a momentary whim or impulse and seems to be about whats wrong with the world, (or rather an agnst-ridden solution) when a negative outlook is triggered? Then again, Who knows...maybe it is just an easily quickly worked piece, written in order to keep the cash box opening?
KAH~CHING~OLA!!! and Geshundheit...my friend!

Overall. er lASTLY, (am a bit verbose) Gene's life has become a book wide open since the
series about parts of tHAT LIFE, are splashed all over, and for all to see, a bit American Beauty meets Zapp comics, er...Heavy Metal Magazine one. A show that appears to be about a wealthy, semi-lucid? (somewhat rational) family in conflict (and some happiness) living "the good life" in the 90210 district and what it entails, and tells, in the tale of RocK- Stardom...all pretty interesting stuff, and Pretty healthy for the imagination, if you think about the behind the scenes actions that are obviously taking place in the human drama...beyond that which is shown in media circles.
Pretty heady stuff to contemplate when listening to his CD, minus those songs you cant
tolerate...of course. I neither reccomend anyone buy it, or don't but if you listen, listen hard.

~PeaCe from L.A.~

Auf Wiedersehen, Aloha and C'ya PeOPle
from dreamingTikay

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Uncle Gene Does Karaoke

James Choma | 06/13/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"When I got this CD, I had the lowest of expectations, but even with that in mind, I found very little if anything salvagable on this horrible excuse for a CD. With lyrics like "you got a personality, yeah, just like a bucket full of pee...," we're scraping the bottom of the "creative" barrel here. Is this the stuff Gene was busting at the seams to put onto disc? Even Gene's '78 solo album (which out of the four comes in at a #3, just barely nudging out Peter Criss's) was miles ahead of this. Much of the album sounds like bad karaoke. Listen to "Beautiful" and "1000 Dreams." It sounds like Gene programed a 1984 Casio keyboard's drum machine and went to town. The same goes for "Waiting for the Morning Light." Damn, he tries hard, but with Gene single tracking his voice, uh, the straining... it's fingernails on a chalkboard. Gene threw a curveball on his first solo album with "When You Wish Upon a Star," but in an odd way it fit. "1000 Dreams" sounds like it was supposed to be this album's radical departure, but it only serves to embarrass...kind of like how I feel when my elderly uncle, after a few too many drinks, starts singing "What's New Pussycat." He likes it, but no one else does. The two good songs are "Dog," which sounds kind of like the Beach Boy's "Kokomo" on an acid trip, and "Black Tongue," a tip of the hat to Frank Zappa. These two songs show a little bit of inspiration -- just a little. As much a Gene has been known to criticize Peter Criss and Ace Frehley's ability to write songs, this CD gives him absolutely no ground to stand on. I know Gene intended this to be a departure from Kiss music, but all this CD shows me is that in his heart of hearts, Gene would like to be Barry Manilow."

Honesty from a huge Kiss fan

E. M. Wille | Kansas City | 11/05/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a huge Kiss fan since 1977. So, forget all other reviews, I'm about to tell you the 100% truth. Put the CD in, press play, and the first song "Sweet And Dirty Love" will totally kick your ass. This should have been recorded by Kiss. Second, "Firestarter"...a little bizarre but decent. Third, "Weapons Of Mass Destruction"...the heaviest song Gene has ever done, and it's good. THE REST OF THE CD IS F**KING HORRIBLE!!! As a Kiss fan, songs 4-13 are embarrassing! As a footnote...the two extra songs on the Japanese release are very good songs. It's a shame that most people won't hear them. They should have been on the American release and replaced two of the crappy songs. Gene was my childhood hero, but, by NO means, do I recommend this CD.

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